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 Jtdy 31,1942 
 
 
 LlBRrvR I or THE 
 
 %^ili^U Is.' :-*m:^^\2lh'iiim) 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Two Excursions, of two months each^ supplied the 
 matter contained in the following pages. My fel- 
 low-traveller and myself, desirous of skimming over 
 as large a surface as this limited time would allow^ 
 resolved to be always on the wing, or on our legs ; 
 and the better to enable us to effect this, we also 
 resolved not to seek for any letters of introduction, , 
 which might have gained us a few dinners, and lost 
 as many days. Our movements were guided by 
 the spur of the moment, without preparation or pre- 
 meditated design. To observe and to enjoy the 
 diversified scenery of mountain, forest, lake, and 
 river — to view the arts and industry of man — to 
 glance at the various shades of human existence, — 
 these were the main objects of our excursions, of 
 which J from my daily notes, I have attempted to 
 draw a faint, but, I trust, a faithful outline. 
 
 Having been one in the '' Family Tour through 
 Holland, Belgium, and on the Rhine," I there 
 learned, though young, the advantage of noting 
 
 b 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 down, on the spot and at the time, whatever was 
 considered worthy of observation ; and this plan was 
 followed up, as far as could be done, on the present 
 occasion, more especially in Norway, — a country 
 singularly interesting, both as regards its wild and 
 romantic scenery, and the unsophisticated character 
 of its inhabitants. 
 
 Though these excursions were undertaken merely 
 to please myself, and the notes were chiefly in- 
 tended to please my nearest and dearest connex- 
 ions, I now venture, however, to send them to the 
 press, in the hope that I may at least displease 
 nobody, and perhaps, by giving them publicity, 
 may afford some little service to the future traveller. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 FIRST EXCURSION.— 1830. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Hamburgh and Lubeck. — Advantages of Steam-vessels — Tlie 
 Elbe — Hamburgh^ its Port and Town — Churches — Orphan 
 Asylum — Cruelties practised by Davoust — Execrable Road 
 to Lubeck — Description of Lubeck — Travemunde — Steam- 
 boat to Cronstadt — St. Petersburg - - - 1 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 St. Petersburg. — Imposing effect of the Public Buildings— 
 The three great Streets— The Quay— The Admiralty— The 
 Palaces — Statue of Peter the Great — Churches — The Mu- 
 seum — Gardens — PeterhofF — Tzarskozelo — Cronstadt — 
 Ships of War — Society — Droskies — Military — The Knout 
 — Departure for Moscow — Travelling — The Road — Ap- 
 l^earance of the Country — Approach to Moscow - - 34 
 
 CHAPTER IIL 
 
 Moscow. — General Appearance of, from the Kremlin — De- 
 scription of — Churches — Superstition — Public Buildings — 
 Bazaar — Beautiful Square — Museum — Public Garden — 
 Amusements — Gipsies — Baths and River Bathing — Various 
 Inhabitants — Burning of Moscow - - - 94 
 
 b2 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Petersburq to Stockholm. — Preparations for the Journey — 
 Rules for Posting — Finnish Paper Money — Appearance of 
 the Country — Boulders of Granite — Ardent Spirit named 
 Votki — Wyborg — Fredericksham — Louisa — Helhinj^fors — 
 Abo — Navigation among the Islands in the Gulf of Bothnia 
 —Arrival at Stockholm - - - - - 128 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Stockhot.m to IIklsingborg. — The Quay and Shipping — 
 Royal Palace — Picture Gallery — Streets, Squares, and Sta- 
 tues — The Society, or Nobles' Club — Churches — Palace of 
 Drottiugholm — Military — Dalecarlians — Moelar Lake — 
 Westeras — Orebro — The Fdrebud — Wenern Lake — Falls 
 of Trollhatten and Gotha — Gottenberg— Helsingborg - 150 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Elsineur to Copenhagen. — The Town of Elsineur — Ham- 
 let's Garden — The Road — Danish Postilions — Copenhagen 
 — Streets, Squares, Palaces, and Public Buildings— Obser- 
 vatory — King's Stables — Royal Library — Academy — Ceme- 
 tery — Island of Amack — Military — Departure — Arrival in 
 London - - - - - - - 177 
 
SECOND EXCURSION.— 1833. 
 
 NORWAY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAOE 
 
 From Christiania to Beroen Passage to Copenliagen — 
 
 To Christiania — City of, and Environs — The Castle — The 
 Storthing — Carrioles — Mode and Expense of Travelling — 
 Tyra Lake — Rand's Lake — Fine Scenery — Provisions — 
 Hospitality — Fare of the Swedish and Norse Peasantry — 
 Waterfall — Views of the Rand's Lake — Grand Scenery of 
 Mountain Cascades and Rocky Defiles — Heights of the 
 Mountains — Peasants' Cottages — Corn-hrandy — Gammel 
 ost — Forests of Firs — Frowning Precipices — Continued 
 Ascent of the Road — Point of Perpetual Congelation — Ele- 
 vation of the Mountains — Cascades, Cataracts, and Waier- 
 falls — Ingenuity of the Peasantry — Separation of the 
 Waters — Leerdal's River, flowing to the Westward — Em- 
 bark on the First Fiord — Boatmen — Difference of Tempera- 
 ture — Dances of the Peasantry — A Christening — Curious 
 Mode of serving up Butter — Glacier of Folge-foud — Clear- 
 ness of the Fiords — Arrival at Bergen - -201 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 Fkom Bergen to Tronyem. — Bergen — Trade of, and Fish- 
 eries — Preparations for Departure — New Route over Fiords 
 and Mountains towards Tronyem — Departure from Bergen 
 — Boats, Boatmen, and Passages across various Fiords — 
 Sketch of a Mountain Cottage — Simplicity and Hospitality 
 
VIU CONTENTS. 
 
 PAOB 
 
 of the Peasantry — Scanty Fare of — Sneebracn, or Glaciers 
 — Domestic Economy of the Peasantry — A Weddinj^Paity 
 — Sea-gulls — Town of Mo/de — Remarks on Boating on the 
 Fiords — Character of the Boatmen — and of the Peasantry 
 — Improvement of the Country — Remarks on the Fiords 
 and their corresponding Ravines — Character of the Nor- 
 wegians generally — Arrival at Tronyem - - - 275 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 From Tronyem to Christiania. — Tronyem — Cathedral — 
 Puhlic Buildings — Trade — Fortress of Munkholm — Priso- 
 ners — Falls of Lier/ossen — Neighbouring Countrj' — Pro- 
 ductions — Road, gradual Elevation of — Commencement of 
 Dovreji-eld — Vievr and Height of Sneehdtlen — Peasantry — 
 Height and Steepness of the Road — Highest Elevation of-^ 
 Sublime Scenery — Fi-eld-siuen, or Mountain Lodgings — 
 Commencement of Descent — Excellent Road and beautiful 
 Valleys — Miosen Lake and Valley — Arrival at Christiania 
 — General Observations— Arrival in England - - 337 
 
DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE WOOD CUTS. 
 
 PAOB 
 
 1. View of Lubeck from the banks of the Trave, <o face the title 
 
 2. A Private Drosky - - - - - 72 
 
 3. Invitation to a Quass-shop - - - - 110 
 
 4. A Public Drosky 122 
 
 5. A Norwegian Carriole (vignette on title-page) - see 218 
 
 6. A Momitain Pass ..... 240 
 
 7. Watchmen of Bergen - - - - - 280 
 
 8. Fashionable Peasants - - - - 330 
 
 9. View of Tronyem ... 344 
 
EXCURSIONS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 HAMBURGH AND LUBECK. 
 
 Advantages of Steam-vessels — The Elbe — Hamburgh, its Port and 
 Town — Churches — Orphan Asyhun — Cruehies practlseil by 
 Da.voust — Execrable road to Lubeck — Description of Lubeck — 
 Travemunde — Steam-boat to Cronstadt — St. Petersburg. 
 
 The Marquess of Worcester, when a state-prisoner 
 in the Tower of London, having witnessed one day 
 the cover of his boiUng-pot blown off and driven up 
 the chimney, his sagacious mind at once perceived 
 that, by this simple and not unusual incident, a new 
 power of extraordinary force iiad developed itself, 
 by which large volumes of water might be lifted, 
 heavy weights removed, and machinery put in 
 motion ; but he could scarcely then have conceived 
 an idea that, at no distant period, by the power of 
 steam, large vessels would be moved through the 
 water at the rate of eight or ten miles an hour, or, 
 as the Americans assert of their spoon-shaped boats, 
 sixteen or eighteen miles an hour ; or that a train 
 of lieavily -laden waggons or of carriages with some 
 
 B 
 
2 STEAM-NAVIGATION. [Chap. I. 
 
 liundrods of passenfyers would be whirled along on 
 an iron rail-road at the rate of from twenty to thirty 
 miles an liour. 
 
 The application of steam to navigable purposes 
 seems to have been discovered by an obscure indi- 
 vidual of tlie name of Jonathan Hulls, who would 
 never have been known or recognized as the inventor 
 but for a little scarce book of a few pages, bearing 
 his name, and containing a copy of a patent granted 
 by George II., a short description of his boat and 
 engine, and a frontispiece exhibiting his steam- 
 vessel with its chimney and paddle-wheels, towing 
 a large three-masted ship. This evidence (conclu- 
 sive, certainly, as far as it goes) was only brought 
 foward when a dispute arose among the competitors 
 for the invention of the steam-boat — Lord Dundas, 
 Symington, Miller of Dalswinton in Scotland, and 
 Lord Stanhope and Fulton in England. Of all 
 these, there can be no doubt that Fulton, having 
 sucked the brains and gone over to America, first 
 brought this machine into practical utility and 
 common use. 
 
 Whoever the inventor or inventors may have 
 been, the traveller by sea owes them a debt of gra- 
 titude. By means of steam, distant countries are 
 brought nearer to each other ; a voyage to Peters- 
 burg may now easily be performed in eight days, 
 which by the Baltic in a sailing vessel might be 
 eight weeks. The passage from the Thames to 
 Edinburgh by steam is, on an average, about fifty- 
 
Chap. I.J STEAM-NAVIGATION. 3 
 
 two hours ; by a Leith smack, however well found 
 and navigated, it is uncertain at all times, but gene- 
 rally five or six days. Indeed, it so happened, that 
 on the very day I started for Hamburgh, on our 
 Norwegian excursion, my brother took his passao^e 
 for Edinburgh in that unfortunate smack the Earl 
 of Wemj^ss, in the voyage before she became the 
 scene of distress and of gross outrage on decency 
 and humanity. The distance to Edinburgh is 
 somewhat less than that to Hamburgh. The wind 
 being from the northward, on the ninth day the 
 smack reached Flamborough Head, and, tired out 
 with the delay, my brother got into a small boat 
 with an old man and a boy in it, who fortunately 
 landed him without being swamped in a heavy- 
 surf; the smack arrived at Leith in four days more, 
 making the passage thirteen days. I was landed 
 at Hamburgh in fifty-two hours. 
 
 In fact, the convenience, expedition, and almost 
 certainty as to time, of travelUng, whether by sea 
 or land, have of late years so greatly increased, and 
 have now become a matter of so much ease, by 
 means of steam, that a person may not only him- 
 self visit any part of the civilized w'orld approach- 
 able by water, but even venture to take his family,, 
 great or small, along with him without much appre- 
 hension of encountering the delays, the dangers, and 
 the difficulties described and dwelt upon by tra- 
 vellers of former days, and, it may be added, but toa 
 often realized in our own. Two-thirds of the ship- 
 
 B 2 
 
4 sti:am-navi(;ation. [Chap. I. 
 
 ^vrccks that unfortunately occur are occasioned by 
 vessels bein*i- driven on a lee shore. A steam-boat, 
 unless by gross mismanagement, can never be 
 brought into that predicament. And then what an 
 advantage it is, and how satisfactory to the pas- 
 sensfer, to be able to fix the dav, nav, almost the 
 very hour, of his arrival at his destined port — to 
 step onboard a commodious steamer with the almost 
 certainty of reaching the end of liis voyage at a spe- 
 cified time! Nor are these advantages confined to 
 vovacres out of England. Ask the London citizen, 
 \a1io has toiled throuorh the week amidst the smoke 
 and fogs of the metropohs, and bustled along its 
 narrow lanes, or twisted through its winding alleys 
 — ask the man of business, who has been shut up 
 in the counting-house for six successive days, — and 
 lie will tell how delightful it now is to be enabled 
 to spend his Sunday at Margate, and breathe the 
 pure air from the sea after inhaling the murky and 
 smoky atmosphere of London. Ask those who, not 
 many years ago, were compelled to embark at 
 Dover on board a sailing vessel, and, instead of 
 landing on the quay at Calais in about three hours, 
 (as tliey may now do,) have for three days perhaps 
 been tossed and tumbled about the Cha mel by a con- 
 trary wind : or have been detained, waiting for a fair 
 breeze, at an incommodious and expensive hotol, — 
 ask any or all of these persons, and you may be 
 sure of one thing, that they will one and all agree 
 ill their reply in the commendation of steam-boats. 
 
Chap. I.] STEAM-XAVIGATIOX. 5 
 
 A voyage by steam to Petersburg-, of which I am 
 about to give some account, has j^roduced this eulo- 
 gium on a mode of conveyance which, on all short 
 voyages, must supersede sailing vessels for the mere 
 purpose of carrying passengers. At first, the voyage 
 by steam was attempted to be made from the 
 Thames to St. Petersburg; but that attempt was 
 soon abandoned, from the difficulty of carrvinor a 
 sufficient quantity of coals, and from the heavy 
 expenses of such a long voyage, and the paucity o^* 
 passengers, which attbrded no remuneration to the 
 proprietors. The route was therefore changed to 
 that by Hamburgh, to which port two steam-boats 
 start from the Tower Stairs regidarly every Wed- 
 nesday and Saturday. From Hamburgh to Lubeck 
 is a land journey of about thirty miles, where a 
 second embarkation takes place in an excellent 
 steamer, which conveys the traveller to Petersburo-. 
 
 On the 26th of June, 1830, I embarked with my 
 friend, Mr. Rouse, in the " William Jolliffe," a 
 conmiodious passage-boat belonging to the General 
 Steam Navigation Company; our intention being 
 to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow ; on our return 
 from thence, to travel through Finland to Abo; and 
 from thence (by crossing the Gulf of Bothnia to 
 Stockholm) to return to England through Sweden 
 and Denmark. We got under weigh at day-light, 
 and at eight in the morning found ourselves at the 
 Nore. The boat was crowded with passengers, 
 among whom were many of the tribe of lerael. The 
 
G T. ON DON [Chap. I. 
 
 ucathcr was beautiful, and we made tlie passage to 
 the ojiposite coast in little more than forty hours; 
 but it was too late in the eveningf to allow of our 
 cnteriii<^ the Ell)e with safety, the mouth of that 
 river being exceedingly intricate, and the darkness 
 of the night not favourable to the attempt. We 
 accordinjjlv hove-to off the island of Ilelitroland till 
 sunrise, when we proceeded on our voyage, and 
 came to anchor at Hamburgh as early as nine 
 o'clock. 
 
 It is but justice to a very worthy man to state, 
 that this short passage was rendered most agree- 
 able to every one on board, by the kind beha\iour 
 of Captain Downie, who commands the ^Villiam 
 JoUiffe, and whose sole care seems to be directed to 
 the management of his vessel, and the comfort of his 
 passengers. 
 
 Whilst lying off Heligoland, the funnel of our 
 steam-boat became ig^nited, and the burninof soot 
 flamed from it rather frightfully for some time; and 
 as there was not a breath of wind, the sparks fell 
 upon deck, and the passengers were apprehensive 
 lest the sails mig-ht catch fire. Fortunately, a sliirht 
 breeze, springing up suddenly, carried the sparks 
 over the ship's side; and it was pleasant enough" 
 thus to get rid of them, and also to observe how 
 gracefully they fell into the water, resembling the 
 sparks which drop in the air at the bursting of a 
 rocket, on attaining its greatest height. 
 
 The right bank of the river Elbe is rather pic 
 
Chap. I.J TO HAMBURGH. 7 
 
 turesque, the ground being much broken and diver- 
 sified, richly wooded, and interspersed with many 
 •neat -looking little villas, more particularly on the 
 approach to Hamburgh. A number of windmills 
 scattered along the banks give a pleasing effect to 
 the scenery. The left bank is flat and uninteresting-, 
 much resembling those of the Scheldt. 
 
 We landed with very little trouble, as the lug- 
 gage of the passengers was not searched : on passing 
 the custom-house, which is built on piles in the 
 harbour, we were merely asked if we had any excise- 
 able articles, and upon answering in the negative, 
 we were allowed to pass without further molestation ; 
 but on stepping on shore, a person took down our 
 names, and that of the hotel to which we were pro- 
 ceeding. We showed him our passport, which, after 
 glancing at it, was returned to us. 
 
 Hamburgh very much resembles a Dutch town 
 in its general features ; but, unlike most Dutch 
 towns, many of its streets are narrow, dirty, and ill 
 paved. The houses are several stories high, and 
 both walls and roofs are crowded with windows, 
 which give to private dwellings the appearance of 
 -so many manufactories. Some of the wider streets 
 have rows of trees planted on each side, generally 
 elms. The houses are chiefly built on piles, and the 
 town is subject to frequent inundations, to prevent 
 which dykes have been constructed at no trifling- 
 expense for the purpose of restraining the Elbe, 
 which in the year 1771 overflowed the town, and 
 caused considerable distress and damage. 
 
'8 lIAMI!l"nr.II. [Chap. I. 
 
 Tlio new part of the town may be called hand- 
 some; it abounds with substantial buildings, and 
 the plantations around it are tastefully laid out. 
 The hotel at which we took up our abode was the 
 *' Hotel de Russie," a name rather apropos for us 
 who were proceeding to the capital of that empire. 
 Jt is situated in the most frequented as well as the 
 most fashionable part of the town. Facing it is 
 the favourite public promenade, well shaded with 
 rows of trees, planted on the side of the lake, into 
 which the little river Alster expands itself on the 
 north side of the town, before it falls into the Elbe. 
 Close to the water's edge there is a cafe, or restau- 
 rateur's shop, a sort of pavilion, where tea, coffee, 
 ice, and liqueurs may be procured. Ciiairs are 
 arranged in front of the building, which we found 
 generally occupied by well-dressed gentlemen, sip- 
 ping their coti'ee, and enjoying their cigars, in the 
 cool of the evening. The lake was often crowded 
 with neatly-built pleasure-boats, but the weather 
 at this time was unfavourable to this species of 
 amusement. I remarked that the rain descended 
 at this particular season of the year in torrents such 
 as I have seldom witnessed in Enoland, and so sud- 
 denly, that it was as unsafe to venture out without 
 an umbrella, as it would be in our own country on 
 a sunny day of April. On the lake there is an 
 excellent float incT-bath, and boats belongincr to the 
 
 ~ DO 
 
 establishment are constantly in attendance at the 
 landing-stairs to carry off the bathers. 
 
Chap. I,] HAMBURGH. .9 
 
 The port, which iiichides the whole expanse of the 
 Elbe where it forms a broad sheet of water, is usu- 
 ally crowded with shipping of all classes and deno- 
 minations. In the inner port, which is a creek of 
 the great one protected by a pier, shoals of boats 
 arrive every morning from the upper and opposite 
 parts of the country, laden with provisions for the 
 njarket, and with the peasantry bringing their milk 
 and butter, at which time this part of the town ex- 
 hibits a busy and bustling scene. 
 
 The continental churches are generally the fust 
 objects that attract the attention of the traveller. 
 From the tower of St. Michael's, which is reckoned 
 the loftiest spire in Hamburgh, being three hun- 
 dred and ninety feet high, an extensive view is 
 obtained, which enables the strang^er to form a 
 tolerably correct idea of the situation and extent 
 of the city. The whole Elbe, nearly as far as ths 
 sea, may be seen from the top of this lower. The 
 churches of St. Peter and St. Nicholas have also 
 lofty towers. We ascended that of St. Peter to an 
 octagon room, about the centre of the spire; at each 
 side there was a window, and a flat board placed 
 across upon the ledge, on which were marked seve- 
 ral lines, pointing to the different objects worihy of 
 notice. The idea is ingenious, and saves not merely 
 the trouble of asking questions, but the frequent 
 mistakes which arise from the answers referring to 
 a different object from the question. In one part 
 of the church are watch-towers, from whence tho 
 
 b5 
 
10 n amiui{(;h. [Chap. I. 
 
 alarm of liro that niiglit happen in the city dm-ing 
 th.e niglit would be given. 'J'his is done by the 
 sounding of a trumpet, which emi(s so strange a 
 noise, that it would be impossible to mistake it for 
 any thing else. 
 
 The mercantile inhabitants of Hambur^^h are 
 well known to be, by their commercial connexions 
 %vith every part of Europe, an intelligent, shrewd, 
 ■and respectable class of men, containing in their 
 body a considerable admixture of Jews, — every 
 tenth man of the population being supposed to be 
 an Israelite. The tradespeople and artizans appear 
 hardworkinor and intellij^ent in their stations: nor 
 is this character confined to the male sex, the 
 \\'omen being particularly industrious and active. 
 The streets are constantly crowded with people 
 hurrying to and fro at a very early hour of the 
 morning, and continuing so till the evening. 
 
 Water for domestic purposes would appear to 
 be an article of sale; it is carried about in small 
 pails, which are always painted a deep red colour; 
 and milk is also carried about in the same manner. 
 
 Large wheelbarrows are much used by the men 
 to carry goods from one part of the town to ano- 
 ther ; and the women have a curious custom of 
 carrying small baskets under their arms of about 
 two or three feet in length, over which is invari- 
 ably thrown a gaily-coloured handkerchief to keep 
 the contents clean. But the more bulky kinds of 
 merchandise are carried in long narrow carts. 
 
Chap. I.] HAMBURGH. 11 
 
 which are very numerous in the streets, and gene- 
 rally loaded with hides, skins, and other heavy 
 articles ; they are drawn by fine sturdy-looking 
 oxen. There are but few carriagres to be seen 
 drivino- about, and those that are met with are but 
 little better in their appearance than our hackney- 
 coaches. 
 
 The market of Hamburgh is excellent ; it is sup- 
 plied with fruit, vegetables, butter, and other arti- 
 cles of consumption from the neighbouring country, 
 in which there are three or four villages, mucli re- 
 sorted to by parties of the inhabitants during the 
 summer months. Below Harburgh, (which stands 
 on the opposite or left bank of the Elbe,) the river 
 forms several rich islands, well stocked with cattle, 
 from which Hamburgh receives most of its butcher's 
 meat, milk, and butter. 
 
 The Danish town of Altona is situated a very 
 short distance on the west side of the city, the 
 works of which it almost touches. It is a larg^e 
 and apparently flourishing town, containing many 
 respectable inhabitants, and buildings deserving of 
 notice, but we had no time to examine it closely. 
 It happened to be Sunday, and here, as every- 
 where on the continent, Sunday is always a gala- 
 day. Its public avenues, with the exception of 
 the size of the trees, which are small, reminded me 
 much of the Champs Elysees at Paris, but were 
 far more crowded than these generally are. They 
 exhibited the same sort of booths, and the same 
 
 
 THEgtQSl^" 
 
12 HAMIU RGII. [Chap. I. 
 
 kinds of amusements. Some were fitted up as 
 dancing-rooms, and others were a kind of rotunda, 
 in which wooden horses were going round at a 
 great rate, and their riders endeavouring, with 
 small daggers, to unhook some rings whicli were 
 hung upon a post ; if eight of them were taken 
 off in succession, the horseman had his ride for 
 nothing. Some were very expert, and others equally 
 clumsy ; but all appeared to enjoy themselves with 
 these trifling sorts of amusement. It was remarked 
 that, on the Altona gate, the arms of the city of 
 Hamburorh were enf^raved on one side, and on the 
 Other those of Denmark. 
 
 Hamburgh at this time wore the appearance of 
 a flourishing city. The outer port is generally as 
 crowded with shipping as the streets are with 
 people ; and every one of the latter seemed to have 
 some business of his own to attend to. No idle 
 loiterers (except such as ourselves) were to be 
 seen ; and no more notice was taken of strangers 
 like ourselves, than if we had been walkincr in the 
 Streets of London. 
 
 It has been said of the Hamburghers, that it 
 was no unusual thing for the most opulent of the 
 merchants frequently to become all at once bank- 
 rupts, and almost as suddenly to resume their 
 former station and wealth. These, however, may 
 be presumed to be men without any fixed capital, 
 who live mostly by speculation, and whose ex- 
 penses keep pace with or exceed their incomes; 
 
Chap. I.] HAMBURGH. 13 
 
 SO that the least unexpected blow brings them to 
 poverty, from which, however, by their character- 
 istic industry and shrewdness of speculation, most 
 of them very soon contrive to extricate themselves. 
 I suppose, in this respect, they pretty much re- 
 semble the speculators of our own country. 
 
 Four burgomasters, four syndics, and twenty- 
 four senators, all of them electing their own mem- 
 bers, are intrusted with the government of Ham- 
 burgh ; they propose all the municipal regulations, 
 recommend new taxes, and levy imposts ; but the 
 burghers or citizens, represented by one hundred 
 deputies, nmst accede to them. The above-men- 
 tioned functionaries wear a dress suit of black; 
 their knee and shoe-buckles are silver, and they 
 have a smart white frill ruff, (similar to those worn 
 by our beef-eaters round their neck,) and a di-ess 
 sword by their side. 
 
 x\mong the public buildings may be reckoned 
 the theatre ; but being at this time closed, we had 
 not the opportunity of seeing the performances nor 
 the interior ; but if the latter corresponds at all 
 with the exterior, it is not deficient in eWance. 
 
 Every house almost has its sign to point out the 
 occupation of the owner, and some of them are 
 ludicrous enouorh. These sio;ns are sometimes 
 painted, but are more frequently figures made of 
 tin. In the windows of almost every house are 
 placed glasses to reflect objects in the streets, as 
 is so much the practice- in Amsterdam j and other 
 towns of Holland. 
 
14 HAMBURGH. [Chap. I. 
 
 We (lined at tlie table-d'hote of our hotel, and 
 found it well attended, between thirty and forty 
 people being generally present ; a few officers, for 
 so I judged them to be, although out of uniform, 
 were of the party. One of these heroes had evi- 
 dently been very recently engaged in some affair of 
 honour, and bore the marks of it, by a most severe 
 slash with a sabre down his cheek, which had been 
 cut to the bone ; the wound extended the whole 
 lenath of the face, and was indeed a sad disficjure- 
 ment to an otherwise handsome countenance. 
 
 One of the most interesting objects in Ham- 
 burgh is the Orphan Asylum, which contains from 
 five to six hundred children, who are maintained 
 until they attain an age when they are supposed 
 to be capable of procuring their own livelihood. 
 The poor are well taken care of, chiefly, I learned, 
 by voluntary contributions ; but there is also a 
 small toll on passing the gate into the city, and a 
 tax on the theatre, and other places of amusement, 
 all of which are set apart for their maintenance. 
 Few beorgars are to be met with : the members of 
 an institution for their suppression are said to have 
 voluntarily imposed a fine upon themselves if any 
 one of them should give indiscriminate alms. A 
 flourishinor association for encouraging and reward- 
 ing industry among the lower classes was destroyed 
 by the myrmidons of Buonaparte, who swept away 
 all the funds that had been raised for charitable 
 purposes 5 and among the rest, the little pittance 
 
Chap. I.] HAMBURGH. 15 
 
 of the industrious poor — the savings-bank, as it 
 might be called, of Hamburgh. Indeed, during 
 the time of the occupation of this city by the 
 French, Hamburgh was the scene of rapine and 
 bloodshed. The brutal and inhuman conduct of 
 the French, under the execrable Davoust, will never 
 be forgotten by the inhabitants The atrocities at 
 that time committed on the unoffending inhabitants 
 •have left a mournful recollection in every family. 
 Would it be believed that the daughters of the first 
 families in Hamburgh were compelled by this un- 
 feelinof wretch to work at the fortifications amons: 
 common labourers, as a punishment for their having 
 embroidered the standard of the Hanseatic legion, 
 of which Hamburgh is the chief city ! He burned 
 the best houses of the merchants situated without 
 the city and far beyond the line of military defence. 
 The general conversation one day at the table- 
 d'hote turned on these enormities and the atrocious 
 conduct of Davoust, when I observed that the 
 stories I had heard of that man were almost incre- 
 dible. An elderly gentleman, who sat opposite, 
 looking at me, said with great composure, " Young- 
 gentleman, you were hardly born when these things 
 happened, but I was an eye-witness and a sufferer; 
 and though impressions made by such enormities 
 grow weaker by time, I can safely aver that those 
 committed against the unfortunate inhabitants of 
 this city have not been exaggerated. Read what 
 ©ne of your own countrymen has recorded in that 
 
16 IIAMIRRGH. [Chap. I. 
 
 excellent work the ' Quarterly Review,' every word 
 of which is true." The passage he alluded to I have 
 since found in the 26th Number, and is as follows: — 
 " Eitrht and forty hours were allowed, or rather 
 were ])ronused to be allowed, the inhabitants of 
 Hanim (a villajje two or three miles from Ham- 
 burgh) for removing their property; for, as may 
 well be supposed, many of these houses were filled 
 with fiiaitives, and with jjoods which had been re- 
 moved fiom houses destroyed in a similar manner. 
 Before thirty hours had elapsed, a body of French 
 pioneers, with their firebrands, burst into those 
 houses in the night, and in spite of the supplications 
 of the inhabitants, — in spite of the remonstrances of 
 the mayor, who claimed only the time which had 
 been promised, burnt or pillaged whatever they 
 found, — the wreck of many a family, the property 
 of many a widow and orphan. The mayor, upon 
 this, wrote a letter to Davoust, reminding him that 
 he had been graciously pleased to promise the poor 
 sufferers a respite of forty-eight hours to enable 
 them to remove their goods, and informing him in 
 what manner this promise had been disregarded. 
 * The remaining inhabitants of Hamm,' said he, 
 ' beseech you, in the most pressing manner, to In- 
 form them how far the burning of their houses may 
 yet extend, as they only request time and notice to 
 remove their effects. I entreat to be favoured with 
 a word of consolation on this head, that I may 
 communicate it to the distressed parishioners.* 
 
Chap. I.J HAMBURGH. 17 
 
 Ten days after this letter was written, the mayor 
 received a verbal message, authorizing him to 
 announce to the inhabitants of Hamm, that it was 
 not the intention of ?vlarshal Davoust to destroy any 
 more of their houses. Three weeks had hardly 
 elapsed before this Marshal Davoust sent an order 
 to set fire to every remaining house in Hamm the 
 same evening; the inhabitants had neither means 
 nor time to remove their effects ; they were turned 
 out into the high way in the very midst of winter^ 
 without sheUer and without bread: their houses 
 were destroyed in their sight, and their furniture 
 consumed as fuel for the watch-fires of the French. 
 The French ruffians went mirthfully about their 
 work of havoc : a body of troops was drawn up, 
 every man having: a bundle of combustibles fixed 
 upon his bayonet; they then divided into parties, 
 and went dancing, with music before them, from 
 house to house, to set house after house on fire. If 
 the unhappy families clung to the spot, they were 
 driven out with the bayonet; if they refused to 
 open their doors, even in the night, to let these 
 incendiaries in, they were fired upon. This was 
 a wanton destruction; it was not necessary; it 
 was not even useful, as a means of defence, but 
 was committed in mere malignity of heart. 
 
 " The execution of these atrocious orders was 
 entrusted to General Loison, a man pre-eminent in 
 infamy among the infamous officers of Junot's army, 
 — he who presided at the murders at Caldas, and 
 
18 IJAMIU UGII. [Chap. I. 
 
 ])}' whom the massacre at Evora was committed. 
 Notwitlistaiuhn«r the severity of the season, Mar- 
 shal Davoiist turned out of llamburgli all the inha- 
 bitants who had not been born in the city, and all 
 who were not provided with food for six months : 
 thirty thousand were driven from their homes by 
 this measure. He ordered the public hospital, for 
 the insane and infirm, to be cleared in a few hours 
 for the use of his army. Nearly four hundred 
 patients of both sexes, suffering under the most 
 deplorable afflictions to which our poor nature is 
 subject, — idiots and madmen, the blind and the 
 bed- ridden, were driven out by Davoust's orders 
 into the open fields in the midst of winter ; they 
 were exposed to hunger, cold, and a miserable 
 death; their sufferings were aggravated, if it were 
 possible to aggravate them, by the brutahty of the 
 French soldiers, who faithfully followed the ex- 
 ample of barbarity w Inch their chiefs had set ; — 
 these miserable creatures were driven together into 
 a field covered with deep snow ; * their fits of con- 
 vulsive laughter,* says a German writer, ' their 
 weeping, their curses, and their prayers, w^ere alike 
 the subject of mockery for the French, and more 
 than thirty of them were found dead in the morn- 
 ing !' It appears by an official estimate, in which 
 a native of Hamburgh assures us that nothing has 
 been exaggerated, that the losses which Marshal 
 Davoust occasioned to that city and its environs, 
 amounted to thirteen millions sterling ; that he re- 
 
Chip. I.] HAMBURGH. 19 
 
 cluced the population from one hundred and twenty 
 thousand to forty thousand souls; that he burnt or 
 demolished more than one tliousand five hundred 
 houses ; and that, in the depth of a German winter, 
 he turned out more than one thousand six hundred 
 families whom he had plundered of everything, to 
 beg- their bread. These were Marshal Davoust's 
 actions at Hamburgh. " — (Quart. Rev. vol. xiii. 
 p. 485.) 
 
 Well might a public thanksgiving be appointed, 
 as it was, by the oppressed inhabitants of Hamburgh, 
 when intelligence of the defeat of the French at 
 Waterloo reached that city : well might they dis- 
 play, as they are said to have done on that occa- 
 sion, such universal demonstrations of joy ! 
 
 Having hired a caleche, with a pair of horses, 
 at a very moderate price, we took our departure 
 from Hamburgh on the morning of the 30th. Ihe 
 distance from hence to Lubeck, where we were to 
 embark for St. Petersburg, is, as I have already 
 said, about thirty miles ; but we were informed, 
 and too truly, as it afterwards proved, that it would 
 be necessary to start at an early hour to enable us 
 to reach the end of our journey before sunset. No- 
 thino- can be imaofined more execrable than the 
 state in which we found the road; indeed, it has 
 for ages been stigmatized as notoriously bad. It 
 lies over a loose sandy soil, through which we were 
 dragged at the rate of about three miles an hour; 
 which we certainly did not exceed at any one 
 
20 JOl'RNKY [Chap. I. 
 
 period of tlie jtninicy, allhough our carriage was 
 of a very li<zlit construction, and the lu(T(Ta(Te 
 trilling. Large rough stones lay about in every 
 direction : they might once have helped to form 
 the road in the shape of a pavement, but were now 
 loose in the sand, in such a manner as to convey 
 the idea of their having been thrown there by some 
 enemy, with a view of rendering the road impas- 
 sable, which indeed it very nearly was. 
 
 The tardiness of the journey was occasioned 
 partly, but not wholly, by these stones; for, inde- 
 pendent of the momentary necessity of turning 
 aside to avoid them, the carriage was every now 
 and then either jolting against them with consider- 
 able force, when, from the jerk, away went the 
 harness, as a matter of course, or it was up to the 
 axletrees in deep sand. In fact, it was obvious 
 in one place that these huge stones once formed 
 a partial pavement, but being laid on a sandy 
 foundation, some had siuik in, while others had 
 worked themselves up to the surface. In other 
 parts, fragments or points of naked rocks rise out 
 of the sand, over which the carriage had to be 
 dragged. In short, though a public road between 
 two large cities, it is perhaps the very worst in 
 civilized Europe. This is owing to its passing 
 through, and being shared among, no less than 
 three different states. The poet says, — 
 
 " The child whom many fathers share, 
 Has seldom known a lather's care;" 
 
Chap. I.] TO LUBFXK. 21 
 
 SO the road to Lubeck, belonging to all, is owned 
 by none. 
 
 This neck of land, which separates the Elbe 
 from the Baltic, is generally flat and uninteresting, 
 but was here and there relieved by clumps of wood, 
 in which were many fine well-grown trees. On 
 approaching within a few miles of Lubeck, the 
 road begins to be tolerably vrell macadamized, 
 which allow^ed us to enter the town at a good 
 brisk trot, — the horses appearing to be as much 
 pleased at the change as we ourselves were, and 
 more so they could not well have been : we were, 
 however, a little surprised at this demonstration of 
 freshness, for the same pair carried us through. 
 The king of Denmark has at last, we are told, 
 given his sanction, and liberally contributed to 
 a new road beins' made, on condition, however, 
 that it shall pass through some town, I forget 
 which, belonging to him ; but this indulgence will 
 increase the distance about a German mile (four 
 English) ; no matter, the public passenger would 
 gain if it be two. He is also to receive all the 
 turnpike dues. A proposal was made at one time 
 by Mr. Klein, for establishing a rail-road from 
 Altona, through Hamburgh to Lubeck, the ex- 
 pense of which was estimated at £300,000; and 
 a statement was made to show that this rail-way 
 would realise a much larger profit than even the 
 Liverpool and Manchester rail-road. But the 
 speculation did not meet with sufficient encouraore- 
 
22 lAHKCK. [Chap. I. 
 
 ment. For invalids, the easiest way of performing 
 this most disagreeable journey is to divide it, by 
 passing the night at Schoenberg, where there is ei 
 neat and clean little inn, with a very pretty well- 
 stocked flower-garden behind it; but even with 
 this stoppage, the journey would prove tedious 
 enough. 
 
 Lubeck presented an exceedingly gay and lively 
 appearance, as we drove up the long street which 
 rvms throuo^h the town, and which something" re- 
 sembles that beautihd street at Leyden, called 
 Breede, or Broad Street. The town is built on 
 a gentle elevated ridge, on one side of which runs 
 the Trave, and on the other the Wackenik. The 
 environs are well wooded, and enlivened with 
 cheerful villas, more particularly those along the 
 banks of the Trave. The streets are much wider 
 than those of Hamburgh. The houses generally 
 appeared to be old, and mostly built of stone; 
 like those of Hamburgh and of Antwerp, their 
 gable-ends faced the street. They are in general 
 very lofty, six or seven stories not being uncom- 
 mon. Round the ramparts of the city, in which 
 there are two handsome gateways, is a promenade, 
 shaded with fine trees. 
 
 The inhabitants at this season of the year were 
 quietly seated at the doors of their respective 
 houses, — men, women, and children, all neatly 
 dressed : some drinking tea, some playing at cards, 
 others looking on; the ladies amusing themselves. 
 
Chap. I.] LUBECK. 23 
 
 at the same time^ with their needles, whilst the 
 head of the family was generally to be seen en- 
 joying himself with his pipe. There was, as might 
 be expected in such circumstances, a general air of 
 comfort and content. 
 
 The principal buildings of Lubeck are the 
 cathedral, four churches, and the town-hall. The 
 cathedral is a curious old building, the spires of 
 which are very much out of the perpendicular, 
 and momentarily threaten to fall, which is also the 
 case with the towers of St. Mary and St. Peter's. 
 All these lofty towers and spires are seen from a 
 distance, and give a striking appearance to the 
 city. The cathedral will be considered as a hand- 
 some church in the interior, and as well worthy to 
 be visited, were it only for the sake of the paint- 
 ings, many of which are curious, and of ancient 
 date. Among them I observed the celebrated 
 picture of the Dance of Death, by Holbein, but 
 w^hether an original or copy, I am not connoisseur 
 enough to decide, but am disposed to think the 
 latter. In fact, it seems to be doubtful whether 
 the picture be Holbein's or not, some ascribing it 
 to one Hans Glauber, who was of an earlier age. 
 Its merits and defects are well known ; the artist, 
 be he who he may, deserves, at the least, great 
 credit for the original thought of conveying a 
 satire on human vanity, and for the very clever 
 and ingenious manner in which he has contrived 
 to depict the figure of Death in so many different 
 
21 LU13ECK. [Cliap. I. 
 
 characters and attitudes, many of \Yhich are gro- 
 tesque enoiigli. lie is represented in the act of 
 marching oft' kings and commoners, princes and 
 priests, old men and yoinig, and concludes the 
 dancing marcli by introducing a figure carrying a 
 coflfln to the poal towards which all are advancincr 
 and must come at last. 
 
 In this cathedral may be seen some fine speci- 
 mens of sculpture, more particularly a represen- 
 tation of the Lord's Supper, carved in white marble, 
 on the altar-piece, which struck me as being 
 finely designed and beautifully executed. It is 
 pretended that the organ pipes are of silver ; but 
 they do not appear to be so. Here there also is a 
 curious old astronomical clock, remarkable for its 
 size and mechanism, which contains movements 
 far beyond what were exhibited by the recently 
 defunct giants of St. Dunstan's Church. The 
 figures of the twelve Apostles are shut up w-ithin 
 the clock of Lubeck Cathedral, but at mid-day 
 they sally forth and march in regular succession, 
 passing a figure of our Saviour, to whom they each 
 face roimd, and having made a quick and familiar 
 nod of the head, they then march onwards to a 
 door at the opposite side, which closes upon them 
 the moment the twelfth Apostle has entered. 
 
 A visit to the Dom Church will very well repay 
 the stranger. It contains several well executed 
 monuments, and there is, among others, a remark- 
 ably curious old picture painted by Hans Hemling, 
 
Chap. I.] LUBECK. 25 
 
 bearing date 1471. It represents the Crucifixion 
 and Ascent, and is painted with great execution. 
 Great care is taken of it, and it is kept shut up in 
 a case, which opens on hinges. 
 
 The Town Hall of Lubeck is a curious old 
 building, and appears to be one of the most ancient 
 in the town. These are the kind of buildincrs, in 
 the plan and decoration of which the burghers 
 seem to have vied with each other in their endea- 
 vours to display the greatest magnificence, and the 
 most curious variety in the style of architecture. 
 That of Lubeck is a mixture of Gothic and that 
 decorative and fanciful style so common in the 
 Netherlands. Several turrets ornament its front, 
 in which are also displayed, in circular compart- 
 ments, the shield and eagle of Austria. 
 
 A considerable number of vessels were lying in 
 the Trave, immediately below the bridge. Lu- 
 beck, like Hamburgh, appeared to us to be a 
 thriving city. Many of the modern-built houses, 
 of which there were several, are on a grand scale. 
 Their basement stories are used as magazines or 
 warehouses, and they have commonly large court- 
 yards, into which the carriages of the proprietors 
 are driven ; and as there is generally a door at the 
 foot of the staircase, the ladies may step into them 
 at once as they descend from the upper apart- 
 ments of the house, — a convenience very common 
 on the Continent, but only known in some of the 
 oldest mansions in England. Here as in Holland, 
 
"ICt LUBECK. [Chap. I. 
 
 Belgium, and the other Ilanse towns, most of the 
 houses of Lubeck stand with their gable-ends 
 towards the street, and many of them, like those 
 alluded to, present a picturesque appearance. 
 Each extremity of the roof rises generally in steps 
 similar to those of the generality of the houses in 
 the Netherlands. 
 
 Leaving Lubeck on the morning after our ar- 
 rival, with a pair of excellent horses, we reached 
 Travemunde in about three hours, the distance 
 being twelve miles. The roads, thovigh still very 
 bad, w^ere infinitely better than those over which 
 we had travelled the preceding day. There is 
 now a small steamer that carries the passengers 
 from Lubeck to Travemunde. The steam-boat 
 for St. Petersburg was lying at anchor off this 
 place. In the course of this last journey w^e 
 crossed a broad ferry, the boat being worked by 
 two men who pulled it across the stream by means 
 of a rope stretched from side to side. The ope- 
 ration appeared clumsy and laborious. Neither 
 during our stay at Lubeck, nor in the neighbour- 
 hood, were we fortunate enough to Jiear the pleas- 
 ing harmony of the " thousands, nay millions,'* 
 of Dr. Clarke's " Holstein nightingales," vul- 
 garly called frogs, whose "choral vibrations, and 
 cadences of sound," are said to be something like 
 those of musical glasses ! 
 
 Travemunde is a small village situated, as the 
 name implies, at the mouth of the Trave. It is 
 
Chap. I.] TRAVEMUNDE. 27 
 
 resorted to by the inhabitants of Lubeck as a 
 bathing place. On our arrival, we found that 
 the vessel had got her steam up, and was in every 
 respect ready for a start, but three of our country- 
 men, who had reached Travemunde a short time 
 before us, discovered that they, or rather their 
 courier, had unfortunately left their passports at 
 Lubeck. This consequently delayed our departure 
 for a short time, as the captain of the boat was 
 oblig'inof enoucrh to sav that he would wait the 
 return of a man who had been despatched on foot 
 to regain them. We had met this man on the 
 road, running very quickly, and fortunately, when 
 the Captain was beginning to get rather impatient, 
 he returned with them, to the very great satisfac- 
 tion of all parties, and to none, perhaps, more than 
 my fellow-traveller and myself, who would have 
 felt the loss of three very agreeable companions- 
 during the voyage. 
 
 The boat on board of which we embarked was 
 a Dutch one, and was called the " Beurs van 
 Amsterdam," — a fine commodious packet. About 
 one o'clock we got under weigh, our party con- 
 sisting of fourteen, including the Captain and 
 his wife, who accompanied him to sea. Of this 
 number, five were Englishmen, including our- 
 selves; we had two Russian noblemen as passen-- 
 gers. Prince Galitzin, and another whose name I 
 forget, but who had recently been employed in 
 the wars with Turkey. Altogether we were a very 
 
 c2 
 
28 PASSAGE [Chap. I. 
 
 pleasant party, and the time certainly passed 
 agreeably enoiigli. Nothing coidd exceed the 
 convenience and comfort of our accommodation; 
 the large cabin, being calculated to hold fifty per- 
 sons, was now occupied only by fourteen. The 
 fare for the passage was reasonable enough, being 
 twelve guineas each person — including our svib- 
 sistence. We were on board five days, during 
 which it is but justice to remark that I never wish 
 to fare better. 
 
 The weather during the five days we were at 
 sea was delightful, so much so that not a ripple 
 disturbed the surface of the water, which was like 
 a mirror, and literally ''as smooth as a duck-pond" 
 — a circumstance I do not remember ever to have 
 witnessed at sea before ; for, whether in the North 
 Sea or the Atlantic, a slight swell is generally per- 
 ceptible, even in the most calm and serene wea- 
 ther. 
 
 We had all our meals on deck. On the day of 
 our departure from Travemunde, the Captain 
 treated his passengers with a sumptuous dinner 
 and plenty of champagne, in honour, as we after- 
 wards ascertained, of the birth-day of his fair 
 lady, to whom he was apparently very much 
 attached; and, were it not somewhat of an ill- 
 natured remark, I should be disposed to hint that 
 they had recently been married, and that this was 
 the lady's first voyage. He was a good-natured, 
 easy sort of man, who appeared to think more of 
 
Chap. I.] TO CRONSTADT. 29 
 
 his wife than his ship, and seemed to know but 
 little about navigation, leaving the management of 
 the vessel solely to the pilot, who spoke the English 
 language pretty well, and appeared to be a clever 
 and trustworthy seaman. 
 
 On the morning of the 5th of July, I had the 
 curiosity to get up at half-past two o'clock for the 
 purpose of seeing the sun rise, of which, but a few 
 hours previous, I had witnessed the setting. The 
 sight to me was novel and splendid, but the cold 
 at this hour was piercing, though at the setting, 
 about four hours previous, the air had been very 
 warm. 
 
 About five o'clock in the evening we arrived at 
 the end of our voyage in this vessel ; and I really 
 took my leave of her with a feeling of regret, so 
 comfortable had we all been during our stay on 
 board. Unless the number of passengers gene- 
 rally very far exceeds that on the present occasion, 
 it appears to me the owners will not find it to an- 
 swer their expectations. The fuel expended, the 
 subsistence of the passengers, the high wages to 
 the people, and the wear and tear of the machinery, 
 could leave but little profit for the concern. The 
 engineer had high wag^es, as indeed he oug^ht: 
 for he had a very laborious office to perform. He 
 was an Englishman, and the only one amongst the 
 crew; he had been brought up at Maudslay's, as 
 is the case with the greater part of the engineers 
 that one meets with on board the steam-boats in 
 
30 CRONSTADT. [Chap. I. 
 
 ibreigu co\iiitrios, where the natives rarely under- 
 stand the nature and management of tlie machinery. 
 This poor fellow was stripped to the skin day and 
 night ; his presence could never be dispensed with, 
 with safety, as one of the engines was quite out of 
 order, and required much care and attention to 
 make it work well, or even to work at all. 
 
 Immediately on our arrival at Cronstadt, where 
 we were not allowed to land, a large party of cus- 
 tom-house officers, drest in handsome uniforms of 
 green with silver lace, came off to us in a boat; 
 and, on stepping on board, descended at once into 
 the large cabin, where they took their seats in great 
 state round the table, and proceeded with much 
 care minutely to examine every passport. This 
 job being finished, which could not have occupied 
 much less than an hour, they went upon deck, 
 where they had caused all the luggage of the pas- 
 sengers to be brought up from the hold. Now 
 commenced the operation, not of examining, but 
 of sealing up the different articles, which was done 
 by passing red tape round them, and stamping 
 impressions with a large seal on a substance, which, 
 had it been black instead of red, might have been 
 taken for cobbler's wax. The ship's hatchways 
 were then sealed in the same manner. Unfor- 
 tunately some of the people on deck happened to 
 deface these impressions by standing on them, at 
 which the Russian officers were not at all well 
 pleased. After all was finished^ we were trans 
 
Chap. I.] ST. PETERSBURG. 31 
 
 ferred with very little ceremony, bag and baggage, 
 into another steam-boat, which was brought along- 
 side, and which carried us up to St. Petersburg. 
 
 It was late in the evening when we arrived, and 
 there were no custom-house officers on the spot to 
 examine our lue^craore ; and not venturingf to break 
 open the seals, we were under the disagreeable 
 necessity of proceeding on shore without a single 
 article of apparel, save what we had got on our 
 backs. Havinof received information that the offi- 
 cers would examine the luggage of the passengers 
 between seven and eight o'clock the following 
 morning, and not wishing to be disturbed at so 
 early an hour, we made over our keys to the land- 
 lord of the hotel to which we had gone, and having 
 fully explained to him of what our luggage con- 
 sisted, begged that he would, at the appointed time, 
 send to release it, which he accordingly did ; but 
 at about a quarter to eight, we were knocked up 
 and informed that the officers refused to examine it 
 unless we made our appearance at the Custom- 
 house ourselves, and that there was not much time 
 to lose, as the officers would leave the place at eight 
 o'clock : accordingly we jumped out of bed, and 
 half drest, and half asleep, throwing our cloaks 
 around us, we rattled down in a drosky to the place 
 where the steam-boat was lying. Fortunately we 
 arrived in time, and the officers commenced to 
 inspect the articles very minutely, not omitting to 
 open a single parcel, however small. I could not 
 
32 ST. 1 F.TKRSIR'RC;. [Chap. I^ 
 
 help feeling highly amused at a fellow with a large 
 pair of inustaehios, who was busily employed over 
 my portmanteau, and who had got hold of a parcel^ 
 whicli he no doubt thought to eontainsomc valuable 
 treasure, as it happened to be wrapped up some- 
 what carefully in two or three pieces of paper; but 
 conceive his disappointment as well as that of 
 his brother officers, who were standing round and 
 looking over him with the greatest possible 
 anxiety, when the hidden treasure proved to be 
 nothing more than a small canister of chocolate 
 powder ! 
 
 They appeared to me to be more particular with 
 regard to t he admission of books into their country 
 than any other article, and a long time was lost in 
 debating about a prayer-book which was found in 
 my possession, and the only book I landed ; for 
 knowing that they were very particular on this 
 point, and more so with regard to books which 
 treat of their own countr}^, we did not attempt to 
 take on shore Captain Jones's travels, which we 
 had brought with us from England to serve as a 
 guide-book, for which purpose, among the many 
 that have been published, there are none that I 
 know so useful for the information of travellers in 
 Russia. We, however, did contrive to smuggle 
 two little volumes of the ' jNIodern Traveller' in our 
 pockets, and found them of the greatest possible 
 use as a substitute for guide-books. All our other 
 books were left with the master of the steam-boat 
 
Chap. I.] ST. PETERSBURG. 33 
 
 which had brought us to Cronstadt, and who pro- 
 mised that they should be dehvered to the landlord 
 of the hotel where we had resided during our stay 
 at Hamburgh, with directions to forward them to 
 England. 
 
 Having cleared the luggage to our great joy, we 
 returned to our abode, and being informed by our 
 landlord that he had procured a '^ billet of resi- 
 dence," (a permission from the authorities to 
 reside in the cit}^,) we considered ourselves settled 
 for a short time, and proceeded to examine the 
 many interesting objects which the splendid city 
 of St, Petersburg offers to the attention of the 
 stranorer. 
 
 c5 
 
34 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ST. PETERSBURG. 
 
 Imposing effect of the Public buildings — The three great Streets — 
 The Quay— The Admiralty— The Palaces— Statue of Peter the 
 Great — Churches — The Museum — Gardens — Peterhoff — Tzar- 
 skozelo — Cronstadt — Ships of War — Society — Droskies — 
 Military — The Knout — Departure for IMoscovv — Travelling — 
 The Road — Appearance of the Country — Approach to Moscow. 
 
 On approaching St. Petersburg in the steam-boat 
 from Cronstadtj there is so Httle remarkable in the 
 appearance of the city, that, were it not for the 
 glittering of one or two gilt spires which tower 
 above the mass of building, there would scarcely 
 be an object to interest the eye ; but on landing, 
 this is very far from being the case. 
 
 It was a fine clear night when we entered this 
 city; though past ten, it was still perfectly light, 
 for during the summer months there is scarcely 
 any darkness. The novelty of the scene, added to 
 the pleasing thoughts of my having reached the 
 renowned city of Petersburg, had almost caused 
 me to foro^et that it was even so late as ten o'clock, 
 and it therefore struck me as remarkable, that, with 
 the exception of one or two of our own countrymen, 
 who were lounging on the quay with cigars in their 
 mouths, and a few drosky drivers, not a soul was 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 35 
 
 to be seen in the streets, as I wandered with my 
 fellow-traveller in quest of an hotel. At this early 
 hour, in broad day-light as it were, Petersburg- 
 had all the appearance of a deserted city. 
 
 We very soon experienced the bad accommo- 
 dation which this R-ussian capital so notoriously 
 aftbrds to travellers. It was our intention to have 
 taken up our abode at Damuth's, which has the 
 reputation of being the best hotel, but after a long 
 walk, — for it is situated at some distance from 
 where the steam-boat lands her passengers, — and 
 no little difficulty in rousing up an old woman 
 who reluctantly answered our call, and who be- 
 stowed upon us a look indicating anything but a 
 welcome, we were given to understand that the 
 house was full. We then tried our luck at the 
 London Hotel, and were shown up into a dirty, 
 miserable-looking attic, not unlike the hay-loft 
 over a coach-house, and equally void of every ap- 
 pearance of comfort ; but which, nevertheless, we 
 were informed was the only unoccupied room in the 
 house. 
 
 Failing in both of these first and best hotels 
 of this grand city, our next recourse was to one 
 of those private lodoinof-houses which are o^ene- 
 rally kept by Englishmen, and in one of which, 
 in a street called the Engrlish Back Line, we were 
 very glad to gain admittance, and to find ourselves 
 at home. To a person of quiet habits, the chief 
 objection, and certainly a very great one, is, that 
 
36 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. 11, 
 
 these lodging-houses generally swarm with the 
 masters of the multitude of merchant-ships that 
 resort hither every summer, and who are under the 
 necessity of residing on shore in the city, to attend 
 the purchases and sales of their cargoes, whilst 
 their vessels remain at Cronstadt. 
 
