They played on the guitar until the warm day had given place to
the starry night. I sat on my balcony, and looked on with
pleasure at the gaiety of youth.
With castanets they danced,
Their only music this;
Their eyes into each other’s glanced,
Quaffing sweet draughts of bliss.
_In Spain._ HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.
WE LEAVE THE BEINA--THE LILLE PIGE--ANY PORT IN A STORM--THE
FAIRIES’ VISIT--THE SPIRILEN--YTRE AADALEN VAL--LARGE
BONDEGAARD--HEEN WOODLAND CAMP--EVENING VISITORS--THE
HÖNEFOS--INTELLIGENT POSTMASTER--NORDERHOUG CHURCH--HALT NEAR
VIK--THE GIPSIES’ POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY--NOAH AND THE
PHILANTHROPIST--STEENS FJORD--THE KROGKLEVEN--BEAUTIFUL
GORGE--CAMP NEAR THE KING’S VIEW.
Noah and Zachariah quickly loaded the donkeys;[119] one of the boatmen
showed us the way. We followed a track from the river through the wood.
An old boat near the river, in the wood, turned on one side, with the
marks of a fire having been lighted before it, showed that it had been
used as a bivouac.
Passing through the court of a large house, near the wood, we shortly
afterwards, entered by a gate into a pleasant shady way, leading along
the left shore of the Spirilen Lake. A large crowd were still watching
our cavalcade from the house.
It was about twenty minutes past ten o’clock, when we left the river
Beina;[120] a halt was called at eleven, in a wood, on the shores of the
Spirilen.
Our middags-mad consisted of soup, made of potatoes, ham, bacon, and
Liebig’s essence, with addition of some gröd.
Zachariah went fishing, but was unsuccessful. The rain commenced, and we
either slept, or wrote our notes from about two o’clock until four
o’clock.
Again we were all on the move. Following the rough track through the
fir-forest, we had pleasing vistas of the lake. Then we came to where
some men were making a new road, and sometimes, we had to change from
the old road, on to the new portion, lately opened for traffic; passing
Bjönvicken to Engordden the road had enclosures, and farms on either
side. About six o’clock we noticed the steamer going up the lake to Nœs.
At one place, we passed a new house, which appeared to have a shop. Soon
after, a little girl followed us with something wrapped in a white
napkin. It occurred to us, to send Noah back, and see if he could get
bread. The little girl at once guessed what we wanted, and told us bread
could be purchased, at six skillings a loaf. She was a neatly dressed,
intelligent little girl, and we gave her 3 skillings for her
information; she at once seized our hand, and said tak; soon afterwards
she went into a house on the roadside.
There were nothing but inclosures for some distance. The evening was
rapidly closing; on we pushed: no camp ground; still we hurried along.
We were now on a part of the road recently made, and must shortly sleep
somewhere. At last, just at dark, a small driftway was noticed, to a
narrow strip of new-mown turf, between the road, and the lake. No time
for hesitation; the donkeys were quickly driven down to the turf. Some
high bushes formed a screen from the road, and a shelter for ourselves.
A boat was moored on the sandy beach near. The donkeys were at once
unloaded in a quiet corner, a fire was lighted on the shore, and our
water quickly boiled.[121] Zachariah was on the look-out for Noah, who
soon came with three loaves of bread, which had cost a mark. The tents
were at once pitched. Our gipsies made short work of tea, bread and
cheese. “Let’s gell to our woodrus,”[122] said Noah. “Cushty
ratti,”[123] said we; and they were soon asleep. It was a dark murky
night, as we sat by the dying embers of our fire. Gradually the rain
increased, and we retired to our tent. The turf had been newly mown, and
was delicious to rest upon. We listened to the boat rising and falling
on the waves, as they dashed in the night wind, on the sandy shore. It
had rained heavily during the night, accompanied by lightning. Between
two and three o’clock in the morning we were up, the morning was dark
and cloudy, with misty rain. Fire was lighted; Noah warmed up some
simmin (gip., soup),[124] saved from yesterday’s middags-mad; we had
also tea, and bread and cheese--an odd combination--which was hastily
disposed of. The top of a house could be seen on the other side the
road, close above us: the inhabitants little thought they had visitors
sleeping just below them. It is probable that they would be sorely
puzzled, when they went for the boat’s paddles, in the bushes behind our
tent, to see the impression on the turf--the impression left by our
sleeping forms. Perhaps they might think, some Huldre or fairy had been
there: at any rate, we did not wait to elucidate the occurrence, which
may be involved in mystery to this day. At five o’clock, animals,
baggage, and gipsies were well on the road towards Finsand.
