Angler—Ludicrous Adventure with an Eagle—Result of the Angling Expedition—The Bevy of Ladies—Norwegian Dinner-Party, Singular and Amusing Customs

240 CHAPTER XIV Another Fishing Excursion—Landing a Salmon—The Carriole—Boats rowed by Ladies—Departure from Larvig—Christiansand Harbour—Return to Boom—Sincere Welcome—Angling at the Falls—The Forsaken Angler—A Misunderstanding—Reconciliation—St. John's Day—Simplicity of Manners 260 CHAPTER XV. Sailing up the Gron Fiord—Dangerous Swell—Excursion Ashore—Trout-Fishing—Mountain Scenery—Ant-Hills—Hazardous Drive—The Scottish Emigrant—Miserable Lodging—Condition of the Peasantry—A Village Patriarch—Costume of the Country People—Arrival at Fædde 287 CHAPTER XVI. Return to the Yacht—Poor Jacko—Ascending the Stream—Description of the Fædde Fiord—Adventures of an Angler—Sail to the Bukke Fiord—The Fathomless Lake—The Maniac, and her History—The Village of Sand—Extraordinary Peculiarities of the Sand Salmon—Seal Hunting—Shooting Gulls—The Seal caught—Night in the North 303 CHAPTER XVII. The Dangerous Straits—British Seamanship—The Glaciers of Folgefonde—Bergen—Habits of the Fishermen—The Sogne Fiord—Leerdal—Arrival at Auron—A Hospitable Host— Ascending the Mountains—The Two Shepherdesses—Hunting the Rein-Deer—Adventure on the Mountains—Slaughtering Deer—The Fawn 336 CHAPTER XVIII. The Sick Sailor—The Storm—The Lee-Shore—"Breakers a-head"—The Yacht in Distress—Weathering the Storm—Return to Bergen—The Physician—The Whirlpool—The Water-Spout—Homeward Bound—Scarborough—Yarmouth Roads—Erith— Greenwich Hospital—Conclusion 397

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ERRATA.

Page
79, line 14, for "Nelson," read "Gambier."
92, omit "to the eye."
100, line 12, for "Nelson's," read "Gambier's."
145, last line, for "Braggesen," read "Baggesen."
165, line 31, for "they had endured," read "each of them had endured."
201, line 9, read "as here at Gottenborg."
239, line 33, for "immovably," read "immoveably."
243, line 6, for "jibbed," read "jibed."
286, line 18, for "everywhere," read "ever where."
327, line 10, for "than me," read "than I."
338, line 31, for "jibbing," read "jibing."

A YACHT VOYAGE

TO

NORWAY, SWEDEN, & DENMARK.

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CHAPTER I.

I believe the old Italian proverb says, that every man, before he dies, should do three things: "Get a son, build a house, and write a book." Now, whether or not I am desirous, by beginning at the end, to end at the beginning of this quaint axiom, I leave the reader to conjecture. My book may afford amusement to him who will smile when I am glad, and sympathise with the impressions I have caught in other moods of mind; but I have little affinity of feeling, and less companionship with him who expects to see pictures of life coloured differently from those I have beheld.

At three o'clock on the boisterous afternoon of the 1st of May, 1847, I left Greenwich with my friend Lord R——, in his yacht, to cruise round the coasts of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; and, although the period of the year at which I quitted London was the one I most desired to remain in it, and join, as far as I was able, in the pomps and gaieties of Old Babylon, I did not like to miss this opportunity, offered under such favourable circumstances, of seeing countries so rarely visited by Englishmen, more particularly as the invitation had been pressed upon me so unaffectedly and kindly, that I could not, with any reason, decline it.

Dropping down with the tide, we arrived the same evening alongside the guard-ship at Sheerness; and, being desirous of making ourselves snug, and of landing two unfortunate friends whom we had originally promised to send ashore at Gravesend, we made fast to a Government buoy, and remained in smooth water till the following morning.

The "Iris" cutter belongs to the R.Y.S., and is the sister-vessel of the "Corsair." She was built by Ratsey for the late Mr. Fleming, with whom she was a great favourite, and for whom she won many valuable prizes. From England to the Mediterranean, she safely bore her first master many times; but with flowing canvass and with rapid keel at last enticed him once too often from his native shore; for, during a cruise in the Mediterranean, after many months of pain, he died while gazing on her. Passing through several hands, serving all equally well in gale or calm, she came at last into the possession of Lord R——, who has travelled farther, and made more extraordinary voyages in her than any member of the Squadron; and in spite of all improvements adopted of late years in yacht-building, there are but few, if any, vessels of seventy-five tons, that can surpass her in speed and symmetrical beauty, or in the buoyant ease with which she has encountered the fiercest storms.

Her crew consisted of seven or eight regular seamen, a sailing-master, mate, cook, steward, and a boy to assist him. A fine Newfoundland dog, called "Sailor," and a droll little ring-tail monkey, called "Jacko," also joined in the mess for'ard. Lord R——, with Captain P—— and myself, made up the entire complement.

On Sunday morning, the 2nd, at eleven, as the church bells of Sheerness were chiming a merry peal, we commenced preparations for our departure, by sending our two friends off in the jolly-boat, in which they must have got pretty wet; for a sea was running sufficiently high to cause them some little discomfort. After a gloomy day's work, we reached Harwich, and at nine in the evening rested again in five fathoms water.