 My first impression on landing was, that Peters- 
 burg was a city of palaces, and unquestionably the 
 most splendid and magnificent in the whole world; 
 its massy and regular buildings, apparently of 
 stone, overwhelm one with wonder by their extent 
 and magnitude. Nothing that I had yet seen, — 
 and I have seen the principal cities of Europe, 
 — seemed to be deserving of a comparison ; nor, to 
 say the truth, was this my first impression obli- 
 terated by subsequent and closer examination; 
 though it is necessary to state, that this observation 
 is confined to certain quarters of the town : for 
 *ilthough there are cities of Europe, to go no farther 
 than London and Paris, that, if taken as a whole, 
 surpass St. Petersburg, yet were we to select any 
 particular division or quarter either of London or 
 Paris, I conceive none could be selected that 
 would bear a comparison, as a whole, with that 
 part of Petersburg which is termed the Admiralty 
 quarter. 
 
 The buildings here are on the most roacrnificent 
 scale, and being concentrated and constructed oa 
 a regular and systematic plan, have a most im- 
 posing effect. We were far, very far from agree- 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 37 
 
 ing with Dr. Clarke, when he pronounces that the 
 united magnificence of all the cities of Europe 
 could but equal St. Petersburg^ — that it is, in 
 fact, as much superior to London, as London is to 
 any provincial city in England : this was exagge- 
 ration, even at the time Dr. Clarke wrote ; and 
 the recent improvements of London Jiave ren- 
 dered it still less correct. In point of fact, 
 Petersburg cannot boast of a single building fit 
 to be compared with St. Paul's, Westminster 
 Abbey, Greenwich Hospital, or perhaps Somerset 
 House. 
 
 As our visit to Petersburg was one of short 
 duration, I cannot pretend to give any accurate 
 account of the various objects which would interest 
 the traveller, and must therefore content myself by 
 attempting a very slight sketch of that part of this 
 splendid city which lies on the left bank of the 
 Neva, or the modern portion of it ; the old part, 
 founded by Peter the Great, being almost wholly 
 on the opposite side of this fine river. « 
 
 The first object on approaching Petersburg that 
 attracts the attention of a stranger is the Admi- 
 ralty, — a very extensive structure on the left bank 
 of the Neva, down to the very edge of which its 
 two wings descend, enclosing the dock-yard, but 
 obstructing the sight of all beyond it, when viewed 
 from a point in looking up the river. These pro- 
 jecting wings also obstruct the passenger from 
 proceeding along one of the finest quays probably 
 
38 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 in all Europe, which I shall notice hereafter. 
 This interruption obliges him to turn to the right, 
 which brings him to the opposite facade or front 
 of the Admiralty, to that which faces the Neva, 
 and which looks into a large open square, or rather 
 oblong, called the Senate Square, from whence di- 
 verge the three principal streets, or, as they are 
 called, the three Perspectives, of which the Newski 
 Perspective is the largest and most favourite street ; 
 it branches of^ obliquely in an angular direction, the 
 gilt spire of the Admiralty being the central point : 
 it is upwards of two miles and a half in length, and 
 about twice as broad as Regent Street; which, 
 from its stuccoed houses and macadamized road, it 
 may be said somewhat to resemble. In it are all 
 the principal and best shops, and at certain hours 
 of the day it presents almost as busy a scene as 
 Regent or Bond Street. On each of its sides are 
 rows of trees, but they were at this time small, and 
 had the appearance of being but recently planted. 
 These three streets, and all that part of the town 
 through which they pass, ate intersected by three 
 canals, or branches of the Neva, over which are 
 numerous bridges, as in Holland ; the outermost 
 canal, named Fontanka, being the widest, may be 
 said to insulate this new part of the city, and to 
 inclose it as with a wall. From each of these Perspec- 
 tives may be seen the gilt spire of the Admiralty. In 
 an old map of Petersburg, bearing date 1738, there 
 is scarcely a house but the Admiralty on this side. 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 39 
 
 and a building next it, which is now the Winter 
 Palace ; but the Newski Perspective is laid down 
 therein in its present direction as an avenue of 
 trees, and so is the other outer Perspective, each 
 radiating from the centre spire of the AdmiraUy ; 
 and hence, probably, their name in the sense of a 
 visto. The middle of these Perspectives has the 
 name of Peace Street. In all these, and some other 
 streets, are pavements or trottoirs, an improvement 
 for which the citizens are indebted to the late Em- 
 peror Alexander, who was so struck with this great 
 accommodation for pedestrians when in London, 
 that, on his return to the residence, he issued an 
 Ukase directing every inhabitant of this part of 
 the city to pave that portion of it, at his own ex- 
 pense, w hich occupied the extent of the front of his 
 liouse. 
 
 The side of the Senate Square, out of which 
 these grand streets issue, is made up of public 
 buildings and offices, and the new' Isaac Church. 
 The two ends of the square are filled, the one by 
 the Senate-house, now building, and the other by 
 the Riding-school. The Winter Palace and the 
 Plermitage continue in the same line with the 
 Admiralty. Of these buildings hereafter. 
 
 The granite Quay, above alluded to, was com- 
 menced and finished by Catherine II. It was 
 commenced in the year 1764, and took upw ards of 
 twenty years to complete it. Stretching along the 
 clear and transparent Neva, a river as wide as the 
 
40 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. 31. 
 
 Thames at Westminster Bridge, there is certainly 
 nothing of the kind in Europe that can vie with it. 
 It extends to a great distance, both above and below 
 the Admiralty, by which it is interrupted, being 
 about three vers(s, or two English miles, in length. 
 The part immediately above the Admiralty is 
 fronted by the Winter Palace and the Hermitagey 
 and this part is called the Russian Quay ; and the 
 lower, or that below the Admiralty, the English 
 Quay. On this latter are situated some of the 
 largest and best houses in the city, — among others, 
 that of Lord Heytesbury, at this time our ambas- 
 sador. They are, for the most part, occupied by 
 the English merchants and gentlemen who reside 
 at St. Petersburg. The chaplain to the embassy 
 (iNIr. Law) has also a house on this qua}^ to which 
 a very neat chapel is attached. We had the plea- 
 sure of conveying an introduction to this gentle- 
 man, and received much kindness and attention 
 from him. 
 
 On the Russian Quay stands, as before mentioned,, 
 the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, which toge- 
 ther form a very extensive range of building. The 
 back front, if we may so call it, of the Winter 
 Palace, faces the Senate Square, and immediately 
 opposite to it, on the other side of this space, is a 
 very handsome crescent, composed entirely of the 
 Government Offices. The rest of this side is occu- 
 pied by a splendid mansion for the Governor, and 
 other official houses ; and at the lower corner is the 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 41 
 
 new Isaac Church, or, more strictly speaking, the 
 old one, for it was commenced in the reign of 
 Catherine, — altered in that of Paul, — pulled down 
 and altered again by Alexander, — and altered and 
 added to by Nicholas, — and, when we were there, 
 very far from being completed ; which, if it ever 
 be, will certainly rank among the most splendid 
 edifices in Europe. Its cupola is large and lofty; 
 it has four porticos, each of eight frontal and three 
 lateral columns, each of a sinorle block of (granite, 
 six feet in diameter at the base, and fifty-six feet 
 high ; the base and capital of bronze. 
 
 Opposite to this church, and not far from the 
 foot of the Isaac Bridge, which crosses the Neva, 
 and is one of the three wooden ones, rises majes- 
 tically the colossal statue of Peter the Great, on 
 the pedestal of which is the following inscrip- 
 tion, in Latin on one side, and on the other in 
 Russ : — 
 
 Petro PRn^o, 
 
 Catherina Secunda, 
 
 1782. 
 
 This bronze equestrian statue, erected, as the 
 pedestal informs us, by Catherine, to the memory 
 of Peter the Great, is the work of M. Falconet, a 
 PVench statuary; though generally admired for the 
 bold and spirited design, the attitude of the horse 
 is, perhaps, somewhat outre, the head, in rearing, 
 being thrown so far back, as to give an ap- 
 pearance of the horse being beyond its balance. 
 
42 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. 11. 
 
 and ill danger of fallinor backward, which a livino- 
 animal in such a position woidd certainly do, and 
 crush his rider ; but the metal horse is supported 
 by a metal tail. 
 
 'I'he figure of the Emperor is composed and 
 o-raceful, holdino" the rein in his left hand, while 
 the right is stretched out, as if in the act of bestow- 
 ing a benediction on the city. David, in his cele- 
 brated and splendid picture of Buonaparte crossing 
 the Alps, would appear to have had in his mind 
 this equestrian statue of Peter the Great. 
 
 The intention of the artist seems to have been 
 to represent his hero in the act, as it were, of 
 overcoming some great difficulty, or surmounting 
 some formidable obstacle, by putting his horse in 
 the attitude of galloping up the steep side of a 
 rock, and checking him only at the moment of 
 arriving at the very precipice of its summit, when 
 he had vanquished all opposition. To enhance his 
 triumph, a huge serpent appears crushed under his 
 horse's feet. By this representation, M. Falconet, 
 the artist, may have had in view to convey an 
 emblem of the bold and determined measures to 
 overcome all opposition, and to crush his enemies. 
 But the introduction of the serpent or dragon is 
 not merely emblematical, — it answers another pur- 
 pose, which is that of materially assisting to fix 
 the statue to the pedestal. By an ingenious device, 
 it is united to the extremity of the horse's tail, and 
 being let into the rock, keeps the horse steadily 
 fixed in its position. 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 43 
 
 When Catherine determined -the statue should 
 be placed on one solid rock, probably to figure the 
 stability of the power which Peter had created, the 
 next question was, where to look around for an ob- 
 ject worthy of the intended purpose; neither hill 
 nor rock, nor scarcely a stone, was to be found in 
 the neighbourhood of the capital, and therefore it 
 became necessary to look out for one at some 
 distant place ; but supposing a suitable mass to 
 be discovered at a distance, how to transport such 
 a mass, as would bo required, to the capital ? 
 
 There happened to be at this time in St. Peters- 
 burg a person who went by the name of the Cheva- 
 lier de Lascary, a Lieutenant-Colonel in Catherine's 
 army, who, seeing an opportunity of distinguishing 
 himself in an affair in which his mistress was so 
 deeply interested, set about an inquiry as to the 
 nearest spot where a mass of rock sufficiently large 
 was likely to be found. " Fortune," he says, 
 " which frequently favours noble and extraordinary 
 enterprises, seemed to give a special mark of her 
 favour to Catherine II., on the occasion of the 
 monument which she was about to raise to the 
 memory of Peter the Great. A peasant informed 
 me that there w^as a very large rock in a morass 
 not far from a bay in the Gulf of Finland, about 
 four miles from the shore, and about fourteen miles 
 by water from St, Petersburg. I found the rock, 
 covered with moss ; its form was that of a paral- 
 lelopipedon, whose length was forty-two feet, its 
 
44 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. IT, 
 
 breadth twenty- seven feet, and height twenty-one 
 feet." This, the Chevalier conceived, was just 
 sucli a block as was wanting for the pedestal ; and 
 as if nature had fallen into M. Falconet'*s idea, a 
 transverse fissure at one end of the parallelopipedon 
 had separated a portion from the mass, which, 
 when removed, would give to the remaining part 
 nearly the slope or inclined plane up which the 
 artist had designed his horse should ascend ; this 
 huge crack the peasantry said was done by light- 
 ninor. 
 
 o 
 
 Of the mode pursued by the Chevalier Lascary 
 to draw this mass of granite, weighing about 1600 
 tons, out from the earth, in which a great portion 
 of it was buried not less than to the depth of fifteen 
 feet — of the subsequent operations of dragging it 
 four miles by means of metal balls, moving in 
 grooves of the same metal, let into large beams of 
 wood — of floating it on a raft between two vessels 
 down the Neva, and of landing it safely on the 
 quay, — all these operations, with specific plates, 
 are detailed by the Chevalier Lascary in a large 
 folio volume, published at Paris, under the name of 
 '' Le Comte Marin Carburi de Ceffalonie ;" a name, 
 he says, with great naivete, that really belongs to 
 his family ; that he had been under the necessity 
 of assuming the other name in consequence of hav- 
 ing, in the heat of youthful passion, committed an 
 act of violence, which his age might excuse, but 
 his heart detested, and for which, to escape a pro- 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 45 
 
 secution, an exile from his countiy was his unhappy 
 destin3^ 
 
 The details of this operation are exceedingly 
 curious, and, considering the time when it was car- 
 ried on, rail-roads being then unknown, the ob- 
 structions he met with, moral and physical, and the 
 many difficulties he had to encounter, the successful 
 accomplishment of this vast undertaking reflects 
 great credit on the ingenuity and perseverance of 
 this Greek officer. 
 
 Of Falconet's statue, I should say, though cele- 
 brated as it has been, it is very inferior to that of 
 Charles at Charing Cross, which, indeed, (though 
 habit makes most Londoners pass it with little 
 notice,) has, perhaps, not many equal to it in 
 Europe. 
 
 At the time we were at Petersburg there was a 
 current joke against the Captain of an American 
 ship, who one day after dinner laid a wager with 
 one of the company, that he would ride on the 
 same horse with the Czar Peter ; and being Bacchi 
 2)lenus, he sallied forth to perform this exploit. He 
 had not much difficulty in clearing the iron railing, 
 and was busily employed, by means of the tail of 
 the horse, taking his seat behind his Imperial 
 Majesty, and might, perhaps, have succeeded, 
 though not without difficulty, when, being unluckily 
 observed by the police, his progress was imme- 
 diately arrested and his person taken into custody ; 
 and report says that, notvrithstanding it was repre- 
 
46 ST. PETKUSRURG. [Chap. IT. 
 
 sented as a more frolij in consequence of a wager, 
 he was compelled to pay a fine to the amount of 
 about fifty pounds for his presumption. 
 
 But to proceed in the general description of Pe- 
 tersburg. The Winter Palace is of a less modem 
 construction, and more heavy than most of the other 
 contiguous buildings. The interior both of this 
 and the adjoining '' Hermitage" is well worthy of 
 being visited. The hall of St. George in the former 
 is a magnificent apartment, being upwards of one 
 hundred and thirty feet in length, and fifty in 
 breadth. The roof is supported by elegant Corin- 
 thian pillars. 
 
 The Hermitage, — which when it obtained its 
 name was no doubt a kind of rural retirement from 
 the vast mamiificence of the Winter Palace, — but is 
 now anything but what its name would imply,— 
 contains an extensive collection of paintings, judi- 
 ciously arranged in a long suite of apartments, each 
 room being appropriated separately to the works 
 of one master or school: thus, one is occupied 
 solely with those of Rubens, another with those 
 of Rembrandt, Vandyke, Teniers, Wouvermans, 
 Paul Potter, and so on. The Houghton collection 
 is here distributed, which never ought to have left 
 England; the Russians lose no opportunity of 
 putting an Englishman in mind that they once 
 belonged to his country, and that Russia paid well 
 for them. 
 
 In one of the numerous apartments, I particularly 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 47 
 
 noticed a very fine jasper vase, and in another a 
 very extraordinary mechanical clock, made, I am 
 told, in London ; it exhibits a large peacock which 
 spreads his majestic tail, an owl that rolls its eyes 
 about, and a cock that crows most lustily. They 
 are shut in a cage, which occupies a great space in 
 the room. On looking out of some windows on the 
 first floor, I was surprised to see, on the same level, 
 a garden planted with several large trees and luxu- 
 riant shrubs, tastefully arranged, laid out in flower- 
 beds, and intersected by gravel walks; so that I 
 almost fancied I had imperceptibly descended to 
 the ground floor, so well did everything appear 
 to thrive in this artificial piece of earth. I remem- 
 ber to have seen a somewhat similar garden, but 
 less artificial, on one of the Boromean Islands, in 
 the Lago Maggiore, where the trees were as large, 
 perhaps larger, than those in question. 
 
 The Marble Palace is situated on the same quay 
 with the Winter Palace, and a little above it. 
 Many of the apartments are lined entirely with, 
 marble, as is also the hall and staircase, but the 
 whole building, at this time, appeared to be in a 
 neglected state. From the top of the roof is a very 
 good general view of the city, but not equal to that 
 seen from the spire of the Admiralty. The roof of 
 this palace is of copper ; and so intense is the heat 
 of the sun during the summer months, that the man 
 who accompanied us over the building asserted he 
 had frequently cooked his victuals there without 
 
48 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. 11. 
 
 the aid of a fire, — a fact which we saw no reason 
 to disbelieve. Of the churches, the principal one 
 is that of the Casan ; it would be difficidt to say 
 which to admire most, the exterior or the interior 
 of this cathedral. It is a splendid edifice, and 
 splendidly decorated. The columns of the interior 
 are of beautifully-polished granite. The gates of 
 the altar are of silver, and of elegant workmanship. 
 
 The Church of Alexander Newski is also a fine 
 building. The tomb of the saint — for he has been 
 canonized — from whom the church takes its name, 
 is also composed entirely of massive silver, and 
 must have cost an enormous sum of money. This 
 church is situated at the farthest extremity of the 
 Newski Perspective. 
 
 The ancient part of Petersburg, if anything which 
 dates its existence from the seventeenth century can 
 be called so, is in a great degree in the same state 
 that its founder left it. It is almost wholly on the 
 opposite, or right side of the Neva. The streets 
 or lanes are narrow^ the houses mostly of wood, and 
 like a town in Holland, intersected by canals or 
 branches of the Neva. Peter, indeed, professed to 
 build it in imitation of Amsterdam, with which city 
 he was w^ell acquainted. The castle or fortress 
 stands on this side, on an island formed by a branch 
 of the river, a little above the Hermitage, and 
 nearly facing the Marble Palace. It derives an 
 interest from the church attached to it, in which 
 are contained the remains of Peter the Great, and 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 49 
 
 many of his Imperial descendants, amongst whom 
 is the late Emperor Alexander. 
 
 Around the interior of this church, — which ap- 
 pears to be more of a mausoleum than a temple, as 
 divine service is rarely if ever performed, — are 
 arranged an immense number of banners, taken 
 from time to time from different hostile nations, 
 and many of them bear evident marks of a hard- 
 fought battle; one in particular, which was very 
 carefully pointed out to us, had several stains of 
 blood upon it, as w^ll as the impression of an entire 
 palm of a hand. 
 
 The large Theatre, which is situated in the mid- 
 dle of an extensive square, was, unluckily, closed 
 during the period of our visit. The building is 
 extensive, and not inferior, in point of architectural 
 beauty, to any public edifice in Petersburg. This 
 may beconsidered as th enational theatre ; but there 
 is also a small one, to which we went, and, if one 
 might judge from the countenances of the audience, 
 and we had no other means of judging, the play 
 must have been highly amusing : the performers 
 apjpeared to exert themselves to the utmost of their 
 abihties, and acted with great spirit. This house, 
 which is somewhere about the size of the Adelphi 
 Theatre, was well filled; but the French Theatre 
 at Kammennoy-Ostrof, which I subsequently 
 visited, was evidently the most fashionable one. 
 
 Kammennoy-Ostrof is situated about three or 
 four miles from Petersburg, and appears to be the 
 
 D 
 
50 ST. PKTl'.RSBrRG. [Ch.ip. II. 
 
 favourite drive in the cool of the evening. It is an 
 island, on which the Emperor has a small, but 
 neat palace, with some pretty gardens tastefully 
 laid out, attached to it, in which the public are 
 allowed to walk. We drove there on the evening 
 of the Emperor's birthday, when all the fashion of 
 the city attended. Amongst the carriages, which 
 were very numerous, I saw many elegant equi- 
 pages, but still there was a want of something in 
 the best of them — a finish, if I may so term it, 
 which will hardly, if ever, be met with in any 
 part of the Continent, except in the carriage of an 
 English gentleman. For instance, some of the 
 smartest " turns-out" we noticed on this occasion, 
 — carriages which really in themselves were ex- 
 tremely elegant, — were driven by slovenly fellows, 
 who cut no better appearance than our hackne}^- 
 coachmen. None of their drivers have the least 
 idea of attempting the management of four-in-hand : 
 ihey have generally, I may say always, a little boy 
 placed on one of the leaders, which are, for the 
 most part, very showy horses. These boys, who 
 rarely exceed ten or twelve years of age, are very 
 smart-looking little fellows ; and often amused us 
 by their manner of calling out, with a tone of con- 
 siderable authority, to the drosky drivers, on whom 
 they look with the greatest possible contempt, to 
 get out of their way. They rattle through the 
 streets at a great rate, and it is curious to see 
 them come whisking round a corner, before a 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 51' 
 
 glimpse can be caught of the wheelefs; the i*/ftces 
 of the leaders invariably being of what seems to us 
 a ridiculous length. 
 
 The Emperor and Empress were themselves 
 present at Kammennoy-Ostrof, on the occasion 
 alluded to, and we had the gratification of seeing 
 them several times, as they passed round with the 
 line of carriages. The Emperor was on horseback, 
 attended by Prince Oscar of Sweden, and the Em- 
 press was in an open carriage. After riding about 
 for a short time to show himself, the Emperor dis- 
 mounted, and walked among the crowds unattended 
 by any one. He had thrown a cloak across his 
 splendid uniform, and not a soul seemed to take 
 the least notice of him, — many, probably, not 
 recognizing him; and those who did, knowing 
 that it was not his wish that they should pay any 
 attention to him. We stood on a bridge close to 
 him for several minutes ; he is a fine-looking man, 
 about six feet high. 
 
 As soon as it became a little darker, fireworks, 
 consisting chiefly of rockets, began to be played off, 
 and when they were all finished, the spectators 
 flocked back aorain to town. A few men of one 
 of the regiments of cavalry were placed two and 
 two, at equal distances along the road, and main- 
 tained the most perfect order, taking particular 
 care that the carriages should not get out of the 
 line. Small lamps of oil were placed scantily on 
 the ground on each side of the road, which we 
 
 d2 
 
52- ST. PETERSDURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 were mfornien were meant for an illumination ; 
 though I am more inclined to think that they 
 were placed there for no other purpose than to 
 li<rht ui) the road, in the event of the evenincr 
 being dark — yet such a precaution at this season 
 of the year was certainly unnecessary. 
 
 In the Museum we were much amused. The 
 collection of minerals is very extensive and valu- 
 able; they are well arranged, and all the speci- 
 mens exceedingly fine ; but in hurrying through a 
 museum of natural history, the stranger has little 
 time to examine, with much attention, the multi- 
 tude of objects which it contains. At the end of 
 the long-room were subjects of a very different 
 nature : we there beheld the stuffed figures of two 
 of the domestics of Peter the Great, both of whom 
 are said to have been great favourites. They are 
 naked to the loins, and, as may be imagined, very 
 disgusting objects. The skin has all the appear- 
 ance of being tanned, and is exceedingly hard and 
 dry. The one is of gigantic stature, and stands 
 seven feet high ; the other is a little dwarf, to Avhom 
 the Czar is known to have shown very great parti- 
 ality, taking him with him generally wherever lie 
 went. The contrast exhibited by these two figures* 
 great as it is, is not so great, however, as that of 
 the skeletons of Mr. O'Brien, the Irish giant, and 
 Miss Cracami, (a dwarf not long since exhibited in 
 London,) have furnished for the Museum belong- 
 ing to the College of Suro^eons in London; the 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 53 
 
 former said to be nearly eight feet high, and the 
 latter only eighteen inches ! 
 
 There is a small apartment in the Museum in 
 which is preserved, with great care, a model of 
 Peter the Great in wax, which is said to be a 
 perfect resemblance; he is seated in an old- 
 fashioned leather-bottomed chair, the same which 
 he is supposed to have generally made use of when 
 alive ; he is dressed in the clothes which he wore 
 on some particular occasion, I believe at the battle 
 of Pultowa. The figure is placed under a canopy, 
 and I could almost work up my imagination to 
 such a pitch, as to fancy myself in the presence of 
 this extraordinary man. I have somewhere read 
 that there is a spring in this figure which, when 
 touched, causes it suddenly to rise from the chair, 
 and stand upon its legs, an exhibition with which 
 the public, I am happj^ to say, are not now fa- 
 voured ; though, judging from some other exhibi- 
 tions still existing, it is not at all improbable that 
 Peter heretofore has been made to move upon 
 springs. It would appear, from a mark on the 
 wall, that the Czar must have been very nearly 
 seven feet high, but I should question the accuracy 
 o( the measurement ; he is, however, known to 
 have been a very tall man. 
 
 One of the greatest curiosities in the Museum 
 is the entire skeleton of a mammoth of prodigious 
 size, which is said to have been found by a fisher- 
 man, some years since, near the mouth of the Oby. 
 It is probably the only perfect skeleton to be met 
 
54 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 ■\vitli, if it has not been patched up with extraneoiis 
 materials. There is also the skeleton of an ele- 
 phant, which, although of very large dimensions, 
 is considerably smaller than that of the mammoth. 
 The skeleton of the horse on which Peter the 
 •Great was in the habit of riding is also exhibited. 
 Round the sides of a long gallery are placed a 
 number of models in wood, dressed in the several 
 costuncies of different countries — Tartars, Chinese, 
 Persians, &c. In glass cases, along the sides of 
 the same room or gallery, are a variety of anato- 
 mical preparations; for which it would, perhaps, 
 have been as well that a separate apartment should 
 have been devoted, being here rather out of place, 
 and not very agreeable to the generality of visiters, 
 particularly to females. 
 
 The successors of the Czar Peter have not been 
 Avanting in marking their respect for him, as is 
 obvious by the great veneration in which all kinds 
 of relics appertaining to him are held, such as the 
 dresses he wore on diflerent occasions, and particu- 
 larly in different battles in which he was engaged, 
 besides that in which his model appears. This, no 
 doubt, orio^inated in a feelinor of veneration for him 
 who wore them ; and the custom may be consi- 
 dered by many as well calculated to keep in re- 
 membrance the distinguished character to whom 
 they belonged. 
 
 In the room, adjoining the one where the figure 
 of Peter is seated, are various tools which belonged 
 to him, models of his own making, and specimens 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 55 
 
 of his own turning in ivory, at which he was an 
 adept: indeed, many of these specimens afford 
 ample proof that he was no mean hand in this 
 branch of artisanship — one in particular, which 
 struck me as being a beautiful piece of workmanship 
 — a large ivory lustre, suspended from the centre of 
 the room. 
 
 In the suburbs of the city, or that part of it 
 which is on the right bank of the Neva, is still pre- 
 served, with great care, the small wooden house, 
 or rather hut, which was inhabited by Peter dur- 
 ing the progress of his grand undertaking. To 
 the Russians it is, as it ought to be, an interesting 
 relic of this great man ; and, to do them justice, 
 it has been most carefully preserved in the same 
 state, as far as wood can preserve its state, as when, 
 he left it ; and the more effectually to insure its 
 preservation, and to protect it from the weather, it 
 has been encased within a brick wall. Here, too, 
 is kept — what must to the Russian be a still more 
 precious relic — the original little boat which first 
 gave him a taste for the sea, and which led to the 
 formation of a navy : it is the Little Grandsire, 
 w hich he himself consecrated as one of the last acts 
 of his glorious reign. 
 
 The Taurida Palace, situated in the outskirts of 
 the town, is a noble bvuldino" : the hall is one of 
 the largest I remember to have seen, being about 
 216 feet by 80. The garden attached to the 
 palace is exceedingly pretty. It is of no great 
 
S6 ST. rETEUSBURG. [Chap. II, 
 
 extent, but so inj^eniously planned as to appear 
 twice the space it actually occupies ; and there is 
 a piece of water in it. The Conservatory is on a 
 large scale, and well filled with the most valuable 
 and interesting plants, many of which are exceed- 
 ingly rare. This garden, as well as all the other 
 Royal Gardens in Russia, was, I believe, planned 
 by an Englishman. Of the different gardens we 
 saw, I think that named the Summer Garden, 
 situated on the Russian Quay, is one of the pret- 
 tiest ; it is kept in high order, and the walks are 
 very pleasantly shaded. 
 
 During our short abode at St. Petersburg, the 
 general topic of conversation appeared to be the 
 annual fete, which was about to be held at Peter- 
 hof, and which, to our regret, it was not in our 
 power to find time to attend, though, as things 
 turned out, we consoled ourselves something in the 
 manner of the fox with the grapes, with the re- 
 flection that we had lost nothino^ worth having-, as 
 it happened to be a dismal rainy night, which 
 must have destroyed the effect of the whole affair ; 
 for I can imagine nothing more disagreeable than 
 a wet night on such an occasion. This fete was 
 held for the purpose of celebrating the birthday of 
 the Empress. Though unable to attend, we were, 
 however, determined not to leave Petersburg with- 
 out at least seeing the preparations for it, which 
 we learnt were now ^completed, as it wanted but a 
 day or two of the appointed time ; and we accord- 
 
Chap. II. ] ST. PETERSBURG. 57 
 
 ingly took a carriage in the morning with four 
 horses abreast, which it is customary to do for an 
 excursion into the country from the city, though 
 not so in the town. 
 
 Peterhof is a palace originally founded by Peter 
 the Great ; it is situated on the south shore of the 
 Gulf of Cronstadt, about fifteen English miles from 
 Petersburg. The situation is very delightful, 
 somewhat elevated, and overlooks the Gulf of Fin- 
 land. Cronstadt is situated a little lower down on 
 the opposite shore, and has an imposing effect, all 
 the shipping there, naval and commercial, being 
 seen from this place. 
 
 The preparations for the intended fete were on 
 a larger scale than we had formed any idea of. 
 The grounds are extensive, and all the walks, which 
 are very numerous, many of them not less than 
 half a mile in length, were lined on either side 
 with framework of considerable height, thickly 
 himg with variegated lamps. From these we 
 could collect some little idea of what the etfect 
 would be when lighted up; and we decided that it 
 would very far exceed our Vauxhall in splendor as 
 well as extent: but the chief attraction by lamp- 
 light would, no doubt, be the fountains, cascades, 
 and jets d'eau; these we were fortunate enough to 
 see by daylight in full play, the water having been 
 let on for the amusement of the Emperor, who hap- 
 pened to be on the grounds at the time we were 
 there, attended by Prince Oscar, and a large party 
 
 d5 
 
58 ST. PETERSHURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 of the royal family; but having seen les grands 
 eaux of Versailles, we thought those of Peterhof 
 inferior by many degrees. The Grand Duchess 
 Michael was also driving about the place : she is 
 a very agreeable-looking person, and we considered 
 her decidedly the finest and most beautiful woman we 
 had seen since we left England, where we flattered 
 ourselves there would be no difticulty in finding 
 every day and every where at least her equal. 
 
 Beneath the various overhanging ledges of the 
 cascades were rows of lamps, which, when lighted, 
 and seen glittering behind the sheet of water as it 
 rolls over, could not fail to have a very singular 
 and pleasing effect. In one part of the gardens 
 there is a tree with a seat round it; and if any 
 ignorant person should be beguiled to rest his 
 weary limbs there, he stands a chance of being 
 detained longer than he might probably wish, or of 
 getting a good ducking, — as, at some little distance 
 amongst the shrubbery, there is a cock, which, 
 when turned, lets on the water into pipes that 
 communicate very ingeniously with this tree, 
 and that empty themselves from the spreading 
 branches, very much in the fashion of a shower- 
 bath, at the circumference of about two feet from 
 the trunk of the tree, confining the simple victim 
 within a watery cage, much to the amusement, no 
 doubt, of his companions who had enticed him 
 thither. This might be a good practical joke for 
 the amusement of children in a suburban tea-gar- 
 
Chap. 1 1. J ST. PETERSBURG. 59 
 
 den, but it seemed to us rather out of character in 
 an imperial residence. 
 
 On our return to town we met with numerous 
 carriages of all sorts, sizes, and descriptions, hur- 
 rying to the spot destined to be the scene of so 
 much gaiety on the following night, the greater 
 part of which would probably serve also for the 
 sleeping-places of their inmates, as the small 
 wopden -built village at Peterhof could not possibly 
 afford accommodation for one-tenth part of the 
 people who were flocking thither. 
 
 However, there is a fine open common imme- 
 diately in front of the principal entrance to the 
 gardens, where tents might be pitched by those 
 who were old soldiers enough so far to study their 
 comforts as to convey them thither. Indeed, we 
 observed a few erected with beds in them before we 
 left, and they did not look by any means uncomfort- 
 able, though their occupants must, no doubt, have 
 found themselves rather cool, as the nights here are 
 exceedingly sharp, even at this season of the year. 
 
 Anion 2"st the several excursions we made whilst 
 at St. Petersburg, it would have been a dereliction 
 of all pretence to taste not to have paid a visit to 
 the far-famed palace of Tzarskoe-Selo. Many of 
 the apartments are magnificent in the extreme, but 
 the splendor of the chapel surpasses all that can 
 possibly be imagined. 
 
 One of the smaller apartments is lined through- 
 out with amber, which has a remarkably curious 
 
60 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 appearance. The grounds are of considerable 
 extent, and the gardens very tastefully laid out, as 
 we were informed, by an Englishman. 
 
 The building itself is a vast pile. Not. a ves- 
 tige of the effects of the destructive fire, which hap- 
 pened in 1820, remains, although Captain Cochrane, 
 who witnessed it, asserted " that years of time and 
 millions of money must be expended to make it what 
 it was but yesterday morning." The amber cham- 
 ber, he says, but narrowly escaped the fire, by the 
 doors being built up with bricks, by which means 
 the devouring element was arrested in its progress. 
 Another of this gentleman's statements affords a 
 curious instance, by no means singular, how tra- 
 vellers sometimes forgret themselves when writinof 
 from recollection. After describingr the fatiorues of 
 that evening, of which he gives us to understand 
 that he took a very active share, he says he threw 
 himself on a bank, and contemplating the full moon, 
 which shone in all its splendor, &c. &c. Now it 
 does so happen, that on the day mentioned in his 
 manuscript, the moon was nearer the new than the 
 full, which was pointed out to him by a friend. 
 How careful we ramblers who write ought to be ! 
 
 Here we saw some soldiers belonginor to a regri- 
 ment of Hussars, evidently what is termed a ' cracli 
 regiment. The uniform is scarlet, and made to 
 fit them well; but the finest-looking men I have 
 seen are those of a regiment of horse-guards quar- 
 tered at Peterhof, who certainly equal our life- 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 61 
 
 guards as far as concerns the appearance of the 
 men ; and the horses also were^, if possible, finer 
 animals than ours. The uniform of this regiment 
 is white, and they wore leather breeches, and jack- 
 boots similar to those worn by the life-guards. 
 Captain Jones mentions having fallen in with 
 some of the privates of this regiment on a narrow 
 trottoir, and says " that, although his brother was 
 six feet high, they were both like Gullivers amongst 
 the Brobdignags, and came out like millers^ 
 smothered with pipeclay." This is of course a 
 little exaggerated ; but the men are certainly 
 very tall. 
 
 At Cronstadt I remember seeing a small detach- 
 ment of the Imperial guard, and a very smart-look- 
 ing set of fellows they were, as, indeed, they well 
 may be, having been selected from the whole of 
 the Russian army. The uniform is very hand- 
 some. Observing some of the privates standing 
 outside of the guard-house, we walked up to inspect 
 them more closely, and they appeared to be much 
 pleased at our notice of them. Their clothes were 
 also beautifully made, and had they even been cut 
 on " scientific principles'' by Mr. Stultz, they could 
 not have fitted them better, particularly their 
 trowsers, which, contrary to ours, are made to fit 
 close to the leg, and sit without a wrinkle; but, 
 throughout the whole of the Russian army, it is 
 the fashion for the dress to be drawn in at the 
 waist to such a degree as to cause a sensation of 
 
62 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 pain in looking at them. Our great orrandmothers 
 on the canvas of Kneller hardly exhibit a smaller 
 waist than a Russian soldier — he looks as if he 
 would break in two in the middle. There are few 
 soldiers, perhaps, of any nation, that will undergo 
 the same fatigue as the Russian. Inured from 
 youth to all manner of hardships, his wants are 
 few; and it is incredible, as Mr. Tooke remarks 
 in his account of the Russian empire, " how the 
 common soldier makes his small pay and provision 
 suffice; nay, he even accumulates a little capital, 
 or at least on holidays can afford to treat himself 
 with strong liquors — not to mention that at times 
 a commander deprives him of some under various 
 pretexts. To satisfy all his wants, he has no more 
 than a yearly pay of six or seven silver rubles, (in 
 garrison it is still less,) wdth his allowance of flour 
 and grits : he buys, in the mess, meat and grease, 
 or oil ; clubs with some others to purchase a horse 
 to carry his little pack on long marches ; must pay 
 for every button, &c., which he happens to lose; 
 -and buy articles of clothes when those allowed him 
 are not sufficient ; for neither his two shirts, made 
 -of cheap linen, nor his boots, for which only forty- 
 five kopecks are allowed him, (and therefore cheap 
 leather is used,) with a pair of shoes, will last the 
 year through with constant use." These soldiers, 
 however, seem to be well drilled, and stand re- 
 markably upright. 
 
 We made an excursion to Cronstadt, which was 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 63 
 
 an interesting one. We embarked in one of the 
 steam-hoats which ply daily, but which, by the 
 way, are the worst steamers that I have ever set 
 foot on board — the more remarkable, as they are 
 the property of an Englishman. A short time 
 since, one of these boats was very nearly lost owing 
 to a strong w4nd, which the engines were scarcely 
 able to contend with, blowing her out to sea. 
 . On our passage w^e saw a large ship placed on 
 a kind of raft usually called a camel, ready to be 
 taken down to Cronstadt, which ship we had seen 
 launched a few days previous from one of the slips 
 in the Admiralty dock-yard. These camels had 
 very much the appearance of a large square box 
 sunk beneath the ship, with the water pumped out 
 of it. The draught of water thus is lessened to 
 very nearly one-half, thereby enabling the ship to 
 float down the Neva, which otherwise she could 
 not do in consequence of the shallowness of the 
 river. The channel is marked out by stakes the 
 whole way down to Cronstadt. At Cronstadt there 
 is not a single slip for building vessels ; so that I 
 imagine most of the ships for the Russian navy are 
 built at Petersburg and Archangel ; at the former, 
 of oak; at the latter, mostly of larch. The oak 
 timber is fashioned and brought from the southern 
 and eastern parts of the empire, chiefly, I believe, 
 from Casan ; but the larch of Archangel is at least 
 equal to the oak; neither are of long duration, 
 seven to nine years being accounted a long period 
 
64 ST. PETERSBURG. | Chap. II. 
 
 before requiring large repairs. If this be true, the 
 larch of Russia must be as much inferior to that of 
 Scotland, as their oak seems to be to that of Eng- 
 land, as we know that one of our King's ships, the 
 Athol, built out of the woods of the noble proprietor 
 of that name, has now run in all parts of the world, 
 and in all climates, from the hottest to the coldest, 
 thirteen years, and is still, I believe, a good sound 
 ship, and likely to remain so for as many years more. 
 The forest oak of Russia has long been known to 
 be a sappy, weak wood, decaying in a few years 
 after felling. 
 
 The island on which Cronstadt is built was the 
 selection of Peter the Great in the year 1 702, when 
 he first entertained thoughts of founding a city 
 which should give him a footing in the Baltic, 
 and become the capital of the empire. He caused 
 a fortress to be built, and made a harbour at this 
 spot, the usual and best entrance of the river. It 
 is now the port and grand arsenal of Petersburg, 
 and ought to be the site of the dock-yard, instead of 
 dragging up to the capital all the timber and 
 building stores, and subjecting the ships that are 
 there built to the risk of being strained, or other- 
 wise injured, by floating them down the river on 
 camels, or by grounding on the bar. 
 
 It is also to be regretted that the dock-yard in 
 front of the Admiralty, with its half-dozen building- 
 slips, which occupy the whole of its river face, 
 should, by its intrusion, destroy in a great measure 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 65 
 
 the effect Avhich otherwise would be displayed by 
 laying open to full view one of the most splendid 
 and extensive quays of granite in existence, stretch- 
 ing alon^ a broad, clear, and beautiful river, over- 
 looked by a continuous range of noble buildings of 
 great architectural beauty — such as, collectively, 
 are not to be found in all Europe — but the inter- 
 ruption of the dock-yard destroys the view of the 
 whole. The Czar Peter may be forgiven for esta- 
 blishing his Admiralty and dock-yard on this spot, 
 as his sujiremacy over the Gulf of Finland was not 
 firmly fixed, and his town occupied the other bank ; 
 but his successors have no excuse for not having 
 removed the w^hole to Cronstadt, where docks, 
 storehouses, and plenty of room for every conve- 
 nience may be found. 
 
 The Emperor, it appeared, was expected at 
 Cronstadt the day that we were there, in conse- 
 quence of which we had the good luck to see 
 everything in the highest possible order. He 
 came accordingly to visit his fleet, but, to our 
 disappointment, did not land. On the arrival of 
 the royal steam-boat, a fine-looking vessel, a salute 
 was fired from every ship and battery in the place. 
 The mole which contained the merchant shipping 
 was literally crowded with vessels, all of which 
 were dressed in their colours in honour of the 
 Emperor's visit. It was a lovely day, and the 
 sight was highly imposing, and rendered the more 
 so, as it was quite unexpected by us, not being 
 
6G ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 aware of the Emperor's intention of visiting- 
 Cronstadt. We were told that he very frequently 
 makes his appearance at places when he is perhaps 
 least expected, so that it is always necessary for 
 the officers to be upon the look out. This was 
 very much the practice with his great ancestor 
 Peter, whose example all the succeedinp^ sove- 
 reio^ns of Russia have at least affected to follow : 
 but none of them so avowedly as Catherine 11.^ to 
 whom, next to the extraordinary man she took for 
 her example, Russia owes its political greatness. 
 She now wants only a sovereign who has the forti- 
 tude to engraft on its present power, and encourage 
 by example and precept, the influence of a moral 
 and liberal magnanimity. 
 
 At Cronstaxlt there are three extensive and 
 excellent moles for the use of shipping, one of which 
 is exclusively set apart for mercantile vessels that 
 trade to the port, and the two others are generally 
 occupied by ships of war. The fortifications are of 
 great interest, more particularly those on the land 
 side, which are of recent structure, and of consider- 
 able strength. The workmanship is probably as 
 good as ours, and better it could scarcely be. 
 
 On walking on the ramparts for the purpose of 
 examinine: the fortifications, we observed several 
 men busily employed in sweeping the gravel walks, 
 and we were particularly requested by the officer 
 who accompanied us not to walk over them, but to 
 keep on the grass, as the Emperor was expected 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 67 
 
 to land — and no foot-marks must be seen by him. 
 This is equal to the homage paid to the Emperor 
 of China, with whom, in fact, the Russian has 
 many affinities. 
 
 Under a small shed in the dock-yard of Cron- 
 stadt there is a model kept of the dock-yard and 
 fortifications, which was constructed under the 
 direction of Peter the Great, but planned by Men- 
 zikoff. It shows with great accuracy the works 
 which were at that time executed, and which have 
 since been carried into execution, and enlarged on 
 the principles of that model, by his successors, with, 
 however, very little variation. 
 
 We noticed here the model of a ship with all her 
 rigging complete, embedded in the earth, instead 
 of floatina- on the water ; it had to us a very sin- 
 gular, and, I then thought, absin-d appearance; 
 but I have since seen the same thing at the Xaval 
 College at Portsmouth, and find it is considered 
 an excellent way to teach young sailors all the 
 mysteries of rigging. Here, indeed, as at Ports- 
 mouth, is a Naval School in the dock-yard, where 
 young gentlemen are educated for the navy, and 
 where they are to qualify as commission officers : 
 there are other schools for the education of warrant 
 officers. I was much struck with the great clean- 
 liness and comfort of these establishments. One 
 class of boys were engaged in mathematics, ano- 
 ther in drawing, and a third in mechanics ; and 
 many of their productions evinced more than ordi- 
 nary talent. 
 
68 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 There is also at Croiistadt an English churcli, 
 of which the Rev. Mr. Bkickniore is chaplain; it 
 is a neat, well-constructed building, and appears 
 to have only been finished recently. The chaplain 
 has a good house on the island, but it is situated 
 on a very sandy soil, of which, however, he is 
 making the most, and it bids fair to become a very 
 comfortable habitation, with a nice little garden 
 attached to it. To Mr. Blackmore we were in- 
 debted for the great civility and attention we re- 
 ceived from him during our short stay at Cron- 
 stadt, as also to the consul, Mr. Booker. We 
 lodged at a house kept by an Englishwoman 
 named Stewart, which is, as it professes to be in 
 large letters on a sign-board, a tavern : there is 
 but one other similar establishment in the place, 
 called Wild's. Neither of them can boast much 
 of comfort, or even cleanliness; but as we slept 
 there only one night, it mattered not much to us, 
 and as little, it would seem, to the owners. 
 
 While living^ at Petersburg^, we mixed as much 
 as we could with the Russian gentry, that is to say, 
 with the military and the employes ; we made a 
 point of dining very frequently at the principal 
 table d'hote in the city, where in general between 
 forty and fifty sat down every day to dinner. 
 Many of these were officers fully accoutred in 
 their regimentals, who added much to the effect of 
 the dinner-table. The price of dinner was six 
 paper rubles (or six francs) a-head, but this sum 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 69 
 
 included a bottle of excellent claret. The dinner 
 hour was half-past four to a moment, the master 
 proclaiming the time from a clock at one end of the 
 room, upon the striking of which every one took 
 his seat. On the side-tables were placed different 
 kinds of spirits, with bread, butter, caviare, and 
 cheese. It appeared to be the general custom, for 
 each person observed it, to take a glass of the 
 liqueur and a mouthful of bread and cheese before 
 they sat down to their meal ; and as example is 
 catching, we thought it right to do the same. At 
 table each dish was served up separately, begin- 
 ning with soup, a plateful of which was brought 
 to each person by one of the waiters; but all the 
 other dishes were handed round by them, and 
 everybody helped himself to that vrhich he fancied 
 most. The Russians, like the French and Ger- 
 mans, partook of every dish. A large supply of 
 ice was placed on the table, and the general mode 
 of using it was to put a lump of it into a tumbler 
 of wine. 
 
 When the dinner was ended, a glass of spirits 
 was again served out to every one, as well as a cup 
 of coffee, and a cigar, all of which were included 
 in the six rubles. 
 
 Now commenced the smoking. Most of the 
 assembly had long pipes, which were placed under 
 the table between their legs; but some few were 
 contented with their cigar. In less than five 
 minutes, the room, as may be supposed, became 
 
70 ST. PETEliSHUHG. [Chap. II, 
 
 Olio donsc mass of smoke, and the fumes of the 
 tobacco to one who, Hkc myself, is not in the habit 
 of smoking, were quite suffocating, and I ahvays 
 made my escape into the open air as soon as with 
 decency I could. One particular smoker, with 
 large mustachios, amused me exceedingly by a 
 liabit he had acquired of puffing a large volume 
 of smoke through his nostrils, which occurred at 
 such regular intervals, that at last I discovered that 
 it came at every sixth puff. My utter inexperience 
 in the art renders me incapable of conceiving what 
 pleasurable sensation could be derived from this 
 strange trick. 
 
 The best society at this season of the year^ when 
 all the noblesse were at their chateau s in the coun- 
 try, at least the best-accessible to humble travellers 
 like us, was, no doubt, to be met with here. In 
 appearance, those out of uniform bore such a re- 
 semblance to our own countrymen, that I was fre- 
 quently mistaken in my conjectures. We found 
 generally, that if they could not speak English, 
 they all understood it pretty well, although I re- 
 member one gentleman, on our asking him the 
 distance to some place, politely informed us that 
 it was six rubles, — no doubt imagining that we 
 were inqviiring the price of the dinner. 
 
 Wherever we went we met with nothing but 
 civility : the wish to oblige may often be discovered 
 in little matters. My companion and myself were 
 one day admiring a new silver coin, which we had 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 71 
 
 taken in exchange, and expressing a wish to get 
 some more of the same kind, when a gentleman, in 
 the kindest manner possible, offered to procure us 
 as many as we pleased, and, on giving him our 
 address, he sent them to us the following day. 
 
 What the Russian gentry do with themselves 
 in the daytime I never could ascertain ; they are 
 rarely seen walking in the streets until the evening; 
 • — ^perhaps they adhere to the opinion of the Turks, 
 that none but doo^s and Christians walk abroad at 
 noon-day ; but the heat of the latitude of 60'' is but 
 rarely, though it is occasionally, felt to be intoler* 
 able. We certainly never found it so at Petersburg- 
 The Newski Perspective, however, is kept in a state 
 of constant bustle by the rattling of the numerous 
 public and private droskies, which fly along with 
 great rapidity, frequently racing with one another, 
 resembling in this respect those useful nuisances 
 recently introduced into our crowded streets under 
 the ridiculous name of Omnibus. The Russian 
 drosky is by no means a comfortable vehicle, though 
 I have heard it spoken of as such ; on the contrary, 
 these vehicles appear to me both unpleasant and 
 dangerous : the jolts they give the unhappy pas- 
 senger, who for the first lime enters them, are quite 
 fearful, particularly in crossing over planks or logs 
 of wood, which happen to be lying across the street 
 wherever any buildings are carrying on ; in such 
 cases, if there should be two persons in the carriage, 
 the one who is sitting sideways, as one of thena 
 
72 ST. PKTFRSBURG. [Chap. 11. 
 
 must do, runs a very great risk of bein^T pitched out 
 into the street, as he has nothing to hold himself 
 by. The accommodation for two is bad enouorh in 
 every respect; one of them is under the disagree- 
 able necessity of sitting close up to the driver, who 
 is constantly swaying back every time the vehicle 
 passes over a stone or rut in the road. But this 
 is not by any means the worst ; the drosky-drivers 
 are the most filthy set of people imaginable. On 
 alighting, I ahvays, as if by instinct, gave myself 
 a hearty shake, much in the fashion of a dog 
 who has been in the water, for fear of carrying 
 away with me any of those living creatures with 
 •which these fellows abound. 
 
 The drosky is a very low four-wheeled carriage, 
 the body of which is so near the ground, that the 
 lower part of one''s dress is either enveloped in 
 dust or besmeared with mud. It is, in fact, 
 nothinor more than a narrow bench, at the hinder 
 part of which is a small back, about as high as 
 the middle of a man's body, and against W'hich 
 he leans, sitting straddling across the bench with 
 his legs straight down on each side like a dragoon 
 on his horse : if a second person, he sits on the 
 same bench sideways, with nothing to rest his back 
 against ; and then, in front of all, comes the driver, 
 with his legs also across it, and separated only 
 from the person next to him by a small iron bar 
 about six inches high, which, affording him no 
 support, he must necessarily, should there be 
 
A WMKWATm mm©®wWo 
 
m 
 
Chap. IL] ST. PETERSBURG. 73 
 
 two persons^ jolt against the one sitting nearest to 
 him. 
 
 I have endeavoured to convey an idea of the 
 vehicle in the drawing annexed ; but as I do not 
 pretend to be much of a draughtsman, I trust my 
 readers will make allowances for the imperfections 
 of the sketch. 
 
 The public drosky-drivers are all dressed alike : 
 they wear an ill-shaped, low-crowned hat with a 
 large buckle on it ; a blue coat, -which folds over 
 the breast and is tied round the waist by a sash, 
 the skirts hanorincr a little below the knees ; and 
 
 on ? 
 
 trowsers of great width tucked inside the boot, 
 which comes rather more than half way up the 
 calf of the leg. The colour of the trowsers is 
 sometimes similar to that of the coat, or only a 
 few shades lighter; but frequently they are of a 
 light pink, when new; these, however, soon become 
 dark enough from the filth that is accumulated on 
 them. On their backs they carry a tin plate, on 
 which is marked their number. They all wear 
 long beards, and are, altogether, to an English eye, 
 queer-looking charioteers. 
 
 Some of the droskies belonging to private gentle- 
 men are neat and pretty-looking little carriages. 
 They have what are called, I believe, splashing- 
 leathers, to ward off the dirt, and are furnished 
 with padded seats and backs ; but as they are on 
 the same principle as the public drosky, they are, 
 like them, very inconvenient for more than one 
 
 E 
 
74 ST. PETERSBURG. [Ch.ip. II. 
 
 person. They are (ronerally drawn b}^ two horses, 
 one of which does all the work, and the other is 
 merely kept for show, being taught to bend its 
 neck outwards, and toss the head up and down. 
 This bearing of its head has a dashing and spirited 
 effect at first sight, but when once accustomed to it, 
 one is apt to pronounce it a foolish fashion, as it 
 must certainly be a very painful action to the poor 
 creature, who has no doubt learnt it to his cost. 
 We were given to understand, that what is con- 
 sidered by the Russian gentry to be " the knowing 
 thing" is, to bring the show-horse to such a pitch 
 of agility that, while driving rapidly, he shall 
 touch the ground with his nostrils, and toss the 
 snow up in the air as he prances along. Some of 
 those we observed could very nearly, as I thought, 
 accomplish this feat. The horses in a gentleman's 
 drosky were always well groomed, and the harness 
 very prettily worked, and ornamented with small 
 shells or beads, as I have sometimes seen military 
 bridles at home. 
 
 The lower class of Russians are clothed, both 
 winter and summer, in a sheep-skin coat, or shube, 
 as it is called, which, we were told, is usually 
 changed for a new one only about once a twelve- 
 month, and frequently not even then ; so that, 
 towards the close of the period, its condition may 
 te more readily conceived than described. 
 
 A large proportion of the lower orders, being still 
 in a state of vassalage, are obliged to wear their 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 75 
 
 beards uncut : none but those who are free are 
 allowed the luxury of shaving. This is contrary to 
 what the Czar Peter intended, but he never could 
 succeed in forcing his bearded subjects to use the 
 razor, who submitted to pay a tax rather than be 
 obliged to make themselves clean. The present 
 Emperor began his reign by courting popularity, 
 but, unfortunately, he has wholly mistaken the 
 road to gain it. Had he, like Bernstorff, had the 
 moral courage of emancipating all the crown serfs 
 from their feudal bondag^e, and set this noble ex- 
 ample to the great landed proprietors, he would 
 have done an act which would have repaired an 
 omission of his great ancestor, and would have 
 carried the name of Nicholas down to posterity 
 with that of Peter, as a regenerator of his country. 
 
 The hair on the head of the Russian male is very 
 thick and coarse, generally parted in the centre, 
 and invariably cut quite straight and even the 
 whole way round the back of the head, the lower 
 part immediately above the neck being shaved 
 close ; it has thus exactly the appearance of a 
 basin having been clapt on his head by the 
 barber, round which he has clipped with his 
 scissors. 
 
 The women have their heads enveloped in hand- 
 kerchiefs; but the only thing that struck me as 
 remarkable in their appearance was the manner in 
 which their breasts are forced down, by means of 
 strapping them in as tightly as the soldiers do 
 
 e2 
 
76 ST. PICTERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 their waistp, which the women are in the habit of 
 doing from their infancy. This unnatural custom 
 so much disfigures them, that even a pretty girl — 
 if such a one (which I have never seen among the 
 lower orders of Russia) were to be met with — 
 ^'ould appear misshapen and hideous. Judge how 
 it sets off natural ugliness ! 
 
 In the great oblong square, where the Admiralty 
 is situated, there are two very excellent riding- 
 houses: the one beloncrine: to the reg^iments of 
 horse-guards and the other to the Emperor : this 
 latter is close to the Hermitage. They are both 
 of large dimensions, and well adapted for the pur- 
 pose they were intended. It was near to this spot 
 that we noticed the principal improvements that 
 were carrying on in this great city. Facing the 
 upper end of the Admiralty, in this oblong, a new 
 senate-house was erecting, in which they had pro- 
 ceeded, during our stay at Petersburg, with extra- 
 ordinary rapidity. On our first arrival, not a 
 brick was to be seen above the hurdles ; in fact, 
 I should imagine the foundation had but just 
 been laid; but before we finally left Petersburg, 
 the building had risen two, and very nearly three 
 stories in height. In this respect they would ap- 
 pear to be fully as expeditious as our own builders. 
 The number of hands employed was, no doubt, 
 great, and labour is cheap enough in a country 
 like Russia, where the greater part of the working 
 population is composed of slaves. The Isaac 
 
Chap, II.] ST. PETERSBURG. *J*J 
 
 church, that had undergone so many transitions, 
 was also rising rapidly; and, if once finished ac- 
 cording to the plan now pursuing, will be one of 
 the most splendid temples in Europe, with parts of 
 it superior, but as a whole inferior, to either of the 
 principal churches of London or of Rome. 
 