There was something exciting in our wanderings. Our animals still
continued quite equal to their work, and every day decreased the weight
of the commissariat; the weight they had to carry was now much lighter.
At eight o’clock we halted on the margin of an open bay of the Spirilen
Lake, near some houses. As we were having another meal of cold bacon,
meat, and bread and cheese, and tea, we saw the steamer pass down the
lake from Nœs. A woman and a man came and wanted to buy one of the
donkeys.
At nine o’clock, we were again on the move towards Somdalen. Then we
came to a narrow channel of the lake, through which the steamers pass to
the Aadals Elv. The road, after passing through Somdalen, continued
through fir-forests, and pleasant scenes. At one part of the forest, we
saw some wood pigeons, and at another, a jackdaw. When we had passed
Somdalen, we halted again; our rest was on a greensward surrounded by a
stream, in an open space below the road, surrounded by a wood. It was a
nice secluded spot. We halted at a quarter to twelve; the sun was warm
and pleasant; we had tea, fried ham, and bread. Esmeralda’s spirits were
in the ascendant. We left at twenty-five minutes to two o’clock. Our way
was through beautiful forests, which reminded us of some of the wild
scenes of Australia. As to Mephistopheles, he was buzzing about like a
butterfly; we nearly crushed him once or twice.
At last we came to a large farm on the borders of the forest, by Ytre
Aadalen Val. The road led from the forest, over a rise of open
cultivated ground, near a large and convenient gaard. We had lingered
behind. As we again came up with our gipsies, they were passing over the
cultivated land near the gaard. The master of the Bondegaard, a stout
man, and apparently his wife and two daughters, and a large retinue of
dependants, were grouped to see us pass. They surveyed us with
curiosity, but did not speak. Scarcely had our gipsies got out of
hearing, than one of the dependants was the subject of severe criticism.
“Look at that country gorgio,” said Mephistopheles.
“Ha,ha!” said Esmeralda; “why, he’s a kok-y-yock” (cock-eye).
“No,” said Noah; “that’s our varnon.”[125]
“O nei! O nei!” said Mephistopheles; “peen giære, peen giære!”
Somebody was extinguished, and order was restored. Gipsies, as a rule,
not being educated, and having a great amount of gaiety, and physical
energy, in default, occasionally, of rational conversation, seize upon
circumstances, and things, of the most minor importance, to occupy their
attention, in a warfare of Romany chaff against everyone, and
everything, with singular expression, tempered with strange energy, and
lively spirit.
The master of the Bondegaard was exceedingly stout, and we reasoned
afterwards, upon the inconvenience of being so stout, and the advantage
of a gipsy life, in keeping the body, in its proper symmetrical
proportions.
Now we are in the forest again, and this portion of our route, is much
more beautiful than we expected. The Spirilen does not rival many of the
Norwegian lakes, though there are many pleasant scenes along its shores.
At this part of our route we saw some of the most lofty spruce-fir we
had seen during our wanderings in Norway.
We were now fast coming towards Heen, where the steamer meets, we were
told, the railway to the Rands Fjord.
Through the forest we went. Esmeralda, who was so lively at our last
halt, seemed getting tired, and wanted to ride, but our camp rule did
not allow it. Again, we hoped soon to halt: the heroine of our book was
not to be neglected, and lost by the way, for the want of care and
proper attention.
Soon after we descended a steep declivity in the forest, and came upon a
charming glade on a stream, which, we believe, is called the Vœls Elv.
At the foot of the declivity, flowed its shallow stream of water. On the
left of the forest-way, before we reached the stream, we saw some open
green turf, secluded by clumps of forest trees, and beyond, and on all
sides, a woodland of apparently interminable forest, as far as the eye
could reach. ’Twas a lovely spot for the tired Esmeralda to repose.
