“Free as the winds that through the forest rush--
Wild as the flowers that by the way-side blush.
Children of nature wandering to and fro,
Man knows not whence ye come, nor where ye go.
Like foreign weeds cast up on western strands,
Which stormy waves have borne from unknown lands;
Like murmuring shells to fancy’s ear that tell
The mystic secrets of their ocean cell.”
_The Gipsies._ DEAN STANLEY’S _Prize Poem_.
MARINER’S LIFE--THE EVASIVE ANSWER--A TRUE PRESENTIMENT--THE
KING OF SWEDEN AND NORWAY--THE BEAUTIFUL FJORD--GIPSY MUSIC--A
CUSTOM-HOUSE DIFFICULTY--ANOTHER FREEMASON--APPROPRIATE
VERSES--CHRISTIANIA--HORSE MONEY--17, STORE STRANDGADE.
The stewards were excellent. One had been shipwrecked several times.
“Rough work in winter, sir. Most on the line get lost. At Hull most of
the young men who go to sea are drowned.” Not very encouraging
information, thought we, but such are the chances of a seaman’s life.
Having sent our gipsies to bed, we retired ourselves. About twelve
o’clock our first doze was disturbed by a noise in our cabin. Looking
round, we saw the bagman with a bottle in his hand. He was taking
Lamplough’s pyretic saline, which he strongly recommended for headache,
or to set you right after drinking. After taking his draught, he
disappeared into his berth. Our thermometer was 66°, with both
port-holes open.
We were recommended to look out for beautiful scenery, at about seven
o’clock the next morning. When we went on deck, at an early hour, the
weather was damp and cloudy.
Some time afterwards we had a chat on deck, with our fellow-passenger
the barrister. He was going to Christiania, and from thence by the coast
steamer to the North Cape. The coast excursion is a very pleasing one.
Our fellow-passenger was full of anecdotes and information. Mr. T.,
after examining our gipsy, Noah, had said to the barrister, “I find that
the gentleman’s name is Harper.” “You are quite in error, I can assure
you,” said the barrister, “the gipsies have only been cramming you.” Mr.
T. appeared much astonished, and we said it was only what he could
expect; and, although not done intentionally, it was not exactly the
right way to acquire information; and any one doing so would not get
much for their trouble. We had risen at four o’clock. Our portly
fellow-passenger, was also up soon after, and wishing us good-bye,
descended with his portmanteau into a boat, and left the steamer. This
he did to save time, not wishing to go to Christiania. We found
afterwards that a young Norwegian in the second cabin, would have gladly
availed himself of the same boat. He had been absent eight years from
his home, and friends, and was anxious to see them as soon as possible.
When he afterwards arrived at Christiania, he said, “I have a dread,
that I shall hear some bad news.” After a short absence from the
steamer, he again returned. His worst fears were but too true, and he
sat down, and cried very much. Such are the melancholy scenes of life,
meeting us at every turn, and sadly remind us, of the short existence of
all things in this world.
The early morning was rather damp and wet. The passengers were up in
good time. Our gipsies we found as gay and sprightly, as they had been
before ill, and prostrate. Mr. T. still seemed delighted with our
expedition, and visited from time to time our gipsies, with his friend,
whom we took for his brother. We mustered well at breakfast, under the
presidency, of our polite captain. When we had finished, and returned on
deck, our title to be recognised as an accepted mason, after a very
rigid and searching ordeal, was at length acknowledged, by Monsieur le
Chevalier, who was exceedingly particular.
From various circumstances, we had not been lately to our lodge in
London. We still retained pleasant reminiscences of former visits, and
especially of our reception, at those Lodges we once visited in Paris,
with our old friend the Chevalier M.[18] His Majesty the King of Sweden
and Norway is now one of the most distinguished masons in Europe. May he
long hold the proud position, of being a monarch, whose power rests upon
the affections, of a free, and noble-hearted people.[19]
The conversation at breakfast, was lively and animated. Most of the
passengers were in good spirits, and seemed delighted with the bright
anticipations, of their approaching wanderings, over fjeld and fjord.
Even the Birmingham bagman was better, and we noticed him, at some
distance from us, feeding his beard, in a most reckless manner with egg.
What a delightful scene presented itself after breakfast! From the
steamer’s deck, we gazed on the beautiful fjord, calm and glistening in
the sun. The cloudy morning was now changed--all was lovely, and filled
the heart with a dreamy sensation of pleasure. Rocky shores, wooded
islands, secluded maisonettes, and dark pine woods, extended as far as
the eye could reach, into the boundless distance of endless
woodland--one eternity of nature, which reminded us of the stanza:--
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods;
There is a rapture on the lonely shore;
There is society where none intrudes
By the deep sea, and music in its roar.”
Soon after breakfast Mr. T. came to us, and said, “I have asked your
young man to play his violin, and he very properly says he cannot do so,
without your permission.” Mr. T. was anxious to hear them play; we
therefore at once gave our consent. Noah came for one of the Regent
Street tambourines, then in our cabin, and in a very short time the gay
sounds of violin and tambourine, were heard in the Christiania Fjord.