 The streets of Petersburg are never watered, at 
 least were not while we were there^ and the wind, 
 which generally blew from the east, raised the dust 
 so as to be almost insufferable ; the eyes, nose, and 
 mouth were literally filled with it, particularly in 
 passing through the open squares where any build- 
 ings were in progress. In most of these squares 
 may be noticed small octagonal buildings roofed 
 over, but open at the sides, the lower part being 
 like a well. In the centre of these, during the 
 winter season, large fires are lit for the comfort of 
 the inhabitants. 
 
 On driving through a part of the town, or, more 
 properly speaking, the suburbs of the town, I 
 passed a large open piece of ground, where I was 
 informed that corporal punishment inflicted by the 
 knout was usually performed — generally on the 
 morning of the sabbath-day; and that, if I at 
 tended at a certain hour, I might see the whole 
 process — and amongst the culprits, very probably, 
 females undergoing this dreadful torture; but as 
 there was something so disgusting to my English 
 feelings in such treatment, particularly of a female, 
 however depraved and infamous her character might 
 
78 ST. rETERSBURG. [Chap. II. 
 
 be, I could not brino^ myself to be a witness to this 
 brutal exhibition. I had understood that this se- 
 vere punishment had been abolished; but this is 
 not the case. The sovereign does not now, ])er- 
 haps, inflict it on his ministers with his own hand, 
 as Peter was said to do on his favourite Menzikof, 
 but it is very generally bestowed on culprits of 
 various kinds, and sometimes even to the death. 
 
 The knout is generally supposed to be made of 
 the dried skins of fish; and such is the severity 
 of the stroke, that, in less than twenty lashes, it is 
 said that a death-blow is capable of being inflicted 
 by the executioner, who may, perhaps, upon occa- 
 sion, receive his instructions for carrying the punish- 
 ment to its extreme. The sentence of death is sel- 
 dom passed upon criminals; but if it can be carried 
 into execution by the knout whenever they think 
 fit, nothing can be safely said in favour of the 
 lenity of their criminal law. And though few are 
 publicly condemned to die, banishment to the mines 
 of Siberia is nearly tantamount to death; for the 
 culprit may certainly consider himself lost to the 
 world : but the severity of this sentence is some- 
 what less than formerly, by the improved condition 
 of that eastern country and its increased population. 
 The Russians are certainly not quite so barbarous 
 a race as they have been, and are still represented, 
 by some travellers ; they are advancing, though by 
 slow steps, towards civilization. Many of the 
 punishments which were common in the time of 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 79 
 
 Peter the Great are not now hoard of. The tor- 
 ture no longer exists. Confession is not extorted 
 by such means as pouring boiling water by drops 
 on the bare skull of a suspected person, by thumb- 
 screws,, or mutilation of any kind. This is one 
 step in advance. 
 
 But the state of the law courts is admitted to be 
 still so disgraceful, that practitioners and even 
 judges are accused of taking bribes from both 
 plaintiff and defendant in the same suit; the Czar 
 and the supreme tribunals are said to be fully 
 aware of this abuse, and think it prudent to wink 
 at it, because they cannot afford to make the 
 great number of their legal eniploijes honest, by 
 allowing them wherewithal to live decently. It 
 is said, indeed, that this system is carried to such 
 an extent, that whenever a public officer is sup- 
 posed to have sufficiently filled his pockets, he is 
 laid on the shelf, in order that another poor devil 
 may also take a spell at helping himself. This, 
 I believe, is by no means an unusual practice in 
 despotic governments, and is of Eastern origin. 
 I remember, however, to have heard of something 
 of a similar kind havingf occurred in the last cen- 
 tury in France. The king had dismissed some 
 Infendant of Finance who had been but a year or 
 two in office — '^ His majesty has committed a 
 blunder," said the dismissed officer with admirable 
 sang froid; "I had clone my own business, and 
 was about to do his.'' 
 
80 ST. PETERSBURG. [Chap. II, 
 
 The officers of the army are also accused of 
 robbing the soldier of a part of his miserable pit- 
 tance, barely amounting to about threepence a 
 day; of keeping false musters, and drawing the 
 pay and provisions of the nonentities ; of cheating 
 the public, by making fraudulent contracts and 
 sharing profits with the contractor. But the most 
 revolting of all is the alleged practice, which is 
 stated to have been once common, and still par- 
 tially to prevail, of the Russian surgeons neglecting 
 their patients in the hospitals and putting the 
 saving in their own pockets. The continuing to 
 draw for their food and medicines, after they have 
 ceased to exist, is a minor offence. 
 
 It is difficult to believe charges of such gross 
 immorality: I, myself, cannot but conjecture that 
 these are rather the traditions of old abuses, such 
 as existed, I fear, near home, in not very distant 
 times; but it cannot be denied that a despotic 
 government, being vicious and corrupt itself, is 
 generally disposed to encourage bribery and extor- 
 tion through the whole mass of its subordinates. 
 
 But whatever grounds there may be, or may 
 have been, for such stories, the Russian has many 
 redeeming qualities. In point of quickness and 
 intelligence, the Russian yields to none. I believe 
 there is no people on earth who are such adepts 
 at acquiring foreign languages. The lower orders, 
 which constitute the great mass of the community, 
 may be considered as a mild, patient, inoffi?nsive. 
 
Chap. II.] ST. PETERSBURG. 81 
 
 and enduring people, extremely good-humoured 
 and cheerful, always contented, and always ready 
 to oblige, respectful to their superiors, and obedient 
 to command ; and even those who are in a state 
 of slavery — often nominal, it is true — are well 
 treated by their masters, well fed, according to 
 their tastes, with a due proportion of black bread, 
 garlic, and quass, well clothed, and are, in fact, 
 among the happiest people on earth. 
 
 It is true they are disgustingly filthy; but it 
 is almost unavoidable in Northern Russia, where 
 sheep-skin clothing, airless stoves, and close hovels, 
 produce vermin of various kinds, from which, let 
 me add, their superiors, clad in furs, are not always 
 exempt. 
 
 One of the greatest annoyances that a traveller 
 is subjected to, on visiting Petersburg, is the re- 
 striction under which he is placed with regard to 
 leaving it ; — this he is not at liberty to do, until 
 his name shall have appeared three times in the 
 public gazette, which is published only twice a 
 week, so that he is embargoed for ten days. The 
 object of this regulation is supposed to be that of 
 preventing foreigners from going away in debt to 
 any of the tradespeople, who are, no doubt, closely 
 enough on the look-out. After the name has ap- 
 peared the third time, the person is at liberty, if 
 he pleases, to make a further stay of twelve days; 
 but should he not take his departure at the expi- 
 ration of that period, the whole form must again be 
 gone through. e 5 
 
82 JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. [Ch;,p. 11. 
 
 To my foUow-travellcr and myf^elf this was no 
 inconvciiioiice, as we intended to proceed to Mos- 
 cow, and from thence return again to Petersburg; 
 and our hmdlord contrived that the names should 
 appear diu'ing our absence, so that when we re- 
 turned, there was nothing to detain us. This can 
 always be managed, like most other things in 
 Russia, with a little interest, that is to say, a small 
 bribe. 
 
 Having made this convenient arrangement, and 
 procured the necessary passport, we left Peters- 
 burg at nine o'clock on the morning of the 13th of 
 July, in the diligence for Moscow. This coach is 
 something similar to the diligences commonly used 
 in France, but of a still more clvmisy constiiiction ; 
 but we discovered the necessity of its being very 
 strongly built, long before we had reached the end 
 of our journey. The body of the coach is very 
 large and roomy, and is limited to carry four 
 passengers. The coupe in front accommodates 
 one, who sits next to the condudeur ; and this, in 
 summer, would be, except for the neighbour, by far 
 the most pleasant seat. In the rear is another 
 coupe, which I cannot too strongly advise all tra- 
 vellers most carefully to avoid, as from sad expe- 
 rience I have learnt the misery of it. This con- 
 veyance, the only one of the kind between the two 
 capitals, starts but once in the week ; and as every 
 other place was engaged when we applied, save 
 those in the said miserable postern coupe, my fel- 
 
Chap. II.] JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. 8S 
 
 low-traveller and myself had no alternative but to 
 become its unfortunate occupants ; which we most 
 certainly should have declined, had not the limited 
 time we had at our command rendered it necessary 
 for us to proceed at once, or to abandon this portion 
 of our intended excursion ; the delay of a whole 
 week would indeed have been a serious inconveni- 
 ence to us, situated as we were. 
 
 The price of a seat in the body of the coach is 
 125 paper rubles, or rather more than five guineas, 
 English money, for a journey of about four hun- 
 dred and sixty miles ; and the coupe two guineas 
 and a half. The after coupe is rendered exces- 
 sively disagreeable and fatiguing from the cir- 
 cumstance of the back of it inclining outwards, 
 or overhanging, which prevents the traveller from 
 enjoying a semi- recumbent, or even upright, posi- 
 tion. A seat against the wall of a shelving garret 
 would convey a good idea of the comfort of a seat 
 in the after coupe of a Russian diligence ; and this 
 was our happy position for four days and three 
 nights in succession : — almost back-broken, suf- 
 focated with heat, smothered with dust, stung by 
 mosquitos, and nearly jolted to death over the 
 rough roads, constructed of logs of wood — all, 
 added to the misery of the position of the body, 
 made it utterly impossible to get sleep during the 
 night, and equally so to prevent the attempt at it : 
 for there was a large leather apron attached to a 
 clumsy piece of wood, which fastened across the 
 
84 JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. [Chap. II. 
 
 coupe about the height of the breast, against which 
 the head (naturally inclined to nod) would every 
 now and then, by the assistance of a jolt, strike 
 with such violence as to remind one that it was 
 actually necessary he should be indulged in no 
 such luxury as the shutting his eyes. We alighted 
 only twice in the day for two hasty meals. The 
 whole distance is about six hundred and ninety- 
 eight versts, or, as I have said, about four hundred 
 and sixty English miles ; and the road, for nearly 
 two-thh'ds of the way, is as excellent in some parts, 
 as it is execrable in others. 
 
 On leaving Petersburg, the journey is pursued 
 over a beautifully macadamized road, as level as 
 a bowling green, and equal to some of our finest 
 roads in England; and this continued until we 
 reached a small village near Torjock; but from 
 this spot to Tver, which occupied upwards of thirty 
 hours, it was bad beyond all description : in many 
 places, being literally impassable, the coach for- 
 sook the road, if so it could be called, and was 
 dragged across the plain where no traces were to 
 be seen. From Tver to Moscow the road is a^ain 
 macadamized and kept in the most perfect order, 
 so that we may reckon that altogether about two- 
 thirds of the whole distance is macadamized. I 
 understand the whole has since been completed. 
 
 It was a dark night when we crossed the large 
 Waste, or sandy desert, for so it may most truly 
 te termed, which lies between Torjock and Tver, 
 
Chap. II.] JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. 85 
 
 and we were in the constant anticipation of being 
 upset, a circumstance we dreaded not so much 
 from any fear of receiving injury, for we should 
 have fallen softly enough in the sand, as from the 
 certainty, in such a case, of our being obliged to 
 remain in this dreary desert the whole night. As 
 it was, the poor jaded horses could scarcely move 
 a leg onwards, and frequently refused to move at 
 all, which they were only induced to do by the 
 frightful yells of the driver and postilions, who 
 shouted forth their execrations so violently, that 
 they must themselves have been pretty nearly ex- 
 hausted before daylight. 
 
 A trip from Petersburg to Moscow, or vice 
 versa, is thought far more of by the inhabitants of 
 the two capitals, than it is by English travellers, 
 and is very rarely performed, except by the public 
 conveyance I have been speaking of, and by 
 traders, whose occupation may occasionally require 
 their presence at one or other of these cities. I 
 may safely say that not half a dozen gentlemen's 
 carriages met us, and not one overtook us, on the 
 road ; the only travellers we saw were those con- 
 nected with the innumerable caravans that met 
 us at all hours of the day. Of the little carts^ 
 each drawn by a single horse, I have counted up- 
 wards of sixty in a group, following one another 
 closely, and in the whole caravan probably not 
 more than three men on the look-out, one of 
 whom is always seated in the cart which takes 
 
86 JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. [Chap. II. 
 
 the lead : the rest, very probably, sprawling at 
 full length fast asleep ; and I conclude, therefore, 
 that they take it in turn to drive and attend to 
 the caravan. Even the man on duty was not 
 always awake, in which case the horses had it 
 all their own way. But so well did they appear 
 to be trained, that, when they see any object likely 
 to come in contact with them, they of themselves 
 move out of the way ; and at night, when their 
 approach is known to others meeting them, by the 
 tingling of the little bells which decorate their 
 heads, they invariably go to the side of the road 
 w^ien called to, without disturbing their lazy 
 drivers. These carts are very rudely piit together, 
 and frequently break down ; but being so coarsely 
 constructed, they required little labour to repair : 
 the horses too appeared to break down as fre- 
 quently as the carts, but no one seemed to pay the 
 slightest attention whether, in their stumbling, 
 they might have broken their knees or not ; but 
 they always contrived to get upon their legs again 
 without much difficulty, and without any assist- 
 ance : in fact, the cart-horses of Russia are but of 
 little value. The post-houses were generally neat 
 and well built, and tolerably clean within ; but 
 little variety is afforded to the traveller in the 
 way of provisions. We, however, had no reason 
 to complain, as we never failed to procure beef- 
 steaks and potatoes throughout the jouniey, which 
 appeared to be a standing dish, though not served 
 
Chap. II.] JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. 87 
 
 up quite in the English style ; but being the only- 
 dish that was free — and that not always — from 
 grease, garlic and oil, it was more to our taste than 
 those which contained ingredients so little agreeable 
 to an English stomach. The only wine we could 
 procure in the whole of this long journey was at 
 one of the post-houses, where we were informed they 
 coidd produce some excellent Champagne of Russian 
 growth ; as this appeared to us a great curiosity, 
 we determined to try a bottle of it ; but, alas ! it 
 proved to be nothing better than — and resembled 
 much — very acid cider in a state of effervescence. 
 
 At almost all of these post-houses, when we 
 chancred horses at nis^ht, I noticed a number of men 
 stretched out at full length on the ground outside 
 the house, with no other covering than their shube- 
 skin coats, sleeping like so many pigs, huddled 
 together, head and tail, frequently as many as 
 twenty of them in one group. These, I learnt, 
 were farmers waiting very patiently with their 
 horses to serve as relays. The nights were bitterly 
 cold, and it was pitiable to see them so exposed to 
 the weather, but they seemed to manage by their 
 sheep-skin covering, and by lying close together, 
 to keep themselves warm. I should add, that in 
 addition to the caravan carts, it was not an uncom- 
 mon thing to meet, every now and then, a set of 
 unfortunate wretches on their road to Siberia, among 
 whom were frequently women and children, march- 
 ing under the charge of an escort of soldiers. 
 
88 JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. [Chap. II. 
 
 Most of the peasantry we saw on the road gave 
 us an idea of their being in a very abject state. 
 This was proved by the cruelty and insolence with 
 which our drivers treated them. One instance will 
 suffice. Whilst pursuing our journey, we noticed 
 some trifling article — a piece of leather I think it 
 was — fall from a cart at some little distance before 
 us, the driver, as usual, being fast asleep; after 
 the cart had passed on, and while the diligence was 
 still some little way in the rear, a poor man stepped 
 from the road-side, and appropriated to himself the 
 article that had been left behind. Our condudeur, 
 who, though active, was but a person of small 
 stature, happened to see the transaction, and when 
 he arrived at the spot, stopped the coach, and 
 springing to the road-side, ran towards the culprit, 
 who was in company with two other men, and 
 seizing him by his beard gave him a most severe 
 chastisement with a switch, which he received with- 
 out ofFerinor the sliorhtest resistance, whilst his two 
 friends looked on, without attempting to rescue him. 
 They were all tall athletic men, and any one of 
 them might, with the greatest ease, have annihilated 
 the conductiBur ; and would, no doubt, have done 
 so, if he had been one of the bearded tribe. Now 
 making all allowance for the conducteur*s being a 
 kind of public servant, and the peasant clearly a 
 pilferer, such an administration of summary justice 
 a little startled us. But the Russians of the lower 
 class are accustomed to be roughly handled -, a 
 
Chap. II.] NOVGOROD. 89 
 
 "beating is thought nothing of, and frequently passes 
 down fi'om one to another, after the manner of 
 Captain Absolute, Mr. Tagg, and the errand boy. 
 
 The first place of any importance that we arrived 
 at on the road, after taking our leave of Petersburg, 
 was Novgorod, which had evidently once been a 
 fine and flourishing city, but, with the exception of 
 a few handsome buildings, apparently of recent con- 
 struction, the houses are generally in a dilapidated 
 state. The coach merely stopped to change horses, 
 and allow the passengers to partake of a hurried 
 meal, so that we saw little of it. I managed, how- 
 ever, to pay a short visit to the very ancient cathe- 
 dral of St. Sophia, w^iich still rears its venerable 
 head far above all other buildings. In this cathe- 
 dral is preserved the body of Vladimir the Great, 
 one of the founders of this empire, and from his 
 having introduced Christianity is, I believe, canon- 
 ized as one of the Saints of their church. He is 
 styled in the patents of the order of knighthood, 
 named after him, " The Holy Apostle-like Prince 
 Vladimir." He lived upwards of eight hundred 
 years ago. 
 
 Vishnei Volotchok was the next place of import- 
 ance that we arrived at. This town was nearly all 
 built by Catherine H., to the memory of whom, as 
 is justly due, a fine monument is here erected. It 
 is the central town between the two capitals, which 
 are connected by means of a canal. A fine quay 
 on the Volga, and a large basin, give every facility 
 to the shipping. 
 
90 JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. [Chap. II. 
 
 I should have mentioned that, on our journey 
 from^ Novgorod,, we crossed the Valdai Mountains, 
 as tliey are pleased, rather too magnificently, to 
 call them — for Primrose Hill, in the outskirts of the 
 Kegent"'s Park, would, I believe, overtop the loftiest 
 of those we crossed. They are the only hills that lie 
 between the two last-mentioned cities, the country 
 beinor otherwise a dead flat. Pursuing our route, 
 Tve reached Torjock, where we remained upwards of 
 an hour to dinner. The weather had become very 
 cloudy just before we arrived, and there was every 
 appearance of an approaching storm ; this induced 
 the postilions to hasten on to the end of their 
 jouraey, which we had hardly reached, when we 
 were visited by one of the most awful thunder- 
 storms I have ever witnessed. A vivid flash of 
 liofhtnino^ burst into the room where we were 
 sitting, which was instantly followed by a tre- 
 mendous peal of thunder that shook the window- 
 frames, and seemed to threaten to bring the whole 
 buildinor about our ears. What mischief it mig-ht 
 have done I know not, as we left the town soon 
 after the storm had passed over ; but a poor painter, 
 who was employed in painting an adjoining room, 
 fell from his ladder to the floor, more frightened, 
 however, than hurt, as was afterwards ascertained. 
 
 Torjock is famous for its leather, which is pre- 
 pared in a peculiar manner, and is beautifully 
 worked into boots, shoes, slippers, and other ar- 
 ticles, in all the different colours of the rainbow : 
 
Chap. II.J JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. 91 
 
 some are embroidered with gold and silver wire, 
 and are exceedingly pretty. We made several 
 purchases here, not very cheap, although we bar- 
 gained hard with the man, which it is always 
 necessary to do, and got them for a much lower 
 price than he first demanded. 
 
 The houses of all the villages through which 
 we had hitherto passed are built of logs of wood, 
 roughly put together, and, by the occasional 
 glimpses we got of them, the interior appeared to 
 be very squalid and miserable. The gable ends 
 face the road, each house having a single hole, and 
 the better sort a solitary window, which seems 
 rather designed for a look out, -than for the admis- 
 sion of Hght and air. Dr. Clarke has observed, 
 what is perfectly true, that a head may generally 
 be seen stuck out of these holes as if from a pillory. 
 The inhabitants gave us the idea of indolence per- 
 sonified ; they were a dirty looking set of people, 
 and it was utterly disgusting to see them, as we 
 did, at all hours of the day, seated at the door of 
 their houses, relieving one another from the many 
 troublesome guests that must necessarily be lodged 
 in a head overgrown with coarse and rugged hair : 
 but the same practice is equally common in the 
 capital, where I have frequently seen as many as 
 three or four at a time together performing this 
 kind but disgusting office. However, in justice to 
 the poor Russians, we should recollect that similar 
 exhibitions are to be seen in more favoured climes. 
 
92 JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. [Chap. II. 
 
 and that they are not altogether obsolete nearer 
 home. 
 
 The next large town we arrived at was Tver, so 
 written, but pronounced Twer. This town is beau- 
 tifully situated on the Volga, at the junction of the 
 Twerca with this noble river, over which is thrown 
 a bridge of boats ; this bridge, but a short time pre- 
 vious to our arrival, had been so materially damaged 
 by a flood, as to render a ferry necessary until it 
 should be repaired, and this had only just been 
 completed when we crossed it. The same miserable- 
 looking villages, which I have attempted to describe, 
 continue for the remainder of the journey to Moscow, 
 Klinn being the only one that presented the slightest 
 appearance of anything like comfort or cleanliness, 
 in which respect it was so totally different from 
 all the others,^ that it was difficulty to beheve it to 
 be a Russian town. 
 
 Some of the floatinof bridges, over which we 
 crossed, are of an ingenious though simple con- 
 trivance, quite new to me. They are formed 
 of logs of wood, which float upon the surface of the 
 water, and are secured at each side of the river to 
 prevent their drifting away. These bridges rise 
 and fall w ith the flooding of rivers, and are very 
 common throughout the country. From Klinn 
 there is but little variety on the road ; the country 
 is flat, and mostly covered with forests : there is 
 nothing, in fact, to interest the traveller till he 
 arrives within four or five versts of Moscow, when 
 
Chap. II.] JOURNEY TO MOSCOW. 93 
 
 he passes the large and splendid, but cumbrous, 
 palace of Petrovsky, created for the accommodation 
 of the court when they visited Moscow. We did 
 not see the interior, but we were consoled by beino- 
 told there is little worthy of mention within its 
 walls. It is built of red brick, and stands close to 
 the roadside, forming a most conspicuous object^ 
 particularly after having passed through nothing 
 but villages of wooden logs, which could rarely 
 boast of a brick building : few of these, however, 
 were without a church, but even that is generally 
 built of logs of wood ; and logs of wood invariably 
 constitute the pavement of the streets as well as of 
 part of the road. 
 
94 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 MOSCOW. 
 
 General Appearance of, from the Kremlin — Description of— 
 Churches— Superstition— Public Buildings — Bazaar — Beautiful 
 Square — Museum — Public Garden — Amusements — Gipsies — 
 Baths and River Bathing — Various Inhabitants — Burning of 
 Moscow. 
 
 On the eveningr of the 16th we arrived at Moscow, 
 almost without knowing it. We had, or some 
 time, strained our eyes to little purpose, not to 
 mention the danger of being joked out when we 
 .stood up to peep across the overhanging hood of 
 the cabriolet; nor to hint at the filthy state in 
 which we made ourselves, by the dust and dirt that 
 had accumulated upon it ; — 
 
 " He that stands upon a slippery place 
 Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up." 
 
 But, at last, we reached a barrier, beyond which 
 we found ourselves in the midst of a long row of 
 straggling houses, interspersed with pig-styes, dung- 
 hills, and splashes of water, and were informed by 
 our conductor that we were now at the end of our 
 journey. Can this be Moscow ! I involuntarily eja- 
 culated — Moscow! reiterated my companion — 
 impossible ! It was no little consolation, however, 
 although the place we halted at wore no promising 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 95 
 
 aspect, to have ended, anywhere, a tedious and irk- 
 some journey Uke that we had undergone. It was 
 late in the evening, and we looked forward with no 
 little pleasure to find ourselves, ere long, at a house 
 to which we had been recommended. We accord- 
 ingly engaged two droskies to convey us to the 
 place. A Russian gentleman, who had travelled 
 with us from Petersburg, very kindly took the 
 trouble to give every necessary direction to the 
 drivers where to set us down ; but to our inde- 
 scribable misery and vexation, when — after being 
 once more rattled and jolted over the rough stones 
 for about an hour, first up one street, then down 
 another, frequently arriving at the very point from 
 whence we started — we at last came to a dead 
 stand ; then, without any reference to us, the dri- 
 vers entered into a long, and seemingly angry, 
 debate, to which we were doomed to listen without 
 comprehending a word, and utterly unable to ascer- 
 tain whether they were ignorant, or only pretended 
 to be, of the place to which they had been directed 
 to take us; or whether it was not a mere trick 
 either to prolong the time, with a view, to enhance 
 their demand, or to oblige us to put up at some 
 other hotel, in which they might, perhaps, be more 
 immediately interested. Be this as it may, we 
 were very well satisfied to find ourselves, at last, not 
 at the right house, but at the door of one Mr. 
 Copp, of whom we had frequently heard, and hoped 
 to find as generous and jolly a fellow as his re- 
 nowned namesake in the farce. 
 
^G MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 Oil alighting, we were at once taken up into the 
 attics, and shown into a double-bedded room, all 
 otlier parts of the house being full. Under our 
 present circumstances, however, we were not fas- 
 tidious, but thankful to get housed, upon any terms, 
 not doubting, after our four days' and nights' jolt- 
 ing in the after coujoe of a Russian diligence, we 
 should not be long before sound sleep overtook us : 
 and in this we were not disappointed. 
 
 Early the following morning we went in quest of 
 the house, which had caused us so much trouble 
 the preceding evening, but here, also, we found all 
 the apartments occupied; however, the landlord, 
 an Enorlishman, of the name of Howard, recom- 
 mended us to the hotel of Mr. Grouse, a German, 
 whose death I have since heard of with regret, for 
 he was a civil and respectable man ; and in such a 
 strange place, and after so much fatigue and disap- 
 pointment, one feels grateful even for the hospitality 
 of a good-natvu*ed innkeeper. Here we found our- 
 selves quite comfortable during our stay at Mos- 
 cow, and we had reason to consider ourselves 
 very fortunate to have got into these lodgings, as 
 Mr. Copp's garret proved to be more than suffi- 
 ciently expensive. 
 
 The first object of our attention in this city was 
 the Kremlin, the ancient palace of the Czars. 
 Entering within the walls of this extraordinary 
 place, and viewing the city from its terrace, it would 
 be difficult to convey any adequate idea of the im- 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 07 
 
 pression which it cannot fail to make upon the 
 mind of a stranger. The character is so totally dif- 
 ferent from that of any European city we had yet 
 seen ; there was so much of the fantastic architecture 
 of oriental mosques and minarets blended with every 
 various form of European edifices, that the eye be- 
 came bewildered by the crowds of objects opposed 
 to it. Viewed from this point, the city appeared 
 one large cluster of churches, monasteries, and con- 
 vents, surmounted by innumerable spires, domes, 
 cupolas, and minarets, varying in height, bulk, 
 and decoration, some painted red, some green, 
 others blue; and those that were not gilt, were 
 splendid in bright copper, but almost all of them 
 tipped with gold. The pavilion at Brighton af- 
 fords no bad specimen of some of the bulbous-domed 
 churches of Moscow. On the domes and cupolas 
 were poles erected generally bearing massive crosses, 
 richly ornamented with glittering chains hanging 
 gracefully from their summits. When it is stated 
 that the number of churches, monasteries, chapels, 
 convents, and other buildings appropriated to reli- 
 gious purposes, amount very nearly to a thousand 
 — some say more — and all of them more or less 
 decorated with gold or paint, some idea may be 
 formed of the effect produced by the congregated 
 mass. Some writer, in speaking of the vast num- 
 ber of places of religious worship, observes that 
 they are only exceeded by the number of brandy- 
 shops. Dr. Clarke has given a lively and charac- 
 
 F 
 
98 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 teristic description, which every one who has seen 
 Moscow must admit to be but httle exagf (derated. 
 He says, — 
 
 " Nimierous spires, gliterincr with gold, amidst 
 burnished domes and painted palaces, appear in 
 the midst of an open plain, for several versts before 
 you reach the gate. Having passed, you look 
 about, and wonder what is become of the city, or 
 where you are ; and are ready to ask once more. 
 How far is it to Moscow? They will tell you 
 * This is Moscow !' You behold nothing but a 
 wide and scattered suburb, huts, gardens, pigsties, 
 brick walls, churches, dunghills, palaces, timber- 
 yards, warehouses, and a refuse, as it were, of ma- 
 terials sufficient to stock an empire with miserable 
 towns and miserable villages." 
 
 This was precisely what we saw and felt from 
 the moment we were set down in the suburbs from 
 the diligence, till we reached our lodging. But 
 the Doctor continues : — " One might imagine all 
 the states of Europe and Asia had sent a building, 
 "by way of representative, to Moscow ; and, under 
 this impression, the eye is presented with deputies 
 from all countries, holding congress : timber huts 
 from regions beyond the Arctic ; plastered palaces 
 from Sweden and Denmark, not whitewashed since 
 their arrival ; painted walls from the Tyrol; 
 mosques from Constantinople ; Tartar temples from 
 Bucharia ; pagodas, pavilions, and virandas from 
 China; cabarets from Spain; dungeons, prisons. 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 99 
 
 and public offices from France ; architectural ruins 
 fi'om Rome ; terraces and trellisses from Naples ; 
 and warehouses from Wapping'' 
 
 The river Moskva, flowing at the verj^ foot of the 
 Kremlin, and winding its serpentine course through 
 the town, is a feature in the panorama, which, though 
 not very conspicuous, cannot fail, by association, to 
 excite an interest in the spectator ; being that piece 
 of water on which the Czar Peter first learnt the 
 rudiments of navigation in a small boat, which was 
 afterwards carried to Petersburg, and there, as I 
 have already observed, consecrated as the first germ 
 of the Russian navy, under the name of the Little 
 Grandsire. 
 
 The open country towards the west, over which 
 is scattered many a beautiful villa, and the dark 
 rangre of the low hills which bound it, form the 
 background of a very striking picture. It seemed 
 a scene of romance and, surrounded as we were with 
 the " thousand" towers and spires and domes, we 
 almoet fancied that we saw one of those ideal cities 
 and palaces that we had read of in the Thousand 
 and One Nights. 
 
 The Kremlin is a citadel and indeed almost a 
 city in itself; it contains a great number and 
 variety of buildings, many of them of a singular 
 and whimsical construction — evidently, by their 
 bulbous domes and minarets, of oriental fashion, 
 and in all probability originally built by the Asi- 
 atic Tartars. It stands on a slight eminence, about 
 
 f2 
 
100 THE KREMLIN. [Chap. III. 
 
 the centre of the town, from which it is inclosed by 
 a lofly wall, kept exceedinorly clean by a kind of 
 whitewasli ; and tlie summit, at first sight, appears 
 to be crenated, but is in fact decorated with a pecu- 
 liar kind of open fretwork. The principal buildings 
 contained within it are as follow, viz. : — 
 
 The Palace, the Treasury, the Senate House, 
 the Arsenal, three Cathedrals, St. Nicholas Church, 
 the Ascension Nunnery, the ChoodofF Monastery* 
 the Grand Duke Nicholas's Palace, and Ivan Veliki 
 (St. John's Belfry), besides several other smaller 
 churches and buildings, the latter of which are 
 chiefly the public offices of government. The 
 tower of Ivan Veliki commands an extensive 
 prospect from its great height, which is said to 
 be about 260 feet : it is ascended by a winding 
 staircase. Within the tower are several sets of 
 bells, all of considerable size ; but in the body 
 of the building to which the tower is attached, 
 is suspended a bell of enormous magnitude. But 
 the Great Bell, of which so much has been said 
 ajid written, lies embedded in the earth at the foot 
 of the tower of Ivan Veliki, from whence it is gene- 
 Tally supposed to have fallen in the fire of 1701, 
 though the fact is much doubted, and not without 
 reason ; for, by an inscription on the bell, it appears 
 to be more than 300,000 pounds English in weight, 
 or 150 tons. It is not likely that such a mass of 
 metal was ever suspended, w^hatever the Russians 
 may say to the contrary. It is far more probable 
 
Chap. III.] THE KREMLIN. 101 
 
 that it was cast in the pit where it now lies, and 
 having failed in the casting at the rim of the mouth, 
 where there is a large chasm, said to be broken in 
 the fall, the Russians were unwillingr to record the 
 failure of this prince of bells, which, as appears by 
 the inscription, was cast by order of the most pious, 
 most potent, and most great Gosiidaringa, the Em- 
 press Anna loannovna, Autocratess of all Russia, 
 " in honour of the Most Holy Mother of God." It 
 has a tongue proportioned to its size, lying on the 
 ground not far from it. 
 
 Immediately over the bell, the pit or cavern is 
 covered with a platform of planks, level with the 
 ground, through which is a trap -door, always kept 
 padlocked ; but the person who has charge of the 
 key is generally at hand to open it for visiters, and 
 receive a small contribution. We descended by 
 means of a rough wooden staircase or ladder, to a. 
 second stage erected round the bell about the midst 
 of its height. I had scarcely set foot upon it, be 
 fore I found the air of the pit exceedingly foul, 
 oppressive, and damp, by being so closely con- 
 fined ; but on stepping down by a ladder still 
 lower, in order to see the lower part of the bell, 
 the atmosphere became so foul as to cause the 
 greatest difficulty in breathing. I was beckoned 
 to by the man who showed the bell, who made 
 signs for me to come up, and who was wise 
 enough to remain on the stag^e himself. I hur- 
 ried up again as expeditiously as possible, which 
 
102 THE KREMLIN. [Chap. III. 
 
 had I delayed doing but a few seconds, I felt that 
 I should have been deprived of the power to ascend. 
 While at Moscow^ we heard that a young country- 
 man of ours, who had descended the pit, remained 
 rather too long below, and the consequence was his 
 confinement to his bed (where he still was), in a 
 dangerous state, and remained so at our departure 
 from ]Moscow. 
 
 There are several very large pieces of cannon 
 placed round and about the Arsenal, the most re- 
 markable of which is the great gun, par excellence, 
 in a country where everything is great. It is, how- 
 ever, no match for the great bell, though it deserves 
 to be set down as a curiosity. We were not quite 
 €asy in looking too nearly at this large piece of 
 ordnance, recollecting^ that Dr. Clarke was not 
 allowed to measure it, and had a bayonet pointed at 
 him for even attempting to do so : since his day, 
 however, the Russians would seem to be a little less 
 suspicious of strangers, as we found there was no 
 obstruction to our examining it as closely as we 
 pleased, without any interference on the part of the 
 sentinel who stood looking at us; and Captain 
 Cochrane tells us that he sat upright in the muzzle 
 of it. 
 
 1'he entrance into the Kremlin is from an open 
 space, through a handsome gateway, surmounted 
 with a tower and spire, called the '' Sacred Gate," 
 or the Gate of ''Our Saviour," under which a lamp, 
 like the vestal fire, is perpetually kept burning, and 
 
Chap. III.] THE KREMLIN. 103 
 
 through which everj^ person passing, not even the Em- 
 peror excepted, is obhged to uncover his head, — a 
 punishment in the hard winter season to those who 
 must, from duty or necessity, pass to and fro, which 
 might, without any great ohence to superstition, be 
 remitted. This, in fact, has been conceded to the 
 soldiers on duty, who are permitted to go through 
 the gate without taking the shglitest notice of the 
 sanctity of the spot, a circumstance whicli might 
 not have struck us as anything remarkable, had we 
 not observed, on the occasion of some grand fast- 
 day, when the numberless long-bearded priests en- 
 tered one of the cathedrals in the Kremlin in grand 
 procession, displaying their numberless banners, 
 crosses, &c., that the horse-guards, who were drawn 
 up in front of the church, remained for a long time 
 with their helmets off, their heads broiling in the 
 sun, the heat of which, in an unclouded sky, was 
 at the time intense. The whole assembled mul- 
 titude were also bare-headed ; and, disagreeable as 
 it was, we thought it right as spectators to do as 
 they did, till, at length, the heat became so insutFer- 
 able, that we could no longer hold out, and deter- 
 mined, at all hazards, to put on our hats, an act 
 which nobody thought proper to take the slightest 
 notice of. 
 
 On the occasion in question, every cathedral and 
 church, nunnery, and monastery, within the walls 
 of the Kremlin, was thrown open. In all of 
 them were vast numbers of people going through 
 the forms of worship usual in the Greek Catholic 
 
104 THE KREMLIN. [Chap. Ill, 
 
 churches, more minute in, and attentive to, the 
 many ceremonies which their ritual prescrihes than 
 the Roman Catholics ; such as frequently crossing 
 themselves, howing at the same time, and occasion- 
 ally kneeling on the floor, which they touch with 
 their heads, and rise again, with as much rapidity 
 as their limhs will allow. There are no seats in 
 any of the churches, nor would it appear allowable 
 to carry chairs into them, as is the custom in 
 many places of the continent; indeed, they are in 
 the act of bowingr the head durino- the whole time 
 they are at prayers, and while the priest is reading; 
 at particular passages, they bow incessantly for 
 three or four minutes together, ihe effect of which, 
 to us heretics, appeared to be somewhat absurd, 
 and almost ludicrous. The nuns of Russia are, 
 like the nuns everywhere else, old, or ugly, or both. 
 Here they were, all that we saw, frightfully hideous, 
 and reminded me of the witches in Macbeth ; — 
 many were so bearded and wrinkled, that I was in- 
 clined to doubt to which sex they belonged, and 
 ready to exclaim with the Thane — 
 
 ' " You should be women. 
 
 And yet your beards forbid me to interpret 
 That you are so." 
 
 The relics in the cathedrals and in all the churches 
 are innumerable, and seemed to be highly valued 
 by the people, which is not generally the case in 
 Roman Catholic countries. In a snug: httle corner 
 of one of the churches in the Kremlin, I observed 
 many crowding round the body apparently of one of 
 
Chap. III.] THE KREMLIN. 105 
 
 their saints, which having kissed, they paid their 
 money to the priest, and retired. On pushing for- 
 ward, I found that my suppositions were correct. 
 The only part of the body visible was the head, but 
 from appearances there could be but little doubt that 
 the whole of it was there, as I could observe some- 
 thing in the shape of an entire figure of a man be- 
 neath the clothes. The face, if it really was not a 
 wax face, appeared in good preservation, but there 
 are so many tricks and impostures in these holy 
 places, that it might be one or the other. 
 
 The Patriarchal Treasury, which is in one of the 
 numerous churches, I believe that of St. Philip, is 
 deserving of attention, as it contains several very old 
 and curious manuscripts, sacerdotal dresses, and 
 relics of all sorts, besides the vessels for making 
 the holy oil, which, it seems, is prepared once 
 every year, with great ceremonies. But the 
 Cathedral of the Assumption is by far the most 
 extraordinary, as well as the most interesting, of 
 all the numerous churches we had visited. The 
 walls of its interior are completely covered from top 
 to bottom, as is also the ceiling, and the pillars that 
 support it, with full-length portraits of all the saints 
 that were ever heard of, and probably of some that 
 never were. The ficrures are as laro^e as life, and 
 
 b » 
 
 are mostly covered with gold leaf, the expense of 
 which must alone have been considerable. Amongst 
 these portraits are to be seen that of the Almighty, 
 of Jesus Christ, and of the Virgin, 
 
 f5 
 
106 THE KREMLIN. [Chap. III. 
 
 I have mentioned the churches, with their domes 
 and spires, of the Kremhu ; but there is one out- 
 side, and situated at the upper end of " Beau- 
 tiful Square," (called Place Rouge by the French,) 
 and not far from the Sacred Gate, more fantas- 
 tical and iNIahometan-like than any other in 
 Moscow. It would be impossible, from description, 
 to convey anything like a correct idea of this wliim- 
 sical structure, more whimsical, because more irre- 
 gular than, though much in the same style as, the 
 Pavilion at Brighton. It is dedicated to St. Basil, 
 and is said to have been erected about the middle 
 of the sixteenth century, by the Tzar Ivan Basil- 
 ovich II. It is surmounted by a multitude of 
 cupolas of the bulbous kind, all painted in various 
 colours, some being of azure blue, others emerald 
 green, and many of a deep vermilion colour ; each 
 of them decorated with gilded crucifixes, and pen- 
 dent chains. Three or four of the cupolas or 
 domes are worked out in such a manner as to present 
 the external coating of a pine-apple, each projecting 
 knob or point of which is painted in different colours. 
 The Imperial Treasury is well worthy to be 
 seen. It is a handsome building, about 560 feet 
 long, and 150 wide. We considered ourselves for- 
 tunate in having gained admission, which we were 
 told would be a matter of some difficulty ; we had 
 heard that it required an order from some of the 
 commissioners or directors, and that there would be 
 some trouble in obtaining one; however, we con- 
 
Chap. III.] THE KREMLIN. 107 
 
 trived to manage it without making any interest, 
 except that which generally succeeds. That this 
 was a matter of some favour, after all, appeared by 
 the rejection of a Russian gentleman, who, seeing 
 our party go in, endeavoured also to obtain admis- 
 sion, but was positively refused, on which he threw 
 himself into a most violent passion, stamping with 
 his foot, and putting his whole frame into motion ; 
 being evidently the more irritated that strangers 
 should be allowed a privilege that was denied to a 
 native. The only excvise that the porter made for 
 refusing him was, that it was past the regulated 
 hour ; but this did not' by any means pacify him, as 
 we had only just been admitted ourselves. What 
 became of him I know not, but he failed to gain his 
 point. 
 
 An examination of the Treasury pleased me more 
 than anything we had yet seen in Moscow. The 
 collection of jewels and precious stones of every 
 description is very extensive, and said to be more 
 valuable than those in the palaces at Petersburg. 
 The crowns w^orn by the Tzars and Tzarins are 
 tastily arranged upon stands around the large room, 
 affording a great treat to the lapidary, and interest- 
 ing also to the antiquary. They commence from 
 the time of Vladimir, in the year 1116, and are 
 brought down in rec^ular succession to that of Peter 
 the Great. The wardrobes of the respective sove- 
 reigns are kept in this room, and some of the dresses 
 are, as may be supposed, exceedingly rich, as well 
 
108 THE KREMLIN. [Chap. III. 
 
 as curious. A large pair of jack-boots, \Yitli huge 
 spurs attached to them, which belonged to Peter the 
 Great, have been carefully preserved, and next to 
 them, by ^vay of contrast, stands a pair that were 
 worn by Paul I., and another by Alexander, and 
 also a pair of the present emperor Nicholas, whose 
 smart-looking Wellington boots do indeed form a 
 singular contrast with those of his great ancestor 
 Peter. 
 
 Many of the coronation chairs, on which the sove- 
 reigns of Russia sat, are also preserved, and afford a 
 curious collection of specimens of workmanship, par- 
 ticularly that of Ivan Vasilievitch, which is of ivory, 
 richly carved and ornamented. This extensive 
 building is apparently of recent construction ; the 
 apartments are all spacious, lofty, and elegant. 
 In a room on the ground-floor is exhibited a large 
 model of the Kremlin neatly and curiously executed, 
 which gives a very perfect idea of it. This model 
 was made to illustrate a plan which had been pro- 
 jDOsed of erecting a skreen or narrow building several 
 stories high, the whole way round the Kremlin, in 
 place of the present wall, which was at one time 
 intended to have been carried into execution ; but 
 in consideration of the enormous expense that would 
 be required to complete it, the idea has, very wisely, 
 been altogether abandoned. In the same room is 
 also kept a model of the roof of the military exercise 
 house, an immense building, remarkable for its flat, 
 ceiling, being said to be, and perhaps is, the largest 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 10^ 
 
 of the kind known : it rests entirely on the four 
 wallsj without any other support; but though, at 
 first sight, it appeared to be perfectly straight or 
 horizontal, yet, on a closer inspection, it was obvi- 
 ously in a small degree curved or arched. This 
 room is considerably more than 500 feet long, about 
 160 wide, and 50 high. 
 
 Immediately without the sacred gate of the Krem- 
 lin is the " Beautiful Place," or square, as already 
 noticed. Most of the buildings that inclose it are 
 modern, and some of them recent. It contains the 
 best shops in Moscow\ An arcade extends the whole 
 distance along one side of the square, under which 
 is a bazaar, consisting of one continued line of shops, 
 or rather stalls, for they are deserving of no better 
 name, where jewellery, books, wearing apparel, and 
 every article that can be thought of, may be pur- 
 chased just as in the Palais Royal of Paris, but in 
 a much humbler style. We were here assailed on 
 all sides by a crowd of long-bearded, dirty-looking 
 persons, who pressed round us anxiously endea- 
 vouring to induce us to purchase their goods, — so 
 urgent that we found it difficult to shake them off. 
 One has heard of bowing a person out of a room, 
 but here the danger was to be bowed in, for in 
 going along we were frequently either actually 
 pushed into their shops wdth all possible civility, or 
 obliged to walk into them in order to avoid coming^ 
 in too close contact with their beards, of which I felt 
 a kind of horror, for they were very much akin to a. 
 
110 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 Jew's beard. But the greatest difficulty we had was 
 to get past one of the shops in which quass was sold. 
 
 At the outside of each of these (jin-shops are 
 invariably stationed two or three young men or big 
 boys, drest up in a pink-coloured coat which folds 
 over the breast, and is tied in with a sash at the 
 waist ; and loose blue trowsers, which are tucked 
 into a clumsy pair of boots. They wear their hair 
 very long, reaching on each side more than half- 
 way down the arm, and divided in the centre. 
 When any one passes near one of these shops, these 
 decoy-ducks plant themselves directly in his way, 
 and commence a series of salutations, bowing almost 
 to the ground, — their hair falling down like a horse's 
 tail each time, and entirely covering the face. The 
 appearance and the manner of these youths were 
 truly ludicrous. The annexed sketch will perhaps 
 serve to convey an idea of them. 
 
 The quass, which is carried about in glass 
 decanters and sold in the streets, is a very different 
 liquor to that which is sold in the shops I am 
 speaking of, which, so far from being unpleasant like 
 the common quass, is really a most delicious 
 beverage, especially on a hot summer's day, when 
 brought up iced from the cellars. It appeared, as 
 far as we could judge from the colour and taste, to 
 be a weak spirit rectified with raspberries ; whenever 
 we suffered ourselves to be bowed in, we always 
 found company regaling themselves with a glass of 
 quass, just as at Tortoni's with a glass of ice. 
 
iLm^iLTA.TE©m '^© A msABB°^m@w. 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. Ill 
 
 The property of the shopkeepers in the bazaar 
 is protected at night by dogs, who are chained to 
 the doors, and who, from their savage appearance, 
 would probably not scruple in laying hold of a per- 
 son by the leg, if he attempted to go near them. 
 Under the arcade, a certain number of dogs are 
 affixed to a long rope, which is placed from one end 
 to the other, passing the doors of all the shops, 
 which are locked up, and left solely under the 
 char Of e of these animals. 
 
 In the centre of '' Beautiful Square," and in front 
 of the arcade stands a handsome monument erected 
 to commemorate the gallant exploits and valuable 
 services of Minin, and Pojarskii, who distinguished 
 themselves by their conquests over the Poles in 
 several engagements, and finally by driving them out 
 of Moscow. The figures, which are of colossal size, 
 are of bronze, supported on a pedestal of reddish 
 granite, consisting, like that of Peter the Great in 
 Petersburg, of one block, but highly polished. The 
 inscription is as follows : — 
 
 To Citizen Minin 
 
 AND Prince Pojarskii ; 
 
 Grateful Russia. 
 
 1818. 
 
 Immediately beneath the walls of a part of the 
 Kremlin are some gardens which are much fre- 
 quented in the cool of the evening : though small, 
 they are laid out with considerable taste, and ,t-he^ ^-^ 
 well-rolled gravel walks, shaded by the trees, and ^' 
 
 ^^'^"^ "'' 
 
112 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 the lofty wall of the Kremlin, form a most delightful 
 promenade on the warm summer evenings. These 
 gardens are surrounded by an elegant iron railing, 
 and are entered by two or three equally elegant 
 gates. 
 
 We were much pleased with a visit to the 
 Museum attached to the University, which is both 
 extensive and well arransred. It is a new buildino- 
 erected since the year 1812, when the old one, and 
 its fine collection of subjects of natural history, 
 library, and philosophical instruments, became a 
 prey to the flames which destroyed so great a por- 
 tion of Moscow in that year. By special favour we 
 were allowed to see the anatomical apartment of the 
 Museum, by which we were very much interested 
 and gratified. At the farther end of the room, in a 
 recess, stood half a dozen entire human skeletons 
 behind a curtain, which was drawn aside to enable 
 us to see them. One of them is the skeleton of a 
 professor of the university, who was thrown from 
 his horse and died in consequence of the severe con- 
 tusions he had received in the fall. It was at his 
 own particular desire that the skeleton was placed 
 there. The preparations were all carefully ar- 
 ranged in glass cases around the room, each with 
 its appropriate label. There were also several 
 skulls which had been fractured in various ways, 
 some evidently by sharp instruments, which had 
 made a clear cut, others by contusions, and many 
 of them had been severe ones; but amongst them 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 113 
 
 was one very remarkable, which, from its extra- 
 ordinary thickness, — being nearly half an inch, — I 
 should have supposed was perfectly secure from 
 any impression being made on it in any way. 
 
 The Petrovskoi Theatre may be fairly reckoned 
 one of the handsomest buildings in Moscow; it is not 
 only much larger than, but far surpasses in archi- 
 tectural design, the great theatre at St. Petersburg. 
 That of Moscow was built by an Englishman, and is 
 still in the possession, as lessee, of one of our country- 
 men. It was open only one night while we were 
 there, for which Mademoiselle Sontag, who had just 
 arrived at Moscow, had been engaged to perform. 
 The price demanded for seats to hear this syren was 
 something so extravagant, that, having frequently 
 heard her sing: in England, we did not deem it 
 worth while to submit to pay for being squeezed to 
 atoms on a hot summer night. We mightj however, 
 have gone on the latter score, as it turned out that 
 the house was- nearly empty. 
 
 The Foundling Hospital is a superb edifice, and 
 of enormous extent. It is a plain, solid, hand- 
 some-looking building, and forms a very conspicuous 
 and interesting object as seen from the Kremlin. 
 I regret that time would not allow of our visiting 
 this admirable institution, to which, we were told, 
 were admitted in the course of a year not fewer than 
 4000 infants. 
 
 With the exception of those already mentioned, 
 there are but few other remarkable public buildings 
 
114 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 ill Moscow ; but there are many very splendid 
 private-houses, some of tliem, however, apj areiitly 
 deserted by their owners. 
 
 A short distance from the town is situated a 
 garden, which is much frequented in the evenings, 
 and where a great deal of frohc and gaiety may be 
 witnessed. The company is select, no strangers 
 beinof admitted without tickets from some of the 
 gentry who are proprietors or subscribers, but the 
 bearers on presenting them are required to pay a 
 few rubles. It put us iu mind of our Vauxhall in 
 some respects, though it was different in others. 
 The illuminations were good, and the lamps were 
 displayed with much taste on either side of the dif- 
 ferent walks. In the early part of the evening, 
 some of the visiters amused themselves with cross- 
 bows, — shooting in turns at a wooden eagle which 
 was perched at the top of a long pole fixed on the 
 lawn. Some were such good shots that they rarely 
 missed hitting the bird, either in the wing, leg, or 
 head, &c., which parts, when struck, fell to the 
 ground, so that, before long, the body was the only 
 part left, and to hit that showed the great skill of 
 the archer. This is a very common amusement 
 amongst the Dutch and Belgians, from whom the 
 idea has probably passed into Russia. The wooden 
 bullet or peg goes with immense force, and it 
 required a considerable degree of strength to string 
 the bow^, wdiich was no sinecure office. 
 
 When the evenino^ became somewhat dark, the 
 
Chap. III.J MOSCOW. 115 
 
 company retired to the farthest end of the grounds, 
 where there was a tolerably large sheet of water ; 
 and here fireworks were exhibited for their amuse- 
 ment, which were nearly, if not altogether, equal 
 to those to be seen at Vauxhall : the reflection in 
 the water added greatly to the brilliant eftect. In 
 the comse of the evening, there was a sham fight 
 on this piece of water between two small vessels, 
 which soon became enveloped in fire and smoke, 
 squibs, crackers, and rockets, some of which, taking 
 a wrong direction, fell amongst the ladies, who were 
 arranged on chairs by the side of the water. The 
 fair dames behaved uncommonly well on the occa- 
 sion, and showed great nerve — not a single shriek 
 was to be heard — which I think would not have 
 been the case^ had any of our own countrywomen 
 been present, as the danger of their dresses catching 
 fire appeared to us really alarming : but they pro- 
 bably knew, from experience, that there was not 
 much to fear from the sparks of fireworks. Some 
 of the prettiest-looking females we had set eyes on, 
 always excepting the Grand Duchess Michael, 
 since we left England, were this evening present 
 in these gardens ; but they mostly disfigured them- 
 selves by their manner of dressing, particularly by 
 a common custom of inclosing their faces close 
 round in plaited frills, which entirely conceal the 
 hair, and have all the appearance of nightcaps. 
 They were generally of a sallow complexion, as if 
 some of the Tartar blood still flowed in their veins, 
 and most of them wore a sickly look. 
 
IIG MOSCOW. fChap. III. 
 
 As soon as the fireworks had ceased, a large 
 and well-hghted hall-room was opened in the 
 house which stands on the grounds, and dancing 
 commenced with great spirit; hut so dense was 
 the crowd, and the heat so overpowering, that I 
 was glad to make my escape at an early period. 
 An excellent military band was in attendance the 
 whole evening, and played delightfully^ — nothino-, 
 in short, could exceed the gaiety of the scene, and 
 every one seemed to enjoy themselves. The even- 
 ing is, for the most part, the time that the upper 
 and middle classes of society stir out of their 
 houses, so intense is frequently the heat of the 
 sun during the day. The thermometer, during our 
 stay, was rarely below 83° in the shade — a great 
 contrast to the state of the weather on the evening 
 we first set foot on shore at Petersburg-, when the 
 mercury then stood at 47°. 
 
 One of our rambles was to the Sparrow Hills, from 
 whence we had been told the view of the city was 
 grand and beautiful, and so we found it. Indeed, 
 it far surpassed the expectations we had formed of 
 it. The river Moskva flows at the foot of these 
 hills, bending its course in a serpentine direction 
 through a valley of green meadows, at the extremity 
 of which is seen the city of Moscow in all its splen- 
 dour. The sun was just sinking towards the hori- 
 zon, and its parting rays tipped the gilded spires of 
 the Kremlin with crimson light, exhibiting this 
 central and elevated part of the city as in a blaze 
 of fire. 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 117 
 
 On one occasion, we drove a few miles from the 
 town to a spot which was frequented by gipsies — a 
 singular race, who, Uke the Jews, appear to be 
 scattered over the whole face of the globe. They 
 were evidently a homogeneous race, and quite 
 distinct from those who are to bo seen in their 
 covered carts loitering In the neighbourhood of 
 almost every village in England, robbing the 
 industrious farmer of his potatoes, turnips, and 
 other vegetables, and not unfrequently walking 
 off with some of his live stock. These are a hete- 
 rogeneous race, who assume a name to which they 
 have no claim ; but those we here met with are 
 evidently of Hindoo origin, who have fixed resi- 
 dences, and are a decent, well-behaved people. 
 They are also represented as gaining their liveli- 
 hood in an honest way, chiefly by keeping open 
 houses of entertainment, where all manner of re- 
 freshments are sold ; and they dance and sing in 
 a very peculiar style to amuse their visiters, who 
 on fine summer evenings are frequently very nume- 
 rous. They also have a small band of music in 
 attendance, but I cannot speak much in favour of 
 their performance, resembling some of our worst 
 street music. 
 