The tents were put up at once in the open glade, near the flowing
stream. We were soon engaged writing letters. Esmeralda was washing at a
fire near a clump of trees, not far from the stream. Noah was making a
basket. A tall blacksmith, as we supposed him to be, carrying a rifle,
came to our tents. He told us there were wolves, and bears in the
forest. Then we had afterwards, a party of three gentlemen, and a lady;
they were very nice people. One dark, good-looking young gentleman,
spoke English. We were pleased to see them at our tents. They inspected
our camp, Russian lamp, cooking apparatus, and our donkeys. They seemed
much pleased. It would have given us pleasure to have known more of
them.
It was, indeed, a beautiful camping-ground, in a large wild forest. Our
fourth meal this day--for we had crowded on considerable sail--consisted
of tea, sardines, bread and cheese. At nine o’clock, all were resting
in our tents. It is noted in our impressions, that the evenings get
colder and shorter, chilly and damp.
Friday, the 19th of August; we are again stirring at twenty minutes past
three o’clock. Up rise our three gipsies, in the wild Norwegian forest:
_en avant_ is the word.
As we were standing by our camp-fire, we heard footsteps; a man and a
boy appeared at that early hour, to see our donkeys. They were
astonished to find anyone already up and moving.
The frokost consisted of tea, biscuits, and cheese. Our donkeys loaded,
we moved off at six o’clock. Noah left his unfinished basket on our
camp-ground, as a souvenir. Soon we passed under the arch of the Rands
Fjord Railway. Then the road lay through enclosures, and we came in
sight of Hönefos.
Before we entered the town of Hönefos, we cautioned Mephistopheles, as
to propriety of conduct. It was, perhaps, about nine o’clock; many
people came out of their houses, and anxiously inquired what the donkeys
were. Mephistopheles called for a glass of sherry, and imitated a
drunken man, until he was called to attention. A civil Norwegian coming
up, we inquired for the Postaabneri and a krambod.
Keeping Noah with us, we sent the donkeys and baggage through the town,
in care of Esmeralda and Zachariah. Coming into a sort of square, our
first visit was the post-office; we went into a court-yard, and entering
the back of a house, we soon found ourselves in a small room, with a
kind of bank counter, behind which sat a respectable-looking, pale,
intelligent man. By his side, he had an ear-trumpet, for he was deaf;
behind him, he had shelves, filled with books; on his long table, he had
writing materials, documents, and papers relating to his duties. He
spoke in English with a very good accent; we wrote our answers, for he
was deaf. The postage of our English letter, was sixteen skillings, and
four skillings each for our letters to Christiania. Readily giving us
some information, about the steamers with mails from Christiania, we
left our civil postmaster. The war seemed the all-engrossing topic of
the time, and we had, of course, some converse on the subject.
Our next visit was to the shop, where we bought five pounds of sugar,
for three marks eight skillings; five loaves of bread, for one mark six
skillings; and, at a baker’s, we bought two loaves of bread, for eight
skillings and six cakes for six skillings.
Hönefos is a spirited town, and a pretty one. Crossing the Hönefos
Bridge we soon rejoined our baggage. As we ascended a hill, and
continued our route along the new road, which is being made, we had a
beautiful view of the town.
A French gentleman, who was driving towards the Hönefos, had asked
Esmeralda and Zachariah, if they were French.
Soon afterwards we came to an iron mile-stone, marked five miles to
Christiania og Dramen (thirty-five English miles).
Then we saw Norderhoug church. It is large, as compared with many of the
Norwegian churches we had seen. The parsonage and village have an air of
substantial comfort. Geese and ducks, and cherry-trees were seen for the
first time during our wanderings in Norway. This village is noted for
the destruction of a small Swedish force, which was quartered at the
Parsonage House in 1716.
Still following onwards along our route, we came to enclosed lands,
which appeared quite as fertile as any we had seen. Here and there, the
harvest people would hurry towards the road fence, to catch a sight of
our donkeys, as they passed. Some asked one question, some another. Our
gipsies answered wildly any Norwegian word at hand, or ya! ya! Now we
meet a carriage and pair, and the gentleman takes off his hat, which we
of course acknowledge.
At length we halt on the right of the road on the hill above “Vik
Station,” on some rocky open ground.
It was twelve o’clock. Our gipsies obtained some water for our tea at
the Vik Station from their private supply. A servant girl, and man, with
some children from the station, brought our donkeys some grass. It was a
kindly thought. The sun was warm as we sat amid the rocks and heath.
