It was the afternoon of the third day after the arrival of
Cadurcis at the gipsy encampment, and nothing had yet occurred
to make him repent his flight from the abbey, and the choice he
had made. He had experienced nothing but kindness and
hospitality, while the beautiful Beruna seemed quite content to
pass her life in studying his amusement.
DISRAELI’S _Venetia_.
THE REINDEER’S FATE--DESOLATE SCENE--SEVERAL ASCENTS--THE
FRIGHTENED PEASANTS--A COAT LOST--ESMERALDA’S VIEWS--ABSENT
TREASURES--OLE RE-ENGAGED--A NEW KETTLE PROP--THE HANDSOME
ARTIST--COMFORTABLE STATION--ADIEU RÖDSHEIM--OUR EXCELLENT
GUIDE--CROSSING THE BRIDGE--ZACHARIAH’S ESCAPE.
On the hanging precipice of rocks, the highest in Norway, a reindeer had
met its death. The large glaciers of Tverbrœen Svelnaasbrœ and
Styggebrœen we could see below us. The glorious sunrise had lighted up
the Lauvhöen, Hestbrœpiggene, Hesthö, Sandgrovhö, Tvœrfjeld, Lomseggen,
and Grjotaa Fjeld with its large glaciers. Then we had the deep valley
of Visdalen on one side and Leirdalen on the other. The lofty Fjelds of
the Eisteinshovd, Kvitingskjölen, and Hjem Fjeldene in the distance.
Across Visdalen and near to us the mountains of the Glitterhö,
Glittertind,[92] Glitters Rundhö, and Troldsteens Rundhö. To the west
are the mountains of the Vesle Fjeld, the Kjœrringhœtta and many others.
What a wild boundless region of peaks to the south--far, far beyond our
sight. An endless extent of riven rock, above the glaciers snow, of an
ever frozen region. The Stygehö, Tverbottenhorne, Kirken. Uledals
Tinderne, one of whose peaks was also afterwards ascended by Messrs.
Browne and Saunders. The Leirhö, Memurutinden, Heilstuguhö, Tyknings,
Snehö, Beshö, Sikkildals Hö, Heimdalshö, Simletind, Skarvdalstind,
Knudshultinden, Mugna, Kalvaahögda Melkedals-tinderne, Skagastöltind,
the Koldedals-tinderne, and the wild peaks of the Horungerne.
Noah lighted a fire on the rocks near the dome. We sang a gipsy song.
Then a memorial of our visit was placed in a bottle, and added to those
records of former ascents already there. At five o’clock a.m. we
commenced our descent, Ole leading, ourself next, and Noah bringing up
the rear. In the same order we had ascended. With difficulty we kept our
legs on the frozen snow sloping from the dome. If we had rolled with Ole
and Noah to the glaciers below, our wanderings would certainly have been
at an end.
The rocks were soon reached, and, descending to the glaciers below, we
reached Rödsheim before ten o’clock the same morning. This gives
thirteen hours from Rödsheim and return. Mr. Watson, who is a member of
the Alpine Club, accomplished the ascent in 1868 in nine hours and a
quarter actual walking. The Prœsten H. Halling had made the ascent, and
also one of the young ladies we had met at the Prœsten Hallings. What
cannot ladies accomplish when they make up their minds?
The Galdhöpiggen, we were told, was first ascended in 1851 by a
schoolmaster and a farmer, who took three days to succeed. In 1864 Ole
Halvorsen, or, as he is very often called from his farm, Ole Rödsheim,
ascended it from Rödsheim. Captain R. J. Campbell ascended it in 1866;
since then to the present time there have been several ascents from
Rödsheim. The Prœsten Honoratus Halling, of Lom, Messrs. H. Smith,
Wright, and G. H. Wright, from Lom Rectory, H. S. Marriot, H. W.
Cuthbert, J. Dymsdale, Mr. and Mrs. Watson, and lastly, Messrs. Boyson
and Harrison, to whom Ole Halvorsen had acted as guide before we engaged
his services. Some tourists have ascended, we believe, from Visdal since
the first ascent was made.
Esmeralda and Zachariah welcomed us at our camp at Rödsheim. They had
felt quite lost. Esmeralda did not approve of our staying out all night.
They had not been able to sleep. In the middle of the night they said an
attempt had been made to steal the donkeys. Two men were near them, and
one was actually trying to mount one of them. Esmeralda and Zachariah
went up to them, and both men ran away along the mountain road with
Esmeralda and Zachariah in pursuit. We can imagine Mephistophiles, the
descendant of some count of Lesser Egypt, with nothing on but his shirt,
swiftly pursuing two heavy peasant descendants of some Norwegian chief
of ancient time, flapping the road with their heavy shoes, panting and
breathless to escape the unexpected apparitions from the rocks of the
Bœver Elv in the dead of night. “Norwegians stealing, ce n’est pas
possible!” said we. “Curious to examine the animals near the road, they
had merely ventured to inspect them closely, and you nearly frightened
them to death.”[93]
A dismal revelation had also to be made, for on returning from the
Galdhöpiggen it was discovered that our siphonia overcoat, secured by
straps, had been lost on the arrête near the mountain’s summit. Ole
would then and there have returned for it, but this we would not allow;
and a look-out was to be made during the next ascent.