 From all the excursions we made into the neigh- 
 bouring country, we always returned much pleased 
 with our rides, — the scenery in many places being 
 exceedingly soft and beautiful, and, in some places, 
 might be called picturesque. It is studded with 
 
118 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 neat and tasteful villas, richly ornamented by 
 woods, particularly where the Moskva winds its 
 course. This river, during the summer months 
 at least, is navigable only by flat-bottomed boats 
 "or rafts, on account of the shallowness of the water. 
 It is also narrow — the broadest part of it, which 
 flows throufih the city, not beinjr wider than the 
 Thames at Eton. There are three bridges across 
 it within the walls, one called the Kammennoi 
 Most, or Bridge of Stone, which, though plain, 
 may be considered handsome, and is a substantial 
 piece of architectvire ; another is called the Mosk- 
 varetskoi Most, which is a flat wooden bridge, pos- 
 sessing but little beauty ; and the third, thrown 
 across at the farthest extremity of the town, is 
 merely a floating bridge of planks, resting on the 
 trunks of trees fastened together, and secured at 
 each side of the river by posts. This bridge, like 
 those I have mentioned on the road from St. Pe- 
 tersburg, rises and falls with every flood. Nothing 
 can be more disagreeable for foot-passengers than 
 crossing this bridge; they are frequently liable to 
 get up to their ancles in water, should any heavy 
 vehicle pass over at the time, the weight of which 
 presses the bridge completely under ; and if it hap- 
 pens to pass rather on one side, instead of keeping 
 in the centre, the bridge sinks considerably under 
 the water on that side. 
 
 At a little distance down the INIoskva, and at a 
 part of it hidden from the sight of the town in coa- 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 119 
 
 sequence of a considerable turn in the rlver^, is a 
 spot to which the gentry resort for the purpose of 
 bathino", and where there are stationed reo;ular 
 bathing-machines. I have frequently seen several 
 carriao-es waitingr on the bank whilst their owners 
 were enjoying themselves in bathing. The river, 
 at a little distance from this spot, becomes vei*y 
 shallow, and is full of sandbanks, which appear 
 above the water, the depth of which in any one 
 part cannot be above four feet, as I observed a man 
 wade across it on foot, leading a donkey, and in 
 the deepest part he was barely up to his middle. 
 
 I had heard and read so much of the indecencies 
 of the Russian baths, and of the officiousness of 
 those who attend them, that I never entered 
 within the walls of one of these establishments 
 for the purpose of enjoying the luxury of a warm 
 bath, without dreading that I should be handled 
 in the same rough and unpleasant manner that 
 others have been, who have voluntarily allowed 
 themselves to be rubbed and scrubbed with birch 
 boughs dipped in hot water and soap, until they 
 have very nearly been suffocated by the operation 
 — an experiment which I never felt the slightest 
 desire or curiosity should be made upon me ; and, 
 fortunately, I always succeeded altogether in es- 
 caping it, having, with some little trouble, made 
 the long-bearded attendants understand that I 
 could dispense with their services. Of the pro- 
 miscuous bathing in the river, of which so much 
 
120 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 has been said, I have only to remark, that I never 
 saw an instance of any impropriety or indecency, 
 and do not give any credit to the ^•elations which I 
 have met with. My companion and myself have 
 frequently strolled along the banks of the river 
 and, on one occasion, extended our walk by its side, 
 far beyond the suburbs of the city, and the only 
 persons that we saw bathing were a parcel of boys; 
 and if this be the cause of so much fastidiousness 
 in the accounts of some of our travellers, I should 
 only recommend them to look at home, and parti- 
 cularly on the banks of the Thames, where there 
 is not a day passes during the summer months, in 
 which not only boys, but men, will be found in 
 swarms between Westminster and Vauxhall Bridges, 
 at almost every hour of the day, annoying the pas- 
 sengers in the wherries which ply upon the river 
 with their insolent language and behaviour, — a 
 nuisance which does not exist at or near Moscow, 
 and which ought to be remedied at home by com- 
 pelling these bathers to go to the farther side of 
 Vauxhall Bridge, where they would be quite out 
 of the way, and out of sight of the town. 
 
 On the banks of the Moskva, beneath the Krem- 
 lin, there is a small pavilion, within which is a 
 flight of steps descending to the river. This, I was 
 informed, is the spot where the annual consecration 
 of the waters takes place — a foolish ceremony, per- 
 formed in the middle of winter. The procession of 
 priests march in great state, and, according to the 
 
Chap. III.] TMOSCOW. 121 
 
 account I heard, sing hymns the whole way, carry- 
 ing banners with crosses on them, pictures of our 
 Saviour and of the Virgin Mary, besides those of 
 many of their Saints. The same absurd practice 
 of consecration takes place also at St. Petersburg, 
 and it is said that women are silly enough to carry 
 their infants down to be immersed, — if such be the 
 case, it must frequently be attended wdth loss of 
 life to the poor children. A story is told — for the 
 truth of which I cannot vouch — of a child havinof 
 been unluckily dropped from the hands of a clumsy 
 priest, and immediately carried under the ice by 
 the stream, upon which he very coolly remarked 
 that " God had taken the infant to himself," and 
 of course the mother walked off well satisfied. 
 Such are the effects of a foolish and superstitious 
 rite. 
 
 There was a marked difference in the streets of 
 Moscow and Petersburg ; the latter were laid out 
 in regular order, straight, broad, well paved, with 
 trottoirs on each side, while those of Moscow were 
 in general narrow, irregular, dirty, without side 
 pavements, in which the foot-passengers are in 
 danger of being run over by the droskies and car- 
 riages that are passing through them. In those 
 only, therefore, near the Kremlin and the Beautiful 
 Square, and on the Boulevards, are fashionable 
 people seen; yet in general the streets of the city 
 present a more animated appearance than those of 
 Petersburg, benig usually thronged with people, 
 
 G 
 
122 MOSCO^\^. [Chap. III. 
 
 buying, selling, and transacting business, of nearly 
 every nation in the world, each distinguished from 
 the other by liis own native costume, the great 
 variety of which, though at first it attracted our 
 attention, became ere long so familiar, that, before 
 the end of a w^eek, we passed Greeks, Turks, 
 Armenians, Circassians, Cossacks, Poles, and Tar- 
 tars, with as little notice as those one daily meets 
 in the streets of London, — so soon is novelty worn 
 off. Indeed, we soon discovered that we ourselves, 
 or our dresses, were the greatest curiosities in the 
 place. Among the crowd we observed but few 
 equipages that could be called handsome; a coach 
 with four horses, which was so common at Peters- 
 burg, was rarely to be seen in the streets of Moscow. 
 This, we were told, was not owing to the want of 
 means in the gentry of Moscow, where many wealthy 
 families reside, but to their absence at this season 
 of the year at their country seats. The private 
 droskies, however, were veiy far superior to the 
 generality of those at Petersburg, and many of 
 the horses, mostly stallions, were beautiful animals, 
 very much resembling Arabians both in appearance 
 and action, but larger and stronger. The Russian 
 gentry appear to ride but little; in fact, a gentle- 
 man on horseback is very seldom seen, unless some 
 young diplomatist, who may have passed a little 
 time in London or Paris. 
 
 Though Moscow occupies a much larger space 
 of ground than Petersburg, its population is con- 
 
/ ^ 
 
 IPPIgjLS(0 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 123 
 
 siderably less, the former not exceeding 250,000, 
 while the latter is said to contain 449,000 inhabi- 
 tants. They both can boast of every species of insti- 
 tutions and societies, with museums and collections, 
 that can gratify the curiosity or administer to the 
 knowledge, of the man of science, literature, or the 
 arts, but hitherto Russia has not produced many 
 distinguished natives in any of them. 
 
 In the streets of the two capitals, beggars are 
 rarely met with; the police would soon dispose 
 of them; but in every town and village on the 
 road through which we passed, they were swarm- 
 ing, consisting chiefly of old women and chil- 
 dren. When alms are given, they immediately 
 commence crossing themselves, and continue to do 
 so a dozen times at least, mumbling something to 
 themselves, which, from the tone of delivering it, 
 one may conclude to be either a praj^er to some 
 saint for their good fortune, or an expression of 
 thanks to the donor. The description of persons 
 most frequently met with in the streets and squares, 
 and most frequented parts of the city, are the 
 priests and monks, who are moving about in sw^arms. 
 The Greek church has unquestionably found a fertile 
 soil for the propagation of priests, monks, and nuns 
 in Russia; they are, in fact, the precise sort of 
 instruments that despotism can best work with; 
 and notwithstanding all we hear of the progres- 
 sive civilization of Russia, it may be susj^ected, 
 that the priests endeavour to keep the people 
 
 g2 
 
124 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 pretty nearly in the same state in which they were in 
 the sixteenth century, when Master Georire Tiibcr- 
 ville thus wrote;, as we find it in llackluyt : — 
 
 *' The cold is rare, the people rmle, the pruice so full of pride, 
 The realm so stor'd with monks and miniies, and priests on every 
 
 side ; 
 The manners are so Turkie-like, the men so full of guile, 
 The women wanton, temples stuff' 'd with idols that defile 
 The seats that sacred ought to be ; the customs are so quaint, 
 As if I could describe the whole, I fear my pen would faint." 
 
 It did not appear to us that drunkenness is a 
 national vice ; we noticed but few instances of it 
 aniontj the lower orders duringr the whole of our 
 wanderings in that country. I should rather say, 
 the peasantry are a quiet, orderly, decent, and well 
 behaved people ; and, in corroboration of this opi- 
 nion. Dr. Lyall, who had many opportunities of 
 knowing them, says that, amongst the peasantry, 
 he has frequently had occasion to notice their tem- 
 perance, and that he has even found some in every 
 village who could not be induced, on any account, 
 to taste spirits. 
 
 The Russians, who have never been out of their 
 own country, be their rank what it may, cannot, 
 or, what is more probable, will not, understand 
 what is meant by an English Gentleman. They 
 immediately set him down for a merchant, and as 
 such he is thought but little of; so that travellers, 
 when they get their passports made out at Peters- 
 burg, will do well to rank themselves as noble- 
 men, or naval or military officers, under any one 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 125 
 
 of which characters they are sure to meet ^vith 
 attention. 
 
 Of the last conflagration of Moscow, few traces 
 now remained. The houses were mostly rebuilt, 
 and the general appearance of the town has no doubt 
 been very materially improved, in consequence of 
 that deplorable event. The inhabitants will not, on 
 any account, acknowledge that they themselves had 
 any hand in setting fire to the city, alleging it to be 
 a scandalous report of the French, on whom the 
 whole odium ought to rest. The French, on the 
 contrary, assert, that they had but a small share in 
 this disastrous event, and that the Russians were 
 the first to set fire to the city. Count Rostopchin, 
 however, who was governor of Moscow at the time 
 of the conflagration^ lays the whole of the unfortu- 
 nate occurrence to the Emperor Napoleon ; and, in 
 alluding to an appeal made by him from the island 
 of St. Helena to the British nation, in which it is 
 stated that " the Emperor personally exposed him- 
 self, in order to extinguish the fire of Moscow," the 
 Count expresses his surprise at seeing it so stated; 
 and " that he (Napoleon) had incurred no danger 
 in wishing to save Moscow from the conflagration 
 in the year 1812. His amazing efforts," he says, 
 " and greatness of mind were, however, limited to 
 mounting his horse, as soon as the fire appeared, 
 and galloping to the distance of two English miles 
 from the town, in order to place himself in safety. 
 He passed three days and three nights in a palace. 
 
126 MOSCOW. [Chap. III. 
 
 ill the midst of a corps of troops, who bivouacked 
 and only rolunicd to Moscow on the fourth day, 
 when the conflagration had ceased, after having 
 consumed 7G32 houses. I was well informed," he 
 continues, '' of all that was passing in the town, by 
 means of six officers disguised, who remained un- 
 discovered during the whole of Bonaparte's stay at 
 Moscow ; but on his quitting it, he set fire to the 
 Palace of the Kremlin among others, and to the 
 Castle of Petrovski, which had served him as an 
 asylum during the great conflagration. Perhaps 
 this was done by him as an act of kindness, with the 
 intention of purifying them by fire from the evils he 
 had been the source of." 
 
 It never can be. ascertained, with any degree of 
 certainty, who it was that caused this sad destruc- 
 tion of property; one party as stoutly denies, as 
 the other asserts, the fact. The most probable con- 
 jecture is, that it began by accident, and was conti- 
 nued and spread by both parties. Postopchin has 
 even been accused of having himself caused the 
 Kremlin to be set fire to. This man^ at least, per- 
 formed one magnanimous act. He set fire to his 
 own house at Voronovo. The address he placed 
 on the church-door of the villagre assigns his 
 motive : — " Eight years I embellished this country 
 residence ; eight years I lived happily here in the 
 bosom of my family, and under the protection of 
 the paternal government of the Emperor Alexander. 
 The peasants of this village fly from you, and I 
 
Chap. III.] MOSCOW. 127 
 
 burn my house that it may not be defiled by French 
 robbers." 
 
 Having satisfied our curiosity in Moscow, we 
 left that city on the 23d, and returned in the 
 diligence, the same way we came, to Petersburg, 
 and arrived there on the evening of the 26th. We 
 were fortunate on this occasion to secure inside 
 berths, and, by a curious chance, had for our fel- 
 low-travellers two of our countrymen, which made 
 the return journey much more agreeable than that 
 which brought us to Moscow. 
 
128 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 PETERSBURG TO STOCKHOLM. 
 
 Preparations for the Journey— Rules for Postin<^— Finnish Paper 
 Money — Appearance of the Country— Boulders of Granite — 
 Ardent Spirit named Votki — "VVyborg — Fredericksham — 
 Louisa— Uelsingfors — Abo— Navigation among the Islands ia 
 the Gulf of Bothnia — Arrival at Stockholm. 
 
 On Friday, the 3lst of August, we took our final 
 departure from Petersburg for Stockholm, in a small 
 carriage which we had purchased for the journey at 
 the trifling cost of 140 rubles, — about 6/. English 
 money. It was a sort of waggon without springs, 
 but this did not prevent it from turning out a far 
 more comfortable vehicle than we had at first 
 anticipated. It possessed the advantage of being 
 exceedingly light, the body being constructed of 
 basket-work; and it was loncj enough to admit of 
 our lying at full length ; but in consequence of the 
 space necessarily occupied by our luggage, which 
 was stowed at the foot of the carriajje, we were 
 unable to indulore in this luxurious mode of travel- 
 ling, which is quite common throughout Russia. 
 
 To prevent jolting, a mattress of straw was pro- 
 cured, and placed the whole length along the 
 bottom ; and this, with the assistance of a couple 
 of pillows of soft down, neatly cased in leather^ 
 
Chap. IV.] JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. 129 
 
 had the desired effect, and caused the journey 
 as far as Abo to be performed with every possible 
 degree of ease and comfort. The mattresses gene- 
 rally used for this purpose are filled with feathers, 
 which soon work their way through the casino-; 
 and I have often been amused to see a traveller 
 alight from his carriage literally covered with 
 flue ! 
 
 Our carriage, light as it was — for I could easily 
 draw it along on level ground with one hand — was 
 invariably drawn, throughout the journey, by no 
 fewer than three horses. The reason of this appa- 
 rent extravagance, in having .so many horses to draw 
 a carriage which was of so light a construction, is, 
 that the regulations for posting, which are strictly 
 adhered to by the postmasters, require that one 
 horse shall be taken for every person in the 
 carriage ; and having engaged a servant at Peters- 
 burg to accompany us on the journey as an inter- 
 preter, our party consisted of that number. To 
 this man, on our arrival at Abo, we paid one hun- 
 dred rubles for his services. In a written affree- 
 ment which had been drawn up and signed by him 
 to prevent misunderstanding, a plan I cannot too 
 strongly recommend, it was mentioned that he was 
 to provide his own food, which was found to be a 
 very necessary precaution, as every traveller on this 
 road is obliged to carry his own provisions with 
 liim. As far as we were enabled, however, to do 
 so, we allowed him to partake of our fare ; but this 
 
 g5 
 
130 JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. [Chap. IV. 
 
 was, of course, meant and received as an indul- 
 gence. We had every reason to be perfectly satis- 
 fied witli his conduct on all occasions; and though 
 we travelled three nights out of tlie four that were 
 spent on the road, he never made the slightest 
 complaint, nor appeared to be in the least dis- 
 pleased or out of humour, which he certainly had 
 good reason to be, had he thought fit to show it. 
 I often pitied the poor fellow, as I watched him 
 at night, perched on the narrow^ box-seat of our 
 carriage, with little or no svipport for his back, 
 in constant expectation of seeing him rolling on 
 the ground, being frequently unable to keep his 
 eyes open. The fatigue to him must necessarily 
 have been great, but it was some satisfaction to 
 see him amply making up for it when we arrived 
 at the end of our journey, which he did by remain- 
 ing, though not actually in bed, yet on his bed for 
 two successive days and nights, at the end of which 
 period he was perfectly restored to his former acti- 
 vity. As a proof that he was so, he took his de- 
 parture again for Petersburg on the third day in 
 one of the common carts of the country, which are 
 also without springs, being nothing more than a 
 square box with a seat in it, in which the couriers 
 travel with their dispatches. 
 
 A great part of the road to Abo was kept in 
 beautiful order : not a hollow nor rut of any de- 
 scription occurring until near the close of the 
 journey, when it became a little heavy owing to the 
 
Chap. IV.] JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. 131 
 
 sandy soil in the neighbourhood ; })ut even here we 
 were able to travel at a pretty quick pace. 
 
 The posting is remarkably cheap, averaging from 
 about three halfpence to twopence a mile for each 
 horse. Our light waggon hurried along at a great 
 rate, sometimes with a rapidity that rendered it, as 
 we thought, dangerous : on one occasion, in particular, 
 we were driven by a little boy not more than eleven 
 or twelve years old, who drove the poor horses at a 
 full gallop for a whole stage over a road which twisted 
 and turned among rocks in every possible direction. 
 We had to pass several small wooden bridges, over 
 brooks rippling down the valleys, and here our 
 young driver appeared to take great delight in 
 galloping at a tremendous rate down the hill and 
 across these bridges, by which such an impetus was 
 given to the vehicle, that we were at the top of the 
 next on the other side in a moment. 
 
 The three horses were always harnessed abreast, 
 and the third was of no use whatever, being merely 
 loosely tied to the carriage by a slight rope. The 
 driver had no control over this horse : he ran with 
 the others as a matter of course, but would now 
 and then take it into his head to stop short, or turn 
 round, and bring his nose right into the carriage ; 
 there was nothing to prevent his doing so when- 
 ever he pleased, and the driver was invariably 
 obliged to dismount from his seat to replace him 
 in his proper position. Upon these occasions, it 
 was natural to expect that we should be over- 
 
132 JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. [Chap. IV. 
 
 turned; but fortunately our expectations were not 
 realized. 
 
 We were only once delayed for horses, and 
 that was on a Sunday, when we waited at a 
 small village for about three hours, for the 
 return of a man who had been dispatched by the 
 postmaster to the next village to procure them. 
 With this one exception, the horses appeared to 
 be plentiful, and I have no doubt we might have 
 been acconmiodated with double the number we 
 required at every other station. The expedition 
 with which they change horses is surprising, fully 
 equalling that of our mail coaches ; but we inva- 
 riably experienced a sad delay in settling the pay 
 of the different drivers, who, strange to say, were 
 generally unwilling to be paid in silver, and near 
 the end of the journey, positively refused to accept 
 it, and insisted upon receiving paper-money ; they 
 would squabble for half an hour about a single kopeck, 
 w hen the notes we gave might perhaps have required 
 that sum to make up the amount of the postage, 
 and they had no change. The paper notes run as 
 low as twenty kopecks, which is, I think, some- 
 where about 8c/. English money; each of them bear 
 two signatures : and the manner in which they are 
 executed is admirable. At the top stands the num- 
 ber, and beneath is engraved the spread eagle with 
 his two necks branching out, and over them a 
 crown ; then comes a fine flourish in German text, 
 showing the value of the note itien a long, and 
 
Chap. IV.] JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. 133 
 
 to US quite unintelligible, account in Finnish, written 
 on a part richly ornamented with a semicircular 
 zicrzacr sort of eno^ravinor to prevent fraud ; and 
 lastly, in the left hand corner, is another specimen 
 of engraving, in which, in large characters, may be 
 seen " 20 kop," and all this for Sd. ! 
 
 There is much sameness in the appearance of the 
 face of the country the whole way from Petersburg 
 to Abo, but nevertheless it is of a pleasing character. 
 The road lies chiefly through forests of firs and 
 birch, which in many places overhang it, sometimes 
 spreading their branches quite across it, entwining 
 with each other from the opposite sides, and form- 
 inof an ao^reeable shade. The immense masses of 
 granite blocks or boulders scattered over the whole 
 face of the country, give to it a peculiar character; 
 some of them are of a size far surpassing that, even 
 in its original state, which supports the statue 
 of the Czar Peter. All these enormous isolated 
 masses of granite must have been torn off from 
 their parent and primitive mountains, and carried 
 to the plain over which they now lie scattered, 
 by some overwhelming force, whose action, so far 
 from stopping here, has rolled away similar boulders 
 across the Gulf of Finland into the plains of Russia, 
 and probably across the German Ocean, and strewed 
 them on the plains of Norfolk. Professor Buckland 
 observes, that in the inland districts of England are 
 found '' large blocks and pebbles of many varieties 
 of primitive and transition rocks, which do not occur 
 
134 JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. [Chap. IV. 
 
 in England, and which can only be accounted for 
 by supposing them to have been drifted from the 
 nearest, continental strata of Norway, by a force of 
 water analogous to, and contemporaneous with, that 
 which drifted the blocks of Finland granite over the 
 plains of Russia and the north of Germany. A 
 diluvial current from the north," he continues, "is 
 the only adequate cause that can be proposed, and 
 it is one that seems to satisfy all the conditions of 
 the problem." 
 
 This road winds among, and around, these huge 
 and innumerable masses in a very singular manner, 
 not unfrcquently taking quite a contrary direction 
 in order to avoid them. So thick are they strewed 
 in some spots, — tossed one upon another in the 
 greatest possible confusion, — that seen from a short 
 distance they might be set down, with a little assist- 
 ance of the imagination, as the ruins of some ancient 
 city. 
 
 As we proceeded, the surface became undulated 
 by hill and dale, both clothed with forests of pnie 
 trees, but the eye was occasionally greeted by the 
 sight of a beautiful lake, which would now and then 
 agreeably burst upon the view ; but there did not 
 appear to be much ground under tillage. That 
 this part of Finland was but little cultivated was 
 too evident, from the scanty and bad quality of the 
 subsistence to be met with in all the villages through 
 which we passed, and in which we were rarely 
 able to procure any other species of provisions 
 
Chap. IV.] JOURNEY TO STOCKHOLM. 135 
 
 than the coarsest bro\Yn bread, baked as hard 
 as a sailor's biscuit, or burnt rather to a cinder, 
 which in appearance it pretty much resembled. 
 Add to this a little fish, dried or saUed, sour 
 cream, and sometimes, though not always, salted 
 butter — and you liave the sum total of what may be 
 expected in a Finnish village. Fortunately we had 
 been informed of this scarcity before starting, and 
 had laid in a tolerably good stock of tongues, 
 chickens, and other good things, together with a 
 small supply of eau de vie, which we thought 
 would have been sufficient, with the addition of any 
 other beverage we nu'ght chance to meet with ; but 
 in this we were disappointed ; we found nothing 
 whatever but the ardent spirit called Votki : so that 
 when our little stock of brandy was exhausted, we 
 had no alternative but to resort to this native liquor, 
 which we had heard much abused and execrated as 
 a most villainous beverage, but which we did not 
 find to deserve such a character. The flavour is more 
 that of whiskey than any other spirit, is exceedingly 
 fiery, but, when mixed with hot water and sugar, is 
 by no means unpleasant. 
 
 The Finns, as is well known, are quite a distinct 
 race from the Russians, and also from their former 
 masters, the Swedes. They are altogether diflerent 
 in their features, their manners, and their lanoruao^e. 
 Their complexions are mostly fair, and they do not, 
 as far as I observed, allow their beards to grow. 
 Their hair is generally much lighter in ^lour and 
 
136 WYIJORO. [Chap. IV. 
 
 not so coarse as tliat of the Russians. It is allowed 
 to hang down the neck, but not low, and is divided 
 in the centre. Their language appears to be harsh 
 and guttural, and they talk so fast as to render it 
 difficult, even for one who has made some proficiency 
 in it, to understand them. In their manner of 
 speaking they very much resemble the Irish. 
 Drunkenness appears to be an habitual vice among 
 them. They drink the votki raw, and in large 
 quantities, and are therefore not long in arriving at 
 a state of intoxication when they set about it in 
 earnest. I had occasion to remark this in one of 
 our drivers, who had been paid for the stage he had 
 driven us on the moment of our arrival, and who, 
 during the quarter of an hour — for it was certainly 
 not longer — that elapsed whilst we were taking 
 our refreshments, before we started on the next 
 stage, had managed to get perfectly drunk with this 
 most pernicious^ as it is said to be, of all ardent 
 spirits. 
 
 The first town of any note that we arrived at, 
 after leaving Petersburg, was Wyborg, through 
 which we passed at an early hour on the morning 
 following that of our departure. We were agreeably 
 surprised to find ourselves in a fine town wearing all 
 the marks of prosperity ; many of the houses are 
 large, mostly built of brick, and whitewashed. 
 The roofs are painted green, and so are the domes 
 of the churches and chapels, which give a character 
 to this town. Its general appearance was neat- 
 
Chap. IV.J FREDERICKSHAM. 137 
 
 ncss, and the streets were clean, but notwithstandino- 
 the presence of some soldiers, who generally add to 
 the liveliness of a town, there w'as nothino- like the 
 bustle of business, even though it is a garrison sea- 
 port town, and a place of some commercial import- 
 ance. The conquest of Wyborg by Peter the Great 
 w^as the first blow he struck against the power of 
 Sweden on this side the Gulf of Finland, while 
 Charles XII. w-as quarrelling with the Turks at 
 Bender. 
 
 Fredericksham, where we arrived on the even- 
 ing of the same day, was the next large town we 
 came to. It presented a far more animated and 
 cheerful appearance than Wyborg. The houses 
 are mostly stuccoed, and we passed along a street 
 that might be called handsome in any country. On 
 entering the gates, our passport was taken away, but 
 in a short time brought back again to the post- 
 house by a soldier, w ho maiched into the room with 
 his firelock shouldered, and delivered it to us, 
 marching- out ao^ain without utterinor a sing^le word, 
 and looking^ as stiff as buckram. 
 
 Between Wyborg and Fredericksham is situated 
 the quarry of Feterlax, from whence were cut out 
 those enormous columns of granite, which are 
 erecting at the new Isaac Church at Petersburg, but 
 as these quarries are at some little distance off the 
 road, we did not think it worth the delay that 
 would have been occasioned by a visit to them. 
 
 The towns of Louisa and Helsingfors are the 
 
138 IIELSINGFORS. [Chap. IV. 
 
 only ones that I have now to mention which lie on 
 this road between Fredericksham and Abo; the 
 former is a pretty little town enough, and the latter 
 the largest and handsomest of any that we passed ; 
 in fact it has usurped the place of Abo, and may 
 now be considered as the capital of Finland. Many 
 of its buildings are of stone, and those of brick 
 are, generally speaking, stuccoed. It is a strong 
 military post, well fortified, is situated at the bottom 
 of a noble bay, and likely to become a place of great 
 commercial importance. There is an excellent 
 quay for the benefit of shipping that resort to it. 
 The water is sufficiently deep for the largest ships 
 of war, and the great arsenal of Sweaborg protects 
 them and the town from any attacks by sea. 
 
 This was the first place on this line of coast 
 attacked by Peter the Great in person, when in the 
 year 1713 he hoisted his flag as rear-admiral for 
 the first time in a ship of 50 guns, followed by 
 about 90 galleys and 50 flat-bottomed boats, with 
 1G,000 land forces. The dangers were great from 
 rocks and shoals, but the Czar overcame them all ; 
 and the bold enterprise. was crowned with complete 
 success, not only here, but along the whole coast as 
 far as Abo on the Gulf of Bothnia. 
 
 The post stations at the villages, without one 
 exception, are miserable hovels, and totally unfit 
 for any traveller to think of sleeping in. Nothing 
 could exceed the wretched and filthy state of the 
 interior of some of these houses, which are only 
 
Chap. IV.] ABO. 139 
 
 entered for the purpose of writing one's names in the 
 book kept at each station, a task by the way which 
 proved exceedingly troublesome. On these occa- 
 sions I have noticed the whole family, apparently 
 servants and all, sleeping in the same apartment, — 
 men, women, and children stowed away in the 
 several wooden chests or cribs, not unlike corn- 
 binns, that surrounded the room. 
 
 The distance from St. Petersburg to Abo is 626 
 versts, or about 418 English miles, reckoning two- 
 thirds of a mile to one verst, a journey which we ac- 
 complished by travelling four days and three nights 
 on the road, having arrived at Abo on the morning 
 of Wednesday, the 4th of August. It was a severe 
 trial for our light carriage, which now began to show 
 symptoms of weakness, and to require some repairs. 
 We had very nearly lost one of the wheels on the 
 road, an accident which might have proved rather 
 serious, had it " parted company" (as a sailor would 
 say) at a time when we were galloping at the 
 furious rate that we generally did, up hill and down 
 hill all the same. But though we escaped being 
 left on the road, we were put for once to some little 
 inconvenience, by having to wait a couple of hours^ 
 or so, on the outside of a post-house, at three o'clock 
 on a raw m.orning, shivering with cold, whilst our 
 servant was gone to the neighbouring village to 
 knock up a blacksmith, which he was fortunate 
 enough to succeed in doing, when this son of Vulcan 
 put our wheel once more into a state of repair. 
 
140 ABO. [Chap. IV. 
 
 It was about two o'clock in the mornlno- when 
 we drove into the large court-yard of the inn at 
 Abo, and all was still and silent as the grave. In 
 vain did we knock at every door, and tap at every 
 windo^v within our reach : not a soul appeared to 
 be in existence. Fatigued with a long journey, and 
 sadly disappointed with the prospect of sleeping in 
 the open air, for I had long set my mind on a com- 
 fortable rest, I samitered up and down the yard 
 in a fit of melancholy, and heartily wished myself 
 either at home, or again at Petersburg. I was, how- 
 ever, suddenly aroused from my despondency by 
 our courier, who had spied out a couple of legs 
 dangling from a hay-loft, and with the utmost diffi- 
 culty succeeded in waking the owner of them, and 
 in the course of an hour or more we were accom- 
 modated with a room, having a couple of sofas, on 
 which we slept soundly. 
 
 Early the following morning, we walked down to 
 the quay to make inquiries respecting the packet- 
 boat for Stockholm, and found that she was all 
 ready to start but was waiting for a fair wind, which 
 the captain told us he did not expect for a few davs 
 to come, and unfortunately he proved to be right in 
 his conjectures. This detention at Abo was a seri- 
 ous inconvenience to us who were pressed for time, 
 so that we more than once thoug^ht of makinsr the 
 best of our way rovuid the Gulf of Bothnia, by 
 Tornea, a journey which would, under any other 
 circumstances, have been most interesting. Fortu- 
 
Chap. IV.] ABO. 141 
 
 liately, however, we did not undertake it, for I 
 am informed that the difficulty of procuring horses 
 is great, and that, in spite of every effort, the 
 chances are, that we should have been a far longer 
 period in making the tour round the gulf, than we 
 were by waiting for a fair wind, which, by the way, 
 after all, we never got. 
 
 On our arrival at Abo, we sold our vehicle to the 
 landlord for somewhat less than a third of its ori- 
 ginal cost, but as it had sustained considerable 
 damage, and required new wheels, two of which 
 w^ere only held together by ropes, we were not sorry 
 to get rid of it for that or any other sum, as it 
 would have cost more to convey it across to Stock- 
 holm than it was worth, and when there, it must 
 have undergone a thorough repair ere it would 
 have been fit for another journey. Before we left 
 Abo, however, the carriage had been brushed up, 
 and with the aid of a little paint, looked quite smart 
 again, and ready for sale to any person w^ho might 
 be on his way to Petersburg, and from whom our 
 honest host would probably contrive to get a great 
 deal more for it than its origrinal cost. 
 
 We found ourselves comfortably enough lodged 
 at the inn. Part of its establishment was a small 
 theatre, the only one, I believe, at Abo, which occu 
 pied the upper story of the building. One per- 
 formance took place during our residence at the inn 
 at which we, as a matter of course, did not fail to 
 be present. The audience were seated on benches 
 
112 AT?0. [Chap. IV. 
 
 arran<Ted in a sinillar manner to those in tlie pit of 
 any other theatre, and the space for these benches 
 was divided into three parts; tlie first, and that 
 nearest the stage, being- the most select, and 
 consequently of the highest price, answered to 
 the boxes in our own theatres, — the second divi- 
 sion to the pit, and the third to the gallery. The 
 theatre was well attended ; that is to say, being 
 calculated to hold about 200 persons, there could 
 not have been less than 150 present. The per- 
 formance was carried on with great spirit, and 
 ajipeared to give much satisfaction to those of the 
 audience who understood it, wdiich did not include 
 ourselves. As far as I could make out the play, 
 it appeared to me that all the jokes turned upon 
 our own countrymen. The principal character was 
 an Englishman, but his representative was as unlike 
 one as it is possible to conceive ; he was supposed 
 to be in love with some fair damsel who rejected his 
 addresses. He was on his knees repeatedly before 
 her, which greatly amused the company; but at 
 last finding that he was unable to make any impres- 
 sion on the cruel lady, and despairing of ever 
 gaining her affections, he threatened to destroy him- 
 self, and made preparations accordingly, which set 
 the w^hole audience in a roar of laughter. Several 
 eyes were turned towards us during the perform- 
 ance, and we made a point of laughing at every 
 joke, though it was no difficult matter to do so at 
 f^uch an absurd representation of John Bull. This 
 
Chap. IV.] ABO. 143 
 
 theatre proved a great source of amusement to us 
 during our detention by a foul wind, for having 
 seen all that was worth seeing, we were much at a 
 loss to pass the four days we were detained at Aho, 
 one of which was amply sufficient to satisfy curiosity. 
 The stage-manager, or the superintendent of the 
 corps dramat'ique, was one of the most lively, good 
 natured men I have ever met with, and spoke 
 French fluently. He resided in the hotel, and we 
 soon became excellent friends, so much so, that he 
 allowed us to attend the rehearsals in the mornings 
 whenever we pleased. By candle-light the heroes 
 and heroines looked tolerably decent and respect- 
 able, but when we saw them by day-light it would 
 be impossible to imagine a more ill-favoured set, 
 not even in the booths of a country fair in England, 
 or at St. Bartholomew. 
 
 On the night of the representation, there were 
 many well-dressed ladies present, and amongst 
 them a very tolerable share of beauty. Indeed, the 
 audience was chiefly composed of females. There 
 were two very smart-looking young ladies who par- 
 ticularly caught our attention, and whom we con- 
 sidered as the prettiest girls present. These we 
 afterwards discovered were the daughters of our 
 landlord, but they kept themselves so closely shut 
 up that we w^ere not fortunate enough to get one 
 glimpse of them again during our stay in the same 
 house. 
 
 The observatory at Abo is situated on an emi- 
 
144 ABO. [Chap. IV. 
 
 nence on the side of the water, opposite to, and 
 facing, the town, and is approached by a long 
 and steep flight of wooden steps. There is also 
 yet remaining a public library at Abo; but when 
 Peter the Great made his conquest of this ancient 
 capital of Finland, he took possession of the uni- 
 versity library, and sent it to Petersburg, where a 
 building was prepared for its reception : and this, 
 in fact, was the foundation of the present library 
 in that capital. What Peter, however, destroyed, 
 has been restored by Alexander. The university 
 is a plain building of rose-coloured granite. 
 
 Abo appeared to be by far the most busy place 
 we had touched at since leaving Petersburg — all 
 was life and animation. In the upper part of the 
 town, workmen were busily employed in blasting 
 the rocks to obtain building materials and for 
 forming a new road, and houses were to be seen in 
 proo-ress in every direction. The blows of the ham- 
 mers, which commenced at a very early hour of the 
 day and lasted till dusk, reminded me of the noise 
 in a dock-yard, w-hen the men are employed on 
 ships on the stocks. 
 
 The wind still continuing to blow directly against 
 us, without the slightest prospect of its veering 
 round, the captain of the vessel, in which we had 
 engaged our passage, determined to get under weigh, 
 which was accordingly done to our great joy on the 
 evening of the 7th. The vessel Avas towed out of 
 the harbour to some little distance by the crew 
 
C'iiap. IV.] VOYAGE TO STOCKHOLM. 145 
 
 who sung loudly some curious notes of music as 
 they walked along the bank. Night comino- on, 
 and having got a little " sea room," the towino- 
 party returned on board, the mainsail was hoisted, 
 and we commenced our voyage across the Gulf of 
 Bothnia by tacking among the innumerable rocks 
 and islands which lie between Abo and Aland. 
 
 The passengers on board were numerous, but 
 they were for the most part fore-cabin passeni^ers. 
 We, however, had the good fortune to be in com- 
 pany with an English lady and gentleman, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Lushington, who, like ourselves, had 
 been waiting at Abo for a fair wind. From these 
 agreeable travellers we received the greatest pos- 
 sible kindness and attention. INIrs. Lushino-ton is 
 well known to the public from her unpretending 
 but interesting little account of a journey she 23er- 
 formed overland from India in the years 1827 and 
 1828, at which period she was, I believe, and per- 
 haps still is, the only lady who has ever crossed the 
 deserts. To them we were also indebted for our 
 not having been put upon short allowance of provi- 
 sions, of which we found there was but a small 
 stock on board — the passengers, as we found out too 
 late, being expected to bring their own with them. 
 
 Our fellow-voyagers at the fore part of the vessel 
 were a merry set of people, and seemed to be at no 
 loss in finding amusement among themselves. One 
 evening, while becalmed among the islands, the 
 female part of these joyous passengers took it into 
 
 H 
 
14G VOYAGE TO STOCKHOLM. [Chap. IV. 
 
 their heads to act a play — something, probably, of 
 their own extemporaneous invention ; but whatever 
 it was, it had the effect of making both themselves 
 and their audience laugh immoderately; and tliough 
 -we, in the after part of the vessel, understood nothing 
 of the matter, we found their merriment was catch- 
 Iticr, and were obliged to join in the laugh. The 
 passengers, also, from their diflferent dresses and 
 manners, afforded us a source of amusement in our 
 tardy progress. One of the smartest-looking was 
 a orentleman dressed in a lio^ht blue frock-coat, but- 
 toned closely up to the throat, whom I conjectured, 
 from his appearance, to be a Prussian officer of some 
 distinction, but Jie turned out to be a printer at 
 Stockholm. An old woman, who could not have 
 been far short of seventy, particularly attracted our 
 notice in the course of the voyage from her extraor- 
 dinary activity : indeed, she seemed nearly as much 
 at home, with regard to her knowledge of the ropes, 
 as any of the sailors, and constantly lent a hand in 
 tacking the vessel. 
 
 We were informed, that at one time a steam-boat 
 used to run between Abo and vStockholm, but that, 
 unfortimately, they contrived to get her on shore 
 last year among some of the numberless rocks or 
 shoals, when she received so much damage as to be 
 rendered totally unfit for further service without a 
 very expensive repair; and as we heard nothing of 
 her either at Abo or Stockholm, I conclude the pro- 
 prietors thought it the most prudent step to break 
 
Chap. IV.] VOYAGE TO STOCKHOLM. 147 
 
 her up : it was said, however, that preparations were 
 making to replace her by another, intended to start 
 on fixed days, which, across this gulf in particular, 
 must prove of the greatest convenience to travellers. 
 
 To add to our annoyance while on this passage, 
 the accommodation on board the cutter was very 
 bad ; there were berths but no bedding, and I was 
 therefore, for four nights, obliged to wrap myself 
 up in my cloak. The weather, however, was 
 delightful though the wind was hard-hearted, and 
 nothing could surpass the beauty of the scene, as 
 we were perpetually tacking through the number- 
 less islands — an operation, however, which is not 
 the most agreeable in a small vessel to those who 
 have nothing to do but look about them, which was 
 our case. The necessity of stooping, at least every 
 five minutes and frequently oftener, to allow the 
 boom to pass over our heads, was, however, in 
 some degree compensated by the change of scene 
 that it occasioned, giving each time a new appear- 
 ance to the surrounding islands. 
 
 After the first night, as soon as it became dusk,- 
 we always anchored, the navigation among the 
 islets and rocks, many of which are scarcely visible 
 above the surface of the water, being rendered ex- 
 tremely dangerous. For this necessary precaution 
 we were indebted to a Swedish gentleman, a profes- 
 sor, who was a passenger on board, and who pre- 
 vailed upon the captain to adopt this precautionary 
 measure. 
 
 h2 
 
148 VOYAGi: TO STOCKHOLM. [Chap. IV. 
 
 Of the o^rcat cluster of islands, which almost 
 choak up this lower part of the gulf of Bothnia, 
 and which, with the islets and rocks ahove water, 
 amount to not less than three thousand, those 
 next to the coast of Sweden are more pictu- 
 resque than those on the opposite coast of Finland, 
 which, although very beautiful and well-clothed, 
 are not of so bold a character. Few of them on 
 either side presented any signs of habitation, but 
 those which were inhabited were occupied only by 
 a few fishermen, and those employed in cutting 
 deal planks by means of small saw-mills, turned 
 by the wind, the sails made of deal. They live in 
 log-houses, and the little trade they have is in 
 wood and fish. This multitude of primitive 
 rocks may perhaps be supposed to have their 
 origin by resisting that tremendous rush of waters 
 from the north, which Professor Buckland has 
 employed for the conveyance of his boulders; 
 scooping out at the same time the Gulf of Bothnia, 
 and sweeping away the looser materials near its 
 mouth, and leaving the enormous multitude of the 
 firm rocks, which now choak it up, undisturbed. 
 
 On reaching the island of Aland, the largest and 
 most important in the group, some Russian custom- 
 house officers came on board the cutter, and exa- 
 mined the luggage of the passengers, but they 
 w^ere not very particular in making their search, 
 and did not detain us for any length of time. 
 
 It was here that the conquest of Finland from 
 
Chap. IV.] VOYAGE TO STOCKHOLM. 149 
 
 the Swedes, by the Czar Peter, was completed by 
 the capture of Admiral Ehrenschild's frigate, a num- 
 ber of large galleys and prames, and of the Swedish 
 Admiral himself, who endeavoured to escape in a 
 boat. The island fell into the hands of the Rus- 
 sians ; and such was the consternation of Sweden, 
 that Stoqkholm even was alarmed for its safety. 
 
 At this place our sailors managed, clumsily 
 enough, to ground the vessel, but got her off again 
 without much difficulty, and some little delay. 
 However, we completed the voyage to Stockholm, 
 which is about one hundred and eighty miles, in 
 four days, delighted when the ship's head looked 
 up the bay and advanced towards that city ; and 
 still more so, when we came to anchor at an early 
 hour on the morning of the 12th of August, though 
 in the midst of a heavy fall of rain, which had set 
 in during the night, and which, much to our 
 annoyance, prevented us from remaining on deck 
 to enjoy the approach by water to Stockholm, 
 which travellers generally describe as highly pic 
 turesque and beautiful. 
 
150 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 STOCKHOLM TO HELSINGBORG. 
 
 The Quay and Shipping — Royal Palace — Picture Gallery — 
 Streets, Squares, and Statues — The Societ}-, or Nobles' Club — 
 Churches — Palace of Drottingholm — Military — Dalecarlians — 
 Moelar Lake — Westeras— Orebro — The Forebud — Wenern Lake 
 — Falls of Trolhatteu and Gotha — Gottenberg — Helsingborg. 
 
 On landing at Stockholm we experienced the same 
 difficulty in finding accommodation as at Peters- 
 burg and Moscow. There is at present but one 
 hotel, kept by a Frenchman, which has the reputa- 
 tion of being dirty and disagreeable, as well as 
 extravao^ant. Ttie London Hotel, to which we had 
 been recommended, was shut up. After much 
 trouble we succeeded in obtaining some tolerably 
 comfortable apartments in a lodging-house, situated 
 in a good part of the town ; but as the inmates were 
 Swedes, and could speak no other language but 
 their own, my fellow traveller and myself were 
 driven to the necessity of procuring everything we 
 wanted by signs, which often afforded much amuse- 
 ment to our hostess and her servants, as well as to 
 ourselves. We seldom, however, experienced any 
 difficulty in making ourselves understood, a circum- 
 stance which I am inclined to attribute more to their 
 good nature and anxiety to please, than to our own 
 
Chap, v.] STOCKHOLM. 151 
 
 skill, though it will readily be allowed that the latter 
 must have been frequently put to the test. 
 
 Stockholm, when viewed from a distance, and at 
 particular spots, has the appearance of a splendid 
 city, but a closer inspection will be apt to disap- 
 point a stranger. There are but few buildings of 
 any importance, and not much to interest the 
 traveller. It possesses, liowever, an excellent har- 
 bour, of sufficient depth of water to admit of vessels 
 of considerable burthen close alongside of its quay. 
 It was now crowded with merchant shipping, 
 with a few gun-boats and galleys. The numer- 
 ous ferry boats which ply to and fro are pulled 
 mostly by women, pretty w^ell advanced in years, 
 who yet performed their arduous task with great 
 skill. 
 
 The quay, at all times, presented a lively scene, 
 and was kept in a constant state of noise and bustle 
 by the shipping of iron, which is exported from this 
 country in very large quantities. Nor was this noise 
 confined alone to the quay. Carts were constantly 
 passing through the streets at all hours of the day, 
 loaded with bars of iron, the jarring of which was 
 a perpetual nuisance to the passenger. Copper from 
 the Dalecarlian mines, timber, hemp and flax, are 
 also articles of export ; manufactures of glass, pot- 
 tery, and woollensj are chiefly employed for home 
 consumption. 
 
 That part of the town, which is situated at the 
 bottom of the harbour, is built on an eminence so 
 
15'2 STOCKHOLM. [Chap. V. 
 
 very steep, tliat the houses rise one above another 
 like so many steps, and, like those of Aix- 
 la-Chapelle, produce an imposing and pleasing 
 effect. The view from the summit of this hill, on 
 which stands the church of St. Catharine, is 
 strikingly picturesque. Of the buildings, the royal 
 palace is the most conspicuous, as it certainly is the 
 most extensive edifice, in the place. It stands upon 
 a slight eminence, overlooking the harbour, which 
 gives it a most imposing appearance. It is a square 
 buildin<T, with winors on each side, the whole of 
 brick, stuccoed white, and the fa9ade is richly orna- 
 mented with Grecian pilasters. 
 
 The interior contains but little worthy of remark, 
 after visiting the gorgeous palaces of Russia. I'he 
 picture gallery is extensive, and possesses a few 
 good paintings amidst many bad. Several pictures 
 were pointed out as originals of Rubens, Vandyke, 
 Rembrandt, Wouverman, and Teniers, but, like 
 those in the palace of Petersburg, it may be sus- 
 pected there were many copies amongst them. In 
 this gallery are also some apparently good statues 
 in marble, but not being a connoisseur in statuary, 
 nor provided with a catalogue, I was unable to 
 ascertain any particulars relating to them. Some of 
 the apartments in the palace are very large, but the 
 state apartments consist of a long suite of chambers, 
 remarkable neither for their grandeur nor elegance. 
 The entrance by which we were conducted to these 
 apartments is through a dirty hall, which looks like 
 
Chap, v.] STOCKHOLM. 153 
 
 a kitchen, and is covered with cobwebs and filth. 
 Some three or four streets in this capital are 
 of considerable length and width, and the houses 
 in them are all stuccoed. There are also about the 
 same number of squares, in the centre of each of 
 which stands a statue. That of Gustavus Adolphus 
 faces the palace, the approach to which leads over a 
 granite bridge. The square in which it stands has 
 several handsome edifices, among which is the 
 Italian opera house. 
 
 I had heard much of the Nobles' Club, generally 
 called the Society, and to which strangers can be 
 introduced by any one of the members, upon paying 
 a few dollars for a ticket, which admits them for the 
 space of a month, and which may be renewed for the 
 same period, but not longer at once. Being anxious 
 to look at some English newspapers, not having 
 seen any since leaving England, we contrived to 
 get an introduction to the Society, and found it a 
 most agreeable lounge, particularly in the evening. 
 This club is frequented by all the nobility and 
 gentry of Stockholm, and appears to be in every 
 respect as comfortable and well managed as the 
 first of the club houses in London. It consists of a 
 suite of elegant apartments, which are furnished in 
 the best style. The reading room is well stocked 
 with newspapers, periodical journals, magazines, and 
 reviews. I found it generally well attended, and 
 perfect silence was maintained throughout the 
 apartments; in fact, rather too much so, as one 
 
 H 5 
 
154 STOCKHOLM. [Chap. V. 
 
 cannot help feeling as if under a restraint, Avhich is 
 by no means agreeable. 
 
 The churches, of which there are several, may be 
 considered, as they generally are, among the prin- 
 cipal features of the city. None of them are very 
 remarkable in point of architectural beauty, though 
 they are all neat and apparently solid edifices. The 
 Ridderholm church is interesting from the circum- 
 stance of its being the cemetery of the kings of 
 Sweden, and also because it contains the body of 
 Charles XII., as well as all the knights of the 
 order of Seraphim. The body of Charles is depo- 
 sited in an elegant sarcophagus of black marble, at 
 the foot of which is suspended the sword which he 
 was in the habit of wearing in battle, and bears 
 very evident marks of having seen some service. 
 On the lid of the sarcophagus is represented a club 
 and lion's skin in gilt bronze. The tomb of 
 Gustavus II., who was killed in the battle of Lutzen, 
 is carefully pointed out to strangers. Divine ser- 
 vice is seldom, if ever, performed in this church, 
 though I have heard that a sacred oratorio has 
 occasionally taken place within its walls. 
 
 The church of St. Catharine is a plain, handsome 
 edifice, but, like all other Protestant churches, there 
 is little to be seen to attract notice within. To the 
 wall of one of the side aisles is attached a large pic- 
 ture of the '' Day of Judgment :" — I could not learn 
 by whom painted; but the subject, bad in itself, 
 and unfit for a picture, was badly handled, and the 
 
Chap, v.] STOCKHOLM. 155 
 
 execution did not in any way make amends. In 
 this, as well as in almost every church throughout 
 Sweden, is the model of a ship, suspended from the 
 ceiling. 
 
 The king's stables attracted my attention when- 
 ever I passed them, owing to the incessant noise 
 occasioned by the horses striking the boards of the 
 floor with their hoofs. The number of stalls are 
 not fewer than one hundred and twenty, nearly the 
 w4iole of which were occupied. Some of the horses 
 were unquestionably fine animals, and appeared to 
 me to be of great value ; but there were many- 
 others of a very moderate stamp. The Royal 
 livery, though not so splendid, perhaps, as our 
 own, appears to the eye as more substantial, from 
 being niade of blue, instead of scarlet cloth. 
 
 The king takes his daily drive ; and, though it 
 was once supposed he was forced upon the Swedes by 
 Buonaparte against their will, he does not appear to 
 be in the least afraid of showing himself amongst 
 his subjects ; nor, indeed, has he the slightest cause 
 to be so, for he is extremely popular, and whenever 
 he makes his appearance in public is always well 
 received. 
 
 Althouorh revolutions have of late been so much 
 
 o 
 
 the fashion in other countries, Sweden may pro- 
 bably consider herself safe from one, and continue 
 an independent state, so long as Bernadotte re- 
 mains upon the throne : unless, indeed, the grasp- 
 ing ambition of the Autocrat of all the Russias 
 should take a fancy to add this poor country to the 
 
156 STOCKHOLM. [Cha;. V. 
 
 eighth part of the globe, which is about the share 
 he ah-eady is in the possession of. What this 
 insatiable despot means by the fortified encamp- 
 ment it is understood he is now making on the 
 island of Aland for 40,000 men, a short time may 
 show. One of two things only would seem to 
 supply an intelligible conjecture — either to over- 
 awe and secure the neutrality of Sweden, while 
 prosecuting his views in another quarter, or to 
 annex Sweden and Norway to his already over- 
 grown empire, and thus round it by the Baltic, 
 the North Sea, the Frozen Ocean, and the Sea of 
 Kamschatka. But a population of 3,802,900* 
 hardy freemen, if determined to resist, will not 
 easily be conquered. Let the Russian who enters 
 Nonvay with a hostile intent beware the fate of Sin- 
 clair and his unfortunate countrymen ! Of this popu- 
 lation Stockholm contains only about 77,000 souls. 
 A drive to the Palace of Drottingholm, which is 
 situated about seven or eight miles from the city, 
 will well repay the traveller. We were particu- 
 larly unlucky in finding on our arrival that the 
 royal inmates were at dinner, as early as two o'clock, 
 which prevented our seeing the interior of this 
 palace. They had evidently observed our party 
 loitering about the place, and with much civility 
 sent out a message, that if we could wait for an 
 
 * Sweden ..... 2,751,582 
 Nonvay 1,051,318 
 
 Total . . . 3,802,900 
 Colli cted from the latest and lest authorities by ForselL 
 
Chap, v.] STOCKHOLM. 157 
 
 hour we should be admitted ; but we were so 
 situated that we could not avail ourselves of this 
 indulgence. The palace and grounds, with the gar- 
 dens, promenades, and fountains, were intended to 
 be on the model of Versailles; but the gardens 
 were neglected, the ponds nearly dried up, the 
 pipes broken, and the pleasing sound of the gurg- 
 ling jets of water, supplanted by the harsh croaking 
 of the frogs, which leaped about in vast nu mbers 
 among the mud. We will suppose them not to be 
 toads, for the Swedes, like the Irish, boast that 
 venemous reptiles will not live in their country. 
 
 Having passed a Sunday at Stockholm, we were 
 desirous of attending divine service, and were di- 
 rected to a chapel, which we found to be a Wes- 
 leyan Methodist chapel, — the only church, as we 
 afterwards learned, in which the English residents 
 at Stockholm have the choice of attending service. 
 Among the congregation we observed our ambas- 
 sador and his family. The English residents, it 
 may be presumed, are too few or too poor to sup- 
 port a clergyman of the established church. 
 
 After church, I walked to the large square, in 
 which stands the Arsenal, and found a regiment 
 of grenadiers parading: the band was playing, and 
 a great concourse of people had collected, but, un- 
 fortunately, it came on to rain rather heav ily, which 
 hurried the soldiers otF the ground. They were a 
 fine-looking body of men, many of them six feet 
 high, and few, as I understood, less than five feet 
 
158 STOCKHOLM. [Chap. V. 
 
 ten ; they were well drilled, and marched with a 
 firm and steady step. The officers were mostly 
 very young. This was the only Swedish regiment 
 I had any opportunity of seeing under arms ; but 
 I was much pleased with an occasional sight of a 
 troop of light cavalry (hussars), who paraded 
 through the streets in the most splendid uniform 
 of blue and white. They were all young, smart- 
 looking fellows, and maintained an excellent 
 soldierlike seat on horseback ; so much so, that I 
 could have imagined they had gone through the 
 cavalry drill in one of our own schools, their posi- 
 tion being strictly according to our regulation. In 
 appearance, they very far surpass the Russian 
 cavalry, who lean much too forward on the saddle, 
 wdiich gives them the appearance of being so inse- 
 cure in their seats, that an unexpected kick or start 
 of their horse must inevitably dismount them. The 
 dress of the regiment alluded to reminded me of 
 that of one of our own hussar regiments, before 
 the recent alteration of their uniform : but it was, 
 I think, if possible, still more rich and elegant, 
 being literally covered with silver lace. 
 