Whatever faults our gipsies have they are not tainted with Fenianism or
Communistic ideas. They have ever held for Monarchy, and even among
themselves, they have from time to time, their kings and queens. Our
gipsies are extremely ignorant of political philosophy. They do know
that her Majesty Queen Victoria, is the Queen of England. The names of
Disraeli and Gladstone had not yet reached them.[126] They have no
Romany words for political regeneration; they take no interest in the
rights of man. Let them follow their wild nomadic life, they are
satisfied. The Queen has worse subjects than our gipsies. It is possible
that tall Noah, would answer a political philanthropist, much in the
words of the “needy knife-grinder,”--“I shall be glad to drink your
honour’s health, in a pot of beer, if you will give me sixpence, but,
for my part, I never love to meddle with politics, sir.”
It is probable that tall Noah might be answered in the well-known words
of the philanthropist,--“Wretch, whom no sense of wrongs can rouse to
vengeance; sordid, unfeeling reprobate, degraded, spiritless outcast!”
Then we can only say it would be very inconvenient for the
philanthropist, if he was within a mile of tall Noah’s tent.
Our middags-mad consisted of tea, bread, butter, and cheese.[127] At
half-past three o’clock we were once more _en route_ for the Krogkleven.
Descending the hill by the Vik Station, the master of the station came
out. We halted the donkeys for him to see them. He is a very pleasant
man. The station seems very comfortable. It is mentioned, that there is
good fishing near.
Reaching the shore of the Steens Fjord, a storm seemed to be gathering.
Then, as we came to a fisherman’s house, and saw him leave with his
boat, and nets, we deemed it a sure harbinger of calm weather. Soon
after the threatened storm cleared away. We crossed the bridge over the
Steens Fjord to Sundvolden.
The magnificent cliffs of the Krogkleven were now above us. A man
pointed out the Kongen’s Udsigt or King’s View. At Sundvolden they
accommodate travellers. The house seems large and commodious. They have
a pleasure garden, with a small fountain, but we observed that the
garden lacked taste in arrangement, and freshness, and beauty in
flowers.
When our cavalcade passed the large open space in front of the station,
a tall, pale, young Norwegian, apparently belonging to the house, said
to Noah, with some authority, “Hvor fra reisen de.”[128] Noah, who was
in advance, probably did not understand, or as usual, did not answer
every inquisitive question, and kept pushing on. Immediately after we
commenced the steep ascent to the heights of the Krogkleven. It is
generally said, that the ascent to the Kongen’s Udsigt takes about an
hour. Very shortly afterwards, we were overtaken by the pale young
Norwegian, with an elder companion, who took off his hat, and bowed. He
said, in excellent English, that he had seen an account of us in the
newspapers. He owned a farm in the neighbourhood, and wished to buy one
of our donkeys. Explaining that we had already promised one as a
present, and that we should probably take the other two to England,
after a short conversation he left. The road was most picturesque. It
would have been a sad omission, had we left Norway, without returning by
this route. In about three-quarters of an hour, we reached the house at
the top of the gorge. A woman lives in the house, which being near the
King and Queen’s View, is used for the temporary reception of
travellers, and pic-nic parties. From the large open space, at the
summit of the ascent, the main road, now level and flat, passes through
the forest towards Christiania. A track leads through the woods on one
side to the Kongens Udsigt,[129] and on the other to the Dronning’s
Udsigt.[130] At the summit of the ascent near the house, a large board
is fixed up, upon which is painted the figure of a navvy, with his
spade; an iron box is placed under, with a narrow slit, to receive
money, for the benefit of the men who made the road. We read _de haute
voix_, for the satisfaction of Esmeralda, the following inscription:--
Oh, I have roamed o’er many lands, but never yet have seen
Nature’s face so grand and fair, as in this land, I ween.
And from this cleft, how calmly grand, the varied beauties vie--
The nestling hamlet, glassy lake, and mountain towering high.
’Tis true! ’tis worth a pilgrimage; but why not smooth the way?
Help us, my friend; yon box, your mite, it shall be, as you may.
We gave a mark. The inscription is also written in Danish and German.
From this point we were now only twenty-one English miles from
Christiania.
As we were copying the inscription, Noah and Zachariah, had proceeded
onwards, along the road towards Christiania.
After following them about a mile, we returned back in a heavy shower of
rain, to camp on the open space at the head of the Krogkleven gorge.