Then our boots, which were not new when we commenced our wanderings,
were declared by Esmeralda to be a complete wreck. Before our ascent of
the Galdhöpiggen, they had been severely tested by nearly all the wear
and tear of the distance to Rödsheim. Even Medwin’s won’t last for ever.
Then it must be remembered we never had a single blister during the
journey. C’est quelque chose, thought we, as Esmeralda looked out from
the wardrobe pocket, another pair of Medwin’s fishing-boots nearly new.
Shall we ever forget the look Esmeralda gave us when she held up the
débris of those replaced? Can we forget the tone in which she somewhat
reproachfully said, “Now, look at these chockas!”
Having made rapid but unsatisfactory résumé of the results of our
ascent, Esmeralda treated the whole affair in a most contemptuous
spirit. Instead of receiving much laudation, our mountain expedition was
looked upon as a profitless expenditure of time, and energy, and a
reckless desertion of our tents. In our mind we contrasted our
reception with what it might have been elsewhere. No cannons fired as at
Chamounix. No “bouquet of flowers” as we remember at St. Gervais. No
“vin d’honneur,” no anything. We sat down to breakfast, and felt very
much as if we had done something wrong without having done it.
[Illustration: “NOW, LOOK AT THESE CHOCKAS”!!!]
One thing is quite certain, the appetite of the two mountaineers had not
lost anything by the expedition. Breakfast being completed, we adjourned
with our note-book to the cool shade of some rocks just above the road.
Esmeralda came to talk to us as we wrote. Two or three lines went
tolerably easy, then the pencil and note-book glided from our hand, and
we fell fast asleep till mid-day.
As we awoke, we perceived the silent figure of Esmeralda still watching
by us. It was found to be time for dinner and we returned to our tents.
Two Swedish travellers were at Rödsheim. They had visited our tents
before we returned from the Galdhöpiggen. One young traveller spoke some
English; he said we came to see the pretty valleys and the pretty girls,
but we see no pretty girls. We went to a sæter, and they offer us a bed,
but we see it was dirt, and sleep in the grass. He then asked them if we
could speak Romany. “Oh, yes,” said Zachariah, “he taught us, sir.” Then
he inquired how we learned it. “I don’t know, sir,” answered Zachariah,
“but he has books.”
In arranging our things before tea time, we fancied that the aquavit in
our flask had somewhat diminished since the replenishment for the two
artists. The subject being mentioned to Esmeralda, for we were always
plain with them, Noah seemed so hurt, that at last our suspicions were
disarmed. We were not very certain; we, at any rate, blamed Noah for
buying such brandy at Veblungsnœs; it was peculiarly muddy in
appearance. We had always found Noah honest, so we ultimately left the
matter in the same inextricable confusion we had found it, freely giving
him the benefit of all doubt. Having written a letter or two and entered
a memorandum of our ascent in the guest-book at Ole’s, he came to our
tents and had tea. As we left the house to return to our tents we met
the two artists at the door, Who we found were going to remain at the
station for the night.
Ole Rödsheim had given us so much satisfaction as guide, that we
determined to engage him again. We paid him three dollars, two marks,
and twelve skillings for his previous services, which included our
ascent of the Galdhöpiggen. Another engagement was made to take us
through the mountains to the Mörk Fos, and _viâ_ Eisbod and the Tyen
Vand to the Bergen road, near Skogstad. It was arranged that he should
have four marks a day and two days’ pay, eight marks more, for his
return home; this amount to include Ole’s board and lodging.
Having carefully gone through the maps of the different routes with Ole,
we decided to start the next day.
The blacksmith, who was a sober, sedate looking man, had come
occasionally to the log hut during the day to make our kettle prop in
the most approved gipsy fashion, size, and shape. Imagine his horror and
astonishment, when he returned, after an absence, to find Mephistopheles
hammering a piece of iron into some inconceivable shape; sparks flying,
tools freely used, fire blazing, and anvil ringing. The usurpation was
almost too much for him. With a caution to Zachariah to keep to his own
affairs, and explaining the matter to Ole as an unfortunate instance of
out-of-place ingenuity, the kettle prop was ultimately finished and
Noah’s Alpine stock mended at a cost of three marks and a half.