 The Swedish gentry, as far as I saw of them, 
 very much resembled our own countrymen in ap- 
 pearance and dress, to which they seem to pay 
 much attention; and I was as frequently mistaken 
 in supposing some of them to be Englishmen as I 
 was at Petersburg with regard to the Russians. 
 
 The police are very numerous, and march about 
 
Chap, v.] STOCKHOLM. 159 
 
 the streets in large bodies. They carry a drawn 
 cutlass with them when on duty. They are mostly 
 small, thickset men, and have a clumsy appearance, 
 their dress not being calculated to show them off. 
 It is a little like that of our own police, who, if 
 they marched about the streets with cutlasses, 
 would look as awkward as the Swedish police 
 appeared with their round hats. 
 
 In the streets, we occasionally fell in with parties 
 of Dalecarlians, but they are rarely seen in the 
 town, generally remaining in the suburbs, and 
 holding little or no communication with the inha- 
 bitants of the city. They appeared to me to be a 
 siu'ly and haughty race, true republicans, and very 
 repulsive in their manners; living mostly in the 
 caverns of the earth, they may have contracted a 
 dishke for any other society but their own. The 
 women are dressed not unlike the Dutch broom- 
 girls that one sees in the streets of London : their 
 petticoats are equally short, and made of the same 
 coarse material, but generally with different coloured 
 stripes. Instead of shoes, they wear heavy clumsy 
 sabots, which must be very uncomfortable to the 
 feet, the heel, which is rather high, being placed 
 in the hollow of the foot. The men's dress a little 
 resembles that of the Dutchmen. 
 
 In Sweden, as well as in Russia, the nobility and 
 gentry invariably speak the French language, and 
 are seldom heard to converse in their native 
 tongue. From the little opportunity we had of 
 
160 THE MCELAR LKAE. [[Chap. V. 
 
 mixing in society, owing to our short stay at Stock- 
 holm, I am \uiable to venture any remarks upon 
 the national character of the Swede; but we fully 
 concurred in the general opinion of travellers, that 
 there does not exist a more friendly, polite, and 
 gentlemanly character in any part of Europe than 
 that of a well-educated Swede. 
 
 Having made every necessary preparation for a 
 departure, we took our leave of Stockholm on the 
 morninof of the 16th of Auojust in a steam-boat 
 which navigates the beautiful lake Mcelar as far 
 as Westeras. In this boat we embarked our 
 carriage, if such I may be permitted to call it : it 
 consisted merely of a long basket-worked cart, on 
 which were two seats (on springs), the body of it 
 being without any springs. We had engaged a 
 Swedish servant to accompany us, who, though he 
 had never visited England, spoke our language 
 most fluently. He proved to be a very useful and 
 trustworthy man, as well as a " good whip," — a 
 very necessary qualification in the hiring of a ser- 
 vant to travel through this country ; and I think 
 it but justice to Andrew Berglund to mention his 
 name, in the hope that it may be the means of 
 getting him employed by future travellers : he 
 generally resides, and may always be heard of, at 
 Stockholm. 
 
 The steam-boat, as I have said, runs to a village 
 called Westeras, where we landed in the evening, 
 the distance being a little more than seventy miles* 
 
Chap, v.] THE MCELAR LAKE. IGl 
 
 The day was beautiful, and we enjoyed this luxu- 
 rious mode of travelling more than we could pos- 
 sibly have done on the hot dusty road. The 
 scenery, besides, on the banks of this beautiful 
 sheet of water, was, in many places, bold aiid pic- 
 turesque, in some parts putting me strongly in 
 mind of the rocky defiles and the lake-like reaches 
 of the Rhine. In one respect it might be consi- 
 dered more beautiful, on account of the fine forests 
 which here and there feathered their branches 
 down to the water's edge. On certain days, this 
 same boat prolongs her journey into the interior of 
 Sweden as far as Arboga, a small town situated about 
 three stages beyond Westeras, and on the direct 
 road to Gotheborg (or Gothenburg), through 
 which we proposed to pass on our way to Helsing- 
 borg, and should have continued our journey to 
 Arboga by water, but, unfortunately, it was not the 
 day on which the steamer prosecuted her voyage 
 thither. The traveller certainly cannot do better 
 than contrive to go in this boat as far ag Arboga, 
 by which means he is conveyed some distance on 
 his journey with expedition, economy, and without 
 the slightest fatigue, having at the same time the 
 advantage of enjoying some of the most pleasing 
 scenery that can be imagined, and which he would 
 not, we were informed, meet with on the road, 
 
 Westeras is a small village : the only remarkable 
 object is the church, which is apparently a very 
 ancient structure. Here we landed our carriage, pro- 
 
1G2 OREBRO. [Chap. V. 
 
 cured horses, and, having stowed away some trifling 
 articles in the wicker-work cart, left Westeras; 
 from hence pursuing our route, chiefly through 
 forests of firs, we arrived at Orebro, a small, neat 
 town, where we merely stopped to change horses. 
 The houses in this as well as in all the other 
 towns and villages, throughout our journey, are 
 built chiefly of wood, not merely of logs clumsily put 
 together, as is the case in Russia, but of logs covered 
 with boards neatly finished, the workmanship of 
 which would not disgrace the tools of any of our 
 English carpenters. This exterior planking is in- 
 variably painted a deep red colour, with white 
 doors and window-frames, the contrast of which is 
 peculiar, and not unpleasing. The roofs are gene- 
 rally covered with turf, out of which long grass and 
 weeds are crrowdng- • but in the town of Orebro, as 
 well as in many of the other tovi^ns through which 
 we passed, are also several well-built brick houses 
 stuccoed white. I was also much struck with the 
 general cleanliness of Orebro, which was apparently 
 as characteristic of a Swedish as it is of a Dutch 
 town. 
 
 The cheerful and polite behaviour of the inha- 
 bitants towards strangers was too marked to be 
 overlooked. Men, women, and children, never 
 failed to throw themselves in the way to salute us 
 when passing. The children are, generally speak- 
 ing, very pretty, and healthy in their appearance, 
 but as they ripen in years their features gradually 
 
Chap, v.] MODE OF TRAVELLING. 163 
 
 become coarse, which was the more remarkable in 
 most of the young women we met with. On the 
 first evening of our journey we slept at a village 
 called Wrestorp, after travelling upwards of ninety 
 miles, a distance we found to be the extent we 
 could hope daily to accomplish in the course of our 
 journey. 
 
 The followinor was our mode of travellincr in 
 Sweden. The servant whom we had hired at Stock- 
 holm was to act as our coachman the whole way to 
 Helsingborg, and consequently could not be expected 
 to travel at night, which, independent of all other 
 circumstances, is not considered to be safe ; he was 
 always indeed very careful to reach the spot we were 
 to sleep at, before the night set in, having once, as 
 he told me, been attacked by three men, by whom 
 he would have been murdered, had he not most 
 fortunately been provided with a pistol. 
 
 At the commencement of our journey from 
 West eras, we sent on Sifdrebud, as he is termed, and 
 continued to do so the whole distance, to secure 
 horses to be in readiness at the different stages by 
 the time that we might arrive, which it is necessary 
 should be calculated and specified in making out the 
 list of places in the route; this list is shown to the dif- 
 ferent postmasters, each of whom attends to it, and 
 forwards it by a,nother forebud to the next station, and 
 from thence to the following, and so on ; so that by 
 starting him the preceding night, and calculating 
 the distance correctly between the stages, — the time 
 
164 MODE OF TRAVELLING. [Chap. V. 
 
 it will take to j:cirurm them, reckoning at the rate 
 of seven miles an hour, — and making ample allow- 
 ance for the time we might stop on the road for 
 meals, — we were rarely, if ever, delayed for horses, 
 but found them generally waiting our arrival in the 
 stable yards. 
 
 If, however, the horses at anyplace were kept wait- 
 ing for us beyond two hours, the postmaster v.as at 
 liberty to charge a regulated sum, — something very 
 trifling, — for every subsequent hour that we might 
 have detained them; but on no occasion did this 
 happen, so well had each stage been timed by our 
 servant. A boy (and not unfrequently a girl) is sent 
 from each post-house to bring the horses back; fortu- 
 nately we had plenty of room on the box seat of the 
 carriage, and could always accommodate them, but 
 when this is not the case, they must either follow 
 the carriage on horseback, or run alono^side the 
 whole way. 
 
 The regulations for posting are very strict, each 
 postmaster being furnished with a book from the 
 Government, in which the traveller is called upon 
 to write his name in one column, the place he comes 
 from in another, and, in the third, the place he is 
 going to; the fourth column is kept open for the 
 purpose of entering any complaints that the tra- 
 veller may have to make. At the end of each month 
 this book is looked over by the proper authorities, 
 and those complained of are, I should suspect from 
 the following circumstance, very severely handled. 
 
Chap. V.J MODE OF TRAVELLING. 165 
 
 At one of the stashes where we chancred, we were 
 detained a considerable time in consequence of the 
 horses not having made their appearance, although 
 the forehud had left the necessary directions the 
 preceding night. Upon their arrival we desired 
 the servant to inform the man, who brought the 
 horses, that we should complain of him in the book, 
 upon which he looked very downcast, and on 
 being shown the book with the complaint noted in 
 it, he burst into tears, and begged that it might be 
 taken out, making all sorts of excuses for having 
 neglected his duty. 
 
 In despatching a,fdrehud, it is necessary the tra- 
 veller should give him some part of his luggage to 
 convey with him, as a token to the postmasters that 
 he is coming on after it. Accordingly our port- 
 manteaus were made over to him, well wrapped 
 with matting, a very necessary precaution, to avoid 
 their getting knocked to pieces in the carts they are 
 carried in, which are without springs. As it was, 
 they suffered materially; and should I again travel 
 through Sweden, I should be disposed to follow the 
 excellent example of those, who have made-up boxes 
 of stones, or such like rubbish, to be entrusted to 
 the care of the forehud. It is necessary that the 
 luggage, be what it may, should be too heavy for 
 a man to carry, as it is known to be a common 
 practice amongst them, when they have but a trifling 
 weight, to walk over the ground and pocket the 
 money which they would otherwise have paid for 
 
IGG MODE OF TRAVELLING. [Chap. V. 
 
 the hire of a cart and horse; consequently the 
 traveller overtakes them after a few stages, and is 
 put to great inconvenience. The post-horses are 
 the property of the farmers, and are often brought 
 from the plough, so that it is absolutely necessary, 
 to prevent delay to the traveller, to despatch the 
 forebud to secure them. 
 
 We travelled with two horses the whole journey, 
 and found them quite sufficient to drag our light 
 vehicle with three people in it, and no other lug- 
 gage than a carpet bag. The horses were gene- 
 rally fine animals, and mostly young; some had 
 scarcely been in harness before, and one was driven 
 for the first time, and proved rather troublesome, 
 nearly upsetting us on more than one occasion. 
 Horses sell very cheap in Sweden, and were it not 
 for the difficulty and expense of bringing them 
 over to England, it w^ould be worth the while of 
 our dealers to import them. I have seen some 
 very excellent horses which might have been pur- 
 chased from ten to fifteen pounds, — a price which 
 one of our countrymen would laugh at, and very 
 naturally conclude that the animal must be unsound. 
 
 The roads in Sweden are good, and, like those 
 in Finland, are kept in the highest possible order. 
 The expense of posting is very trifling compared 
 with that of most countries in Europe, excepting 
 Finland, and, as we have since found it, in Norway. 
 
 Leaving Wrestorp at an early hour on the fol- 
 lowing morning, we passed through Mariestad, and 
 
Chap, v.] WENERN LAKE. 167 
 
 in the evening arrived at Ludkoping, pronounced 
 Lidcbipping, a small town situated on the magnifi- 
 cent Wenern Lake, which, when seen from this spot, 
 resembles a boundless ocean, no land being visible 
 towards the north. Its extent in a north-east and 
 south-west direction is upwards of 90 English 
 miles, and breadth more than 40 miles, making 
 an area nearly of 4000 square miles. It is fed by 
 several smaller lakes and rivers from the northward, 
 and empties itself by the Gotha into the gulf of 
 Christiania in Norway. On a stormy day this lake 
 has all the appearance of the sea, the waves runnino- 
 equally high, and I suspect occasioning at times 
 some little damage to the town of Liidkoping, which 
 is washed by its waters. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th, we started, as usual> 
 at an early hour, and towards mid-day arrived 
 at the celebrated Falls of Trolhiitten, which are 
 situated at the w^estern extremity of the Wenern 
 Lake, a few miles off the main road, and can only be 
 approached by a very indifferent sort of a cross- 
 path. Of all the waterfalls that I had yet seen,, 
 even those of Switzerland, that of Trolhiitten 
 is in my opinion the most transcendently grand and 
 sublime. It forms the only outlet of the waters of 
 the great Wenern Lake, as the Falls of Niagara do 
 that of the four great North American lakes, and 
 I should suppose that, in regard to the mass of water 
 discharged, they are inferior only to these celebrated 
 transatlantic falls. The accompanying scenery of 
 
1G8 FALLS OF TROLIIATTEN. [Chap. V. 
 
 wood and mountain is wild and romantic, and the 
 effect was considerably lieightened on this day, by 
 the tempestuous state of the weather, which was so 
 stormy as to amount almost to what seamen call a 
 gale of wind; the clouds at the same time, present- 
 ing a dark and wild aspect, gave additional effect to 
 the foaminof torrent as it rushed from rock to rock. 
 We could perceive no less than five distinct falls, 
 across the second of which is thrown a narrow 
 wooden bridge, leading to a small rocky island, 
 which breaks the fall. We crossed this bridge not 
 without some difficulty, and not without danger, 
 owing to the slippery state it was in from the spray 
 continually breaking over it, which it did with 
 sufficient violence to carry a person off his legs, 
 even had it not been slippery; this, in fact, did 
 happen to my fellow traveller, who was very nearly 
 swept away by the foaming waters, his foot having 
 slipt whilst crossing the bridge. The only mode 
 of escaping was to watch the spray, by which it 
 was no easy matter to avoid being caught. It is 
 not easy to conjecture how this bridge could have 
 been constructed across the roaring torrent which 
 rolls with such headlong impetuosity. It is at 
 best but an insecure structure, and seems moment- 
 arily liable to be carried away. The sides are 
 entirely open, there being merely a hand rail at the 
 top, about the height of the middle of a man's body, 
 to steady the passenger, so that the danger of being 
 washed through was not altoo^ether ideal, and I was 
 
Chap, v.] FALLS OF TROLLHATTEN. 169 
 
 by no means sorry to find myself once more safe 
 upon terra firma. This bridge has only, I should 
 imagine, been erected of late years, as Captain 
 Jones, in speaking of the Falls, mentions that " the 
 descent of the great Fall is twenty-six feet, round an 
 island, with trees most romantically growing on it, 
 secure from the touch of man ; to attempt to reach 
 which would be certain destruction." 
 
 At the head of the first fall of water, and close to 
 it on the right on looking up, are erected a number 
 of saw-mills all in constant operation ; the ma- 
 chinery is worked by water, led to them from the 
 point where the great body of it is precipitated over 
 the rocky ledge. The timber is floated down the 
 Wenern Lake, which is contracted as it approaches 
 the Falls of Trollhatten. After undergoing the pro- 
 cess of cutting into planks and deals at these mills, 
 they are floated down into the river Gotha, and carried 
 by it to Gothenborg, being diverted from the Falls 
 into a canal, which, being cut through a huge rock, 
 unites two small lakes at a little distance inland 
 from the left bank of the Falls ; it is thence carried 
 through another rock or hill to the level of the 
 Gotha, and, winding in a circular sweep, is received 
 into that river. This canal is a grand undertaking, 
 the descent from the falls to the Gotha being up- 
 wards of 100 feet, and the length above a mile, in 
 which distance there are eight locks, five being in 
 the rock between the lakes, and three in the hill, 
 each lock having a descent of about fourteen feet. 
 
 I 
 
170 
 
 FALLS OF TROLLIIATTEN. [Chap. V, 
 
 The idea of opening a direct communication 
 between Stockholm and the Baltic, to avoid pass- 
 ing the Sound, and of forming the canal at 
 TroUhiitten in order to render that part of the river 
 Ootha navigable, by avoiding the Falls, originated 
 with Gustavus Vasa, in whose reign it was first 
 attempted ; but not being then found practicable was 
 abandoned — again renewed several times, and after 
 an enormous expense had been incurred in blasting 
 
Chap, v.] FALLS OF TROLLHATTEN. 17t 
 
 and cutting down rocks of prodigious magnitude to 
 an enormous depth, it was wholly given up; the 
 present canal was then projected, which takes a 
 different and more distant line from the Falls 
 but it is an imperfect and a mere local means of 
 transport from the lake Wenern down to Gothen- 
 borg. The grand design, if carried into execu- 
 tion, would proceed from Stockholm by the lakes 
 McTelar, Hielmaren, and Wenern, thence by the 
 present canal to Gothenborg, and from this port 
 across the Skao^er-rack to the North Sea. 
 
 In a rock which overlooks the Falls on the left 
 bank is a sort of alcove, formed by nature, which 
 is called the Giant's Seat, and which the guide 
 was careful in pointing out to us, as containing the 
 names of several of the royal family and others, 
 cut in the rock at different periods when they 
 visited these stupendous works of nature and art. 
 There is a small inn at Trollhatten where travel- 
 lers may find a tolerably comfortable night's 
 lodging. 
 
 After remaining two or three hours at Troll- 
 hatten, we proceeded on our journey to Lilla Edet, 
 where we spent the night. At Lilla Edet, a village 
 which stands in the centre of a beautiful valley, 
 there is another fall of the waters of the Gotha, 
 also some mills, and a canal with locks. The inn 
 is delightfully situated facing the river, immedi- 
 ately in front of the fall. A great quantity of 
 salmon is here caught, at a certain time of the 
 
 i2 
 
172 GOTHKNBORG. [Chap. V. 
 
 year, when ibcy make their leaps. Perch, pike, 
 and trout are also very commonly caught at this 
 spot. Indeed, provisions in general, as well as 
 fish in particular, and all kinds of game, are plen- 
 tiful and cheap in Sweden. At one station, we 
 purchased a brace of beautiful grouse for some- 
 thingr less than a shillinor. 
 
 PVom Trollhatten to Gothenborg was one con- 
 tinued series of the most picturesque valleys, sur- 
 rovmded on both sides by rugged rocks, which pre- 
 sented themselves to our view at every turn the 
 road took amongf the mountains. Throuorh most 
 of these valleys the river Gotha is seen to wind its 
 course. We left Lilla Edet early the following 
 morning, and reached Gothenborg about mid-day, 
 where we remained for a couple of hours — a period 
 sufficiently long to enable us to see all that deserves 
 to be seen in this town, which, from many points 
 of resemblance, reminded me of Rotterdam. A 
 branch of the river runs through the main street, 
 and other branches or streams flow through each of 
 the cross streets, over which are several drawbridges. 
 In all these canals, some of whose banks are planted 
 with rows of trees, were shipping of various kinds, 
 giving an animated appearance to the town. 
 The houses are generally well built, some of stone 
 and others of brick stuccoed, and many of them are 
 on a larcre scale. A considerable degrree of bustle 
 and activity was visible, and the town wore every 
 appearance of commercial prosperity. 
 
Chap. V.J GOTHENBORG. 173 
 
 On our first arrival at the gates, we were stopped, 
 and our passport demanded ; but had we given 
 it up, we should have been obliged to wait a day 
 before we could obtain a fresh one to carry us 
 on to Helsingborg. In order to prevent this incon- 
 venience, our servant took good care to impress upon 
 the minds of the sentinels that we were persons 
 of some consequence, and that they ought not to 
 trouble us by asking for our passport, which was 
 locked up in a writing-desk, and could not be 
 obtained without much inconvenience. Fortunately, 
 his argument, with the aid of a little silver, had 
 the desired effect, and we were allowed to pass 
 through the gate and back again without any 
 further questioning. 
 
 The herring fishery, which was formerly carried 
 on to a considerable extent at Gothenborg, has now 
 very nearly failed, the herrings having for some 
 time past left the coast. The English have the 
 credit of causing this defection by their ships of war 
 firing salutes when the fleet was in the Baltic. The 
 same thing happened with regard to the pilchards 
 on the coast of Cornwall, when the Experimental 
 Squadron was exercising ; the fishermen presented 
 a petition to the Admiralty to pray that saluting 
 might be discontinued, as all the fish had been 
 frightened away. Even the lobster is said to be 
 so sensitive on any sudden concussion of the air, 
 that the firing of cannon or a clap of thunder will 
 cause it to throw off one or both of its large claws. 
 
174 WARBERG. [Chap.V. 
 
 The men-of-war sailors used to hail the lobster- 
 boats in passing up the Thames ^Yith " Hand here 
 a few of your lobsters, or you know w4iat will 
 happen !" 
 
 From Gothenborg we proceeded to Warberg, a 
 neat-looking town, as far as I could judge of it in 
 the middle of the night, the time when we arrived. A 
 long delay took place before we could get housed, the 
 post-house having been changed, and not a soul 
 to be found in the streets of whom we could as- 
 certain to what part of the town it had been re- 
 moved : and even after we had found it, we expe- 
 rienced some little difficulty in gaining admittance. 
 Our late arrival and detention in the streets at 
 Warberg became the more annoying, as we were 
 anxious to start the next morning soon after day- 
 light for Helsingborg, which we hoped to reach 
 that eveninor; but findino^ that we were unable to 
 accomplish it, we slept at a small post-house on 
 the road — as wretched a looking place as, I trust, 
 I shall ever again put my head in : so bad, indeed, 
 was it that, notwithstandinor our havinor travelled 
 on the road for some days, and being somewhat 
 fatigued, I could not make up my mind to take 
 off my clothes and get into bed, dreading that I 
 shoidd be nearly devoured before the morning. 
 Gnats fluttered through the w^ick of the candle 
 by wholesale, as well as myriads of an insect which 
 is pretty well known to boys under the name of 
 '' daddy longlegs." All these, however, were trifles; 
 
Chap, v.] LODGINGS, 175 
 
 but there was a something in the general appear- 
 ance of the apartment that indicated other living 
 creatures lurking about, but not then visible. 
 We found a dog and a cat also in the room, 
 but soon got rid of them. After meditating a 
 considerable period whether or not I should ven- 
 ture into bed, and being quite overcome with 
 fatigue, 1 undressed myself and made the plunge 
 at all hazards; and, considering all things, found 
 in the morning that I had escaped better than 
 anticipated. These are little annoyances which 
 the traveller is now and then called upon to 
 suffer, as a tax upon the pleasure he derives from 
 change of scene and locomotion. 
 
 The Swedes are, in general, remarkable for their 
 excessive cleanliness, in which they may be said to 
 resemble the Dutch ; and it is but fair to remark 
 that this was the only 75/5^.9/*/ we had fallen in with on 
 our journey ; but though in general cleanly, there 
 was a total disregard to every thing like comfort at 
 all the different post stations. The floors were al- 
 ways kept clean by washing, and looked white, but 
 they were invariably sprinkled with sand, and strewn 
 over with the twigs of fir-trees, or juniper bushes, 
 minced up into numberless pieces, which, however 
 healthy from the smell, as is asserted, was particu- 
 larly disagreeable in a bed-room. 
 
 Leavino- this last miserable hovel the fol- 
 lowing morning at an early hour, we arrived at 
 Helsingborg in the forenoon, without having met 
 
170 }iELSlNr;iiOR(;. 
 
 [Chap. V. 
 
 Avith a sino;lo accident throucrhout the whole dis- 
 tance from Stockholm, which is upwards of five 
 hundred miles. In such a country, and with such 
 means of conveyance, this we may consider as a 
 piece of good fortune, which has not fallen to the 
 lot of every traveller. 
 
 The glimpses of the coast of Zealand, which oc- 
 casionally presented themselves on this morning's 
 route, were very bold and interesting, and the view 
 of Elsineur from the town of Helsingborg was a 
 prominent feature. 
 
 Of this latter town there is little to be said : it is 
 small and, as far as I remarked, contains not a 
 single building of the slightest importance. We 
 remained here two or three hours only, and dined 
 at the hotel; and in the mean time procured our 
 passport, and made arrangements with a boatman to 
 carry us across to the Danish island. Having walked 
 down to the pier and embarked our luggage, we 
 took our departure from Sweden — a country I shall 
 always remember with feelings of pleasure, both as 
 regards the inhabitants, who appeared to be a 
 friendly, cheerful, and contented race of beings, 
 and the surface of the country, which abounds in 
 the most interesting and romantic scenery. 
 
177 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ELSINEUR TO COPENHAGEN. 
 
 The Town of Elsineur— Hamlet's Garden— The Road— Danish 
 Postilions — Copenhagen— Streets, Squares, Palaces, and Public 
 Buildings — Observatory — King's Stables — Royal Library — 
 Academy — Cemetery — Island of Amack — Military — Departure 
 — Arrival in London. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 22nd of August we arrived 
 at Elsineur. The passage across the sound, with 
 a side wind, occupied little more than half an hour, 
 the distance being: about three miles. Elsineur, 
 fi-om the water, has an imposing appearance, and 
 the formidable old castle of Cronenburg, com- 
 menced by Frederick II., in the year 1574, and 
 finished during the reiorn of Christian IV., forms 
 an interesting and striking object; but the town 
 itself, immediately on landing, forfeits every sup- 
 posed claim to admiration. It is, in fact, a little 
 sea-port of the lowest class, with one tolerable street 
 in it, such as one may see in the neighbourhood of 
 Wapping, or it might be compared with that which 
 leads to the Point at Portsmouth ; full of gin-shops 
 from one end to the other, with signs of painted 
 ships swinging over the door-ways. From the 
 situation of Elsineur on the borders of the Sound, 
 
 I 5 
 
178 ELSINEUR. [Chap. VI. 
 
 one would naturally conclude it to be a place of 
 great trade and consequence, as the number of 
 shipping of all nations that annually pass through 
 this strait to and from the Baltic is reckoned to 
 be from ten to twelve thousand, about one half of 
 which are British. 
 
 The moment we landed on the pier, the sentinels, 
 who were on the look out, demanded our passports 
 in a courteous manner, accompanied us to the 
 office where they were to be examined, and caused 
 our baggage also to be conveyed thither. Here we 
 were not detained for any length of time, being 
 informed that, on applying as early as eight o'clock 
 the foUowinor morninor, we might then receive our 
 passports again, which we accordingly did, and 
 found them, or rather fresh ones, ready for us at 
 the appointed hour. We passed the night at a 
 very clean and comfortable inn, kept by an English- 
 man, who was civil and attentive. 
 
 The Danes have an undoubted right to all that 
 belongs to the history of Hamlet, as Saxo Gram- 
 maticus, their own historian, (if he ivas a Dane, 
 which is not quite certain,) has narrated it; but 
 the connexion of Elsineur with the name of Ham- 
 let would probably long ago have ceased, had not 
 our Shakspeare embellished and immortalized the 
 story. Scarcely had we seated ourselves when we 
 were reminded of Prince Hamlet's Garden, which 
 of course we visited, and regretted to find in c^ 
 neglected and ruinous state. The pond, or rather 
 
Chap. VI.] ELSINEUR. 179 
 
 that which had once been a pond, and in which 
 they tell you the fair Ophelia — who, by the way, 
 was no Ophelia of theirs, but the sole creation of 
 "fancy's child," — was drowned, is completely dried 
 up, and choked with weeds. Having appropriated 
 the garden and the pond, they might as well have 
 kept up that illusion by planting the fatal " wil- 
 low," which we are told — 
 
 -" grows ascaunt the brook 
 
 That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream." 
 
 An Englishman could not fail to be delighted 
 with the bare imagination that he was regarding 
 some relic or scion of that treacherous tree, from 
 which poor Ophelia met her death. 
 
 " There on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds 
 Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke ; 
 "When down her weedy trophies, and herself, 
 Fell in the weeping brook." 
 
 But though this garden exhibits no brook, nor 
 willow, nor other traces of Hamlet or of Ophelia, 
 and though as a garden it hardly deserves the 
 name, it serves as a promenade for the inhabitants 
 of the town — is delightfully situated — and some of 
 its walks are well shaded with trees. 
 
 Having hired a clumsy-looking carriage, which 
 is usually called a stool-ivaggon, the only descrip- 
 tion of vehicle to be obtained, and large enough to 
 convey a whole family, we started at ten o'clock, on 
 the morning of the 23rd, for Copenhagen, a dis- 
 tance of about twenty-six miles. The road (horribly 
 
180 KLSIKF.UR TO COPENHAGEN. [Chap. VI. 
 
 bad) being nearly as heavy as that between Ham- 
 burgh and Liibeck; so that we were full seven 
 hours in performing the journey. The heavy 
 waggon too was without springs, and consequently 
 we were not a little jolted. On stopping at a 
 place about half way on the road, where we changed 
 horses, we were requested by a well-dressed young 
 lady to allow her to take a seat with us as far as 
 the town, a request with which it is needless to say 
 we were too happy to comply, feeling ourselves of 
 com'se much honoured with her company ; but we 
 were not aware of the inconvenience this piece of 
 civility was likely to entail upon us, for, in a few 
 moments afterwards, we were asked to accommodate 
 another passenger ; and soon found that it was no 
 uncommon practice to tax travellers in this manner. 
 We were under the necessity, therefore, however 
 unkind, of refusing all others. 
 
 On approaching the city, our postilion stopped 
 to change his dress for a smart uniform, and 
 strapped a horn across his shoulders, which he 
 sounded somewhat lustily on our entry into the 
 town. The road from Elsineur to Copenhagen, be- 
 sides beinof execrable, does not lead througfh an inter- 
 esting country, which is, however, in many places well 
 wooded on both sides. It was, besides, sufficiently 
 dull, for we met with no description of carriages, 
 save one, containing a large family party on their 
 way into the country from the city ; neither were 
 there many people moving about ; the most we saw 
 
Chap. VI.] ' COPENHAGEN. 181 
 
 were in a large open piece of ground on the right 
 of the road, about half a mile from Copenhagen, 
 looking at some militia regiments that were under 
 arms. 
 
 Copenhagen is properly written Kiohenhavn, the 
 haven or harbour of merchants, from its having 
 been from time immemorial a place of considerable 
 traffic. Although its situation is low, yet, viewed 
 from the water, it has an imposing appearance. 
 The palace of Christiansborg, which is an enormous 
 square mass of building, forms a very conspicuous 
 object; but on passing through the spacious court- 
 yard it did not at all appear to be in accordance 
 with the exterior grandeur of the edifice, but seemed 
 to be much neglected. 
 
 The city of Stockholm cannot for one moment 
 be compared with Copenhagen. The splendid 
 buildings, the spacious squares, and the fine broad 
 streets, more especially the Amalie-gade, render this 
 Danish capital equal, if not superior, to any of the 
 second-rate cities of Europe. The palaces and 
 chateaux of Christiansborg, Amalienborg, Rosen- 
 borg, and Charlottenborg, are all magnificent 
 structures. The other principal public buildings 
 are the Hotel de Ville, the Mint, the Post-office, the 
 Exchange, the Theatre; the military and other 
 hospitals, and a splendid range of barracks, said to 
 afford accommodation for 6000 troops. There are 
 several churches; that of Not re- Dame but just 
 finished,^ rebuilt on the site of the old one which 
 
182 COPENHAGEN. [Chap. VI. 
 
 was destroyed by fire in 1807; — the church of our 
 Saviour ; and the church of Trinity, in the dome of 
 which is the university library, and the great globe 
 of Tycho-Brahe. 
 
 Literature, the sciences, and the arts were at 
 an early period encouraged in the Danish capital ; 
 and few cities can boast of a greater number, or 
 more respectable societies for the encouragement 
 of arts, sciences, and various branches of literature 
 and the fine arts, than Copenhagen. 
 
 The buildings in general are striking, and the 
 streets are clean, regular, and handsome, particu- 
 larly the Amalie-yade above-mentioned, which 
 cannot be less than a mile in length, and runs 
 nearly in a straight line. In a large open space, 
 about half way of its length, are situated four 
 elegant and well-built palaces, forming, with their 
 several offices, a regular octagonal building. In the 
 middle of this octagon stands a colossal equestrian 
 statue in bronze of Frederick V. The head of the 
 horse is considered to be very fine, but it struck 
 me as a heavy and clumsy piece of statuary ; but 
 perhaps the beautiful statue at Charing Cross, which 
 I am daily in the habit of passing, and, I may add, 
 daily admiring, has made me too fastidious. The 
 statue in question was cast by Monsieur Gorr, a 
 French artist, and erected at the expense of the 
 Danish East India Company. 
 
 There are several large open squares in Copen- 
 hagen ; ill one of which is situated the hotel where 
 
Chap. VL] COPENHAGEN. 183 
 
 we had taken up our quarters. It is an enormous 
 establishment, and goes by the name of the Hotel 
 d'Angleterre, a name that the English traveller has 
 generally but too much reason to dread when the 
 day of reckoning arrives; here, however, it is 
 but justice to say, this was not found to be the 
 case ; everything was very good and very reasonable, 
 and there was little English about it, but its name. 
 
 In the centre of this square stands another colossal 
 equestrian statue of Christian V., which appears 
 to be as little worthy of admiration as the former ; 
 void in my opinion of taste or symmetry, and re- 
 markable only for its size : being partly allegori- 
 cal, it wants simplicity. The horse is in the act 
 of trampling on a figure which is supposed to repre- 
 sent discord. Around the pedestal are several other 
 figures, one of which is Minerva, with a prodigious 
 arm that mia;ht better suit a Hercules. 
 
 The round tower of the Trinity Church is the 
 Observatory, an object that merits attention. It 
 was built by Christian IV., who, in the year 1637, 
 laid the first stone, and completed, as appears 
 by an inscription, in the year 1642. It may be 
 considered as the first established observatory in 
 Europe, being built under the immediate direction 
 of the celebrated Longomontanus, the favourite dis- 
 ciple of Tycho Brahe, the son of a peasant of Longo- 
 montum, of the name of Severinus, as appears from 
 the signature at the end of his works, C. Longomon- 
 tanus Severini filius. It was a fashion among 
 
184 COPENHAGEN. [Chap. VI. 
 
 these northern philosophers of their time to aflect 
 ihese pair ianymic nsLTnes; we have an instance in 
 Miiller, who called himself Reyiomonfanus, the 
 Royal Mountain, from his native place Konigsberg. 
 
 Peter the Great is said to have driven a carriage 
 and four up to the top of this tower, which certainly 
 might be done, as it is ascended by an inclined 
 plane winding spirally round to the summit ; but 
 however skilful the Czar might have been with his 
 whip, it may be a question how he contrived to reach 
 the bottom again with his carriage and horses, unless 
 he backed down, as there certainly is not sufficient 
 room for a vehicle of any description to turn, not even 
 for one of his own droskies. The tower is about 1 15 
 feethigh. Within the towerof the same church, as has 
 been observed, is the University Library, which is 
 said to contain about 100,000 volumes; this is also 
 approached by the inclined plane of the tower, in 
 the ascent of which are several ancient fragments 
 of stones lying in recesses, containing curious 
 hieroglyphics very much defaced, so as with diffi- 
 culty to be traced ; — we could gain no information 
 respecting them. 
 
 Copenhagen, with all its splendid buildings, and 
 its dock-yard, and its quays and canals, appeared 
 to me to be a very dull place, and seemed to be 
 thinly peopled. The shops, which make but a poor 
 show, were not much frequented ; and yet it ought 
 not to be so, for we are told that the number of 
 artists, mechanics, and shopkeepers, amount to 
 
Chap. VI.J COPENHAGEN. 185 
 
 upwards of 10,000 persons, out of a population of 
 110,000, of which the Jews are about 3000. The 
 chief articles of manufacture are cloth, silk, porcelain, 
 leather, and snufF; they have a considerable trade 
 with the ports on the Baltic, with Holland, Belgium, 
 and England ; but their navy has not recovered it- 
 self since we possessed ourselves of their fleet. They 
 have not at this time more than four sail of the line. 
 One of the finest edifices in the city is the palace, 
 which, as I have said, is a building of great mag- 
 nitude. It was commenced by Christian VII., and 
 finished during the present reign of Frederick VI. : 
 attached to it is an excellent riding-school. I 
 went there one morning^, and found some officers 
 in an undress milifary uniform exercising the 
 horses. Some of the animals were as beautiful 
 as any I have ever seen; but the mode of treat- 
 ing them seemed to me to be calculated, in a 
 very short space of time, to ruin the temper of 
 any young horse. The stables are contiguous to 
 the riding-house, and are in the form of a crescent, 
 with stalls on either side. There are sixty or seventy 
 stalls in each, which were nearly all occupied : 
 those on one side were all for carriage-horses, and 
 those on the other kept for the saddle. Among 
 the former I remarked eic^ht of the most beautiful 
 cream-colour, and eight iron-greys, neither of them 
 surpassed by those of the same colours belonging 
 to the king of England. The saddle-horses are 
 led out from the stables by grooms, attired in 
 
186 COPENHAGEN. [Chap. VI. 
 
 splendid liveries, who walk them round the 
 school once or twice, holding them in tight with 
 their reins in the left hand, and with the right 
 switching them repeatedly with a whip. They are 
 then severally mounted by one of the officers, with 
 his long and sharp-rowelled spurs, wliich he sticks 
 into the sides of the poor animal in the most \m- 
 merciful manner, holdino- him in at the same time 
 with a sharp curb. This constant urging and rein- 
 ing-in frets the horse to such a degree that in less 
 than ten minutes the sweat is actually running 
 down his sides. Another is then brought in, and 
 treated in the same cruel manner, and so they go 
 on, until they have all had their turn. When 
 they are again taken into the stables, they are 
 fastened in the stalls by a strap on each side of 
 the bit, and stand with their tails to the manger. 
 I took particular notice of some of them after they 
 had been ridden, and found their sides and mouths 
 bleeding profusely, which, indeed, I conjectured 
 could not well have been otherwise. They all had 
 fine long tails, reaching to the ground, and exceed- 
 ingly full. Great attention appeared to be paid to 
 them, and it is a curious fact that, as far back as 
 the year 1702, and probably much farther, the 
 same care was paid to the dressing of the tails of 
 the horses, as appears by the following extract 
 from an old book, written in that year : — 
 
 ^' Nothing" says the author, '^ can be more 
 common at Copenhagen than good horses; they 
 
Chap. VI.] COPENHAGEN. 187 
 
 have, especially, the finest tails that can be, which 
 hang down to the ground. To produce such tails, 
 they never comb them, but frequently, and even 
 every day, clean them, hair by hair, with a piece 
 of stuff, which makes them hang even and swell, 
 and there is not as much as a broken hair in them, 
 which could not be the case if you should comb 
 them." 
 
 The Exchange, which was built by Christian IV., 
 who appears to have been the founder of the noblest 
 edifices in Copenhagen, may be reckoned among 
 the finest buildings. It is surmounted by a very 
 remarkable spire, composed of three dragons, as 
 they are called, but intended, I believe, for croco- 
 diles, with their noses pointing downwards, and 
 their bodies entwining round each other, till the 
 tails come to a point at the top. It is of consi- 
 derable height. The building was completed in the 
 year 1624 ; is upwards of 400 feet in length, and 
 60 in breadth. The interior is partly appropri- 
 ated to shops, but there is a large space, in which 
 the merchants transact their business. 
 
 Another remarkable steeple is the one attached 
 to the church of our Saviour. It is ascended by 
 an external spiral staircase, which winds round 
 the tower similar to a staircase leading to a 
 pulpit, gradually lessening towards the top. It is 
 said to be an exact imitation of a tower attached 
 to one of the churches at Rome. The effect is very 
 good, and the ascent of this steeple is easy, and the 
 
188 COrKMlAGEN. [Chap. VI. 
 
 staircase kept in good order. The panorama seen 
 from hence is very fine, the height being nearly 
 300 feet ; the coast of Sweden is distinctly 
 visible as far as the eye can trace. As we mounted 
 upwards, we passed through the watch-tower, where 
 there is a man stationed day and night to give the 
 alarm, in case of a fire happening in any part of 
 the city. In the event of one occurring in the 
 church itself, there is here a large cistern full of 
 water, and several fire-buckets at hand. This cis- 
 tern is supplied by the rain, which trickles down 
 the steps of the spiral staircase, and finds its way 
 through a drain leading into the cistern in 
 question. 
 
 The organ in this church is a beautiful instru- 
 ment : it is ornamented with a great quantity of 
 richly-carved wood, putt in gone in mind of those beau- 
 tiful pulpits in many of the churches of Belgium. 
 The altar is also handsome, the lower part being 
 composed of Italian marble ; and the font will not 
 fail to attract attention, being of pure white marble, 
 and very chaste. The carving on it represents 
 the baptism of our Saviour by St. John. The 
 seats in the gallery were divided off into boxes, 
 which made the church look more like a theatre 
 than a place of worship. The Royal Library, 
 which was founded in the year 1663 by Fre- 
 derick III., will be visited by the stranger with 
 great interest. They pretend that it contains more 
 volumes than any other library in the world, and 
 
Chap. VI.] COPENHAGEN. 189 
 
 the collection of manuscripts is both extensive and 
 valuable. The statements made by various tra- 
 vellers of the number of books in the library vary 
 considerably. Professor Feldborg mentions that 
 Professor Molbech, who was under-librarian for 
 upwards of twenty years, stated, and it may be 
 presumed with accuracy, that the library contained 
 considerably more than 300,000 volumes in the 
 year 1816; since this period the number must 
 have greatly increased, as the professor mentions 
 that the library, besides being entitled to two 
 copies of every work printed in the Danish domi- 
 nions, receives an annual allowance of 1000/. 
 sterling from government for the supply of works 
 published abroad. The collection of engravings 
 is also very extensive. 
 
 In the royal Gallery of Painting may be seen 
 the works of Rubens, Claude Lorraine, Wouver- 
 mans, Titian, Salvator Rosa, Leonardo da Vinci, 
 Gerard Dow, Vandyck, Poussin, Cuyp, Rem- 
 brandt, and of many other of the most celebrated 
 artists of the different schools. The collection is 
 not very large, amounting, probably, to about 400 
 or 500 pictures. Like all other cities, Copenhagen 
 has not escaped its calamities, having suffered 
 greatly from fire and sword, as well as from 
 plague. We read that, in the years 1658 and 
 1660, the Swedes attacked the city; that in 1711, 
 30,000 inhabitants were carried off by the plague ; 
 and that, in 1728 and 1795, it suffered consider- 
 
190 COrKMIAOEN. LChap. VI. 
 
 ably from fire. The battle of 1801 is fresh in 
 the recollection of all, as is also the subsequent 
 bombardment, the effects of which are still visible 
 in different parts of the town. 
 
 There are a great many schools in Copenhagen, 
 besides the Academy of Arts and the Naval Aca- 
 demy, of which Lord Nelson spolv^ in the highest 
 terms when he visited it after the battle, and parti- 
 cularly noticed the conduct of a young officer. 
 Lieutenant Villemoes, who had but recently left 
 the establishment to take the command of a small 
 vessel, which, he said, had greatly annoyed his 
 own ship daring the action. The encouragement 
 that Nelson, the kindest of the kind^ gave to this 
 young man to devote himself to the service of 
 his country, as the right road to honours and 
 rewards, was never forgotten ; but his prospects 
 were soon blasted *by being killed when serving in 
 the Prince Christian Frederick, in an action with the 
 Stately and Nassau, by whom she was captured. 
 
 As we approached Copenhagen from Elsineur, we 
 passed the burial-ground, which is situated in the 
 northern outskirts of the town, and upon a subse- 
 quent occasion, took an opportunity of visiting it. 
 It is a large piece of ground, about a mile in extent,, 
 and full of graves, each surrounded by railings, 
 and very similar to those in the ground of Pere la 
 Chaise at Paris ; they were all kept in the most 
 perfect order, and planted with flowers, chiefly 
 roses. This native simplicity and feeling pleased 
 
Chap. VI.] COPENHAGEN. 191 
 
 US much : one tombstone, in particular, struck us 
 as being a novel and beautiful design : it was in 
 imitation of a small scroll, partially unrolled, and 
 the name only of the deceased was engraved at 
 the head of it. It was placed, as the generality 
 of them are, in a slanting position. 
 
 Derwent Conway, a fictitious name, in his travels 
 through Norway, expresses his feelings on visiting 
 a burial-ground, in so simple and beautiful a man- 
 ner, that I cannot deprive myself of the pleasure- 
 of quoting the passage. 
 
 ** There is something," he says, '' consolatory in 
 a visit to a cemetery, where we find at every step 
 the existing ties between the living and the dead. 
 
 " In England, when we enter a churchyard and 
 see the moss- green tombs and the long grass that 
 almost conceals them, nor perceive any trace of a 
 living footstep near the grave of the departed, we 
 are apt to say to ourselves, ' So shall it be with 
 us : death brings oblivion to the living as well as 
 to the dead.' But when we see the graves of 
 those who have been for many years separated 
 from the living, strewn with the flowers of yester- 
 day, we have evidence that death has not alto- 
 gether dissolved the ties of affection, and find a 
 melancholy consolation in hoping that we too may 
 not sleep unremembered." 
 
 The city is very strongly fortified by ramparts, 
 which surround it, and form a most agreeable 
 promenade during the summer months, being well 
 
192 COPENHAGEN. [Cliap. VI. 
 
 shaded with trees. From hence one may enjoy 
 the pure breezes of the sea, a beautiful view of 
 which opens itself towards the east of the ram- 
 parts. The inland views are also striking, and 
 the palace of Fredericksberg, standing on a well- 
 wooded hill, adds much to the beauty of the 
 scenery. In the evening, the band of one of the 
 regiments plays within the citadel, and vast num- 
 bers of well-dressed people assemble on the ram- 
 parts ; but it is necessary to procure a ticket to 
 pass the sentry at the gates of the citadel, in order 
 to reach that part of them. 
 
 Beggars are rarely seen in the streets of Copen- 
 hagen ; the hospitals and other charitable institu- 
 tions, such as those for the deaf and dumb and 
 the blind, being very numerous. Street-sweepers 
 would gain but a poor livelihood, as the prisoners 
 are made to perform that degrading duty at an 
 early hour in the morning. They may be seen at 
 work in different parts of the town at all hours of the 
 day, each party under the guard of a single soldier, 
 some chained very heavily by their legs, and all 
 more or less so. I observed some working in a 
 dredging-machine in the harbovir, walking inside 
 an enormous w^heel, and turning it like the tread- 
 mill as they stepped, — a sort of machine which is 
 commonly and advantageously employed in many 
 of our harbours, to keep them clear of mud. 
 
 Many of the houses at Copenhagen have got 
 reflecting-glasses, similar to those in Holland. 
 
Chap. VI.] AMAAK. 193 
 
 Some of the small signs outside these shops are 
 unusually well painted. I remarked one, in par- 
 ticular, before that of a tobacconist, which was ex- 
 cellent; it consisted of several faces clustered too^e- 
 ther in the act of taking snufF, the features of some 
 of which were very ludicrous. One man was on 
 the point of sneezing, and I never saw anything 
 more admirably portrayed : I could almost fancy 
 I heard him. 
 
 During our stay at Copenhagen, we paid a visit 
 to the IsleofAmaak (or Amager), which amply 
 repaid us for the walk. It is situated but a short 
 distance from the city, and the people in this little 
 colony are as singular in their manner a^id dress, 
 and keep themselves as distinct from the inhabit- 
 ants, as the Dalecarlians do from those of Stock- 
 holm. The isle of Amaak has very frequently 
 been called the '' kitchen garden of Copenhao-en." 
 It supplies the markets with milk, butter, and 
 cheese, as well as fruits and vegetables of every 
 kind, in great abundance. The following interest- 
 ing account of the inhabitants of the island is ex- 
 tracted from a little volume published many years 
 ago :— 
 
 " This," the author says, " is a Dutch colony. 
 Christian II., otherwise called the Northern Mon- 
 ster and Nero, having married Isabel, sister to the 
 Emperor Charles V., wrote to the Archduchess 
 Margaret, Duchess of Savoy, the queen, his wife's 
 aunt, and governess of the Low Countries, desirino- 
 
 K 
 
191 COPENHAGEN. [Chap. VI. 
 
 her to send him some people out of those parts 
 that understood gardening, so that the queen his 
 wife might have pulse and other fruits at hand 
 that pleased her. The governess sent him seve- 
 ral families, to whom he assigned Amaak to he 
 cultivated by them, in the year 1516. Their 
 descendants at this day are called Hollanders, and 
 dwell within large boroughs ; they still retain the 
 Dutch fashion : their clothes are also singular ta 
 themselves, and much like those of the North 
 Holland boors : they supply Copenhagen with 
 milk, butter, &c." 
 
 Time has effected no change in this extraordi- 
 nary race of people, nor is it likely to do so, as 
 they hold but very little intercourse with the 
 Danes, and never intermarry. The only part of 
 the city, where I ever met with the inhabitants of 
 this island, was in the large market-place where 
 they sold their vegetables, &c. ; they are rarely 1o 
 be met with in the streets. 
 
 The fine old palace at Fredericksburg will be 
 visit-ed with interest. It was purchased by Frede- 
 rick II. from a private gentleman who possessed a 
 small country-house upon the spot. He com- 
 menced the building of the palace, which was 
 finished by his son. Christian IV. The situation 
 is enchanting, and the gardens are laid out with 
 great taste. It is surrounded with wood and 
 water, and during the summer months is much 
 resorted to. The palace is built in the Gothic 
 style of architecture. 
 
Chap. VI.] TRAVEMUNDE. 195 
 
 I had no opportunity of seeing any of the Danish 
 regiments under arms, but the few companies that 
 I occasionally met were any thing but smart-look- 
 ing ; their uniform is particularly unbecoming, and 
 their appointments altogether bad. When walk- 
 ing on the ramparts, I approached one of the 
 sentries to examine his firelock, which was of a 
 clumsy construction, and the barrel, instead of 
 being brightly polished or browned, was covered 
 with rust. Remarking this to my friend, and point- 
 ing to it, the sentry, with much politeness, was 
 about to hand his musket over to me, when I 
 walked away. The men are generally short, and 
 badly drilled, with the exception of a few heavy 
 dragoons whom we saw, and who were a fine set of 
 men. They wore a uniform of pale yellow, and 
 had on leather breeches and jack-boots, like those 
 of our Horse Guards. 
 
 Having secured our passage in the steam-boat for 
 Travemunde, we took our leave of Copenhagen on 
 Thursday the 26th, at four o'clock in the after- 
 noon ; the wind blowing rather freshly against iis^, 
 which retarded our progress, and prevented us 
 from reaching our port of destination till the after- 
 noon, or rather evening of the following day ; this 
 was the more annoying as the passage is usually 
 made in seventeen hours, the distance being about 
 140 miles, and we were much pressed for time. 
 There was only one boat from Hamburgh to London, 
 which left every Saturday morning, sometimes as 
 
 k2 
 
196 PASSAGE. [Chap. VI. 
 
 early as two o^clock, but very rarely later than 
 seven, varying according to the tides, and we were 
 fearful that we should miss the London boat, and 
 have the pleasure of waiting at Hamburgh for seven 
 days, or of jolting over some miserable roads^, and 
 returning by way of Holland. 
 
 We reached Travemunde at about four o'clock 
 in the afternoon^ and immediately started for 
 Lubeck ; here we arrived in a few hours, and lost 
 no time in despatching an estafette to order horses 
 to be in readiness for us about half way, being very 
 anxious to reach Hamburgh, if possible, before the 
 steam-vessel departed for England. After a dismal 
 journey in a rainy night, over the w^orst road in 
 Christendom, on approaching Hamburgh we had 
 the pleasure of seeing the smoke issuing from the 
 funnel of the English steam-boat, which was still 
 lying off Alt.ona, and soon found ourselves on board 
 the William Jolliffe, the same boat in which we had 
 left England. It was a nice point : we were only 
 just in time, and, had we been a few minutes later, 
 should have lost our passage, and had to wait at 
 Hamburgh for another week. 
 
 In a few hours we reached the mouth of the 
 Elbe, but the wind blowing strong and directly 
 against us, with every appearance of an approaching 
 storm, the captain thought it more prudent to 
 anchor off Cuxhaven, which we accordingly did, 
 and the steam was let down. Here we remained 
 the whole of this and the following day, during 
 
Chap. VI.] ARRIVAL IN LONDON. 197 
 
 which period it blew very hard ; but on Monday, 
 the 30th, the wind having moderated and veered 
 round, we took our leave of Cuxhaven, and, after 
 an excellent run across, landed at the Tower on 
 Wednesday morning, the 1st of September, having 
 performed our Excursions in a period of sixty-eight 
 days, and passed over a space, by sea and by land 
 of more than 4000 miles. 
 
EXCURSIONS 
 
 IN 
 
 NORWAY, 
 
 1833. 
 
.'>. 
 
NORWAY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FROM CHRISTIANIA TO BERGEN. 
 
 Passage to Copenhagen— To Christiania— City of, and Environs 
 —The Castle— The Storthing— Carrioles— Mode and Expense 
 of Travelling— Tyra Lake— Hand's Lake— Fine Scenery— Pro- 
 visions— Hospitality— Fare of the Swedish and Norse Peasantry 
 —Waterfall— Views of the Rand's Lake— Grand Scenery of 
 Mountain Cascades and Rocky Defiles— Heights of the Moun 
 tains — Peasants' Cottages — Corn-brandy — Gammel ost— 
 Forests of Firs— Frowning Precipices— Continued Ascent of the 
 Road — Point of Perpetual Congelation — Elevation of the 
 Mountains— Cascades, Cataracts, and Waterfalls— Ingenuity 
 of the Peasantry—Separation of the Waters— Leerdal's River, 
 flowing to the Westward— Embark on the First Ftorc^— Boatmen 
 —Difference of Temperature— Dances of the Peasantry — A 
 Christening— Curious Mode of serving up Butter— Glacier of 
 Folge-fond— Clearness of the Fiords— Arrival at Bergen. 
 
 Three years after the Excursions were made which 
 furnished the preceding chapters, I embarked with 
 the same compagnon de voyage— my friend Mr. 
 Rouse— on board the same Hamburgh steamer, 
 commanded by the same master, passed over the 
 same miserable and still neglected road to Lubeck, 
 and there embarked a second time on the same 
 steam-boat, under the same commander as before, 
 for Copenhagen. Preparatory to our departure from 
 
 K 5 
 
202 COPE>HAGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 this capital of Denmark, it was necessary to pro- 
 cure passports to secure us admittance into Norway, 
 as we were told that the one we possessed, although 
 obtained from the Foreign Office, and propei-ly vised 
 in London, would not be considered as sufficient. 
 Wc were also obliged to appear at an office in order 
 to obtain a bill of health, which purported that we 
 were not from an infected place, and — what was 
 bold enouoh — that we were free from cholera and 
 every other infectious disease. We were next 
 required to go to another part of the town to secure 
 places in the steam-vessel for Christiania, a precau- 
 tion which we were assured was absolutely neces- 
 sary, as we might otherwise be refused a reception 
 on board. The person we applied to was far 
 from being so civil or obliging as might have been 
 expected, particularly by strangers; on the con- 
 trary, he was almost rude in his manner, — the 
 only instance we met with on this or the former 
 occasion of a Dane showing the least appear- 
 ance of unkind feeling towards us. These pre- 
 liminaries being settled, we were then desired to 
 send our luggage to be weighed previous to its 
 being put on board the vessel; and this was no 
 small inconvenience, as the weighing-office was si- 
 tuated in a remote part of the town, and in a dif- 
 ferent direction from the harbour where the vessel 
 was lying. 
 
