y 2

sited on the shore, and then one of them departed into some secret haunt of his own in search of a horse. The last we saw o

arly full of soup. Some time afterwards we looked in, and saw him eating greedily off his knife-blade, and after a further interval we noticed that he had finished; then we examined the culinary utensils out of which he had been feeding, and found he

ake the path better for the sleigh. He disappeared among the stunted birches, and we heard him chopping and slowly getting further up the track for about an hour. We naturally supposed that he was clearing away trees that obstructed the path, but when we

ur men) to go down the lake in his boat. He was the first of our fellow-countrymen whom we have s

the complicated Norwegian harness had been put on we began the ascent. The path was as bad as bad could be for a short distance, but when the level was reached it became much bet

canoes on Sj?dals Vand at about three o'clock. A short paddle across the

hores are almost treeless and rather flat. Its most remarkable characteristic is the colour of its water, which is a light greenish b

and the snow-capped mountains, which have been gradually getting nearer all t

the convenience of travellers, and the Tronhūus family are entrusted with the duty of taking care of those who come hither while wandering about this, the wildest and grandest part of Norway. The real

wo girls, apparently guests of the Tronhūus. Peter Tronhūus himself and his numerous family live in a one-roomed hut just oppos

the latter engaged in procuring various articles for us, such as potatoes, men, ponies

with fresh juniper sprays, and a cheerful fire burning in that most charming of fireplaces, the primitive Norwegian corner-hearth, which is being rapidly

o make us comfortable, and the trout, fladbrod, and coffee are simply perfection. Besides, we are only a short day's journey from Memurud

. Esau landed on the marsh at the head of the lake, to try and circumvent some duck he had d

se of the great amount of netting that is carried on in the summer by the dwellers in the S?ter; nevertheless t

y 2

raged us; and Esau walked outside to look at the sky; where, thrusting his hands in his pockets and lodging an eye-glass in his eye, he focussed the heavens generally, with a cruel, inquisitive stare; and shaking his h

hewer of wood and drawer of water, by name Ivar (his last office seems likely to be a sinecure, but we can work him double at the first-mentioned employment),

d what we call 'a good larder of bird-meat;' for certain wild fowl were observed to-day to secrete themselves in the marsh at the head of the lake, whither we followed them with all our dread artillery, and we now have a lot of teal, greenshanks, sandpipers, and a ring dotterel stowed away and engaged in prepar

cold and cheerless tent. Shooting as we did above our knees in water, the rain did not make any appreciable difference in our great wetne

ressible consolation of knowing that they are in worse case at home; for we have received

y 3

building what he called a Nark-was repeatedly coming into the S?ter to ask how many yards there were in a cubit. However, at lunch-time the land was still visible, so we sallied forth into the marsh again, and secured some more teal; and then Esau went off in his canoe after some scaup ducks on the lake; and brought home two, after following them-according to his after-dinner account of the struggle-for about six hours, while they swam, and flew, and dived; and

r was so very unfavourable, but we packed and despatched some o

r's languages is a somewhat intricate business, and would be decidedly amusing to beholders. How we got through it is beyond the wit of man, but nevertheless the fact remains that everyth

kind, and cook our food so well, that we shall be quite sor