This was to be our last evening at Rödsheim. We were honoured by a visit
from one of the beaux of the village, who danced at Laurgaard. Alas!
there was no more dancing for our beau. The girls were either engaged in
the harvest or at the Sœters. All the peasants were now busy in their
harvest. The farmer was carrying hay on the steep slope of the valley
opposite our tent. Ole had a large flock of goats brought in; the
largest number we saw together in Norway. The handsome artist, whose
photograph hung in the station at Rödsheim, came to see our tents at
about ten at night; we were just going to bed, so he did not remain
long. The Swedish travellers had left, we hope, to see many pretty girls
before they returned home. We did not see them to speak to, or we should
have recommended them to visit Skeaker.
Tolerably well rested, we were up at six o’clock on Tuesday, the 2nd of
August. At seven we had breakfast of broiled bacon, bread, and tea; Noah
soon after struck the tents, and the things were packed up; a goat’s
cheese and a “myse ost,”[94] and all the bread Ole could spare, was
added to our commissariat. The station at Rödsheim is well supplied with
excellent bread, beer, tea, biscuits, potatoes, and, in fact, most
requirements which constitute the comfort of the hungry tourist. They
are comfortable quarters, and the house very clean and well ventilated.
We had no opportunity of seeing the sleeping accommodation, but if we
could form an opinion from what we saw below, we have very little doubt
that travellers are well cared for in that respect.
Our cost for provisions, butter, cheese, bread, potatoes, eggs, and
milk, came to two dollars, three marks, and fifteen skillings; and we
paid three marks, eight skillings additional postage of letters _viâ_
Lom. Some of the bread and cheese we took with us for future
consumption. At ten o’clock we took our departure after we had wished
Mrs. Rödsheim farewell. She was a quiet, delicate, person, but very neat
and industrious and attentive. The artists were still companions of
Morpheus, so we left them a song each, and made Mrs. Rödsheim the
present of an English book. To Ole, also, we gave one of our songs. We
also left the last “London News,” and copies of the “Standard” at the
station, and so ended our pleasant visit at Rödsheim.
Noah and Zachariah went on before us with the merles and baggage.
Ourself and Esmeralda sat upon a rock a short distance above Rödsheim
waiting for Ole to come up. The valley at this point widens; the river
is very broad, shallow, and picturesque, before it loses itself in the
deep rocky gorge at Rödsheim.
The scene was so charming and the morning so lovely we could have
lingered there with hours of pleasure. In the distance up the valley we
could see the small wooden church of Bœverdal; but Ole is come, and we
must away.
Ole equipped for the mountains. He had high Norwegian boots, lacing up,
much resembling the ladies’ Alpine tourist boot, but of course of
rougher make. Ole had left his dark coat behind him, so as to be more at
ease. His trousers were tied round the leg below the knee with pieces of
cord; he had his knapsack, wallet, and staff. The photograph represents
Ole Halvorsen, of Rödsheim, near Lom, as he appears in his coat. We
esteemed ourselves fortunate in having secured the services of a guide
in every way trustworthy, and thoroughly acquainted with an extensive
region of mountain land. Ole was in the best period of his life, when
man’s strength and experience unite in maturity; as the the companion
of the reindeer hunter and Alpine tourist he is invaluable; never makes
difficulties, speaks English well, will do the best he can to save
expense, talks little, but to the purpose, is always ready for a start
at whatever early hour you name. Turning along the mountain road from
the valley to the left of the church, we overtook Noah and Zachariah. We
were told that service is performed in the church every fourth Sunday.
It was built, Ole said, for 2000 dollars; 500 dollars from Government,
500 dollars secured by a chief rent, and 1000 dollars contributed by the
inhabitants. Not much of our morning route had been accomplished, when
we came to a narrow bridge over a wild, rapid, foaming, torrent, rushing
over a declivity. Vain was our attempt to get any of the donkeys over
the bridge. It was amusing to see the fierce contention; gipsies
pulling, gipsies pushing, Ole and ourself mixed up in the general
struggle without avail. Then we determined to force them through the
torrent, which rushing swiftly over large stones, and then falling in
cascades below, was difficult to wade. We could not remain all day. One
donkey was forced in, and got safe through; another, also, but the
third, which was rather heavily laden, would not stir till
Mephistopheles suddenly jumped on the top of the baggage. The donkey was
soon staggering through, guided by Zachariah in the rough rocks of the
stream. For a moment, the animal faltered in its foot-hold. Are they
both to be carried down the roaring cascades? Another plunge, and by
good fortune, the donkey reached firm ground and more shallow water;
they were soon safely landed.
Very thankful we were that Zachariah had come out of the adventure
safely. We had no desire to lose our Mephistopheles, and if he had not
suddenly mounted on the spur of the moment we should have prevented him
from incurring such a risk.
The route was delightful; sometimes through forest scenes and along the
mountain stream, till at last we came to the Elv Sœter at about
half-past twelve o’clock.
The Elv Sœter is now a large farm, though originally it was, as the name
indicates, probably nothing but a mountain sœter.