 Having gone through all these little teazing for- 
 malitiesj we embarked late in the afternoon of the 
 
Chap. I.] PASSAGE TO CHRISTIANIA. 203 
 
 5th of July on board the steam-vessel which was to 
 convey iis to Fredericksvoern, from whence we were 
 informed another boat would carry us up the gulf or 
 «ound to Christiania. The '' Prindts Carl'' was the 
 name of the first steamer ; she was a small, but very 
 fast-going boat, drawing little water, built at Dover, 
 and fitted with two powerful engines by Maudsley, 
 She had now run seven years. Her master, who 
 brought her over from England, is a captain in the 
 naval service of Norway; and the mate holds the rank 
 of lieutenant in the same service. They both spoke 
 our language fluently, conversed freely in it, and were 
 remarkably civil and attentive to their passengers. 
 The engineer was an Englishman, as we usually 
 found to be the case in foreign steam-boats. 
 
 Nothing could be more beautiful than this pas- 
 sage from Copenhagen to Christiania. The sea 
 -was literally crowded with vessels, as far as the eye 
 could reach, andr the coasts of Sweden and Denmark 
 were visible on the two sides of the Sound. On 
 leaving Copenhagen we kept close to the Danish. 
 coast, but at the same time were sufficiently near to 
 that of Sweden to enable us to see distinctly its vil- 
 lages and green fields; the former coast w^as richly 
 wooded, and remarkable for its beautiful scenery, 
 the hills being varied in their shape, and highly 
 picturesque ; but the latter wore^ generally, rather 
 a barren appearance. The sea, on the approach to 
 Elsineur, and at a little distance from it, resembled 
 an extensive lake. There was, to all appearance. 
 
204 PASSAGE TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. I. 
 
 land on every side, and the magnificent castle of 
 Cronenburgh stood forth in all its grandeur, and 
 formed a striking object as we sailed towards it. It 
 stands on the nearest point of land projecting 
 towards the Swedish coast. This noble edifice was 
 "built by Frederick II. Professor Feldborg, in his 
 concise and accurate account of Denmark, mentions 
 a curious tradition connected with it : — 
 
 *' On descending," he says, '^ into the casemates, 
 the story of Holger Danske (or Ogier the Dane, 
 as he is called in the romances) will amuse the 
 mind in these damp and dismal vaults. It is 
 thus," he continues, " related by Mr. Thiele in his 
 collection of popular Danish traditions : — ' For 
 many ages the din of arms was now and then heard 
 in the vaults beneath the castle of Cronenburgh. 
 No man knew the cause, and there was not in all 
 the land a man bold enough to descend into the 
 vaults. At last a slave, who had forfeited his life, 
 was told, that his crime should be forgiven if he 
 could brino^ intelbVence of what he found in the 
 vaults. He went down and came to a large iron 
 door, which opened itself when he knocked. He 
 found himself in a deep vault. In the centre of 
 the ceiling hung a lamp, which was nearly burnt 
 out ; and, below, stood a huge stone table, round 
 which some steel-clad warriors sat, resting their 
 heads on their arms, which they had laid crossways. 
 He who sat at the head of the table then rose up. 
 It was Holger the Dane. But when he raised his 
 
Chap. I.] PASSAGE TO CHRISTIANIA. 205 
 
 head from the arms, the stone table burst right in 
 twain, for his beard had grown through it. * Give 
 me thy hand !' said he to the slave. The slave 
 durst not give him the hand, but put forth an iron 
 bar, which Holger indented with his fingers. At 
 last he let go his hold, muttering, ' It is well ! I am 
 glad that there are yet men in Denmark.' " 
 
 Our little vessel was crowded with passengers, the 
 greater proportion of whom were ladies, who, of 
 course, were allowed to occupy all the sleepino-- 
 berths, while, in the same apartment, the gentlemen 
 wrapped themselves up in their cloaks, and lay 
 down on the cabin floor. On the following mornin of, 
 after our departure from Copenhagen, we arrived at 
 Gothenburg, wdiere we landed some passengers. 
 The approach by sea to this port is through narrow 
 channels formed by numberless rocks, which rise 
 above the surface of the water. The vessel was 
 mioored to a wharf about three miles from the town. 
 We proceeded thither in a boat, having ascertained 
 from the captain that he should remain for a few 
 hours, which would just allow us time to stroll 
 about a little, and take once more a cursory view 
 of the place. 
 
 On the second night that we passed on board 
 the steamer we were less incommoded than we were 
 on the first, as we were then able each to have his 
 berth. 
 
 Arriving at Fredericksvcern between three and 
 four in the mornins:, we were transferred into 
 
206 PASSAGE TO CIIRISTIANIA. [Chap. I. 
 
 the " Coiistitutionen," another vessel boloiiirinof to 
 government, and also under the command of a 
 naval officer. Captain Booder, who was one of the 
 most good humoured and agreeable men I have 
 ever met with. He showed us o^reat kindness both 
 in going to, and subsequently on our return from, 
 Christiania, and did his utmost to make every body- 
 happy and comfortable. A thick fog detained us 
 at Fredericksvoern for an hour or two, when we got 
 under weigh for Christiania. Being Sunday, our 
 boat was as full of passengers as a Margate steam- 
 vessel. Among those who joined our party here 
 W'Cre three English gentlemen, with whom we 
 soon became acquainted, and from whom we re- 
 ceived much attention at Christiania: they had 
 with them their guns and fishing tackle, and a fine 
 pointer. 
 
 The scenery in proceeding up the Gulf of Chris- 
 tiania is very beautiful. The bays and islands in the 
 gulf — the vessels, though not very numerous, some 
 at anchor, others under sail — the cultivated patches 
 among the trees, with the neat wooden farm-houses, 
 backed on both sides by mountains at a distance 
 clothed with forests up to the very top, — presented 
 to us a scene as interestinof as it was novel. A fine 
 stream joined the gulf from the town of Moss, well 
 known to traders for its deals and its iron *. 
 
 * " We soon arrived at Moss, where a considerable river runs 
 foaming over rocks in the middle of the town, dashing down from, 
 one wheel (of the saw-mills) to another, till at last, at the edge of 
 
Chap. I.] PASSAGE TO CHRISTIANIA. 207 
 
 The beauties of the gulf increased as we advanced, 
 and they became peculiarly striking after passing 
 tSoon, opposite to which the Drammen's fiord * falls 
 into the gulf. Here the Christiania fiord narrows 
 to about tw^o miles in width, w^hich it continues to 
 hold up to the citj^, more than twenty miles. The 
 mountains on both sides, but more particularly on 
 the left, rise in the distance to a considerable height, 
 and are clothed with fir-trees and birches in dense 
 forests up to their very summit. We observed some 
 oaks, ash, elder, and elm-trees in the lower grounds, 
 which, however, were chiefly under cultivation, and 
 neat farm-houses were plentifully scattered over this 
 part of the country.' 
 
 The weather was beautiful, but being intensely 
 hot, we all dined under an awningr on deck, and 
 
 the Bay of Christiania, it drives the bellows of a great iron- work; 
 stunned with the noise of the saws, the falling water, and the large 
 iron hammers, we proceeded through the works to a high fir-wood 
 on the other side of the town." — ron Buck's Travels in Norway, 
 p. 25. 
 
 * A Fiord is a deep inlet of the sea, and corresponds with the 
 Firth of Scotland, (not Frith, from fretum, as Johnson Avould have 
 it,) the two words having the same Islandic derivation, _/fo?Y/M«. From 
 J^ord, by changing the final d into th, we have Jiord, fiorth, Jlrth. 
 It is not likely, as Jamieson observes, that the Latin word fretuyn 
 should have penetrated into the recesses of the North. As well, 
 indeed, might we suppose that the word Elv, a river, is from 
 jiuvim^ by inverting the letters of the first syllable — ulf. A lake is 
 sometimes called Soe, frequently Vand, and, when very large, is also, 
 but improperly, called /ore/. The distinction between Soe and Vand 
 is not so clear, except that Vand is the mountain feeder of a river, 
 while Sde is fed by it. Foss is a cascade or waterfall. 
 
20S PASSAGE TO CIIRISTIANIA. [Chap. I. 
 
 could not have sat down fewer than sixty or seventy, 
 and several were obliged to wait till the others had 
 made room for them. 
 
 There were two women on board who played 
 the harp and timbrel, the greater part of the da}-, 
 and collected a little money from the passengers. 
 Some of the airs they played were very pleasing, 
 and quite novel to most of us. Among the ladies 
 were some who might be reckoned beautiful, most 
 of them having very clear and delicate complexions, 
 blue eyes, and light hair, the characteristics of Nor- 
 wegian females. 
 
 Passing near the bold and rocky shore, a fine 
 eagle was seen perched upon one of the loftiest 
 peaks. He did not appear to be in the least dis- 
 turbed at the approach of the steam- vessel, but sat 
 perfectly composed ; but one is apt to be deceived 
 in estimating distances when on the water, and we 
 •were probably, in point of fact, too far off to cause 
 alarm to this noble bird. He became, however, an 
 object of interest, from the recollection of some of 
 Pontoppidon's stories of the prowess of the sea- 
 eagle, which have received, in some degree, a con- 
 firmation from a writer of more deserved authority*. 
 
 * " We learned with astonishment that eagles were very much 
 dreaded on these islands (Skey, &c.), for they are not contented 
 •with lamhs and smaller animals, but even attack oxen, and not un- 
 freqnently master them. The manner of their attack is so sin- 
 gular, that we should have doubted the truth of the account, if we 
 had not heard it so circumstantially and distinctly confirmed to us 
 in the same terms at places a great distance from one another. 
 
Chap. I.] CHRISTIANIA. 209 
 
 After a beautiful navigation up the fiord, we ar- 
 rived, a little before eleven o'clock p.m., at Christia- 
 nia ; it was broad day-light. The harbour is so well 
 shut in, as to be completely land-locked ; but few 
 vessels were lying in it, and those few were taking in 
 cargoes of timber. On landing, we proceeded to the 
 Hotel du Nord, where we were provided with ex- 
 cellent accommodation : our luggage was left to be 
 taken to the Custom-house, where it was to be exa- 
 mined the following morning. The hotel is large^ 
 and contains some handsome apartments ; but the 
 table d'hote we fo-und to be but indifferently served 
 as to the cookery ; the article we most rehshed 
 while there was wild strawberries and milk, or 
 cream, all excellent. The table was laid for thirty 
 or forty persons, but not more than fifteen or sixteen 
 sat down to it. The arrangement and apparatus 
 were handsome enough, the napkins ingeniously 
 folded in endless variety, and a great profusion of 
 flowers were placed in vases down the centre of the 
 
 The eagle plunges itself into the waves, and after being completely 
 tlrenched, rolls itself among the sand on the shore, till its wings 
 are quite covered with sand. It then rises into the air, and hovers 
 over its unfortunate victim. When it is close to it, it shakes its 
 ■wings, and throws stones and sand into the ej^es of the ox, and 
 completes the terror of the animal by blows with its powerful wings. 
 The blinded oxen run about quite raving, and at length fall down 
 completely exhausted, or dash themselves to death from some 
 clifF. The eagle then mangles, undisturbed, the fruits of his victorj% 
 In this way the nearest neighbour of Skey lost an ox a short time 
 ago," — This story is certainly deserving a place by the side of the 
 kraken, but that such a man as Von Buch should give credit to it, 
 could hardly have been expected.— Fon Buck's Travels in Norway^ 
 p. 13. 
 
210 C n R I STl A M A . [ Chap. I. 
 
 table, upon which tlicre was also a great display of 
 glass ware. 
 
 Christiania gave us the idea of being a quiet, dull 
 town. The most frequented part towards the even- 
 ing was the ramparts, which surround a point of 
 land projecting into the ba}^, and form a delightful 
 promenade. The houses in the suburbs or out- 
 skirts are generally of wood, but there are also 
 within the town several of brick, covered with 
 plaster or stucco. The view of the town and its 
 beautiful bay, when seen from the surrounding 
 hills, is highly picturesque, and will amply repay 
 the traveller for the trouble of ascending them. 
 These are all skirted with villas and grounds in 
 cultivation, which contribute much to the cheerful 
 appear?aice of Christiania. These little villas, be- 
 lonorino^ to the merchants and traders, are called 
 Leckken * ; they are surrounded with meadows, 
 to give pasture to a cow or two for their milk, 
 and orchards, producing apples, cherries, and 
 gooseberries; even pears and apricots are said to 
 grow in the open air, but we saw none. Though the 
 Scotch and the spruce firs and birch chiefly com- 
 pose the forests that climb up the Scandinavian 
 mountains, the ash, the lime-tree, the elm, the 
 alder, the sycamore and the hazel, grow in gi-eat 
 vigour and beauty in all the valleys, even to the 
 sixty-third degree of latitude, and indeed many 
 
 * " Why they are so called," says Von Buch, " I could never 
 learn ; and, what is singular, this appellation is exclusively peculiar 
 to this town." — Von Buck's Trave/s, p. 39. 
 
Chap. I.] CHRISTIANIA. 211 
 
 degrees higher. Oaks are common in the southern 
 districts, but there are no beeches in any part of 
 Norway. 
 
 The castle, situated on the point of land before 
 mentioned, is a comm-anding object. We visited it 
 partly for the sake of the extensive panorama which 
 it affords, and also for the promenade on the ramparts. 
 It is approached by a draw-bridge. One of the sol- 
 diers took us round, and made no difficulty in showing 
 us the whole arcana of this fortress and prison- 
 house. Seventeen large pieces of ordnance, appa- 
 rently in goodorcler, were pointed towards the town; 
 several other pieces of cannon were within the walls 
 of the castle, but they were so clumsily mounted, 
 and the carriages in such bad condition, that it is 
 more than probable they would be shattered in 
 pieces after firing a few^ shots. 
 
 Within the walls of the castle is a prison, into 
 which the light is only admitted through a small 
 grated window over the entrance-door, which was 
 now^ open, for the purpose of allowing a little fresh 
 air into the cell; but large iron bars rendered it 
 impassable; there were, besides, tw^o soldiers on 
 guard, one of whom was stationed close to the door. 
 We could distinctly hear the voices of the poor men 
 who were under confinement in this miserable 
 place, but it was so dark within, that we were 
 unable to discern anything, and the prisoners either 
 did not, or could not, come to the barred window. 
 We understood that flogging in the little army 
 of Norway has been abohshed for many years. 
 
212 CIIRISTIANIA. [Chap. I. 
 
 and that this mode of close confinement is now 
 substituted for it. The men offending are kept in 
 this "black-hole" for twelve, twenty-four, or thirty- 
 six hours, according to their misdemeanours, but 
 never longer, during which time tliey are fed upon 
 sour black rye-bread and water. In addition to 
 this, there is another prison, in which ordinary cri- 
 minals are confined. 
 
 We were amused with the droll manner in 
 which notice was given for turning out the guard 
 on the approach of any officer. The sentinel on 
 the ramparts first inhaled a long breath, and then 
 exploded it by bawling out, as loud as it was 
 possible to do, till the sound gradually died away 
 as the man's breath was exhausted. The regi- 
 ments which I saw at Christiania were not remark- 
 able for the order they w^ere in. The dress of 
 the infantry consists of a green coat and white 
 trousers, and the cap handsomely ornamented with 
 white cord. It looked neat ; but the men were 
 not very smart in their general appearance. The 
 finest looking men by far were those of the band : 
 we w'ere fortunate enough to hear them play several 
 beautiful pieces of music, some of which were said 
 to be national airs, and some better music perhaps, 
 but of less interest to us, from Mozart's and other 
 operas. 
 
 The malefactors, who are sent into confinement 
 in the castle, are made to work very hard from 
 morning till night, and " Sunday shines no holiday 
 to them." When employed on the streets or about 
 
Chap. I.] CHRTSTIAMA. 213 
 
 the. ramparts, they are well guarded. Many of 
 them were heavily chained, and some had a rincy 
 of iron round their necks. One side of their 
 clothes was black, and the other white, so that they 
 were always conspicuous — our convicts are clothed 
 in grey. At Copenhagen the prisoners were simi- 
 larly distinguished ; in fact this was a remnant of 
 the Danish discipline. 
 
 Among the best buildings in Christiania may be 
 reckoned the Cathedral, the Palace, the Hotel de 
 Ville, the Bank, the depot of arms, and the riding- 
 house, the greater number of which are stuccoed 
 white, and are mostly situated near to the castle. 
 The roof of the riding-house is vaulted, and there 
 are, consequently, no beams to disfigure this spacious 
 room. Christiania has also its vuiiversity, with a 
 library, a museum, and botanical garden : there is 
 also a house of industry, and a foundling hospital. 
 
 The streets of Christiania are wide and straight, 
 but the houses are straggling and irregular; at 
 every cross street, or nearly so, there is a large cis- 
 tern or well, cased with wood, into which a constant 
 stream of water is made to flow, so that the inha- 
 bitants can supply themselves with this necessary 
 article whenever it may suit their convenience. In 
 some of the back streets the houses are almost 
 entirely of wood, very low, but neatly and cu- 
 riously carved. The pavement of all the streets is 
 wretched. 
 
 The house in which the Storthing, or Norwegian 
 
214 CURISTIANIA. [Chap. I. 
 
 parliament, meet for conducting the business of the 
 State, is amongst the best in the city, and has a 
 very handsome portico of wood. Through the kind- 
 ness of Mr. Broder Knudtzon, to whom we had the 
 pleasure of being introduced, and who is known to 
 be unremitting in his attention to our countrymen 
 who may be travelling in Norway, w^e obtained 
 admittance to the sitting of the Storthing. This 
 meeting is held only once in every three years, 
 unless anything of great importance should require 
 its assembling. They commence their sittings in 
 the month of February, and continue till the end of 
 August ; and the hours of attendance are from nine 
 in the morning till nine in the evening, with an 
 interval in the middle of the day of an hour or so, 
 when they retire to dinner. 
 
 The gallery into ^vhich we were admitted was 
 crowded with people, and the heat was very oppres- 
 sive. The room is in the form of a semi-circle, the 
 gallery being immediately above the benches, and 
 there were no seats under it, so that strangers can 
 both hear and see well. I never saw an assem- 
 blage of men wearing the appearance of sages so 
 strongly as these members of the Storthing. They 
 were mostly of a certain age ; clad generally in 
 coarse grey woollen coats, their hair long, and 
 flowing over their shoulders, and their whole de- 
 portment grave, sober, and intent on the business 
 before them. The president was reading a paper, 
 which lasted the whole time we were there, and of 
 
Chap. I.] CHRISTIANIA. 215 
 
 which each member appeared to have a printed 
 copy. What the subject was I know not^ but it 
 seemed to occupy their whole attention : there was 
 no moving about^, but all kept their seats, with their 
 hats off, and observed the greatest silence and de- 
 corum. 
 
 Christiania is not without its theatre, which, 
 however, we did not attend, as we were informed 
 by a Norwegian gentleman that it was not worth 
 the trouble of a visit. The only attraction at this 
 time was an actor from Copenhagen, who, I under- 
 stood, had been for many years practising there as 
 a physician, but took it into his head to abandon 
 Esculapius and take to Thespis. 
 
 Christiania is a place of considerable trade, its 
 exports being chiefly timber, such as baulks, spars, 
 deals, and planks, with tar, hemp, and iron ; 
 also some copper from the mines of Roraas. The 
 great convenience of floating down timber to and 
 from Drammen is said to have injured the trade 
 of Christiania in that article ; yet, judging from the 
 immense timber-yards, occupying in space a third 
 part of the city, crowded with stacks of logs and 
 deals, one would conclude it to be in a prosperous 
 state. There is nothing particular in the dress or 
 appearance of the inhabitants in general. The 
 higher classes, both ladies and gentlemen, were 
 scarcely to be distinguished from those of our own 
 country ; the common people were slovenly dressed, 
 and seemed to be mostly in a state of poveiiy. 
 They wear their hair long behind, hanging over the 
 
216 CIIRISTIAMA [Chap. I. 
 
 collars of their coats, which adds to their slovenly 
 appearance, and has the air of great discomfort. 
 We found the English language very generally 
 spoken among the better class, much more than 
 the French. 
 
 We were amused at nights by listening to the 
 singing or chaunting of the watchmen, in a curious 
 drawling manner, putting us in mind of our old de- 
 parted watchmen. They carry about with them a 
 lono- staff, at the end of which is a round knob stuck 
 full of little spilies, resembling the rays of a star, 
 from which the staff is called the morning- star. 
 Their song differs in different parts of Norway. In 
 Drontheim, (pronounced Tronyem,) according to 
 the translation given in De Capel Brooke's Tra- 
 vels, it is as follows : — 
 
 Ho ! the watchman, ho ! 
 
 The clock has struck ten, 
 
 Praised be God, our Lord! 
 
 Now is it time to go to bed; 
 
 The housewife and her maid, 
 
 The master as well as his lad. 
 
 The wind is south-east, 
 
 Hallelujah ! praised be God, our Lord ! 
 
 Preparatory to our leaving Christiania w^e were 
 advised to purchase two small, light carriages, 
 called here carrioles, in which we were to be 
 our ow^n drivers over that part of the country we 
 intended to traverse. We were assured that this 
 would be the most comfortable and convenient, 
 as well as independent, and, at the same time, 
 economical, mode of travelling, and one that was 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 217 
 
 generally adopted by travellers who covdd singly 
 manage to drive a horse in harness. The cost of 
 each carriole was about five pounds, and for this 
 trifling sum we purchased what would in any 
 country, by their appearance, be called eleo-ant 
 little carriages. The annexed sketch will perhaps 
 serve to convey an idea of what they were : the 
 body rests entirely upon the shafts, to which it 
 is secured by means of two cross pieces of wood. 
 It has no springs, but the shafts, being generally 
 of tough ash, are exceedingly pliant, and the motion 
 perfectly easy, unless the horse should strike into 
 a canter, and then it bounds like a boat tossed 
 by the waves, and becomes very rouoh and un- 
 steady. The two wheels upon which it runs are 
 placed considerably aft, so that the whole weio-ht 
 is thrown between them and the horse. A leather 
 apron comes up to the seat to be used in the 
 event of wet weather, for the protection of the leo-s 
 up to the waist, but the upper part of the body is 
 of course exposed. 
 
 We found this little vehicle well adapted for the 
 nature of the country ; indeed, I verily beheve no 
 other carriage of any description could have gone 
 over such places as ours was destined to do, with 
 the same ease and security. It is so simply con- 
 structed that, in the event of its being broken or 
 damaged, any of the peasants, who, we are told, are 
 all carpenters, would readily repair it. The harness 
 did not appear to be of the best ; and we were fur- 
 
 L 
 
218 JOUHNEY TO BKKGEN. [CHup- I 
 
 nished with rope reins, which are not at all pleasant 
 to drive with, but they stood the wear and tear 
 well. 
 
 Having engaged a Norwegian servant, who pro- 
 duced good certificates, to accompany us on our 
 journey, and having despatched a forebud the pre- 
 ceding night, we were a,ll ready for starting on the 
 following morning on our route to Bergen. On 
 this occasion, I confess I felt myself rather awk- 
 ward, it being, strange to say, almost the first 
 time I had held the reins in my hand ! And I 
 ^vas now on the point of setting out on a long and 
 perilous journey, and to drive myself over the worst 
 of all possible roads, and along some of the most 
 frightful precipices, that are probably to be foimd 
 in any part of the civilized world. Of this we were 
 fully apprized ; and I had collected from De Capel 
 Brooke's travels, that he considered four things 
 were essentially necessary for such an undertaking 
 in Norway — a skilful driver, a strong vehicle, good 
 nerves, and harness in perfect order ; and that on 
 these the safety of the traveller in a great measure 
 depends. Add to all which, it was stated, that a 
 great degree of expertness in driving was absolutely 
 necessary, particularly in guiding the chariot down 
 the side of a mountain nearly perpendicular, over a 
 road barely the width of the carriage, and the sides 
 opening upon a yaw^ning precipice. All this had 
 made a strong impression on my mind, as I w^as 
 contemplating to make the same kind of journey. 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 219 
 
 and now that I was actually on the eve of mount- 
 ing-, I hegan to hesitate. I was conscious that I 
 was not a skilful driver, distrusted the strencrth 
 of my vehicle, and thought that the harness was 
 just as likely to break, on descending the first hill, 
 as not. I had, therefore, nothing but my " good 
 nerves" to trust to, and happily they carried me 
 throuo^h. 
 
 The difficulty of procuring a servant at Christi- 
 ania, likely to be really useful, was very great. It 
 seems there were but three or four who were in the 
 habit of accompanying travellers; and as we under- 
 stood that they were all at this time employed, we 
 were likely enough to have been under the neces- 
 sity of taking a very stupid man that offered him- 
 self, who would have been of little or no use to us^ 
 beyond acting as an interpreter. Indeed, he ap- 
 peared to be perfectly ignorant of every thing con- 
 nected Avith the mode of travelling in his own 
 country ; he assured us, for instance, that it was 
 not in the least degree necessary to send on a 
 forebud, as horses were plentiful at all the post 
 stations between Christiania and Bergen ; this we 
 knew to be utterly impossible, from the very few 
 travellers, who go from the one place to the other. 
 Fortunately, however, another servant offered 
 himself just before starting, whom we engaged, 
 and with whom we had every reason to be 
 satisfied. 
 
 On leaving the town, we were required to pay 
 
 l2 
 
220 JOURlNl-Y TO BERGEN. LCl'-il'. I. 
 
 double fare for the first stage, which was along one 
 of fourteen miles ; and this we afterwards found to 
 be an established rule, on quitting any of the three 
 large towns, Christiania, Bergen, and Dronlheim. 
 As it may be of use to future travellers, I shall be 
 somewhat minute in my account of our Excursions 
 throiio-h this interestino^ country, and state a few 
 particulars, which, however, they will soon acquire. 
 The expense of. travelling is of serious impoitance 
 in most countries; but in Norway, where a little 
 money goes a great way, it is ver}^ trifling. As, 
 however, it is an article more or less interesting to 
 all travellers, I may as well give some notion of it 
 at starting. 
 
 An Ort, or Mark, the value of which is about 
 8f/. in English money, was paid by us for each 
 horse for a Norwegian mile, being, as nearly as 
 possible, seven English miles. As w^e invariably 
 despatched a forebud the night before, we had to 
 pay for four horses at every station; — -our own two, 
 one for our servant and one for the forebud, makinor 
 up the number four. Four sidllings (three of which 
 make an English penny) are allowed to each of the 
 men w^ho accompany the horses, and are termed 
 ^' drink-money :" we generally gave them a little 
 over. The forebud is also entitled to the same 
 allowance ; and sixteen skillings are given to the 
 man who has provided the horses, so that the total 
 expense incurred for every Norwegian mile (or, as 
 I have before said^ for every seven English miles) 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 221 
 
 may he reckoned^ as nearly as posrsible, as follows^ 
 namely : — 
 
 4 horses 4 Orts or Marks . 2 8 
 
 Drink-money to the three men 
 
 who accompany the carrioles, 
 
 and to the fdrebud, at 4 
 
 skillings per man . . . IGSkilHngs . . 5^ 
 To the man who has provided 
 
 the horses 16 Skillings . . . 5^ 
 
 3 7 
 which is a fraction more than sixpence for every 
 English mile for four horses, including every other 
 expense. 
 
 The Norwegian currency is not. very complex : 
 the following is the relative value of it. 
 
 £. s. d. 
 
 6 paper Dollars are about equal to ... 1 
 
 1 Dollar is 3 4 
 
 1 Dollar 18 
 
 An Ort or Mark, which is 24 Skillings .008 
 3 Skillings 001 
 
 Blue-coloured notes are made use of when the 
 value of each is equal to 5 dollars, and yellow when 
 they are each 10 dollars. The notes are small in 
 size, which is one advantage over those of Sweden^ 
 but they are in general equally dirty and raggedy, 
 (which could not well be otherwise, considering 
 the many hands they pass through,) and are often 
 torn into two or three pieces. It is no uncommon 
 thing in handling them to find a pin (by which 
 the fragments are united) running into the palm 
 of one's hand. 
 
 On Tuesday morning, the 9th of July, we mounted 
 
222 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 our carrioles in the large court-yard at the back of 
 our hotel, and having got my reins fairly adjusted, 
 and my horse led along a narrow passage, through 
 which, as a novice, it was utterly hopeless for me 
 to attempt to drive, more especially as, the floor 
 of it being boarded, I was pretty sure the animal 
 would be half- frightened, and reluctant to pass ; — 
 just so it happened; for as soon as the hollow 
 sound of his hoofs assailed his ears, he became 
 unruly ; but having bolted over, we sallied forth 
 on our perilous journey towards Bergen. The 
 map by which we travelled was a small one, 
 purchased at Christiania, and draw^n up by Lieu- 
 tenant Lund, an officer in the Norwegian army, 
 who appears to have surveyed the whole country, 
 and whose name is repeatedly seen in the books 
 at the different stations, which are kept there for 
 travellers to insert their names, and to enter any 
 complaint they may have to make against the post- 
 masters, or attendants on the horses, or to record 
 their satisfaction. The map which I have given to 
 show our track has been partly drawn up from the 
 one in question. 
 
 The carrioles were generally accompanied either 
 by men or boys, who ran alongside with extraordi- 
 nary activity, jumping up occasionally behind to 
 rest themselves, as well as to keep tlie carriole 
 back, v^hen we were descending any long steep 
 hills. They ran with little apparent exertion to 
 themselves, whenever the road was tolerably level ; 
 but as the country on the first part of our journey 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 223 
 
 was ascending, sometimes up the steep sides of a 
 mountain, they often had to walk the greater part 
 of the stage. We had generally one man to each 
 carriole, and another who accompanied our ser- 
 vant's cart— a rude kind of vehicle,— which we had 
 to procure at the several post stations, and which 
 is, in fact, the machine that is commonly used by 
 the f5rebuds, whose name it bears. Sometimes, 
 but seldom, one man alone accompanied us to take 
 back the three horses. 
 
 These attaches are often a great annoyance to 
 the traveller, especially when they happen to be 
 the owners of the horses, as, naturally enough, they 
 are unwilling to allow him to drive as rapidly as he 
 might otherwise be disposed to do. The Norse pea- 
 santry, to do them justice, appear to be much at- 
 tached to their animals, and are always ready to 
 assist them in their labour in every possible way. 
 In ascending a hill for instance, they will often 
 walk behind the carriole, and push it on with all 
 their strength, in order to relieve the horse: in 
 descending one, they will walk by his side, and 
 hold up the shaft to ease him of the weight. No- 
 thing annoys them so much as to see their horses 
 sweal:; and I have known a poor boy to cry be- 
 cause I drove his horse too quick as he thought, 
 which I would certainly not have done, had I 
 known that it distressed him, which I was not 
 aware of until afterwards told so by our servant. 
 
 Women and young girls occasionally, but not 
 
224 JOUK^•KY TO BERGEN. [CIkii). I. 
 
 fioqiiently, accompanied us. I once had the mis- 
 fortune to have a fair damsel seated hehind my 
 carriole, \>lio Avas in the greatest possible fidget, 
 durinof the whole of the stage, about her horse, 
 •which was one of tlie most miserabk^ creatures I 
 ever saw, being what is usually known in jockey 
 phraseology by the name of a star-gazer. Vriien- 
 ever I touched the reins, however delicately, up 
 went his nose perpendicularly into the air, which 
 was so perfectly ridiculous, that it was impossible 
 to forbear smiling : it also afforded much amuse- 
 ment to the men who were running with the 
 vehicles in front of me. The poor girl, I believe, 
 set me down as a very hard-hearted person, and 
 seemed to think that we were lauorhina- at her 
 anxiety about the animal. On our arrival at the 
 next post, the horse was rather warm, and I re- 
 ceived some very angry looks in consequence. The 
 horses, however, were generally good ; they were 
 sure-footed, and trotted remarkably well, and with- 
 out making any false steps; yet some of the hills 
 we had to drive down were exceedingly steep. The 
 traveller is soon taught to place confidence in theni, 
 and to let them go down, as Ave used to do, the 
 steep side of a mountain at a quick trot or a canter 
 — to suffer vrhich, in England, except, perhaps, in 
 Devonshire, a man would be considered half-crazy. 
 The first stage from Christiania was tolerably 
 level, until we reached Sundvoldcn, situated at the 
 eastern angle of the 7'yra lake, (usually but impro- 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 225 
 
 perly called fiord,) but the second stage became very 
 heavy and hilly, for which we were required to pay 
 a double fare for the horses, as well as for the first. 
 
 The scenery, which had been beautiful as the 
 road winded along a well-cultivated valley, began 
 now to assume the character of grandeur. From 
 the summit of a steep hill, which in England we 
 should call a mountain, we had an enchantnig 
 view of the lake we had passed, whose surface 
 appeared from this elevation as smooth as a 
 mirror, its waters being undisturbed by the small- 
 est ripple. 
 
 From the post station at a place called Klockken, 
 there is also a lovely prospect of mountain, vrood, 
 and water ; and at the jyrccsfgaard, or parsonage of 
 Haug, we came upon the Viids Eh, which flows out 
 of the Rands Soe (pronounced Sooe), and into the 
 Tyra Soe. x41ong this picturesque river, and its high 
 and wooded banks, we proceeded until we reached 
 the village of Vang, situated on the borders of the 
 Rands Soe, a sheet of water of great extent, wind- 
 ing many miles among the defiles of the mountains. 
 The water of this ^reat lake, after falling into the 
 Tyra, flows past Drammen, and from thence into 
 the great Gulf of Christiania. We drove along 
 the shore of this lovely lake, and kept in sight 
 of it, for upwards of fifty miles, occasionally losing 
 it, and then coming upon it suddenly again. The 
 whole valley through which it flows, along its mar- 
 gins, and on the sloping sides of the mountains, is 
 
2*26 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 scattered over with farm-houses and cuUivated 
 patches of ground, amidst vast forests of fir-trees, 
 mingled with birch. Sheep, goats, and cattle were 
 seen browsing high up on the hills, and among the 
 rocky summits of the mountains. 
 
 At the next post station to Vang, we overtook 
 our forebud. This is always a great annoyance, 
 to which, however, all who journey in this thinly- 
 inhabited country, in which there is such a paucity 
 of travellers, are at all times liable; and for this 
 reason, if possible, the forebud should always be 
 started sixteen or eighteen hours beforehand, as 
 much time must necessarily be lost by him on the 
 road at night, when he is frequently unable to pro- 
 cure a horse ; and even by day it sometimes requires 
 a search of three or four hours to discover the 
 horses, which are sent out to feed among the moun- 
 tains. The truth is, the people who keep these 
 post-houses generally have no horses, or at least 
 rarely furnish horses of their own ; they are autho- 
 rized to make a call for them upon the nearest vil- 
 lagers, and are entitled to a very small sum from 
 them for their trouble, called call- money . They 
 have the privilege, as far as I cotdd collect, of being 
 exempt from the payment of taxes, and also are 
 allow ed to sell corn-brandy. With all the difficidty 
 and delay w hich must occasionally occur in procur- 
 ing horses, a forebud is, nevertheless, a useful in- 
 strument in abridging it. The way in which he is 
 started is so nearly the same as in Sweden, that it 
 would be superfluous to repeat it here. 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 227 
 
 A very useful little volume, in the form of a road- 
 book, may be purchased at Christiania, containincr 
 the different routes from the principal towns, and 
 mentioning with the greatest exactness the names 
 of every post station and their distances, whether 
 by land, or by water, — the rate of pay for the hire 
 of horses, or for boats, — as well as a variety of other 
 useful information. This manual was invaluable 
 to us, as our servant, who understood it, w^as enabled 
 to make out the forebud tickets correctly. On the 
 present occasion we sent the forebud on imme- 
 diately, and passed away the time by taking our 
 dinner, which consisted of bacon and eggs, and 
 brown rye bread, the only articles to be had in this 
 place ; but as they were all pretty good in their 
 way, we made ourselves perfectly contented with 
 the fare. Soon after our repast, and much sooner 
 than we had any reason to expect, tlie horses 
 arrived, and we proceeded. 
 
 Every turn of the road now" presented the most 
 diversified and enchanting scenery. At a place 
 called Ougedahl, we again came up with the forebud, 
 but having driven about sixty miles, and the evening 
 being far advanced, we resolved upon passing the 
 night here, despatching him immediately to order 
 horses for the morrow. 
 
 The post station w^as quite as good as one could 
 reasonably expect to meet with, in a country where 
 travelling is so unfrequent, and where there are no 
 public conveyances of any description to be met 
 
^28 JOURNEY TO IJKrCEN. [Chap. I, 
 
 with; Lut a stranger will feel himself not a little 
 mcommoded in the mode of sleeping or getting 
 through the night. For my own part I nearly 
 underwent suffocation between two eider down mat- 
 tresses before morning. 'I he bedsteads are all very 
 short, being generally much under six feet from one 
 end to the other, so that when the mattress and 
 pillows are j^laced on them, they are reduced to less 
 than five feet, and a moderate sized person must 
 therefore either sleep with his knees bent up to his 
 face, which is by no means agreeable, or with his 
 legs half out of bed, which is perhaps still less so ; 
 but this is much the same in Germany. However^ 
 we made it out pretty w^ell, and would have been 
 most hajDpy to have met with eider-down mattresses 
 in many parts of our travels. After an excellent cup 
 of coffee in the morning, we pursued our journey. 
 
 We were told it would be desirable to lay in a 
 stock of provisions at Christiania, but this is cer- 
 tainly unnecessary. Perhaps as the rye bread is 
 sometimes coarse, sour, and sodden, a few biscuits 
 would not be amiss; but even these would oret 
 crumbled to pieces. Thin and crisp oat cakes can 
 generally be procured ; they are baked over the fire 
 on a round iron plate, exactly similar to that which, 
 in some parts of Lancashire, is called a girdle, where 
 the same kind of oat- cakes are in common use, and 
 are called clap-bread — in ISi orw 3.j, Jlad-brud, where 
 it is seldom so good, the oatmeal being frequently 
 mixed with barley or rye. As the coffee is always 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEX. 229 
 
 excellent, the traveller need not encumber himself 
 with tea, and the necessary equipage for making it. 
 He will besides generally find in the rudest parts 
 of Norway abundance of milk, cream, and butter, 
 all of which are good; there are few cottages that 
 have not a cow or two. In the small patches of 
 ground attached to the cottages were generally orow- 
 ing oats, rye, turnips, and potatoes, and frequently 
 we observed the hop-plant in great luxuriance. Very 
 few of the common culinary vegetables were under 
 cuhivation, except cabbages and radishes, and not 
 much of these. All these articles, tosfether with 
 strawberries, which grew plentifully by the road- 
 side, in a wild state, as well as raspberries, — but 
 these were not abundant, — will enable the traveller, 
 in the summer season, to make it out pretty well. 
 
 At a little place called Hand, on the borders of 
 the lake, we found breakfast waiting our arrival, 
 having ordered it by the forebud. A large supply 
 of fine fresh salmon trout was placed before us, to 
 which, as it may be supposed, we did ample justice, 
 but the good lady of the house did not appear to 
 think so, for she brought in a second dish, which it 
 was quite impossible for us to touch. She literally 
 was a good lady, and though somewhat aged, (I 
 might say old,) she really was a most amiable 
 creature; her attention to us was quite extraordi- 
 nary — it was overpowering; her whole mind was 
 bent upon serving us; then she wished to cram us 
 like children, and made herself exceedingly uncom- 
 
230 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 fortable because we could not possibly eat everything 
 that she placed before us. Her activity was equal to 
 her hospitality ; it was most remarkable for a per- 
 son so far advanced in years : she bustled in and 
 out of the room like a young girl, bringing in with 
 her all manner of good things. Her demand for pay- 
 ment was so very little, that we insisted on addincr a 
 trifle to it, which seemed to gratify the good old 
 creature very much. We both agreed that if we 
 had reached this place the preceding evening, as 
 we intended, had not our forebud disappointed us, 
 we should have passed a more comfortable night 
 than had been our lot. 
 
 I was much struck with the difference we had 
 thus far experienced between the fare of the Nor- 
 wegian and the Swedish peasantry. With the 
 exception of a few unfrequented spots through 
 which we had to travel, the superiority in the com- 
 forts of the former, scanty as they must be admitted to 
 be, is conspicuous throughout the country. Their rye 
 bread is generally better, being light, whereas that 
 of the Swede is heavy, sour, and doughy, like a mass 
 of paste ; and the corn-brandy of the Norwegians 
 (to them the very essence of life) is far more pure 
 than in Sweden. Fresh butter is an article scarcely 
 «ver seen amongst the Swedish peasantry, whilst in 
 Norway no other is met with during the summer 
 months; and I cannot call to mind having more 
 than once, or twice at most, found it even indifferent; 
 it was almost invariably excellent. The Norse cows 
 
Chap. L] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 231 
 
 are small, and not unlike, in shape and appear- 
 ance, to the Alderney breed. Among them are 
 many beautiful animals, and so active that they 
 seem to jump from rock to rock as nimbly as the 
 goats. 
 
 Between Sand and Hof, both on the borders of 
 the lake, we passed a grand waterfall from a moun- 
 tain torrent which rushed into the lake from the 
 eastward, and being the first that we had en- 
 countered in Norway, it was hailed with no uncom- 
 mon degree of delight, though we had witnessed the 
 falls of Trollhatten, to which the one in question was 
 not worthy to be compared ; but it was the fore- 
 runner of those more magnificent ones in prospect, 
 as the road over the mountains which lay before us 
 should become more elevated and rugged. From 
 the time of our leaving Christiania the weather had 
 not been very favourable, and we had encountered 
 some heavy showers of rain, but it was now become 
 clear and serene; the views of the country were 
 extensive and beautiful, but the sun was burning 
 hot, and incommoded us not a little. 
 
 On approaching RodncES we passed another fine 
 cascade. Here the Rands Sue became narrower, 
 and was occasionally lost sight of from the road. 
 At this place we had a proof of the ascent of the 
 <;ountry by the appearance of ploughs for clearino- 
 off the early snow from the roads in the winter, 
 which were here collected by the road side; 
 and as we proceeded, we found them placed at 
 
232 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 short distances from one another, as in Sweden. 
 At Rodnses we had again overtaken our furebud, 
 end we had no alternative but to send on our ser- 
 vant to order horses at the next station, whilst we 
 waited the arrival of them at this. Luckily the 
 people of the post-house were able to provide him 
 with a horse and cart without much delay, and he 
 drove on accordingly for the above purpose. Hie 
 horses are generally out at grass many miles awav, 
 and have probably come seven or eight miles before 
 they are harnessed in the carrioles; and it not 
 unfrequently happens that they are employed in 
 getting in the hay about this time, and have had 
 the collar on them for several hours previous to 
 their arrival. It is on account of these things that 
 delay is occasioned, and the forebud is not always 
 to blame for loitering on the road, as it often hap- 
 pens that he is himself detained for three or four 
 hours for the want of a horse. 
 
 Having at last got our horses, we proceeded 
 onwards. We were now at the upper extremity of 
 the Rand's Lake, in siu^ht of which we had so long- 
 pursued our journey, and were now travelhng upon 
 the ridges of a deep ravine of rocks, \Yhich displayed 
 some of that wild and romantic scenery of Norway 
 we had often heard of. The river was flowing over 
 its rocky bed far beneath us; not a turn of the 
 road but brought some magnificent prospect with if, 
 either immediately before us, or through the chasms 
 in the lofty ridges of the ravines. Mountain streams 
 
Chap. I.J JOURNEY TO BERGEX. 233 
 
 gurgiing down their pebbly beds, in haste, as it 
 were, to add their tribute to the clear waters of the 
 larger river beneath, were of frequent occurrence; 
 the clalterinor noise of "the brooks that brawled 
 along the wood.'' — the roaring of^ a cascade, 
 sometimes dashing down the rocks close to the 
 road side, and of others heard only at a distance, — 
 produce an effect on the mind, of which no descrip- 
 tion can convey an adequate idea ; while the eye is 
 reposing on the side of the towering mountain, dis- 
 playing its varied tints of the dark green pine trees, 
 the more lively verdure of the grassy banks, and 
 the blackened rocks among which they were inter- 
 mixed. We may now, in fact, be said to com- 
 mence only the ascent, through winding rocky 
 defiles, of that part of the great central chain of 
 mountains which is called the Fillefjeld'^. 
 
 The cottages or sing^le houses, which lie scattered 
 over the sides of these mountains, are all of wood — 
 often painted of a red colour, sometimes whitened, and 
 frequently left the natural colour of the wood. 1 ney 
 are constructed of logs rudely squared, but closely 
 fitted together, and the seams filled up or caulked 
 with moss; sometimes an exterior planking covers the 
 
 * Fie/;/, usuall}' written FjelJ, and pronounced Fi-eld, is a high 
 niountaia or group of mountains. 
 
 Tind is a peak of a mountain. 
 Braen is a glacier. 
 Hammer is a rocky promontory. 
 Bukkt'i^ a rounded hill. 
 ^ns is a range of hills. 
 
234 
 
 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 
 
 [Chap. I. 
 
 logs, and generally the interior is wainscoted, that 
 is to say, has a lining of plank, but not always ; and 
 the floors, as in Sweden, are generally strewed 
 with cuttings of the juniper bushes, which grow 
 abundantly in all the mountains of Norway-. 
 These cottages are rarely seen in the narrow parts 
 of the gloomy ravines, but are perched on the 
 sides, and frequently on the summits, of their 
 rocky inclosures, in order to enjoy as much of 
 Ihe enlivening beams of the sun as the moun- 
 tainous nature of the country will permit. In 
 these rocky defiles and their steep sides, the 
 horses and cattle find excellent pasturage, and 
 it is quite surprising to see them clambering to 
 the very apex of a rugged cliff, or verge of some 
 precipice, to get at their food. 
 
 We had now taken our leave of the Rands Lake, 
 Avhich had so much contributed to the pleasure of 
 our journey, by affording us a constant succession 
 of the finest lake scenery that probably is to be met 
 
Chap. L] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 235 
 
 with in any part of the world, not even Switzerland 
 excepted. It had giadually narrowed till it became 
 reduced to its feeding stream, which we had to 
 cross at a village called Tonvold, over a wooden 
 bridcre of a singular and simple construction, throw^n 
 across a foaming cataract. It consisted of a single 
 arch, if it could be so called, formed by logs of 
 wood crossing each other at right angles, as in the 
 preceding sketch. 
 
 This short stream was formed of the united 
 waters of the Etaedal and the Dokke, on the former 
 of which we had to proceed as far as the village of 
 Etnedal, where we again crossed, and had to pass 
 over a mountain ridge of 4043 feet high to the banks 
 of the Reina Elv, a rapid stream bursting out of the 
 Strand lake, which is stated to be at an eleva- 
 tion of 1137 feet; it is a long and tortuous sheet 
 of water, encompassed by mountains from 4000 to 
 4200 feet in height*. 
 
 * The heights of the mountains, lakes, and roads, noticed in 
 this Excursion, are taken from a very splendid map of Scandi- 
 navia, in eight sheets, compiled by order of the king of Sweden, 
 under the direction and inspection of Charles Forsell, in Stock- 
 holm, from the year 1815 to 1826. As Dr. Hutton makes the 
 Stockholm foot to bear to the English foot a ratio of 1 to 1-073, 
 and Celsius of 1 to "979, I have considered these two as nearly 
 alike. These elevations are much below those of Mr. Esmark 
 and of Von Buch, as will be noticed in their proper places. If 
 the Swedish author should have made use of Danish feet in the 
 Norwegian portion of the map, which is not unlikely, each being 
 equal to 12-35 English inches, the several heights will more nearly 
 correspond, but still be different. If to the heights in the Swedish 
 map be added one-fifteenth, they will very nearly correspond with 
 Professor Esmark's measurements, and will reduce the Danish 
 iiearly to English feet. 
 
236 JOURNKY TO BKRGEX. [Chap. I. 
 
 Waterfalls and cascades now began to meet tlie 
 eye in rapid succession, some attracting more 
 attention than others, accordinor to their oreater 
 altitude and mass of water, but each of them 
 aflbrding delight to the wondering gaze of the 
 traveller. It may be necessary to explain that by 
 waterfall, I mean a sheet of water falling over a 
 ledge of rock without interception to the abyss 
 below; by cascade, a sheet of water, falling by 
 leaps from rock to rock, and dashed among 
 them into foam ; and by cataract, a torrent of 
 water forcing its tortuous way among rocky frag- 
 ments down the bed of a river more or less sloping. 
 
 At the summiit of an enormous pine-clad moun- 
 tain, and as it were at the very verge of it, the 
 spire of a church caught the eye, rearing its taper- 
 incr shaft hi^h above the stunted firs and birches; 
 there was no ha.bitation, apparently, near it, and 
 the situation was singularly striking. The parson- 
 age, and a few other dwellings, were, no doubt, 
 near to the churcli, but hid from our sight by the 
 forest of firs and birch-trees. 
 
 On our arrival at Strand, close to the lake of 
 the same name, we found ourselves again detained 
 for horses, and therefore resolved on passing the 
 night here. We fared well at this place, having 
 procured for dinner some fine fish fresh from 
 the lake. jNIilk and cream are always good, and 
 the corn-brandy is alsO palatable. This spirit 
 is distilled from barley, and sometimes, I believe, 
 from rye and oats; is flavoured rather strongly. 
 
Clwp. I.J JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 23/ 
 
 sometimes with aniseed, and sometimes with 
 caraway-seed, at least so we thought, though we 
 understood the peculiar flavour was given by the 
 flowers of some of the mountain plants, perhaps 
 the juniper-herry, with the addition of a little 
 sucrar*. 
 
 o 
 
 The traveller may also generally procure plenty 
 of a particular kind of cheese, of a sweetish taste, 
 and poor in qurtlity, made, I believe, of goats' 
 milk. But there is another kind of cheese, called 
 Gammel Ost, which literally means '' old cheese,'* 
 that is excellent, but rarely met with, except in 
 the houses of the gentry or substantial farmers. 
 We thought it equal, and not unlike in flavour^ to 
 good ripe Stiltonf. 
 
 * Dr. Clarke says the flavour is given to it bj- the addition of 
 the hsegberry, which he says is the bird-cherry (^Primus pudi/s'), 
 "vvhose juice is red, whereas the spirit is as clear as the purest 
 water. The Swedes flavour their ardent spirit with aniseed. 
 
 ■}• Dr. Clarke has speculated, not very happily, on the term 
 Gamine/ Ost. Having asked a family who had been kind to him, 
 what he should send them from England, the answer was '"'A Glou- 
 cester cheese." '' And in return," he says, " they promised us some 
 Gammel Orske (perhaps more properly written Gamla Nonke) the 
 produce of their own farm." He had before talked of this cheese, 
 ''which resembled excellent old Cheshire," and that " in making it 
 they use butter-milk and yeast," — singular ingredients enough, it 
 must be confessed! — Travels in Scandinavia ^\f^. 588 and 7ZQ. 
 
 Speaking of this cheese, another traveller says, '•' A particular 
 species o'i sweet cheese [not in the least sweet] highly prized here, 
 is produced on special occasions. It is called Gammelen Orse, 
 or old cheese, which Mr. Janson told us had been converted by 
 the ingenuity of some English traveller into Gammela Norse, or 
 ' Old Norway,' much to the amusement of^^the natives." — Elliotts 
 Letters, &c.; p. 143. 
 
238 JOURNEY TO BERC.EN. [Chap. I. 
 
 After our dinner we strolled up a hill by the side 
 of a little stream of water, to collect wild flowers 
 for o\u' amusement, for neither of us knew much of 
 botany. Blue-bells were growing in great plenty ; 
 foxgloves, saxifrage, groundsel, and that most com- 
 mon of all plants, the sow-thistle. We observed 
 some heaths, but not in flower and not luxm-iant ; 
 but their usual companion in our country, the furze 
 with its golden blossoms, w^as wanting. We picked 
 some whortleberries (vaccinium) and cloudberries 
 {rubus), both of which are commonly eaten, and some 
 raspberries. Tn strolling in the thicket we came across 
 several ant-hills of great size, being eight or ten feet 
 in circumference, and three or four high ; they were 
 all formed round the trunks of decayed firs, which 
 had been torn down by the wind, or cut down for 
 fire-wood. It was amusing^ to watch the little 
 insects working so industriously ; some of them 
 were carrying pieces of wood much larger than 
 themselves, and all hurrying to and fro equally 
 regardless of each other, and of us who were 
 admiring their active pursuits. 
 
 Starting early the next day, we- entered upon what 
 I should have been apt to consider as the sublimest 
 scenery that Norway, or even Nature, could exhibit^ 
 had our excursion ended here. Indeed it appeared 
 difficult for the imagination to conceive anything 
 more magnificently wild and awfully grand — and yet 
 we found it much surpassed in the course of our 
 travels — than the castellated forms of the mountain 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 239 
 
 peaks, blackened by time and the weather, and rent 
 into pinnacles and turrets, rising out of their wall- 
 shaped sides, between which and us was a yawning 
 gulf, choked with masses of rock and rubble ; in 
 this gulf or ravine a large body of water was 
 flowing, rapidly meandering its serpentine course 
 but constantly interrupted in its progress by the huge 
 fragments that, by impeding, swelled its volume^ 
 and — 
 
 " when collected all 
 
 In one impetuous torrent, down the steep 
 
 It thundering shoots, and shakes the country round." 
 
 In the course pursued by this mass of water a con- 
 stant succession of grand falls present themselves to 
 the eye and the ear, one of which was particularly 
 fine : in its rush from the upper ravines of the 
 mountains, it was divided into two cascades, across 
 each of which was throw^n a wooden bridge of pri- 
 mitive construction. In this part of the road the 
 traveller is surrounded on all sides by rocks of 
 enormous height, rising almost perpendicularly from 
 their base, while the sides of the mountains are 
 covered with forests of dark green fir trees, which 
 rear their lofty heads above each other, vying in 
 height with the steep rocks among which they are 
 blended. The precipices both above and below 
 the narrow road are most frightful to look at : no 
 precaution whatever is taken to prevent carriages 
 from slipping off into the abyss below. In 
 many places these precipices were perpendicular^ 
 
 ^^' 
 
2 iO JOUR^'l• Y TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 and sometimes even inclined inwards, or overhung 
 their base. The road too was so narrow as to be 
 little more than barely sufficient to admit of the 
 wlieels of the carrioles between the edge and the 
 side of the mountain ; had we happened indeed 
 to meet any other travellers here, (which was, fort 
 tunateh^, not very probable,) we should have been 
 under the necessity of taking the horses out, and of 
 lifting the carrioles over each other. The chances, 
 however, are against such a meeting, for not a 
 single human being had hitherto appeared to us 
 on this route. Oftentimes the road before us seemed 
 to terminate altogether at the very brink of a preci- 
 pice, when, on reaching the spot, it was found to 
 turn sharply roimd ; and these sharp turns, w'ith 
 the yawning gulf beneath, incur almost inevitable 
 destruction, should the animal become restive, or 
 an overturn unfortunately take place. 
 
 On attaining the summit of the very high moun- 
 tain up the side of which we were now clambering, 
 and the ascent to which was the steepest road that 
 T ever remember to have witnessed in any part 
 of the world, Switzerland not excepted, we were 
 agreeably surprised to find it to be level, or 
 nearly so, for some little distance, and covered with 
 a forest of fine fir-trees. Many of these were marked 
 for felling, and others were already cut down. 
 The firs in this part of Norway appear to grow 
 vigorously to the height of considerably more 
 than 2000 feet above the sea; they are of two 
 
^Enw ©IF A m©^mTM.:Lm wa^^o 
 
Chap. L] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 241 
 
 species, the Scotch fir which produces the red deals, 
 and the spruce fir that yiekls the white ones. The 
 spruce ceases to grow at a lower elevation by 200 
 or 300 feet than where the Scotch will thrive; 
 and where the mountains exceed the heio^ht at 
 w^hich the pine forests will grow, the birch creeps 
 still higher until it becomes a mere shrub. In many 
 places, up the steep sides of the mountains, may be 
 seen large masses of rock protruding through these 
 forests, and adding to the picturesque effect of the 
 scenery. 
 