Our gipsies were grouped below the fore-deck, the sun was shining. The
travellers and sailors seemed much amused. “Why you are travelling with
your band!” said some of the passengers. Nor shall we forget the tall
form of our gipsy, Noah, with his hat placed jauntily on one side his
head, as he rattled the tambourine, with a verve, and feeling which
only one, of wild, strong passions can do. Mr. T. came up. “I like your
idea very much,” said he; “and I suppose that young gipsy girl, will
cook for you. I admire her boots; they are something like boots. What a
difference,” whispered he, as a genteel, ladylike passenger, passed
near, whose small, thin, elaborately-worked, fashionable boots, with
high heels, and small rosettes, just above the toes, certainly did not
appear, fitted to promote, the elasticity of the footstep, or comfort of
the wearer, among the Norwegian fjelds and fjords.
Then we had much speculation as to the astonishment of the Norwegian
people, when they saw our donkeys. We were informed that the Chevalier’s
father, had once possessed the only donkey in Norway. This animal had
long since been dead, and Norway had been left without a single donkey
in all the land. Some said we ought to make a charge for exhibiting them
to the peasantry, and an animated discussion took place, as to the
amount of duty to be paid, before they could be landed. One said it
would be the same as upon horses; another said that the duty could not
be the same as upon horses, and they would have nothing to pay. Some
passengers expressed an opinion, that they would have to pass a law in
the Storthing, to assess the amount of duty, before we could possibly
land them, and it might cost us 20_l._ to get them through.
As we approached Christiania, and our voyage was nearly over, we had our
account to discharge with the stewards. Our gipsies cost quite a
fortune. If they had been ill at first, their appetites must have been
ravenous, towards the close of the voyage. The steward had been told, to
let them have everything they wanted to eat, and to drink; we could
not, therefore, say much, so settled the bill. Both stewards, hoped we
should come back in the same vessel, and took some trouble to give us
the dates of sailing, from Christiansand. It was then our intention to
take the steamer from Christiansand, at the end of the summer.
We met with another freemason on the morning we landed at Christiania,
whom we believe was chief engineer--a very stout-built man, with a kind,
amiable disposition, whose every word rang, of open-heartedness, and
benevolence. He had a jolly, merry wife, and a French poodle dog, which,
of course, begged, and was as intelligent, as those animals usually are.
We became very good friends. Before we landed he gave us a newspaper,
containing some verses, which, if we remember right, were written by
some man going to be hung. Unfortunately, we have mislaid the gift. Our
friend said the verses had struck his wife, and himself, as being most
appropriate to the wanderings of ourself, and the young people. They
wished us all success, which we sincerely reciprocated.
In the second cabin there was also a sea captain, and his wife, from
Australia--very kind people to our gipsies; in fact, we could not help
feeling, some tinge of regret, that we were so soon to leave. Yet we
were on the threshold of camp life. We were about to continue our former
wanderings. The thread broken elsewhere, was to be resumed in Norway. We
must admit, that the allurements of fresh scenes of nomadic life,
softened our separation, and gave us new hopes for the approaching
campaign.
Our baggage was mounted on deck, as we approached Christiania. Very
soon we had the city of Christiania in full view, with the King’s
palace, and castle of Agershuus.[20] We could scarcely account for the
feeling, but Christiania seemed to wear a pleasant, homelike aspect,
which we liked. It was probably eleven o’clock when the steamer arrived.
A number of the inhabitants had arrived on the pier. Mr. Bennett was
there. Time had favoured him, for he looked stronger, and we might say
younger, than when we were last at Christiania. One of the first
incidents before landing was a solicitation for horse-money. It seems to
be a kind of payment customary for the benefit of the sailors; and it
was hoped that the donkeys, although not horses, would still entitle the
sailors to its payment. We had enjoyed such a pleasant voyage, and were
in such good temper, with all on board, that we did not raise any
objection to the remuneration.
What a quaint, foreign-looking court-yard you enter as you seek Mr.
Bennett. Numbers of carrioles are crowded together at the end of the
court, ready for distant journeys. Then you ascend some steps, to a
wooden balcony, and enter his suite of rooms. One large room is
completely full of Norwegian silver relics--tankards, belts of a past
age, carvings, paintings, engravings, photographs of Norwegian scenery,
maps, books, and all sorts of articles, illustrative of the manners, and
customs of the Norwegians, of ancient and modern time. We seem to have
wandered into a dream-land of ancient sagas, and ten to one you meet
other spirits who are doing the same.
Mr. Bennett, the presiding genius of the place, had probably ceased to
be astonished at any mode of travelling an Englishman might adopt.
Williams had landed with his knapsack, which resulted in an interesting
work, having the additional value, of giving a correct entry, of the
expenses of his expedition. MacGregor came _en route_ to Sweden, with
his canoe, and wrote another interesting work. Now an Englishman comes
with gipsies and donkeys! What next?[21] The worthy English consul, and
_chargé-d’affaires_, who so well represents our country, was absent from
Christiania, but we were introduced to his son. When he heard of our
retinue, grave doubts as to our safety, apparently crossed his mind. He
seemed to think it improbable, we should return to our friends. It could
scarcely be expected, that Mr. Bennett could advise us, upon the best
camping grounds, but we must ever feel grateful remembrance to him, for
the trouble he took, to pass our things through the Custom-house, and
forward those left behind to Eidsvold.
The cicerone provided for us by the Chevalier, dined with us at the
Victoria Hotel, Raadhuusgaden. The day was lovely. We found some of our
fellow-passengers, already seated at the _table d’hôte_.