 If the ascent of this mountain was found to be 
 difficult and somewhat dangerous, the descent was 
 perfectly terrific ; it was so steep that the horses were 
 literally obliged to scramble down on their haunches. 
 We looked along a valley many hundred feet below 
 us, shut in on all sides by steep, rugged, and lofty 
 mountains. Those at the extreme part of the view 
 were capped with snow, upon which the sun shone 
 brilliantly, forming a great contrast to the general 
 gloomy appearance of the deep ravines. Cascades 
 were observed pouring down their waters in every 
 direction, sparkling in their passage down the sides 
 of the mountain, and occasionally lost amidst the 
 dark thick forests of firs. 
 
 We had no sooner reached the bottom than we 
 had to toil up another steep ascent, from the sum- 
 mit of which the eye was relieved by a beautiful 
 lake suddenly breaking upon the view, its finely- 
 fringed banks meandering along a verdant valley far 
 
 M 
 
242 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 bcncatli us, beyond which the mountains appeared 
 to be less precipitous, and partially cultivated : a few 
 cottages, also, were seen scattered along their skirts, 
 and on the borders of the lake. In this part of our 
 route we left our carrioles, to examine a cascade at a 
 short distance from the road. It had some resem- 
 blance to the falls of the Rhine at Schaffliausen, but 
 fell from a much higher ascent, and was fully equal 
 to them in the mass of water tumbling over, not- 
 withstanding the state of the river was said to be 
 at this time comparatively low. On the breaking 
 up of winter, when the snow first begins to melt 
 freel}^ and to discharge itself down the mountains, 
 the falls of water must be everywhere grand in the 
 extreme. 
 
 We now approached the high range of moun- 
 tains, whose tops we had seen from a distance 
 covered with snow. The fir-trees had, during our 
 ascent, gradually diminished in size, and at last 
 wholly disappeared, leaving only a few birches of 
 slender growth, mixed with juniper-bushes; and 
 even these vanished before we reached the summit, 
 and with them every appearance of even a shrubby 
 plant ; the only symptom of any living thing in the 
 vegetable creation were some mosses and lichens, 
 with a few small Alpine plants, three species of which 
 have been found even at a much higher elevation : 
 these were the Fanuncuhis gracilis, the Gentiana 
 nivalis, and the Ranunculus glacialis, the last of 
 which I am informed by Sir Thomas Acland he 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 243 
 
 found in full flower close to the curve of perpetual 
 snow on the peak of Sneehdtten. The most remark- 
 able of the lichens was the Islandicus, made use of 
 by the peasantry as a vegetable, equally if not more 
 nutritious than the dulse of the Scotch or the laver 
 of the Welsh, and w^ell known to us as a medicinal 
 drug. Here, too, was growing in patches the lichen 
 rangiferinus, the favourite food of the rein-deer, con- 
 spicuous by its white leaves, as if covered with a 
 hoar frost, and glittering in the sun ; but though the 
 animals themselves are said to be common in the 
 FiUefi-cld mountains, w^e saw no traces of any. The 
 sides of the mountains on our right, which were 
 composed of naked masses of rock, rose perpendicu- 
 larly to an enormous height, and cascades were seen 
 streaming down the rents or ravines into a lake far 
 below the level of the road, appearing dark as 
 Erebus, from the deep shadow thrown upon it by 
 the gigantic mountains, which descend abruptly to 
 its very shores. 
 
 This lake is called the Miose Vand, being the 
 largest of a chain of mountain lakes wdiich give rise 
 to the Reina river ; whose waters, after many a foam- 
 ing torrent, become again tranquil in the Strand Soe, 
 and thence spreading out into the broad Tyra Lake, 
 fall into the Drammen river. The Miose Vand has 
 an elevation of 1576 feet above the sea. It lies mid- 
 way between two very lofty peaked mountains or 
 tinds, that of Skudshorn on the north being 4700 
 feet, and HiigakoUen on the south, 4230 feet ; while 
 
 M 2 
 
244 JOURNEY TO BERGKN. [Cliap. I. 
 
 the road Itself, tlic river, and the lake, are in a deep 
 ravine. In the midst of this wild, romantic scenery 
 stands the post-house, and near it a very curious old 
 wooilen chur(;]i, richly ornamented with carving. 
 Most of the churches we have hitherto seen on this 
 journey are wooden structures, humble in their size, 
 simple in their form, and plain in their architecture; 
 and the wood being covered over with a coating of 
 some composition resembling tar, to preserve it 
 from the weather, they have generally a sombre ap- 
 pearance. From this great elevation it was curious to 
 observe how very diminutive the houses appeared, 
 w^hen seen at a little distance along the feet of these 
 mountains ; they were literally mere specks. 
 
 It was a matter of some speculation with us how 
 the horses would manage to scramble up the side of 
 the mountain we had now to ascend, which we ima- 
 gined it would be next to impossible for them to 
 effect. They contrived, however, to overcome all 
 difficulty, by making a great effort every now and 
 then, and gaining about twelve or fifteen yards each 
 time, when they suddenly stopped of their own 
 accord, to recover their wind and rest themselves ; 
 at which times I used at first to be somewhat appre- 
 hensive that the carriole would fall backwards and 
 draw the horse after it, but soon discovered that 
 there was no real danger of this. The horses by 
 throwing themselves forward and standing with their 
 fore-legs completely under them, place themselves in 
 such a position as to enable them to resist the weight 
 
Chap. I.J JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 245 
 
 of it, without any apparent difficulty ; but it was dis- 
 tressing to see how the poor creatures panted for 
 breath whenever, they stopped. Being fed upon 
 nothing but grass, they have not the same strength 
 nor wind as our grain-fed cattle possess. It is not 
 less extraordinary to observe, as I have already men- 
 tioned, with what perfect safety they trot rapidly 
 down the hills ; those we had were but small ponies, 
 in bad condition, and had never felt the teeth of a 
 currycomb. 
 
 As we were travellincr in a country where, at 
 this season of the year, there is perpetual day, 
 we were often deceived as to the hours, and in 
 crossing these mountains, about the very centre 
 of the Fillefi-eld, the attention became so ri- 
 veted to the sublime scenery, that I found 
 it, to my surprise, to be eleven o'clock at night, 
 when I imaffined it to be about seven or eiMit. We 
 pushed on till about one o'clock, when we arrived at 
 Nyesfuen, where we found but poor accommodation 
 for hungry and weary travellers ; but fatigued as 
 we were with the long day's journey, for we had 
 walked over the greater part of the road, I never 
 slept sounder in my life. 
 
 We had passed the regular post-station, which is 
 called Skougsfad, our servant having told us he 
 thought we should fare better at Nyestuen, to which 
 we had regidarly ascended, in the last stage, to a 
 very great elevation. We found it, however, not 
 only of a very inferior description, but the charges 
 
246 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 were more exorbitant than in any other place we 
 had yet been. The bill which was delivered to us 
 amounted to three dollars and a half (or about 
 eleven shillings and eight pence) for two beds^ in 
 the same miserable room, some black bread and 
 butter at night, the same in the morning, and a cup 
 of coffee. The bread, too, was not only black, but 
 of the coarsest description we had met with. As 
 this was literally all we troubled them for, — because 
 they said it was all they had, — we thought it right 
 to resist payment, and told our servant to inform 
 them that we threatened to insert a remark on their 
 exorbitant charge in the Livre des estrangers. The 
 consequence was that a fresh bill was immediately 
 made out, the amount of which was somewhat less 
 than half of what they had before charged, and 
 even that was dear enough as compared with what 
 we had been charged at other places. Their only 
 excuse was that we were foreigners, — our servant 
 said Englishmen, — and they consequently, I sup- 
 pose, imagined that we were overloaded with money. 
 I notice this as a rare instance of any attempt at 
 imposition by the simple-minded highlanders of 
 Norway — so rare, that it was the first and the last 
 that occurred to us ; and I am not at all sure that 
 we were not rather too hard upon these miserable 
 inmates, doomed to spend their lives on a spot close 
 to the point of perpetual congelation, and whose 
 lonely dwelling does not probably receive a dozen 
 visiters in the course of a whole year. 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 247 
 
 In this high situation stood a small wooden 
 church, and near it was the highest of the chain 
 of lakes I have just mentioned, and whose waters 
 find their way into the Gulf of Christiania : a second 
 lake a little farther on gives rise to a river, which 
 flows in an opposite direction ; this, therefore, is the 
 point of separation of the eastern and western waters. 
 Nyestuen lies between two mountainous ranges, the 
 highest point of that to the northward being 3170 
 feet, and that on the south 4200 feet. But the 
 highest point of the road is between Nyestuen and 
 the next stage, Maristuen. Snow was lying in many 
 places both on the road and in all the recesses of the 
 sides of the mountains. We may therefore consider 
 this part of our journey to be nearly at the curve of 
 perpetual congelation, which, in the parallel of 61^ 
 would give an elevation of about 3500 feet above the 
 level of the sea ; but as the south and the west sides 
 of the contiguous mountain, exposed to the sun, were 
 but partially covered with snow for 500 feet above 
 us, I should estimate the road at about 3000 feet. 
 Mosses, lichens, and the snowy gentian, were the 
 only plants that appeared in this part of the road *. 
 
 Having now attained the summit level, from 
 
 * Von Biicli I perceive says, that this road at the marble pillar, 
 which marks the boundary between the districts of Bergen and 
 Christiania, and which is at the highest point, rises to the height of 
 3973 English feet, but he does not say how this was obtained. The 
 Swedish map does not mark the elevation of the road ; but the 
 Peak of Su/eiincl on the south side of it, and along the base of which 
 the boundary line of the two districts passes, is stated to be 5840 feet. 
 
248 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 whence, as already stated, the waters descend in 
 opposite (Hrections, I may here notice a pecidiarity 
 in the Norwegian rivers, which seems to be common 
 to all of them. These rivers almost invariably have 
 their sources in mountain vands, out of which they 
 roll their impetuous streams over their rugged beds, 
 forming generally a succession of cataracts. On 
 reaching a plain or narrow valley, nearly level, their 
 waters meeting with an obstruction from some rocky 
 ridge, are retarded, and expand into a Sue, or lake, 
 whence flowinjT over the obstructin"- ridge in the 
 form of a cascade or cataract, they resume their 
 course ; and thus, after a series of lakes and tlieir 
 connecting streams, are finally deposited in the 
 ocean, the grand reservoir of all. 
 
 It was a raw, foggy morning, and had been rain- 
 inof much during the nig^ht, when we took our 
 departure from Nyestuen. The road still continued 
 along tliis summit level; the mountains were en- 
 veloped in clouds ; and it was as piercing cold as I 
 had ever felt it; so much so, indeed, that it was with 
 difficulty I held the reins in my hand. The snow 
 appeared to have recently fallen, and was lying in 
 detached patches close to the road, and in many 
 places on the road itself. By taking up a handful, 
 and retaining it a short time, it produced a glow 
 on the skin, and appeared to make the blood 
 circulate more freely, and to restore warmth to the 
 hand. 
 
 Whilst my ears were smarting with the cold, it 
 
Chap. I.J JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 249 
 
 was impossible not to look with a sort of invidious 
 feeling r.pon the bushy crop of hair which hung 
 over those of our servant, completely protecting, not 
 them alone, but also the back of his neck from the 
 inclemency of the weather. Whether it was with 
 this view that the fashion orio^inated, of course I 
 cannot say, but all the peasantry, as well as the 
 inhabitants of the town, wear their hair in the same 
 manner; and it is a fair supposition that it had for 
 its object some convenience of this kind. In the 
 course of this day's journey we observed a number of 
 stakes fixed into the ground to point out the road, 
 in winter, when the surface is covered with snow. 
 Here we passed the obelisk or pillar which marks 
 the division between tlie Christiania and Bergen 
 districts, and informs the traveller that he has 
 come 26 miles (about 180 English) and has got 
 21 (nearly 150) before him. 
 
 Previous to our descending towards some huts, 
 where our horses were to be unharnessed and turned 
 loose to feed, as we could get no fresh ones, there 
 appeared before us another magnificent range oi 
 mountains, which seemed to stretch across the 
 country directly in front of our route. They too 
 were more or less enveloped in clouds, which were 
 playing around their summits, whilst we had 
 descended to a clear atmosphere beneath. This 
 range, as we afterwards found, was higher than 
 the one we had crossed, and there was considerably 
 more snow upon it, but fortunately the road 
 
 M 5 
 
250 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 descended towards the valley. The mountain cot- 
 tafjes are the most wretched-lookino^ hovels that 
 can well he imagined; and were generally in so 
 ruinous a state, that they appeared as though they 
 had alone stood — 
 
 " Amid the flux of many thousand years, 
 That oft has swept the toiling race of men, 
 And all their labour'd monuments away." 
 
 They are built, like the cottages in general, of 
 logs of wood, are very low, and the roofs covered 
 with moss or turf, on which the grass and weeds 
 were sometimes seen growing to a most luxuriant 
 height. Sometimes, indeed, a shoot of birch-tree, 
 juniper, or other shrubs, had taken root on the 
 roof, and very often, when abutting against a rock, 
 a goat or kid might be seen grazing upon them. 
 But miserable as these dwellings certainly are, we 
 never failed to procure good milk, cream, and 
 butter within them, and always received a most 
 friendly welcome ; the cattle were usually grazing 
 below the road, far down in the valley. 
 
 The mountains now converged towards one point, 
 and the road liaving descended into the valley, we 
 came upon a large stream of water, and travelled 
 alons: its banks for some distance. It was the same 
 river that took its rise near the post-house of Ny- 
 estuen, and is called the Lcirdal. This Leir of 
 the valle3% or rather of the ravine through which it 
 flowed, is narrow and rocky, and the river foamed at 
 a fearful rate, over enormous masses of rock, which 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 251 
 
 had tumbled down from the sides of the enclosincr 
 mountains; and here it formed an endless variety of 
 the most beautiful cataracts. The roaringr of these 
 falls, and the gurgling of the numerous streams 
 that were rushing down the precipitous sides of the 
 ravine, though sometimes deafening to the ear, 
 afforded such delightful music in the middle of a 
 hot summer's day, as mitigated, or appeared to 
 mitigate, the temperature of the air. 
 
 Oft, as I sat musing in my little carriole, 
 did I listen to the mingled sounds of cascades, 
 cataracts, and waterfalls, of mountain-torrents, 
 brawling brooks, and gurgling rills, with the 
 sharper and sweeter notes of the feathered tribe, 
 around and over head, " harmoniously confused," 
 and even imao;ined I could arrange their diver- 
 sified sounds into some kind of order like the 
 notes of the musical scale. I fancied there was 
 not only cadence, but time or measure too, in the 
 music. The deep and solemn tone of the waterfall 
 was suited to the Adagio; the various sounds of 
 the cascade, as it leaped from rock to rock, cor- 
 responded with the Andante ; the rattling cataract, 
 among the fragments of its rocky bed, resembled 
 the Allegretto, and the trickling rill in its descent, 
 emitting — 
 
 " A silver sound, that heavenly music seemed to make" — 
 
 was a sort of ad libitum, — and, thus indulging in 
 these freaks of the imagination, did I while away 
 
252 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 the time, and shorten the journey across this wild 
 and highly romantic mountain passage. 
 
 We were now again proceeding among the thinl}-- 
 scattercd huts and hamlets of the peasantry, in the 
 western verge of the chain of mountains that runs 
 down the midst of Norway, and divides it into two 
 parts, very different as to surface and climate from 
 each other. We found, however, the dress, the ap- 
 pearance, and the condition of the peasantry to differ 
 little from those on the eastern side. The men 
 mostly wear a red skull-cap, not unlike those which 
 are worn by the Greeks, short jackets, and trousers. 
 Each man has a large knife attached to his side, 
 generally speaking, by a leather waist-belt, on which 
 is frequently some number of brass ornaments. The 
 knife is a most useful instrument to the native 
 peasantry of Norway, equally adapted to cut 
 wood, and to cut their bread and cheese, and, 
 indeed, to perform as much, and as varied 
 service as the little dacr^er of Hudibras, and 
 some of them a great deal more : for with this 
 knife they make their own furniture, chairs, 
 tables, saddles, harness, carts, and wheels; also 
 chests, boxes, bowls, basins, spoons, drinking- 
 cups ; in short, all kinds of wooden-work, some 
 specimens of which are very ingeniously carved. 
 Necessity, the great mother of invention, has made 
 them all artisans. There is no trade, in fact, that 
 a Norwegian peasant cannot, and does not, when 
 required, turn his hand to ; he unites in his own 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 253 
 
 person that of a carpenter^ blacksmith, weaver, 
 rope-maker, tailor, shoemaker, joiner, and cabinet- 
 maker. But all this is matter of necessit}^ and the 
 production is probably not worth the labour and 
 time bestowed upon it, except that both time and 
 labour, if not thus employed, might be lost in indo- 
 lence and inactivity. " Whoever," says Von Buch, 
 in the true Johnsonian style, " makes so many 
 things, must make them badly, and will not be able 
 to do with the bad what he could have done with 
 better." But the question here is not whether good 
 is preferable to bad, but where or how he is to pro- 
 cure what is better ? Having no market to go to, he 
 is glad to compromise between excellence and utility, 
 between what is good and what is indispensable. 
 Nor are instances of the higher qualities wanting : 
 in the Museum of Copenhagen are many curious 
 specimens of carving in wood by the Norwegian 
 peasants, and among others a bust of Christian V. 
 executed by a simple cow-herd, who, when the 
 king paid a visit to Tronyem, in the year 168S, 
 stood in the way he had to pass, with a knife in his 
 hand, and cut out so complete a likeness of his 
 countenance, without having any other opportunity 
 of seeing him, that it was sent, as a great curiosity, 
 to Copenhagen, where it still remains in the Royal 
 Museum. In fact, clocks and watches, and church- 
 organs even, have been constructed by the self- 
 taught Norwegian peasantry. 
 
 Many parts of the ravine along which we were 
 
254 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 now proceeding reminded me strongly of the Italian 
 
 side of the Simplon. The mountains were equally 
 
 bold, the road winding along the side of them very 
 
 similar, and the overhanging precipices, which one 
 
 almost shuddered to look at, were such as make the 
 
 traveller ready to exclaim — 
 
 " How fearful 
 
 And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low 1" 
 
 A spot was pointed out to us where a carriage, 
 with two horses, had fallen over about a year be- 
 fore into the tremendous torrent below, and been 
 dashed to atoms ; and yet, strange to say, or rather 
 it is perhaps not strange at all to say, that no 
 precaution whatever has been taken to prevent so 
 serious an accident in future ; for who, it may be 
 asked, in this poor, remote, and almost untravelled 
 region, is to bear the expense of such a work ? 
 Not the peasantry certainly, and the public at large 
 is very little interested in incurring such an expense. 
 
 At H(Ecj, about ten miles beyond Nyestuen, we 
 observed the sides of the mountains once more to 
 be thickly covered with stunted birch, hazel, and 
 other kinds of brush-wood, but not a fir-tree was 
 yet visible. The upper parts of the mountains were 
 still quite barren of trees or shrubbery; juniper, 
 and a species of heath, but not in flower, were the 
 highest inhabitants among the shrubby plants that 
 we observed ; but after a long and continued descent, 
 down which we advanced with great rapidity, a 
 thorough change of scenery gradually took place. 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 255 
 
 At a spot called Borgund, the woods had resumed 
 their former vigour ; and at Lysne the road became 
 level or nearly so, and was carried along the bottom 
 of the valley in which the river flowed, until it 
 emptied itself in the Socjne fiord, at the extremity 
 of one of its numerous branches, which stretched 
 into the very heart of the mountains, at least eighty 
 miles from the sea. At this termination of the 
 river Leirdal, is situated the hamlet of Leirdal- 
 soren, a small fishinf]^ vilWe. Thus did the dis- 
 tance of about twenty miles from the highest summit 
 of the Fillefi-eld bring us from an elevation of 
 3000 feet, at the \evy lowest estimation, to the level 
 of the sea, being at the rate of one hundred and 
 fifty feet in a mile, which will fully account for the 
 rapidity of the Leirdal river in places where the 
 ravine is steep and rocky. 
 
 This village, small as it was, appeared to us as 
 one of the largest we had seen since we left 
 Christiania, and was, therefore, hailed as one where 
 we might repose ourselves comfortably for a day 
 but we soon discovered that its chief characteristic 
 was that of a total want of all comfort and cleanli- 
 ness, being externally incumbered with a general 
 accumulation of all manner of filth, but mostly 
 arising from the oftal of fish, which evidently formed 
 an essential part of the subsistence of the inha- 
 bitants. The smell of this ofFal, which assailed 
 us as we walked in the heat of the sun, between 
 two rows of small cottages, in our way down towards 
 the fiord, was quite intolerable. 
 
256 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 Fortunately, howevci% the post-house was re- 
 moved to some little distance from this dirty spot, 
 and here we passed the night, with a greater degree 
 of comfort than the first appearance of the village 
 had promised ; but anxious to be on the move, early 
 on the following morning we hired a good-sized boat, 
 and after some little difficulty in getting our carrioles 
 embarked^ prepared to proceed on the fiord, which 
 we were told was the only mode of pursuing our 
 journey. We also engaged five men to row us down 
 this arm of the fiord, at a specie dollar a head, the 
 value of which is 35. 4d. We ascertained, as 
 nearly as we could, that the distance we had to go 
 was not less than twenty-eight English miles. 
 When all was ready, we embarked on this inlet of 
 the sea, though here at a very considerable distance 
 from it. Our agreement was that one of the men was 
 to pull two oars, so that altogether we were considered 
 to pay for and to rovv six oars. Our boatmen were 
 remarkably fine fellows, and pulled a regular and 
 steady stroke, and the oars, being broad and flat at 
 the end, took great hold of the water. The boats 
 were light, and, like the whale-boats, were of the 
 same shape at the bow and stern, both of which 
 rise very much out of the water, and run to a sharp 
 edge. The long tiller they make use of is rather 
 awkward and uncouth, extending very much into 
 the boat, and consequently an annoyance to the 
 passengers. Their general appearance, however, 
 might be called elegant, and the workmanship excel- 
 lent. Our boatmen had taken care to provide plenty 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 257 
 
 of provisions for themselves, and at the end of two or 
 three hours, at most, they pulled to the shore, where 
 they landed in a cove made by some rocks, and 
 there regraled themselves at their leisure. 
 
 The mountains on either side of this enclosed 
 branch of the fiord descended abruptly to the 
 water's edge, down the ravines and chasms of which 
 fell numerous full and broad cascades, six or eight 
 being visible at the same moment. At one time this 
 branch of the fiord exhibited a fine expansive lake; 
 again it became so narrow, as to give the appear- 
 ance of a river hemmed in between two rocky banks. 
 The first branch on which we had to row is called 
 Urland, out of which we turned southerly into an- 
 other arm of the same fiord, called Noeroen; the two 
 may be considered as one continued lake, enclosed 
 between mountains of great picturesque beauty, 
 some of them rising perpendicularly, like the side 
 of a gigantic wall, to the stupendous height of 4600 
 to 5400 feet. The weather was beautiful, and 
 as we rowed along the lake, not a breath of wind 
 was felt sutficient to raise a ripple on the water ; 
 but the intense heat of the sun was almost intole- 
 rable, and whilst we were suffering from its piercing 
 rays, it was somewhat vexatious to look up to the 
 snow-clad mountains, and still more so to see large 
 patches of it lying very low down in the crevices 
 and other places to which the sun has never had 
 access. It imparted no portion of its cold to the 
 lake, on which we experienced a difference of tem- 
 perature from that of the preceding day, upon 
 
258 JOURNEY TO HERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 crossing- the mountain chain of the Fillefi-eld, of 
 34^ of Fahrenheit's scale. It was now 76° in the 
 shade, but a difference to this amount is not un- 
 frcquent on the same spot within the four-and- 
 twenty hours, a scorchino^ day being generally 
 succeeded by a piercing cold night. The tempe- 
 rature, moreover, on the western, is very different 
 from that of the eastern, side of the mountains. In 
 winter, when all is frost and snow and ice on the 
 latter, the whole west coast, as high almost as the 
 North Cape, is free from ice, and the numerous 
 fiords are for the most part navigable. Mr. Everest 
 proceeded from Molde, in the month of February, 
 to Bergen, along the coast, and navigated the 
 fiords of Sogne and Hardanger without any ob- 
 struction from ice; while the Elvs and the Soes 
 to the eastward were one mass of ice. It is well 
 known that the western side, whether of continents, 
 islands, or mountains, is always warmer than the 
 eastern ; but in addition to this the western side here 
 has the advantage of the sea, with which the fiords 
 are on a level, while the eastern side not only faces 
 the mountains of Sweden, but is itself mostly 
 elevated several thousand feet above the sea. 
 
 We had taken refreshments with us in our boat, 
 as we calculated, from our inquiries, that we were 
 likely to be upon the water the greater part of the 
 day. These consisted of bread and butter and 
 dried salmon, which, with corn brandy, was all we 
 could be provided with at Lierdalsoren, and was, in 
 fact, all we could have wished for ; the salmon. 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 259 
 
 smoked over a fire of juniper or fir-wood, acquires 
 a peculiar and agreeable flavour. It is very com- 
 mon in the western part of Norway, and, with the 
 stock-fish;, furnishes a very essential part of the food 
 of the peasantry. 
 
 Our second halt on the water was at a little spot 
 called Fronigen, where we landed and got some good 
 milk ; this place is about halfway to Gudvangsorerij 
 where our voyage was to terminate. The house 
 at Fronigen was more comfortable than any we had 
 yet met with : the room was even papered ! It was 
 besides well-stocked with some handsome old fur- 
 niture, and a harpsichord of great antiquity helped 
 at least to " make up a show." Again on the water 
 — not a human habitation was to be seen for miles 
 and miles, as we glided along this branch of the 
 beautiful fiord, nor any living creatures, save the 
 sea-gulls and a few porpoises, which were sporting 
 about on the surface, rolling their broad backs out of 
 the water. .Not beinor aware that this fiord had an 
 immediate communication with the sea, for the 
 water did not even taste brackish, and being so very 
 far inland, eighty miles at least, I was greatly sur- 
 prised to see them. The boatmen said they were seals, 
 but they had more the appearance of porpoises. 
 
 Having been so long on an arm of the sea, and 
 yet the water being still perfectly fresh, may seem 
 to require an explanation, which I apprehend is not 
 very difficult to give. In the first place, there are no 
 tides on a great part of the western coast of Norway; at 
 Bergen they are not perceptible; in the whole of the 
 
260 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 Baltic^, and from thence along the western coast of 
 Norway, as far as Tronyem, there is no perceptible 
 tide; at Hammerfest in 70° 38' latitude, it rises about 
 eight feet. I pretend not to explain this, but merely 
 state the fact. There is, therefore, no rush of sea- 
 water into the fiords ; and as into every branch of 
 these there falls a mountain-torrent, the fresh 
 water of which beintj lic^hter than the salt water, 
 the former floats upon the latter^ and being undis- 
 turbed by any tide, remains separated from it. It is 
 well known that, for the same reason, the whole 
 Mediterranean fleet has been watered on the sea off 
 the mouth of the Rhone. 
 
 Towards the end of our vovao^e, a breeze spruno- 
 up, which caused so much motion as to wet us a 
 little, and make us glad to land at Gudva7igsore7i, 
 which we did about 8 o'clock in the eveninor, 
 having been upwards of twelve hours on the water. 
 Our men had to row the whole distance, with the 
 exception of a period of about half an, hour, when 
 they took advantage of a side wind, and set sail. 
 They were a happy and cheerful set, and worked 
 hard, and most wiUingly. They were thankful to 
 receive from us a little more than a dollar a-head, 
 to which we considered them well entitled, after 
 pulling twelve hours under a broiling sun. 
 
 We passed the night at this place, from whence 
 we recommenced our land journey. The road is 
 conducted along a deep valley, strewed over with 
 large fragments of rocks, which have rolled down 
 from the mountains, and amono" which a mountain 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 261 
 
 torrent was foaming in its passage down to the 
 fiord. On leaving it, we had to ascend a most 
 formidable rocky hill, which was as steep as any 
 we had yet encountered, in the course of which we 
 came in sight of two of the most superb waterfalls 
 which had as yet attracted our attention. One of 
 them in particular, called the Keel-foss, was ex- 
 ceedingly grand; it darted a copious stream per- 
 pendicularly dow^n the face of a steep rock, after 
 falling in a succession of cascades down the ravine 
 of a mountain of the enormous height of 2000 feet, 
 throwing out its spray, on reaching the bottom, to 
 a considerable distance around, upon which the 
 rays of the sun reflected a rainbow of strong and 
 beautifully brilliant colours. The other, higher 
 up the stream, is called the Sevle-foss, descendino- 
 from a height of about 1000 feet"^'. 
 
 It would be endless to describe, or rather to 
 attempt to describe, the ever-varied beauties of 
 the face of nature, exhibited the whole way from 
 Christiania to Bergen, which we are now approach- 
 ing. I am only afraid I may have already tired 
 the patience of the reader with the oft-repeated 
 and feeble description of the mountains, fiords, 
 
 * The Vormg-foss, which falls into the Hardanger fiord, is 
 marked on the map at 900 feet. Mr. Elliot says " the river falls 
 perpendicularly without a single contact with the rock 900 feet 
 into a valley scarcely broader than itself. The body of water is, 
 perhaps, etjual to that of the Handek in Switzerland." He calls 
 this " the largest waterfall in the world, (except that at Gaver 
 nie in the Pyrenees,) and the lion of Norway." — Letters from 
 the North of Europe. 
 
262 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 forests, and waterfalls ; but as they were noted down 
 at the end of each stage — and the whole of Norway 
 is one extraordinary and uninterrupted succession 
 of this kind of scenery — I trust to be excused for 
 having dwelt so much upon that which has made 
 an indelible impression upon my mind. I must 
 not, however, omit to mention that we passed a 
 little iiord, on the second stage of this day, which 
 was exquisitely beautiful. The snow-tipped moun- 
 tains, with their margins of verdure, were reflected 
 by the surface of the lake, which, if possible, was 
 more transparent than any we had yet seen ; and 
 as we drove close to its marg^in, it was amusing- to 
 see great quantities of fish swimming about, their 
 size, shape, and colour, clearly distinguished, 
 though at very considerable depth. Near this 
 place were scattered several hamlets and habita- 
 tions, with a church and praestgaard, or parsonage. 
 I believe it is called Opheim. 
 
 This being the sabbath-day, all the peasantry 
 were in their best attire, and many of them were 
 dressed fantastically enough. One of the men 
 who accompanied the carrioles wore his hair in 
 long ringlets over his shoulders ; being of a fine 
 glossy brown, he evidently had taken some pains 
 in dressing it out. From the last-mentioned vil- 
 lage till our arrival at Fossevangen, another neat 
 little village situated on the margin of a lake, was 
 one continued series of lakes, connected in a chain 
 by the same river, flowing down a beautiful and 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 263 
 
 well-cultivated valley^ abounding in neat houses, 
 and evidently well- peopled. Here we came up 
 with our forebudj and were detained upwards of 
 four hours for horses. There was a church of 
 considerable size in the village, and we overtook 
 great numbers of the peasantry, who were repairing 
 thither, many of them having journeyed several 
 miles; indeed, we were told that it was not un- 
 usual for families to go twenty miles to hear divine 
 service performed in the districts of Fillefi-eld and 
 Hardangerfi-eld. They were all neatly attired in 
 their Sunday dresses. The men's coats and waist- 
 coats were studded with buttons, some very small, 
 and closely placed together, and others of large 
 dimensions, and more apart, according as it seemed 
 to suit the fancy of the wearer. The women wore 
 white caps, flat at the top of the head, and folded 
 at the sides into two projecting semicircles. Their 
 dresses were of a dark-coloured cloth, and plaited 
 rather full all round, very short-waisted, and the 
 body in front was richly ornamented, like the 
 stomachers of our great grandmothers, with gold 
 embroidery on some bright-coloured cloth, gene- 
 rally introduced in the shape of a heart. They 
 had also long W'hite sleeves, but not puffed out 
 like those which our young ladies have usurped, 
 both as to name and shape, from the bishops. 
 
 Driving onwards, we passed through another 
 small village, where our ears were saluted with 
 the tones of the violin. We stopped to hsten, and 
 
26 1 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 entered the house from which tlie music proceeded. 
 We fuiuid ci party assemhled, who were dancing 
 tlieir very singular and favourite dance, peculiar to 
 the country, called the Pohk, which, however, I 
 cannot pretend to descrihe. The chief merit of the 
 performance appeared to be that of throwing the 
 legs high up in the air, whirling swiftly round, 
 and, after many a flourishing turn, stopping short, 
 and standing firmly on one leg. Dr. Clarke, who 
 resolves every thing he meets with to some parallel 
 case in high antiquiry and classical authority, 
 found at once, in the tumbling and capering of the 
 Norwegian peasantry, the very dances that were 
 practised in ancient days. 'The most common are, 
 the Hailing and the Pohk dances. The first is 
 undoubtedly the dance of Hippoclites, the Athe- 
 nian, when contending with other rivals for the 
 daughter of Clisthenes ; namely, a dance in which 
 the performer, standing upon his head, kicks his 
 heels about in the air as his hands. The other — 
 that is to say, the Pohk — answers the account 
 which Herodotus gives of the Attic dance, per- 
 formed to the Emmeleia, which, by its indecency, 
 offended Clisthenes.'' Now, what the Doctor saw 
 indecent in the Norwegian Polsk, I am quite at a 
 loss to conjecture'^'. 
 
 * Dr. Clarke has given in a vignette a graphical descriplion of 
 these ancient dances. In the back ground is a person standing 
 on his head and kicking his heels in the air; a second heaving up 
 his leg and arms, while the fiddler, with a modem Cremona, stands 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 265' 
 
 B.y way of encouragement to the group of 
 dancers, we treated each of them with a glass of 
 spirits, and the ladies ventured to sip, but did not 
 appear to relish it. One of the boys who accom- 
 panied our carrioles joined in the dance. The 
 company, both male and female, conducted them- 
 selves with becoming propriety, and it was a great 
 pleasure to see them thus innocently enjoyino- 
 themselves. We shook hands with the whole 
 party on taking leave — a custom of the country 
 which it would be deemed rude to omit. I have 
 even known a beggar hold out his hand when a 
 piece of money has been given to him, and the 
 boatmen would constantly do so on taking leave 
 of us. 
 
 Here we again embarked on a remarkably trans- 
 parent lake, called the Evanger Soe. The even- 
 ing was beautifully calm, and we landed in the 
 course of an hour, and walked a couple of miles 
 to Bolstadoren, to which place the boatmen dragged 
 up our little carrioles. This village is situated on 
 a small branch of the Gielte fiord, which passes 
 Bergen, and is divided into a multitude of ramifi- 
 cations, one of which is the Bolstad. Having 
 passed the night here, we embarked on the morning 
 of the 15th once more on the blue waters of the 
 
 also on one leg, while in the foreground is a pair — " sure such a 
 pair was never seen" — the man on both knees, and the woman, whose 
 hand he holds, looking very surly ; and this is the representation of 
 the ancient Greek dances, so very like to the Polsk and the Hailing ! 
 
 N 
 
266 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 ocean, in a iivc-oared boat, and crossed tlie arm 
 of the fiord in about an hour, to Ualseidet, where 
 we were detained some httle time for liorses to take 
 lis to Dahle. On enterino^ a httle cottag^e at the 
 last-named phice, for the purpose of hiring a boat, 
 we discovered that there had been a christening^ 
 the preceding day, which was Sunday, and much 
 feasting was going on in consequence of it. The 
 table, which consisted simply of a clean deal board, 
 well scoured and in high order, was spread with 
 great quantities of flat-brod, or oat-cakes, of enor- 
 mous circumference, and as thin as wafers; fish, 
 "both dried and fresh, and huge bowls of cream^ 
 with eggs beaten up in it, together with other 
 ino-redients which I am vmable to describe, formed 
 a part of the repast, but I could not consider thi^ 
 as a very palatable porridge. I believe it goes by 
 the name of floote-groof, and is frequently nothing 
 more than rye or barley-meal boiled in cream. 
 There were also two large bowls or basins filled 
 with butter, heaped up, or raised in a sort of 
 mound, considerably above the brim, and in the 
 centre of each basin was stuck a tallow candle, as 
 thus — 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 267 
 
 which had hurned very low down towards the 
 butter, imparting a portion of its hquid contents 
 to the surface. This was the only occasion on 
 which we found the tallow candle exhibited ; but 
 the basin of butter was a standinof dish wherever 
 we went, and the first that the good woman of the 
 house usually placed on the table, as the symbol 
 of welcome. We scarcely ever entered the cottage 
 of a peasant, however humble, but the Norwegian 
 housewife, like Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, 
 " brought forth butter in a lordly dish," gene- 
 rally, however, in the shape of a large wooden 
 bowl. 
 
 The mother of the child was lying in her bed 
 with the little infant by her side, which we were 
 informed was just eight days old. She was a very 
 pretty woman, but looked delicate. Although she 
 could not have been more than twenty years of age, 
 we were told that this was her third child. The 
 father of the young woman's husband, who was 
 himself present, was as fine a man as I ever be- 
 held ; and we had a specimen of his powers, for 
 he accompanied us in the boat as one of the rov.ers. 
 This poor man seemed greatly pleased at our 
 going into his cottage, and insisted on treating us 
 with a glass of spirits, in which we drank to the 
 health of the mother and child. He askedj parti- 
 cularly to what country we belonged, and, as I 
 have invariably remarked to be the case here'and 
 elsewhere, notwithstanding what has been^ said to 
 
 n2 ' 
 
2G8 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 the contrary, he appeared to be much pleased on 
 beinor informed that we were Englishmen. 
 
 These poor people were possessed of two small 
 silver cups, on w hich they appeared to set a ^reat 
 value; they w^ere proud to display them, and grati- 
 fied at our noticing them. We gave them a small 
 token of our good will and satisfaction, shook hands, 
 and took our departure. 
 
 We were more and more delighted as we pro- 
 ceeded, with the honest and simple-minded pea- 
 santry of Norway, and deeply regretted our in- 
 ability to converse with them, except through an 
 interpreter. Poorly as they appear to live, they 
 are in no way depressed, but are active, sprightly, 
 and have every appearance of being blessed with 
 sound and healthy constitutions, gifted with much 
 intelligence, and frequently disposed to be witty. 
 We understood that, although they struggled hard 
 for their independence, and at last submitted to the 
 yoke of Sweden, on compulsion, they are much more 
 happy than they were under the dominion of Den- 
 mark ; less annoyed with petty demands upon them 
 for certain services ; less taxed, which ahvays seems 
 a great boon ; the conscription is abolished ; and the 
 law^s are more favourable to the liberty of the sub- 
 ject. Two points they were most anxious to obtain — 
 the application of the surplus revenue to the wants 
 and improvements of Norway, — and the abolition of 
 the aristocracy*. The first, I believe, is yet in discus- 
 
 * No rank or title but what is conferred by office — none here- 
 after hereditary — no exclusive privileges. 
 
Chap. I.] JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 269 
 
 sion ; the latter they have eventually obtained^ much 
 against the wish of Sweden^ where nobles are " as 
 plenty as blackberries." The Norwegians hold 
 in great veneration the memory of their ancient 
 kings, and what they now wish for is a monarch- 
 ical democracy — a king and the people, without 
 the intervention of a third estate. The peasantry 
 are said to be somewhat superstitious, as, indeed, 
 all mountaineers are, more or less. They are not 
 much given to roam; they are attached to their 
 mountains, their rivers, and their fiords, which are 
 made the burden of their songs. They have seve- 
 ral national airs or hjnnns, in celebration of their 
 heroes, their beauties, and their mountains, set to 
 simple and melodious airs. 
 
 Whilst the men were putting the oars in the 
 boat and preparing for our reception, we amused 
 ourselves by fathoming the water close in shore. - 
 Every little pebble was so clearly seen, that we 
 imagined the depth could not be more than three 
 or four feet at the most ; but it proved to be more 
 than twelve feet. So great is the deception, that 
 one can hardly believe one's own senses. The 
 extraordinary clearness of the water of the fiords 
 of Norway has been remarked by all travellers, 
 and I believe has no parallel in any other country; 
 but it has not, that 1 am aware, been satisfactorily 
 accounted for by any : perhaps it may be owing to 
 the combined effect of the purity and transparency 
 of the water itself, the clear blue sky overhead, and 
 
270 JOURNEY TO BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 the clean uhile sandy bottom wliicli prevails almost 
 in all of them '^' ; and yet blue skies and sandy bot- 
 
 * " Nothiiiy^ can be more surprising," says Sir A. de Capell 
 Brooke, '' and beautiful than the singular clearness of the water 
 of the Xorthern Seas. As we passed slowly over the surface, the 
 bottom, -which here was in general a white sand, was clearly visible, 
 with its minutest o])jects, where the depth was from twenty to 
 twenty-five fathoms. During the whole course of the tour 1 made, 
 nothing appeared to me so extraordinary as the inmost recesses of 
 the deep thus unveiled to the eye. The surface of the ocean was 
 unruffled by the slightest breeze, and the gentle splashing of the 
 oars scarcely disturbed it. Hanging over the gunwale of the boat, 
 with wonder and delight I gazed on the slowly -moving scene 
 below. Where the bottom was sand}', the different kinds of 
 asterise, echini, and even the smallest shells, appeared at that 
 great depth conspicuous to the eye; and the water seemed, ia 
 some measure, to have the effect of a magnifier, by enlarging the 
 objects like a telescope, and bringing them seemingly nearer. 
 Now creeping along, we saw, far beneath, the rugged sides of 
 a mountain rising towards our boat, the base of which, perhaps, 
 was hidden some miles in the great deep below. Tlaough moving 
 on a level surface, it seemed almost as if we were ascending the 
 height under us ; and when we passed over its summit, which 
 rose in appearance to within a few feet of our boat, and came 
 again to the descent, which on this side was suddenly perpendicular, 
 and overlooking a watery gulf, as we pushed gently over the last 
 point of it, it seemed almost as if we had thrown ourselves down 
 this precipice, the illusion, from the crystal clearness of the 
 deep, actually producing a sudden start. Now we came again 
 to a plain, and passed slowly over the submarine forests and 
 meadows, which appeared in the expanse below ; inhabited, doubt- 
 less, by thousands of animals, to which they afford both food and 
 shelter — animals unknown to man ; and I could sometimes observe 
 large fishes of singular shape gliding softly through the watery 
 thickets, unconscious of what was moving above them. As we 
 proceeded, the bottom became no longer visible; its fairy scenes 
 gradually faded to the view, and were lost in the dark green 
 depths of the ocean." — De Capell Brooke's Travels in Norway, 
 p. 195. 
 
Chap. I.J JOURNEY TO BERGEN. 271 
 
 toms are not peculiar to Norway ; besides, the open 
 ^ea is equally transparent along the whole coast. 
 How different is this in Switzerland, where all the 
 waters are dirty, except about three miles of the 
 Rhone, where it is purified in passing through the 
 lake of Geneva. The reflection of the mountains 
 is often as strongly and well defined in the water 
 of the fiord as the rocks themselves; and when 
 viewed at a short distance, it is no easy matter 
 to decide whereabout the line is that separates 
 the water from the shore, and this uncertainty, 
 when on the fiord in a boat, has a most singular 
 effect : every thing appears topsy-turvy — house.? 
 upset, trees growing the wrong way, men walking 
 on their heads, cattle on their backs. In short, 
 the whole appearance wears a complete deception. 
 
 We left Dahle in a four-oared boat, and proceed- 
 ed down the south-eastern arm of the fiord, which 
 leads up close to Bergen. We had taken with us 
 a bottle of spirits to serve out to the men, in order 
 to keep them in good humour, and to make them 
 pull the better. Although the corn-brandy is so 
 plentiful and cheap, and great quantities are con- 
 sumed, yet drunkenness is a vice not common 
 among the Norwegians. On the contrary, it is a re- 
 markable fact that the only man I have seen tipsy 
 since I left England was one of our own country- 
 men, who was on board the steam-packet, on leaving 
 the Tower Stairs, — and a Swede. The Norwegians 
 are as Httle addicted to the use of the tobacco -leaf 
 
272 ARRIVAL AT BERGEN. [Chap, I. 
 
 as to spirits, except, like our seamen, in chewing it; 
 and excepting also the gentry of the towns, who 
 make no ceremony in smoking their pipes among 
 ladies in their drawing-rooms. The peasantry, 
 however, smoke but little, and I do not ever re- 
 member to have seen any of them taking snufF. 
 
 We saw nothing in the shape of game, either of 
 birds or quadrupeds, while travelling on shore, but 
 wild ducks and sea-gulls were numerous on the 
 fiords, particularly so on this. In fact, the sea was 
 nearly open to us in one part of this branch ; and 
 after a very rough p>assage of five hours, we landed, 
 and proceeded to Bergen, which we did not reach 
 till after ten o'clock at night, but it was still broad 
 daylight. We were now got into so civilized a part 
 of Norw^ay as to see the people engaged in hay- 
 making. When a patch of grass — for it would be 
 absurd to call it a field — was cut down, it was 
 hung up to dry on hurdles on the spot; and when 
 it was sufficiently dry to be carried away, it was 
 placed on small sledges. The quantities of this 
 article appeared to be so small, that w^e had not 
 yet discovered how they contrived to keep their 
 horses and cows alive during the winter. 
 
 The first view of Bergen from the sunmiit of a 
 lofty hill which we ascended is striking and favour- 
 able ; its situation is delightful, and the sun was 
 just on the point of setting behind the high range 
 of mountains which front the bay. But a grander 
 object still presented itself by the setting rays 
 
Chap. I.] ARRIVAL AT BERGEN. 273 
 
 lighting- up the immense glaciers on the Folge- 
 fonde (5590 feet high), though at the distance of 
 more than twenty miles to the south-east of Bergen, 
 which we were told, if near to the mountain at such 
 a time, the ice would present as beautiful and bril- 
 liant colours as those of the rainbow*. 
 
 We had just been seven days in performing the 
 journey, which is about three hundred and thirty 
 Eno-lish miles ; and throuo^hout the whole of this 
 distance almost every mile exhibited scenery of 
 great picturesque beauty, or romantic grandeur, 
 unequalled, perhaps, taking the same extent, in 
 any part of the globe ; but it was singular enough 
 that in all this distance we neither met nor were 
 overtaken by a single human being traveUing to 
 or from his home, except a party near Bergen 
 going to church. 
 
 Hitherto I had been greatly pleased with the 
 manners of the people, and felt that I could pass 
 all the time I could command very happily in a 
 country where there was so much simplicity, good 
 nature, and friendship. The servant we had 
 engaged, whose name was Jonas Smith, turned 
 out all that we could wish him to be — an active, 
 honest, and obliging man : he knew his place well, 
 
 * " Behind a splendid ridge, about twenty miles from Bergen, 
 the glacier of Folge-fonde bursts upon the view. It was ascended 
 by Professor Esmark. whom I visited at Christiania. He calcu- 
 lates that it is nearly forty miles in length and twenty in breadth, 
 and that its summit is raised upwards of 5000 feet above the level 
 of the SQA,"— Email's Letters from the North of Europe, p. 139. 
 
 n5 
 
274 BERGEN. [Chap. I. 
 
 and never took any advantage of our familiarity 
 ivitli him, whicli we found was quite necessary, to 
 keep both him and ourselves in good humour, while 
 undergoing considerable inconvenience and priva- 
 tion of all comforts. Our carrioles, too, stood the 
 jourtiey well; they were exceedingly well calcu- 
 lated for the country, and went over some very 
 rough places without sustaining the slightest in- 
 jury. Mine, besides, stood the test of being once 
 upset, without injury to the vehicle or the driver. 
 
275 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 
 
 Bergen — Trade of, and Fisheries — Preparations for Departure- 
 New rovite over Fiords and Mountains towards Tronyem — De- 
 parture from Bergen — Boats, Boatmen, and Passages across 
 various Fiords — Sketch of a Mountain Cottage — Simplicity and 
 Hospitality of the Peasantry — Scanty fare of — Sneebraen, or 
 Glaciers — Domestic Economy of the Peasantry — A Wedding 
 Party — Sea-gulls — Town of Mulde — Remarks on Boating oa 
 the Fiords — Character of the Boatmen — and of the Peasantry- 
 Improvement of the Country — Remarks on the Fiords and their 
 corresponding Ravines — Character of the Norwegians generally 
 —Arrival at Tronyem. 
 
 The little town of Bergen may vie in cleanliness 
 with one of Holland. The houses are neatly con- 
 structed of wood; and, with the exception of two 
 or three that are painted green, amongst which was 
 our hotel, the rest are white, and look as if they 
 had all just got a fresh coating, which, added to 
 the roofs being covered with bright red tiles, gave 
 them a singular and lively appearance. Their 
 gables are towards the street. At most of the 
 doors were standing small water-casks, which are 
 filled daily for the supply of the famil}^ These 
 casks were also neatly painted, some red and some 
 white. The house at which we took up our abode 
 was called the '' Auherge de la Constitution ;'' it 
 
276 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 belonged to Mr. Gerdes, who speaks our language 
 very tolerably. It is situated in the pleasantest 
 part of the town, facing an open parade, where the 
 soldiers occasionally exercise. We had an opportu- 
 nity of seeing some of tlie mounted citizens going 
 through their manoeuvres. Their liorses were in 
 good condition, and they altogether made a far 
 better appearance than any of the soldiers I had 
 seen at Christiania. 
 
 The best street in Bergen is called the Strand- 
 street. It is considerably larger than the rest, and 
 there are a few^ substantially-built brick houses in it, 
 which have been erected within the last two or 
 three years to replace others destroyed by the fire 
 which occurred in the spring of 1830, when many 
 of the wooden buildings were burnt to the ground. 
 It is frightful to think of such an occurrence as a 
 fire in a town like Bergen, where the streets are all 
 very narrow, and the houses entirely of wood, with 
 the exception of those few I have alluded to in the 
 Strand-street : it wovdd be almost next to impos- 
 sible to arrest its progress. 
 
 The chief export trade of Bergen consists of 
 timber, tar, and fish salted or dried, such as salmon, 
 cod-fish, ling, and herrings ; haddocks, with va- 
 rious other kinds of fish for immediate use, are 
 mostly caught in the vicinity. The dried and salted 
 fish is sent to the Mediterranean in great quanti- 
 ties, and also to Hamburgh and Holland, from 
 whence are brought back all kinds of garden-stuff 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 277 
 
 and fruit. Lobsters are caught among the rocky 
 islands on the coast in immense numbers for the 
 sujoply of the London market. The trade in timber, 
 however, is very limited ; the great supply of this ar- 
 ticle being fromChristiania, Drammen, and the other 
 ports on the southern and south-western coasts. 
 The building of ships at Bergen we were told had 
 nearly ceased, and the only manufactories of any 
 importance were the sugar-refineries and potteries ; 
 yet the population was confidently stated at 20,000 
 souls. We were rather surprised not to see a single 
 square-rigged vessel in the port, and only a few 
 fishing-boats ; but Bergen does not depend on its 
 own coasts and fiords for the fisheries that consti- 
 tute the greatest portion of its trade, and contribute 
 to its wealth. Every spring of the year, the towns 
 of Bergen, Christiansand, and Molde, are said 
 to send upwards of three hundred fishing-vessels 
 to Vange and Lofodden, close to the renowned 
 Maalstrom, in about 68° latitude, to fish for 
 torsk (or tosk) and cod. These vessels, added to 
 about 3000 boats, furnished by the several pro- 
 vinces of the Norlands, supply a multitude of men 
 engaged in this fishery, amounting, it is said, to not 
 less than twenty thousand *. 
 
 The fish-market, which is held every Wednesday 
 and Saturday, presents a curious scene; the noise 
 could not be exceeded by that which is said to pre- 
 
 * Von Buch's Travels iu Norway, p. 182. 
 
278 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. 11. 
 
 vail at our Billingsgate ; the women's tongues were 
 clatterintT on all sides and in all directions, each 
 endeavouring to squall louder than her neighbour, 
 and all talking at the same time, and pointing to 
 the fish they were desirous of purchasing. One 
 poor man, whose fish seemed to be more sought 
 after than the others, would have been almost torn 
 to pieces by these women, had not a railing stood be- 
 tween him and them, because he was unable to attend 
 to all at once. I observed very fine mackerel sold at 
 a skilllng a head, which is at the rate of three for 
 a penny ; and a fine large turbot was offered for 
 sale at eightpence. The inhabitants make use of 
 little other animal food, during the summer months, 
 than fish ; butcher's meat being exceedingly scarce, 
 and reserved for winter. We were able, however, 
 to get some, for the first time since leaving Chris- 
 tiania, at our inn, where we found ourselves very 
 comfortable in all respects during the time we 
 remained at Bergen. 
 
 Previous to our arrival at this place we . had 
 made no settled plan as to our future proceedings, 
 not having been able to gain much information that 
 could be depended on at Christiania. Indeed, we 
 were there given to understand that if we reached 
 Bergen and back again within the month, to which 
 we had limited our time in Norway, we should have 
 accomplished a great feat. That feat, however, as 
 far as Bergen, we had successfully performed in less 
 than a fourth part of the time, and without accident 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 279 
 
 or injury to ourselves or to our little useful carrioles. 
 The first thought that struck us, after reaching 
 Bergen, was to dispose of these vehicles and to 
 return to Christiania across the Hardanger Fi-eld 
 on foot or on horseback, but we were dissuaded 
 by every one from undertaking so perilous a journey 
 • — assuringf us that it would be next to madness to 
 attempt it after the heavy falls of rain which had 
 taken place, and which we should there find to be 
 snow — in short, that it was impracticable to cross 
 that chain of mountains at this season of the year. 
 
 Our thoughts were next turned towards Tron- 
 yem, which we were told might easily be accom- 
 plished, by returning along the road we had just 
 come, almost as far as the point we had started 
 from in turning: off to Bero^en. To this we both deci- 
 dedly objected, not being desirous of encountering 
 the dull and uninteresting fatigue of retracing our 
 steps. We therefore resolved to undertake the 
 journey to Tronyem by a route hitherto little fre- 
 quented, and one indeed which might be said to be 
 all but unexplored. It was described to lie across 
 high and rocky promontories, islands, and fiords, 
 w^hose ramifications run up close to the great cen- 
 tral chain of mountains ; and that by crossing in 
 succession land and water, we should reach a 
 town called Mold^, from whence, striking off by a 
 beaten track, it would carry us to Tronyem : but 
 the people here ridiculed the idea of our little 
 carrioles being able to convey us over such roads. 
 
280 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. IJ. 
 
 or want of roads, and across so many fiords, as we 
 should have to encounter. We found, however, 
 somethinfj like a route laid down in our little road- 
 book, so that we were svn*e there was one of some 
 sort or other, and that, if it came to the worst, we 
 mi^ht make a present of our vehicles, and proceed 
 either hy boat, or on foot, or on horseback. 
 
 Having thus made up our minds, as preparatory 
 to starting, we despatched our portmanteau in a 
 vessel bound to England, retaining only those 
 things of which we should actually be in need, and 
 which we put into a large carpet-bag. As it after- 
 wards proved, it was fortunate we did so, as the 
 portmanteau would not only have encumbered us, 
 but must have been knocked to pieces. 
 
 We had no opportunity, and not much desire, to 
 form any acquaintance in Bergen, which might 
 only have detained us longer than we could have 
 wished. In the course of our stay, we one day fol- 
 lowed a funeral procession to the church-yard, 
 which is just outside the town. The coffin was 
 conveyed direct to the grave, and lowered at once 
 into it, without any service being read over the 
 body ; but the priest mumbled a few words, and 
 having sprinkled a little white sand over the head 
 of the coffin, walked away. A few children, who 
 were stationed round the grave, immediately sang a 
 hymn, making a great noise, but little music. No 
 one was present who appeared to be in the least 
 affected. The burial-ground here was not kept in 
 
M®IEWli©II._LS^ WiiI?©IHIMIiiro 
 

Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 281 
 
 such neat order as I have remarked in other parts 
 of the country. 
 
 I must not take leave of Bergen without men- 
 tioninor its comical-looking watchmen — comical, at 
 least, to our present eyes— but certainly not very un- 
 like what the miscalled ' guardians of the night' were 
 in London a few years since. They are dressed in a 
 suit of brown, and wear a hood over their heads, 
 which hangs down upon the shoulders, and they 
 carry wdth them the long pole with spikes which I 
 have before mentioned as the weapon used by them 
 at Christiania. The annexed sketch will serve to 
 convey an idea of their personal appearance. They 
 were mostly old men ; and the only use they can be 
 of to the city must be that of giving alarm in case 
 of fire; to chant their song, the same 1 suppose as 
 that heard in Christiania; and to frighten away the 
 wolves and jackalls, which are said to stroll into 
 the town at nights. 
 
 On Wednesday, the 17th of July, we left Bergen, 
 on our route to Tronyem. We had been strongly 
 advised by the British Consul, Mr. Greig, (to whom 
 we felt ourselves much indebted,) to engage a boat 
 to carry us and our carrioles as far as Leervig, in 
 order to save ourselves the fatigue of crossing a 
 number of fiords which run deep into the land be- 
 tween that place and Bergen, as well as to avoid 
 the intermediate rugged ridges, which were repre- 
 sented to be nearly, if not altogether, impassable. 
 Disposed as we were to listen to this advice, the 
 wind unfortunately blew strong from the north- 
 
282 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 warJj with so little prospect of a cliange, that we 
 were ooinpelled to abandon this project, and to pro- 
 ceed at once iicr mare, per terram (which it literally 
 was) on our direct journey, over hill and over 
 fiord, towards Tronj-em; hut so undetermined were 
 we, up to the moment of starting", that we had 
 some thought of making a fair wind of it, and pro- 
 ceeding to the southward, towards Stavanger, where 
 we learnt that the grand scenery in that quarter 
 would amply repay us. We had reason to be glad, 
 however, that we gave up this idea. 
 
 On leaving Bergen, we almost immediately had to 
 ascend a very steep hill, from the summit of which 
 there is a beautiful view of the town and its land- 
 locked bay. We had not proceeded far beyond this 
 before we began to experience the miserable roads 
 which we had been led to expect. Having driven for 
 some time over a rugged and barren mountainous 
 track, very steep and rocky, which required great 
 caution to preserve our little carriages from destruc- 
 tion, we arrived in safety at a place called Rodland, 
 which is the first post-station. Here we were detained 
 for a considerable time before we could procure 
 horses, and in the meanwhile amused ourselves in 
 looking over the Livre des Etranrjers, or book in 
 which travellers insert their names. It commenced in 
 the year 1821 ; but there were scarcely any names 
 entered in it, and not one of our own country- 
 men among the number. This led me to examine 
 all the books carefully as we travelled onwards, and 
 the result was, that not one Englishman appeared 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 283 
 
 to have been upon this route for very many years, 
 if ever, as some of the books, afterwards met with, 
 began with the year 1795, and the greatest number 
 of names contained in any one of them did not ex- 
 ceed forty, that is to say, one stranger in the year. 
 It is not probable that any Enghsh traveller would 
 have omitted to write his name in all of these 
 books, had any such performed this journey ; I 
 shall, therefore, at the riskof beinor thouo^ht tedious, 
 note down every stage we stopped at, every rocky 
 promontory we crossed, and every fiord we had 
 to navigate. While the circumstance of being the 
 first to traverse this part of Norway served to in- 
 crease our delight, it also seemed strongly to con- 
 firm the report of the difficulties we were likely to 
 encounter. Our journey hitherto had been over a 
 public road, though to us it was private enough, for, 
 as before mentioned, we had neither met nor been 
 overtaken by a single human being in the course 
 of a distance of more than 300 miles, excepting 
 towards the close of the journey, by a party on 
 their way to church. 
 
 The interior of the post-house afforded neither 
 accommodation nor cleanliness ; the furniture was 
 scanty and mean. There were several books on a 
 shelf over the door, which I had the curiosity to look 
 at; they consisted of Bibles and psalters, and other 
 religious works. The people were listless, dirty, 
 and slovenly, both in their persons and their dress. 
 The second stage was no better nor less rugged 
 
284 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 than the first : if in places the line of our track 
 (for it could not be called a road) was a degree 
 smoother, it was hid under tufts of grass, nettles, 
 and thistles, that were growing abundantly over its 
 surface, and continually occasioned the horses to 
 stumble. As we approached a place called Horvig, 
 we came in sight of the first fiord which we had 
 to cross, and which presented a very picturesque 
 appearance. Huge and fantastic rocks of every 
 possible shape, and some without shape, with their 
 rugged summits pointing to the skies, and their 
 bases descending abruptly into the clear water of the 
 fiord, formed a fine contrast with the dark and dis- 
 mal gloom in the farthest corner of the latter, over 
 w^hich the frowning mountain cast its deep shadow. 
 We hired a small boat to carry ourselves and 
 our carrioles across to the next post of Isdaal, but 
 were oblig^ed to take off the wheels, to allow their 
 stowage in the boat, which otherwise could not 
 have been done; and this was an operation we 
 found it invariably necessary to go through on future 
 occasions : but our servant soon got into the way 
 of it ; and with the assistance of the several boat- 
 men we had to employ, and who were always ready 
 to afford it, the delay was less than might be ex- 
 pected. When the wind was unfavourable, the 
 carrioles were placed one at the bow, and the other 
 at the stern, with the shafts projecting out, by which 
 arrangement the men were enabled to take their 
 seats and use the oars, but we ourselves were 
 
Chap. II."1 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 285 
 
 obliged, upon more occasions than one, to seat our- 
 selves in the carriages. If the wind was fair, the 
 carrioles were generally placed across the gunwale 
 of the boat, one on each side of the mast. These 
 boats are all built alike ; they are very sharp, and 
 exactly the same at the bow and stern, and rise 
 high out of the water, but they are broad in the 
 beam, and are constructed with a very few planks. 
 The passage across to Isdaal is short : the wind, 
 however, being ahead and the water rough, an hour 
 and a half elapsed before we landed. Haviucr done 
 so, we walked to the post-station, which is situated 
 at a short distance from the water's edge, and the 
 boatmen dragged the carrioles up the rugged sides 
 of the hills. Here we procured some excellent milk 
 — an article which, with butter and cream, even 
 here rarely failed us ; but beyond these, and 
 dried fish and oaten or rye cakes, the inmates had 
 little to offer. It was not long before we succeeded 
 in getting horses, and were on our route to Ncesse, 
 which is the next station. The post-house and an 
 adjoining hut or two give the name to the spot. 
 As the word '' post-house" might perhaps convey 
 an erroneous idea, and lead one to suppose that it 
 might be a tolerably comfortable resting-place, it 
 may be as well to mention, that it is generally 
 nothing more than a wretched hovel built of roucrh 
 logs of wood, very low, with a roof covered with sods 
 or withered grass, and within full of filth and appa- 
 rent wretchedness, the inhabitants being extremely 
 
286 
 
 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 poor. The following sketch represents one of the 
 best of them hitherto met with on this route. 
 
 The first part of the road to Noesse we found to 
 lie over a rough and barren surface, and betw^een 
 ridges of naked rock, similar to those near Bergen, 
 being chiefly of that kind which is called gneiss, 
 and which, wdth mica slate, appears to be the 
 chief component of these projecting flanks, pro- 
 truding from, and appearing to support, hke so 
 many buttresses, the great central chain of moun- 
 tains. But towards the latter part of this land 
 journey, as w'e approached the water again, the 
 soil became comparatively rich and covered 
 with verdure. Oats and potatoes were grow- 
 ing luxuriantly near the detached cottages, 
 and the few inhabitants we saw were busily em- 
 
Chap. TL] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 287 
 
 ployed in getting- in their small patches of hay. 
 There was no want of grass : in many places it so 
 completely covered the road as to be inconvenient 
 to the horses ; but towards the end of the stage it 
 had been mowed very close, and was so level that 
 it would have made an excellent race-course. The 
 ridges by the sides of the road were clothed with 
 an immense quantity of blue bells and foxgloves in 
 full flower, which, with a wild geranium and seve- 
 ral herbaceous plants in flower, made an agree- 
 able display of brilliant colours. 
 
 Our arrival at the village of Noesse was an- 
 nounced by every dog in the place. First one 
 gave the alarm, then another followed it up, and 
 in less than a minute our carrioles were completely 
 beset by them, barking and howling most furiously 
 as they alternately approached and retreated from 
 the lash of the whip. On alighting, it was quite 
 necessary to arm oneself with two or three large 
 stones to keep the animals at bay, as they were 
 very fierce, and would fight against the whip; but 
 having once received a blow from a stone, they 
 generally kept at a more respectful distance, bark- 
 ing incessantly, however, till our departure. This 
 mark of respect was paid to us at every spot we 
 passed, where there were a few houses scattered 
 about. The inhabitants were not so noisy as the 
 dogs, but not less astonished at seeing us. Every 
 soul flocked out to look at us — men, women, and 
 children — and were just as inquisitive about us as 
 
288 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. IL 
 
 oiir transatlantic brethren are represented to be, 
 more particularly as to our movements: " Where 
 do they come from?" — '' Where are they going ?" 
 (well might they ask,) and " To what country do 
 they belong?" were questions invariably put to our 
 servant; and as they had never seen any thing 
 like our carrioles before, they were as much the 
 objects of curiosity as ourselves. 
 
 At Ncesse we had again to embark ; but the 
 boatmen were busily employed in heiymaking, in 
 consequence of which we were detained a short 
 time ; and a further delay was occasioned by their 
 makino- it a rule never to embark without first 
 finishing a good meal. Each of them, however 
 short the distance may be, think it right, no doubt 
 on good grounds, to provide themselves with a box 
 of victuals and a small keg of water or milk, but 
 I have never known them to take ardent spirits. 
 Some of these provision-boxes are large enough to 
 contain a supply for a week's consumption, from 
 which I conclude that cases may have occurred 
 when they have been driven by a sudden mountain 
 blast out to sea. 
 
 It was past ten o'clock when we embarked ; the 
 evening was beautifully calm, and 
 
 " The weary sun had made a golden set." 
 
 We had a most prosperous passage across, for 
 in about an hour we stepped on shore, and 
 found ourselves among rugged and barren rocks. 
 
Chap. II.J FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 289 
 
 without the slightest sign of any living creature 
 near us^ and, for aught we knew, 
 
 " Far from the track and bless'd abode of man." 
 
 Indeed, on casting our eyes around, it was no 
 difficult matter to fancy ourselves landed upon a 
 desolate island. We now learnt from the boat- 
 men that the nearest house was a long way off; 
 and, anxious to seek repose, we accompanied one 
 of them from the water-side, who had the kind- 
 ness to say he would go and order horses to be 
 sent down to take up the carrioles. We had not 
 proceeded far over a circuitous route, winding 
 among rocks, before we lost sight of our boatman, 
 who, being an active fellow, had, unperceived by 
 us, taken to his heels, forgetting that he w^as acting 
 in the double capacity of guide and forebud. We 
 continued, how-ever, to walk onwards, but saw no 
 signs of life : all w^as still and dreary, and the 
 brilliancy of the evening had now subsided into 
 that sombre kind of twilight which, in these 
 northern latitudes, lasts for tw^o or three hours 
 between the settino^ and the risinor of the sun. 
 
 Fearing that we had missed our road, I climbed 
 up some high rocks, and, to my great joy, dis- 
 covered a very small spot that betrayed some faint 
 signs of cultivation; here I had no doubt the 
 post-house w^as stationed ; and so it turned out to 
 be, which saved us the annoyance of retracing our 
 steps, as we must otherwise of necessity have 
 done, or have lost ourselves in this dreary region. 
 
 o 
 
2'.K) FROM nrKG'KN TO TRONYEM. LChap. II. 
 
 At this station were three or four scattered cottages, 
 so much alike that it was no easy matter to discover 
 which was the post-house. Failing to gain ad- 
 mission at the first wc assailed by knocking, we 
 tried another, which happened to be the right one : 
 the name of this place is Hundven. The dogs, as 
 usual, barked; but they were all shut up. The 
 woman who opened the door had been told by the 
 boatman that some travellers were coming, so that 
 our situation was luckily known, and we were saved 
 the trouble of making a vain attempt to explain it. 
 The windows in these houses were so small as to 
 give but little light, and we groped our way 
 through a room where the whole family were 
 sleeping. As we passed into the apartment 
 allotted to us, the good man of the house (for so 
 I suppose him to have been) asked some question, 
 but did not further disturb himself, leaving it en- 
 tirely to his wife to ^' make us comfortable," which 
 she was very willing to do, and gave us a speedy 
 proof that she considered us as friends ; for she 
 left us for a moment only, and returned with a large 
 basin of fresh milk, without waiting to be asked for 
 any thing. This good woman first sipped, as a 
 token of friendship and welcome, and then delivered 
 it to us, telling us by signs to drink it all, and that 
 we might have more ; she then left us to ourselves. 
 It was delightful to see so much hospitality and 
 simplicity of manners, such readiness to do a kind 
 act, coming, as we had done, unawares on a family 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 291 
 
 at an unusual hour, when the whole had retired to 
 rest. This open-hearted and unostentatious bene- 
 volence made ample amends for the want of any 
 thing like decent accommodation for the night. 
 
 Three recesses, filled up with hay or straw, occu- 
 pied one whole side of the room ; there was no 
 bedding, and even if there had been, it would pro- 
 bably have added only to the filth of the place. 
 We had no alternative but to wTap ourselves up 
 in our cloaks and lie upon some benches which 
 were fortunately there, as the floor had not been 
 swept, apparently, for a long time, and was covered 
 with dirt and sand. 
 
 As there was little danger of oversleeping our- 
 selves, we were prepared to start at an early hour 
 the following morning for the next stage, called 
 Lindaas. The road was very similar to that of 
 yesterday, sometimes strewed over with rocks, and 
 sometimes choked up with grass and weeds. The 
 heat of the long days, and the heavy dews of 
 night, cause the grass and native annual plants 
 to spring up with uncommon rapidity, wherever 
 there is the slightest soil to allow their roots to fix 
 themselves. 
 
 At Lindaas w^e again embarked for Sfeenvaagen, 
 and, with a fair wind blowing fresh, landed on the 
 opposite side in about an hour and a half. In a 
 part of this passage we were exposed to the open 
 sea. We had ao;ain to ascend the ridoe of hills, 
 on foot, two miles to the post station, and to order 
 
 o2 
 
292 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II 
 
 horses to be sent down to the fiord for the carrioles, 
 as the road here was too steep and nigged to allow 
 of the boatmen drawing them up. This, of course, 
 always occasioned great delay, as the horses were 
 generally out among the mountains at grass, and 
 rarely at hand. 
 
 The poor peasantry, along our present route, ap- 
 peared to be in worse circumstances as we pro- 
 ceeded. Nothinof could well exceed the marks of 
 poverty which ^v ere exhibited in the interior of the 
 wretched hovel at this place. All the stations, in- 
 deed, we had hitherto passed in this route were 
 miserable enough, but this was more divested of 
 every thing like comfort than any which had before 
 occurred. The whole family were partaking of their 
 sorry meal whilst we remained. The poor old father 
 had a house full of children, some of them grown 
 up, and others mere infants ; he was so pale and 
 sickly, and so famished in his appearance, as to re- 
 mind us of Shakespeare's apothecary — 
 
 ■ " meagre were his looks, 
 
 '■^ Sharp misery had worn him to the bone." 
 
 There was a fixed melancholy in his countenance 
 which seemed to be that of one whose hopes had 
 been blighted ; and he occasionally uttered an 
 involuntary sigh, as if to say, that his life was 
 of no more use to any one in this world. The 
 younger male part of the family had a large bowl 
 of oatmeal ])orridge to themselves, which they ate 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 293 
 
 with great avidity with their wooden spoons, much 
 in the same manner as is visual with the Russian 
 peasantry, filhng them one after another in rapid 
 but regular succession. The women were simi- 
 larly occupied ; and we remarked that every one 
 of the party, after they had finished their meal, 
 were seized with violent hiccups, probably attribut- 
 able to their rapidity of eating. One of the women, 
 who was seated from the rest, seemed to have 
 charge of the younger children. She was busily 
 employed in rocking one of them in a cradle, and 
 in feeding two little girls as well as herself, and a 
 large dog, who also shared with them. Not a word 
 was spoken by any one of them during the whole 
 meal. For ourselves, we were unable to procure 
 any thing for breakfast but some soiu- milk and 
 oatcakes of the most coarse description. This was 
 one of the most sorry habitations we had entered ; 
 but we met with nothing in the very poorest 
 hovels, that bore the slightest resemblance to the 
 picture drawn by Sir A. De Capel Brooke, of " a 
 capacious bedchamber at Breiden, at one of the 
 wealthiest farmers not far from Christiania*.'* 
 
 * " On opening the door, a scene both curious and strange to 
 my eyes presented itself. In five or six large beds, or rather 
 wooden cribs, near twenty persons of both sexes, perfectly naked, 
 were lying together in heaps ; and the dark copper-coloured 
 skins of some, contrasting with the whiteness of others, rendered 
 the group still more extraordinary. To complete it, on the ground 
 several large pigs were enjoying the sweets of repose, and respond- 
 ing with di'owsy grunts to the snores of, I might almost say, their 
 fellow swine. The singular practice, common to both sexes, of 
 sleeping devoid of any covering, is very general in Norway." 
 
294 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 The carrioles having at last arrived, we proceeded 
 towards the next fiord. The grass grew luxuriantly 
 around the rocky fragments, and a few cattle and 
 sheep were grazing among them. Here we em- 
 barked in a very small boat, with two men only, 
 whereas we have hitherto had five. The wind was 
 fair and the water smooth ; but carrying one large 
 square sail up and down the mast, we could not 
 help considering it to be somewhat dangerous, par- 
 ticularly when so laden, and top-heavy, as it was 
 with the carrioles. In fact, we had a small puff 
 of wind which, I confess, shook my confidence 
 not a little, though the men, to do them justice, 
 were, as they generally speaking always are, very 
 careful. 
 
 In two hours we landed at Nordgulena, on a 
 branch of the Sogne fiord, and drove across 
 another ridge to Ruthedal, on the main trunk of 
 the Sogne fiord, where we again embarked in a 
 four-oared boat for Leervig, on the opposite side of 
 the same fiord. Whilst waiting for the men, we 
 took our dinner on shore, and were much annoyed 
 by musquitoes, which were literally swarming 
 about us. Our dinner consisted of a few bis- 
 cuits, which we had been lucky enough to meet 
 with at one of the stations, with some dried 
 salmon and corn-brandy, the latter of which we 
 deemed it prudent never to be without. The pas- 
 sage had occupied about two hours. At this spot 
 the grandeur of the scenery had greatly improved : 
 it was, in fact, magnificent. The granite rocks, as 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 295 
 
 we supposed them to be, were bold and of great 
 height, and descended precipitously, indeed almost 
 perpendicularly, into the fiord ; but a sudden and 
 heavy fall of rain prevented us from enjoying the 
 view as much as we should otherwise have been 
 delighted to do. 
 
 It was late in the evening when we landed at 
 Leervig, where we found a very comfortable post- 
 house, much superior to any we had met with on 
 this side of the countr}^ being well stocked with some 
 curious old furniture, and having the appearance of a 
 gentleman's residence. The house, externally, was 
 painted white, and kept in neat and good order, 
 both within and without. Every thing was clean 
 arid well arranged, and it was a great pleasure, 
 after the hovels we had been in, to pass the night 
 here. 
 
 We fared sufficiently well, and, among other 
 things, were treated with some Gammel Ost, which 
 is by no means common among the peasantry ; the 
 charge was a mere trifle for our night's lodging 
 and entertainment. In addition to the post-house 
 there are a few small cottages, which in these re- 
 mote regions might be said to constitute a village. 
 
 Leaving Leervig at an early hour in the morn- 
 ing, we pursued our journey, which still carried us 
 across broken and rugged mountains, but they now 
 assumed a more imposing appearance. Their high 
 rocky and jagged summits were denuded of all ver- 
 dure, but their bases were clothed with clumps of 
 
29G FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Cliap. II. 
 
 firs and birches, interspersed with swelling knolls of 
 grass, on which larger herds of cattle were grazing 
 than we had yet seen. Sheep and goats were rarely 
 met with, but here there were a few of both climb- 
 ing about the rocks, and even the cows and horses 
 were seen perched on the edges of precipices that 
 made us shudder to look at them. Our route now 
 began to be exceedingly interesting, and the scenery 
 to improve considerably. The roads, too, were 
 pretty good, and even mile-posts were placed 
 regularly along, which in all countries is a great 
 satisfaction to the traveller. The names of the 
 different people, who are held responsible for the 
 good state of the roads, were also placed at certain 
 distances, painted on wood, mentioning for how 
 many yards each was considered accountable — the 
 same as on the road from Christiania to Bergen. 
 Another convenience was that of being able to pro- 
 cure horses the moment we reached the end of 
 each stage, by sending on a forebud the preceding 
 evening. 
 
 We had now to pass over some very high and 
 steep mountains ; but the fatigue was amply com- 
 pensated by the road overlooking the most lovely 
 little valleys or ravines, each having its quiet glassy 
 fiord occupying the lowest bottom, and flanked by 
 walls of rock ; but the views were interrupted by 
 the unfavourable state of the weather, and much 
 rain fell. Towards the end of the second stage on 
 this day, the rain ceased, but the mountains be- 
 came enveloped in a thick mist, which, indeed. 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 297 
 
 had prevailed the whole day to a certain degree ; 
 in consequence of which the postmaster said it was 
 in vain to attempt finding the horses, and we were 
 therefore under the necessity, rather than be de- 
 tained, of driving^ the same horses on to the next 
 stage, which was a very heavy one, for the road 
 now began to wind through mountain passes, 
 blocked up nearly with fragments of rock, the 
 sides rising almost perpendicular to an enormous 
 height; yet, wherever a slope or ravine occurred, 
 they were clothed with fir-trees to their very sum- 
 mit. The clouds were playing about these forests, 
 and broke into a great variety of forms as they 
 glided along the mountain sides. We crossed a 
 small wooden bridge, the four corners of which 
 were ornamented with jx)sts having men's heads 
 rudely carved upon the top, with caps upon them, 
 meant, apparently, to represent soldiers. 
 
 The condition of the people for the last two or 
 three stages had evidently improved, and ap- 
 peared to continue to do so as we advanced on 
 our journey. The houses formed a great contrast 
 to the miserable hovels in which we had recently 
 been. They were now carefully and strongly 
 built, and the roofs, of a tolerable height, were 
 supported by large rafters; light, also, was ad- 
 mitted through their sloping roofs, as well as 
 through the windows in the sides. They were 
 also neat and clean within. The roads were good, 
 and the general aspect of the country pleasing. 
 
 o5 
 
298 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 We were surrounded by lofty mountains, some 
 rugged and rude, but others covered with verdure, 
 and numerous cottages scattered over their sides. 
 These dwellings are rarely seen in deep valleys, 
 where the sun stays not long enough to absorb 
 the damp. They therefore perch their wooden 
 dwellings on the very verge sometimes of a pre- 
 cipice. 
 
 The end of the stage brought us to Trods, where 
 we had to embark upon one of the most beautiful 
 fiords we had yet seen. The post-house at this 
 place was tolerably comfortable : one of the rooms 
 was fitted up with some very ancient-looking fur- 
 niture, similar to that we saw at Leervig. The 
 chairs were covered with richly-embossed leather, 
 the backs very high, and the wood work curi- 
 ously carved ; some small pieces of plate, glass, 
 and china-ware were exhibited in a corner cup- 
 board : the floor was strewed with juniper leaves, 
 and there was an air of neatness and comfort in 
 the apartment of this solitary abode that was 
 gratifying to behold. It was one of those freeholds 
 which we understood had been transmitted through 
 many generations of the same family. We pro- 
 cured some eggs, which were a great rarity to us, 
 as poultry, from the scarcity of grain, is not often 
 seen; our servant, who was a useful fellow on all 
 occasions, made them into an excellent omelet; 
 after which we were lucky enough to get ferried 
 over in a very fine boat with four men, who pulled 
 six oars, which is not uncommon. 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 299 
 
 A magnificent range of mountains is seen from 
 Trods descending down to the margins of the fiord, 
 the lower parts of them covered with verdure, of 
 every variety of shade which Scotch firs, spruce 
 firs, and birches, with intervening grassy glades, 
 can afford. When these fiords are narrow, the pic- 
 turesque beauty of the shores is increased by being 
 more distinctly seen ; whereas, w hen they are of 
 great breadth, the objects on the sides of the dis- 
 tant mountains are lost^ and little else than the blue 
 outline remains to be admired. The sea-gulls that 
 frequent these lakes and fiords in great numbers 
 make a melancholy screeching noise — the only one 
 that assails the ear — amidst a general silence 
 broken only by the distant roaring of some w^ater- 
 fall or cascade, pouring its water through the 
 dark forests which clothe the side of the mountain 
 into the lake beneath, the sparkling stream occa- 
 sionally bursting into view, and then suddenly los- 
 ing itself in its circuitous course. The water of 
 the fiord, being perfectly fresh, might have led us 
 to suppose that we were on an inland lake, and not 
 on an arm of the sea ; but, as I have already ob- 
 served, this is by no means conclusive ; it was more- 
 over evident that the sea had a communication 
 with it at no great distance, from the quantities of 
 seaweed, as well as muscles, which were adhering 
 to the rocks close to the line of the surface water. 
 
 We landed at Sveen in a couple of hours. This 
 spot is beautifully situated on the banks of the 
 
300 FROM RERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 fiord we had just crossed. The post-house was, 
 like that at the last station, neat and comfortable. 
 It was something quite new to us to see cushions 
 to the chairs, and white muslin curtains to the 
 windows, and it really appeared as if we had at 
 last reached once more something like the abode 
 of wealth and fashion. The landlord, too, was 
 more than usually intelligent and communicative : 
 he had not passed the whole of his life at Sveen, 
 having once been a merchant at Bergen, and 
 failed. He was a good-humoured sort of a man, 
 and took a great liking to us in a short time : so 
 much so, indeed, that he positively tefused to be 
 paid for our fare, and told us, if we would only 
 spend a day or two with him, he would lend us 
 his guns and fishing-tackle to amuse ourselves 
 with. We were obliged, however, to refuse the 
 invitation, and left on the table what we considered 
 an ample remuneration for his hospitality. 
 
 As we had determined on reaching Hafstadt 
 before we slept, we took an affectionate leave of 
 our friend at ten o'clock at night, and drove about 
 eighteen miles, at the end of which we reached 
 Hafstad, when the day was again beginning to 
 dawn, which was at one o'clock. It rained very 
 heavily, and we -were much drenched on our 
 arrival. We slept at this place, and left early 
 in the morning. The country continued to im- 
 prove ; the roads were excellent, cottages neat, and 
 more numerous, and their inmates appeared to 
 
Chap. II.] I- ROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 301 
 
 be at their ease. They were all remarkably 
 well clothed : the women covered their heads with 
 hoods, which fell down over the shoulders in the 
 form of a cape : the men wore good stout cloth 
 jackets and trousers. We passed one or two pretty- 
 looking houses, painted white, which were evidently 
 the property of gentlemen in good circumstances. 
 At the end of this stage we crossed a short ferry, 
 and found our horses, which had been previously 
 ordered, waiting our arrival on the opposite side. 
 Two magnificent cascades, rolling into a small 
 vand, particularly struck our attention as we 
 drove along. The roads had now again become 
 heavy, and the weather was very wet. We passed 
 through a large forest of pines, the finest timber 
 I have seen ; some of the trees being very loft}^ 
 perfectly straight, and of a large circumference, 
 might have served as mainmasts for line-of-battle 
 ships. 
 
 Our next stage was Vasenden, where I was sur- 
 prised to find in this sequestered spot that the post- 
 master could speak a little, though very little, of our 
 language. We embarked on another fiord, hemmed 
 in by lofty mountains, the lower parts of which 
 were well cultivated, and a number of houses scat- 
 tered along their sides. The snow was lying in 
 patches here and there near their summits. 
 
 We were nearly four hours on the water before 
 we landed at Skei, where we were detained for 
 horses, and could not help recollecting Dr. John- 
 
302 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 son's description of the place with a name so simi- 
 lar, in the Hebrides : — 
 
 Ponti profundis clausa recessibus, 
 Strepens procellis, rupibus obsita, 
 Quum grata defesso virentem 
 SAia siuum nebulosa pandis. 
 
 The post-station, however, could not be said to 
 be '' grata defesso," being but a miserable place. 
 On leaving Skei, a complete change of scenery took 
 place, and some of the grandest features that we 
 had set eyes on since our arrival in Norway pre- 
 sented themselves to our view. A great mass of 
 rounded mountains, whose summits were com- 
 pletely covered with snow, appeared on the right at 
 the distance of eighteen or twenty miles ; they are 
 marked on the map as the Snee Braen, with heights 
 varying in loose round numbers from six to seven 
 thousand feet, from which I conclude their height 
 had never been ascertained by actual ascent. 
 
 The road now began to wind through a deep 
 and narrow ravine, completely shut up by moun- 
 tains apparently of granite, of an enormous height, 
 which rose literally perpendicular, the valley itself 
 being choked up with huge blocks of stone, which 
 had rolled down their sides. Some of these blocks 
 could not have measured less than forty feet in 
 height, and half of that in width. These detached 
 rocks were mostly gneiss and mica slate, inter- 
 spersed occasionally with granite and sandstone. 
 Most of the flanks, or projecting buttresses, be- 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 303 
 
 tween the fiords, appeared to consist of gneiss. The 
 clouds were now hanging over the sides of the 
 gloomy range which seemed to terminate the valley, 
 while the summit was clear or only partially enve- 
 loped. The sun, apparently struggling to burst 
 forth, shed its faint rays upon the vapours beneath, 
 and the white clouds contrasted well with the dark 
 peaks and pinnacles which pierced through them. 
 We had seen nothing yet to equal the sublimity and 
 grandeur of the scene. 
 
 Arriving at Forde, we embarked on the Breum 
 Vand for a place called Beed; the passage occupied 
 about two hours. We had five men to row the 
 boat, which, as well as the last we were in, was 
 merely a row-boat, and carried no sails. Beed is 
 prettily situated on the lake. The same snowy 
 mountains, before mentioned, presented themselves 
 to our view as we approached the village, from 
 whence the glaciers of Snee Braen were distinctly 
 visible. The range, when viewed from this place, 
 appeared rugged and peaked, and may be consi- 
 dered as a part of the loftiest summit in the great 
 cluster known by the name of Langefi-eld. 
 
 Being unable to procure horses, we were under 
 the necessity of remaining the night at this spot. 
 The post-house was a comfortless place, and there 
 was a sad want of cleanliness about it in every 
 thing. Taking our departure from Beed on the 
 following morning (Sunday), we had a very lofty 
 flank to ascend, and were soon in the midst of the 
 clouds, so that we were prevented from seeing any 
 
304 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 thing until wc had reached the summit, which was 
 clear; from hence, looking back, we had a fine view 
 of the long line of the Langefi-eld mountains, parti- 
 cularly of the Snee Braen, with its snowy summit. 
 On our descent, another lovely fiord, the Indvig, 
 broke upon the view. We had hoped to have break- 
 fasted at Udvigen, situated on the margin of that 
 fiord, where we had again to embark, but here they 
 had nothing whatever to offer us, which had also been 
 the case at Beed. To this disappointment was added, 
 that the horses which had been harnessed to the car- 
 rioles were very bad, and quite unfit for any work. 
 
 We are not, however, to conclude that the pea- 
 santry, who could aflford us nothing to eat, were in 
 an absolute state of poverty. They all possess a 
 considerable number of cattle, but keep few of them 
 at hand ; most of them, for two or three of the sum- 
 mer months, are driven into the valleys and ravines 
 of the mountains, w'here there is abundance of good 
 grass. Hither the younger part of the family re- 
 sort ; the females to manage the humble dairy, 
 generally of four stone walls, thatched over, where 
 they make butter and cheese for the winter's con- 
 sumption. The brothers guard the cattle with their 
 rifles, to protect them from the bears and the wolves. 
 Mr. Elliott, in crossing the unfrequented route of 
 the Hardangerfi-eld, gives an interesting account 
 of three girls in a most desolate spot, far removed 
 from all human kind. He describes them as pleas- 
 ing specimens of human nature, their manners 
 peculiarly interesting, having nothing of levity. 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 305 
 
 iiothinor of affectation. A miserable stone-built 
 hovel, of one apartment, with a hole in the roof 
 to admit light and air, '' served for parlour and 
 kitchen and all;" it was the dairy, where they 
 manufactured their salt butter and cheese, and the 
 chamber where they sat and slept. 
 
 On the return of the cattle from the mountains, 
 they are generally in good condition, and towards 
 the end of September, when the winter begins to 
 draw near, the slaucrhterinor season commences. 
 " In Norway," says Jens Wolff, " where butchers' 
 shops and a daily supply of fresh provisions are 
 unknown, Michaelmas becomes a busy and import- 
 ant period ; the preparation is great, and in large 
 families exceeds all calculation. Oxen, sheep, calves, 
 pigs, and porkers, are indiscriminately slaughtered ; 
 the pickling, preserving, potting, smoking, and sau- 
 sage operations commence; ladies of rank intermix 
 with their servants ; all the females of the house are 
 collected together, the whitest arms are bared, and 
 soon become impregnated with salt; the ruddiest 
 complexions turn pale with fatigue ; and if a stranger 
 should, on these occasions, enter the house, he would 
 be at a loss whom to address as the mistress of it."* 
 This description, of course, can only apply to opulent 
 and extensive landholders. The common farmer 
 is probably obliged to content himself with one or 
 two oxen or cows, and as many pigs, to salt for 
 winter provender. 
 
 * Sketches of a Tour through Norway and Sweden, by Jens 
 Woi.FFj Est[. 
 
306 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. 11. 
 
 The expense of hiring boats, as well as horses, 
 fortunately for us, is regulated by the post ; twenty 
 skillings per mile is paid to each man, and twenty- 
 four skilUngs for the hire of an eight-oared boat, 
 which we were sometimes lucky enough to meet 
 with, though the four men never managed to pull 
 more than six oars. For a ten-oared boat, or five 
 men, the rate of payment is higher in proportion, 
 and for a small four-oared boat, with two men, less. 
 
 On our arrival or departure from any place, all 
 the village, where there was one, came out to stare 
 at us, and the men stood with their hands in their 
 breeches' pockets, immoveable, — " fixed like the mo- 
 nument on Fish-street Hill," — and staring in amaze- 
 ment with all their eyes. But this is quite natural 
 for persons, who, perhaps, not half a dozen times 
 in their whole lives look upon a stranger. 
 
 A passage of two hours brought us to Faleide, 
 on the opposite shore of the fiord, and here, as at 
 the two last stages, we were unable to procure any 
 breakfast, all they had to offer being sour milk, of 
 which they themselves are fond, or, making a virtue 
 of necessity, seem to be so. Having sent on our 
 forebud the night before, we found horses waiting. 
 The road was carried over a very steep hill, strewed 
 with fragments of rock and loose pebbles. The 
 horses were not shod, and this I have remarked 
 to be common on this side of the mountains. 
 Throughout the country these animals are fed upon 
 nothing but such grass as they can find, and which 
 in summer they can procure plentifully for them- 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 307 
 
 selves in the mountains: how they subsist in the 
 winter it is difficult to say, as the quantity of hay is 
 so small, and kept generally for the cows ; but we 
 were told of various ingredients being mixed up 
 together, such as the small branches and shoots of 
 birch trees and firs, cut small, which, with salted 
 cod, ling, whiting, and other fish, are made into a 
 mess, of which all kinds of cattle are very fond; 
 indeed, on the sea-coast, fish is a main ingredient 
 in the food of horned cattle. The Norway horses 
 are hardy, and capable of going through a great 
 deal of work, notwithstanding their scanty fare. 
 On being taken out of harness after a long stage, 
 they often throw themselves down, and roll about 
 on the ground among the dust, if they can find any, 
 and even in the snow. It is a common practice 
 to give them a handful of salt on returning home 
 from a stage, for which the attendants assigned three 
 reasons : the first was, that they like it ; the second, 
 that it refreshes them; and the third, that it gives 
 them an appetite when turned loose to graze. ^ 
 
 Pursuing our route, we came to another forest 
 of firs and birch, through which we had to pass. 
 
 * The hardiness of the Norwegian horse is proverbial ; his food 
 in the depth of winter is hay, chopped straw, with a few beans, and 
 occasionally a slice of black bread from the hand of his master ; 
 a currycomb never touches his coat, which is long and shaggy ; he 
 lies down on the bare boards in his stable, and is turned out with- 
 out the least preparation ; when unharnessed, after a run of ten or 
 twelve miles, he rolls in the snow to refresh himself, and seems but 
 little fatigued by the distance he may have gone. — Sketches of a 
 Tour through Norway and Sweden, p. 13. 
 
308 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Cluip. II. 
 
 Several sheds were erected along the road, in 
 which the wood-cutters were fashioning the timber 
 after it had been felled. Some of it was already 
 sawn into planks, at the mills, which were at some 
 distance, near the fall of a river into the fiord, 
 which generally happens at the upper end of each 
 branch of those great inlets of the sea where it 
 meets the base of the mountains. These are the 
 romantic spots which a traveller who has time, and 
 the summer before him, would find the highest gra- 
 tification in visiting. Our tour led us nearer to the 
 sea-coast than to the base of the great chain. 
 
 We had to embark for the tenth time since 
 leaving Bergen, for Grodaas, Avhere we landed 
 in about an hour. The water was rough, the 
 wind blowing fresh a-head. We found horses 
 waiting for us. The scenery continues of the 
 same wild character ; it is equal to any I ever saw 
 in beauty and grandeur. The mountain-roads were 
 good, and so were the horses, and we made the best 
 of our way to Hellcsvit, where we had to embark 
 again on a branch of the Star fiord. Close to 
 this spot there is a magnificent cascade, which 
 bounds down into the fiord over several ledges 
 of rock. Most of the bridges we have crossed 
 are built of wood, but there are also many with 
 stone piers of rude construction, with planks from 
 pier to pier. These are composed of large stones, 
 loosely placed one upon another, without any ce- 
 ment whatever, and when they do not fit closely. 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 309 
 
 the interstices are filled up with small stones and 
 pebbles. 
 
 The crowd of people in the village of Hellesvit 
 was greater than any I had hitherto seen ; they 
 had evidently been drinking, and I was a little fear- 
 ful that we might have had some disturbance, on 
 account of a Swede who had arrived a few days 
 previous in a thread-bare coat, and in the character 
 of a pedestrian. He was uncommonly tipsy, and 
 insisted upon horbuj us with his conversation, 
 although our servant repeatedly told him that we 
 did not understand one word of what he was say- 
 in o". I saw, however, that his object was to get a 
 passage in our boat ; but as he was in such a state, 
 we were determined not to take him, particularly 
 as he seemed to be an insolent, quarrelsome person. 
 Finding that he failed in his endeavours, he gave 
 way to abuse, but it was fortunately thrown away. 
 I could not help thinking, in the event of a disturb- 
 ance, where it might end; there were no autho- 
 rities in the place (save the priest), and one man 
 seemed as good as another. Matters, however, 
 turned out very differently, and we were soon ac- 
 knowledged as friends by the villagers, owing to 
 the kind interference of the priest, or pastor, who 
 came up and attempted to address us in French, 
 but could make little of it. He then spoke to our 
 servant, who informed us who he was, of which we 
 were ignorant, and that he wished to invite us to 
 his house; that there had been a wedding that 
 
310 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 morning, and he thought it might be agreeable to 
 us to pay a visit to the bride. We of course were 
 delighted, and in proceeding thither the whole vil- 
 lage followed us, and sa?is ceremonie, as many as 
 could, walked into the parsonage, which was filled 
 in a moment. The good pastor cordially shook 
 hands with us, and received us with great civility. 
 The bride was not in the room when we entered, 
 but was brought in for the purpose of dancing before 
 us. She was decked out in gaudy apparel, and 
 looked very like a gingerbread queen. Her upper 
 dress was gaily embroidered with tinsel, and she wore 
 what appeared to be meant for a silver crown upon 
 her head, to which were attached various gold or 
 gilt ornaments ; and beneath it hung her long hair 
 in flowing ringlets, which " streamed like a meteor" 
 over her neck and shoulders, not ungracefully, as 
 she danced; but she appeared, not unnaturally, to be 
 somewhat abashed at making^ such an exhibition on 
 such an occasion, in the presence of strangers. 
 A good humoured old man, who afterwards turned 
 out to be the vestry clerk, was her first partner ; her 
 next was a female, and they danced very gracefully 
 together ; but her third partner was by far the best 
 dancer I had seen among the Norwegians : he was 
 a good-looking young man, uncommonly active, and 
 danced with great good taste : he was very pressing 
 that I should also dance with the bride, but, unfor- 
 tunately, waltzing is an accomplishment wliich I 
 cannot boast. I concluded this young man to be 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 311 
 
 the husband, but we were afterwards introduced to 
 another who sustained that character, and who 
 presented each of us with a dram of strong spi- 
 rits in a little silver cup, out of which we were to 
 drink to the health of the bride. We were pleased 
 with the decorum witli which the assembly con- 
 ducted themselves; on leaving the company for our 
 embarkation, we shook hands with the bride and 
 bridegroom, the priest, and the vestry clerk, and I 
 think with the fiddler also, who was the next in 
 rank and importance; and my friend gave the bride 
 a few English needles, with which they all seemed 
 much pleased. 
 
 It was eight o'clock in the evening before we 
 stepped into the boat, and we had a long passage to 
 make ; the wind was a-head, and blowing fresh, and 
 the water sufficiently rough to have made a person 
 ill who had not been used to the sea. A heavy dew 
 fell, and the night was bitter cold. Soon after 
 eleven o'clock it became dusk, but at one o'clock 
 the day began to break. We occasionally disturbed 
 an immense number of sea-gulls v.hich were roost- 
 ing on the rocks; they rose in clouds, and flew 
 wildly about, making a melancholy screeching, not 
 being accustomed to have their rest broken in upon 
 at such an unseasonable hour. They lay their eggs 
 on the small uninhabited islands of the fiords, which 
 are collected in great qvianlities by the fishermen.* 
 
 * To the northward of Tronyeoi, we <ire told, the Egg Islands, 
 called / «V, are ver valuable possessions. " When the possessors 
 
312 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 Tlie length of the passage was nearly doubled by 
 our being obliged to creep close in by the rocks the 
 whole way. At last, to our great delight, we 
 landed at a spot called Sbjiigstad, about three 
 o'clock in the morning. This place is situated on 
 the margin of the Stor fiord. The postmaster was 
 a yoimg man, who had recently settled there with 
 his wife and child ; they did not seem to care the 
 least about our disturbinor them, but received us 
 with much attention, and made immediate prepara- 
 tions for our accommodation. In about an hour 
 they told us our apartment was ready, but we dis- 
 covered that there was only one bed in it. We 
 therefore resorted to '' tossing up'' for it, which is 
 the only fair way imder such circumstances, and I 
 had the misfortune to lose; so I wrapped my cloak 
 round me, and threw myself down on the floor, 
 which was in truth very hard, after passing the night 
 on the fiord. 
 
 The following morning our host provided some 
 coffee and eggs for breakfast, which set us all to 
 rights ao^ain. The landlord told us he had never 
 
 of the Far come in quest of the eggs, the bird knows theiiij and le- 
 mains quiet, for he knows from experience the superfluous eggs only 
 are taken away, and that one is always left in the nest. But 
 foreign vessels and strangers frequently fall upon the Far, anti rob 
 the place of the whole of the eggs, when all the flock, to the num- 
 ber of manj' thousands, rise at once, and fill the air with the most 
 frightful and lamen.table cries. If this robbery is repeated, they 
 lose all patience, and leave in a body the ungrateful VUr for another, 
 whose situation seems to promise them better protection and 
 quiet." — Fan Buck's Travels in Norwat/, p. 130. 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 313 
 
 before entertained any travellers, and was quite at 
 a loss to know what to charge, so that it was left to 
 us to give him what we considered a proper remu- 
 neration. 
 
 We embarked ao^ain on the foUowino- morninor 
 (the 2'2nd),on the same branch of the fiord, with a 
 wind blowing strong against us, and the water much 
 ruffled, but in the course of an hour or two the 
 wind lulled, and it became smooth; the water was 
 quite salt, and indeed at one point the fiord was 
 open and near to the North Sea. Here we ob- 
 served the mode of catching^ fish in oreneral use 
 on all the fiords. A platform or jetty of some 
 length is run out into the fiord at a height of pro- 
 bably fifteen or twenty feet above the surface, at 
 the end of which a man is stationed, who, as he 
 sees occasion, drags up the net, which has been 
 set at about ten or twelve yards from the scaffold. 
 The extraordinary clearness of the water shows him 
 when any fish are within the net, and the same cause 
 may have given rise to this mode being adopted, 
 in order to prevent the fish from seeing their 
 danger. 
 
 As we approached SoehoU, where we landed 
 after five hours' rowing, the water became quite 
 smooth, and was of the most beautiful blue colour. 
 The scenery now underwent a change : the moun- 
 tains were fast softening down into hills, and as-' 
 sumed the shape of cones covered with verdure; 
 but immediately beyond them were seen a lofty 
 
314 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 range, with snow lying in detached spots about 
 their summits. The men in our boat pulled well; 
 they were as sturdy a race as one could wish to 
 see. The immediate approach to Soeholt is beau- 
 tifully picturesque. At a short distance from the 
 village there is a well-built wooden church, which 
 forms a pleasing object ; it is painted white, as is 
 usual, and the roof is neatly tiled, and from its 
 centre rises a small steeple. The churches are, 
 generally speaking, very humble edifices, and the 
 wood is payed over with some composition, not 
 unlike tar, to preserve it from the weather, and 
 three or four little windows admit lig^ht into the 
 body of the church. 
 
 Close to the water's edge at Soeholt is a long 
 line of boat-houses ; and a great number of boats, 
 as well as fishing-nets, are kept there; certain indi- 
 cations of this being a considerable fishing spot. 
 The post station here was more clean and comfort- 
 able than we had lately found them. We were 
 received in a very friendly manner by the landlord, 
 who shook hands with us on entering his house, as 
 a sio^nalof welcome ; his wife was a fine, handsome 
 woman, and waited on us at table with much kind- 
 ness and attention. On the commencement of our 
 journeying in Norway, the custom of females at- 
 tending their guests was any thing but agreeable, 
 particularly where the lady appeared to be of a su- 
 perior cast ; but we soon got reconciled to it, and the 
 more readily as they seemed to take a pleasure in 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 315 
 
 performing this office, and evidently did not con- 
 sider it any trouble, still less a degradation. 
 
 On a large open piece of ground close to this 
 village, I was surprised to see some soldiers 
 at exercise ; they were men belonging to the 
 village, who were compelled to exercise two days 
 in the twelvemonth, as a sort of local militia ; 
 they marched uncommonly well, which was the 
 more remarkable considering the little practice 
 they could have had. Every male, on acquir- 
 ing the age of sixteen, we vuiderstood, was 
 obliged to enrol his name in the militia, and 
 was liable to be called out one month in summer; 
 but this practice is said to be discontinued. 
 
 Having procured horses, we proceeded to Rem- 
 mcn, where we had to embark for Molde: our 
 horses were unshod, which has frequently been the 
 case since leaving Bergen : the road was excellent, 
 and the surrounding country wild. At Remmen 
 there is a neat post-station where the traveller might 
 rest comfortably, but this was not our object. This 
 place appears, by the last mile-stone we passed, to 
 be thirty-three miles and a half from Bergen, or 
 234^ English miles, and it is reckoned to be one 
 mile and a half (lOJ English) across the Molde fiord 
 to the town, which is seen distinctly from hence. 
 
 The distant mountain-peaks, and pinnacles to 
 the south-eastward, were observed to rise out of a 
 mass of snow, but the hills at the foot of which the 
 town of Molde is situated, facing a wide expanse of 
 
 p2 
 
316 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 waters, bear some little resemblance to that part 
 of the Tsle of Wight which faces Portsmouth; the 
 town appears not unlike Ryde, and the shore is 
 quite as beautiful. At seven in the evening, we 
 embarked in a good-sized boat, with six fine young 
 fellows to row us : it was a lovely evening, and the 
 water as smooth as a sheet of glass ; our course 
 lay straight across. After being so completely 
 shut up among the mountains of Norway, whe- 
 ther on the land, or on the fiords, it was quite a 
 relief to the eye to look around from the boat, as 
 we crossed the broad sheet of water, and enjoy the 
 extensive and varied panorama w^hich was laid 
 open to our view ; the sensation was something 
 similar to that of gaining admission to the open 
 air, after being confined in a close spot; for hitherto 
 valley had succeeded valley, ridge of rock was fol- 
 lowed by similar ridges, and fiord by fiord, and 
 the whole shut in by the impenetrable barriers of 
 mountains; nor did we get rid of these gigantic 
 masses altogether here ; but they were seen at a 
 great distance rising above each other, in every 
 direction, far as the eye could trace around, all 
 varying in their forms, — some being so peaked and 
 rugged as to resemble those huge icebergs we have 
 read of in the Polar sea ; and the more so, from 
 being not only capped with snow, but the chasms 
 in their sides filled with it, and forming what are 
 called glaciers. Some of the peaks were enveloped 
 in white clouds, which hung over them apparently 
 motionless. 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 317 
 
 The sun setting behind the north-western moun- 
 tains threw its last ojlimmer around, tinofinof the 
 rugged and pinnacled summits^ blackened by time 
 and the weather, which we were leaving behind 
 us, and forming a great contrast to the sombre 
 appearance of those sides of the mountains and 
 deep ravines that were screened from its parting 
 rays; which, still visible through a slight opening 
 to the sea, in the distance, added to the general 
 effect of the picture, seen as they were flickering 
 along the surface of the water. 
 
 In crossing, we passed an immense flock of 
 wild ducks, which did not take wing until we 
 came close upon them. The sea-gulls were also 
 very numerous. It was amusing to watch them 
 catching the shoals of young fish as they ap- 
 proached near the surface. At last we reached the 
 entrance of a small bay, to which a narrow passage 
 led between some small rocky islands. The bot- 
 tom here was visible at a very great depth, being 
 of white sand, and the water as clear as crystal, 
 without even a ripple upon its surface. Molde, 
 when seen from the opposite side, had the appear- 
 ance of a considerable town, but as we neared the 
 shore, its dimensions were contracted to those of 
 a moderate-sized village. Our boatmen pulled 
 admirably, so that we made the passage in about 
 two hours. Hitherto I had generally stepped out of 
 the boat with far more pleasure than I stepped in ; 
 but somehow or other, it was with feelings of con- 
 siderable regret that I here set my foot on shore. 
 
318 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 under the impression that we had now passed 
 the last of these dchghtful fiords ; and on cast- 
 ing my eyes around to take a long and lingering 
 look of the last of those enchantinor scenes we had 
 
 o 
 
 witnessed, and which, in all human probabiUty, 
 it would never be my lot a second time to behold, 
 I confess I felt something like a melancholy sensa- 
 tion. I believe such deep and numerous inlets of 
 the sea, as those we have crossed, are not to be met 
 with in any other part of the world, accompanied 
 with such romantic wiklness and beauty, so well 
 calculated to attract the admiration and rivet the 
 attention of the traveller. 
 
 INIolde, though a small town, contains several 
 large houses, and is a place of some importance. 
 The streets were kept in good order, the houses 
 neat, and mostly painted white ; but by way of 
 finery, others might be seen 
 
 "Where tawdry yellow strove with dirty red;" 
 
 mostly in separate, but sometimes in the same 
 building. We succeeded in getting good beds 
 at the post-house, but we soon saw that we 
 WTre by no means considered in the light of 
 welcome visiters; in fact, we discovered that we 
 were the first travellers who had ever applied 
 to the good people for a night's lodging; and 
 on this account they seemed rather unwilling to 
 receive us at first, and could not be prevailed upon 
 to make any arrangement (which they might 
 easily have done) to accommodate our servant, who 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TROXYEM. 319 
 
 for a long time was unable to find any place in the 
 town where he could get a night's rest. Our pass- 
 ports were vised at this place, being looked at for the 
 first time : on producing them to the landlord or 
 postmaster — he observed we were described therein 
 as Gentilhommes Anglois, and treated us more cour- 
 teously ; but we had no fault to find with him indi- 
 vidually, from the first ; it was his lady who was the 
 disobliging person, (and to the credit of Norwegian 
 ladies be it spoken, she was the only one of that clia- 
 racier we met with.) She appeared to think she 
 was conferring a great favour by allowing us to re- 
 main there. But the poor lady had perhaps seen 
 better days ; and, supposing it to be so, we were 
 inclined to pity rather than to blame. 1 he husband 
 was a fine, handsome-looking man, and an officer in 
 the army ; he wore a neat uniform, and a ferocious 
 pair of mustachios, which were every now and 
 then enveloped in the clouds of tobacco which rose 
 from his pipe. To make amends for the wife's in- 
 civility, we had here the first really good breakfast 
 since we left Bergen : the coflfee was excellent, and 
 we wTre treated with white bread, which was the 
 only white bread we had met with in Norway, ex- 
 cepting at Christiania and Bergen. 
 
 Leaving Molde the following morning, we found 
 the road to run along the side of the Fanne fiord 
 to a considerable distance, the scenery very dif- 
 ferent from that we had lately been accustomed 
 to, but yet pretty ; we were in fact now running 
 
320 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 Upon level ground. The road was kept in excellent 
 order, and the horses being good, we drove on at a 
 great rate, having a tolerably well-cultivated coun- 
 try in view, and there were plenty of cattle grazing 
 on the hills. Having sent on a furebud the preced- 
 ing night, we found horses waiting our arrival at the 
 different post-stations. Fieldsofoats, rye and barley 
 continued to be seen throughout this day's journey. 
 At the fourth stage from Molde, the face of the 
 country began once more to assume its former 
 grandeur; the road became rugged, and a fine 
 range of mountains rose on our right. We soon 
 arrived at a spot called Hecjgem ; from hence to 
 Ungvigen the scenery was romantic and beautiful : 
 towards the close of this last stage, to our great 
 delight, the Tingvol fiord, with its surrounding 
 mountains, broke upon our view, and we soon had 
 to embark upon it for Boekken, where, in about an 
 hour, we landed, and were detained some time for 
 horses. We observed here, and indeed at every vil- 
 lage on the road, after leaving Molde, great quan- 
 tities of fur clothing, placed in the open air, for the 
 purpose I suppose of preserving it from the moths. 
 There was nothinor remarkable in the wooden ha- 
 bitations, except their lofty chimneys, which are 
 composed merely of loose stones, without ce- 
 ment or mortar, appearing as if they would fall 
 to the ground, or through the roofs of the cottages, 
 with the first puflf of wind that assailed them. 
 From Boeken we drove a very short distance be- 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 321 
 
 fore we reached another fiord, equally beautiful as 
 the last, named HalVs fiord, upon which we em- 
 barked at six o'clock in the eveninof. Our boat 
 was very small, the wind was fair, and there was 
 plenty of it ; indeed rather too much, for the 
 boatmen, finding the boat was unsteady in conse- 
 quence of the carrioles, steered to the nearest small 
 island, where they took in some large stones to 
 place at the bottom as ballast : this brought her 
 gunwale so very close to the water's edge as to be 
 nearly even with it ; and as the wind was high and 
 the water rough, it struck me (as a landsman) 
 that it was not at all improbable we should be 
 swamped : in a short time, however, after our de- 
 parture, it came on to rain very heavily, and the 
 wind dropped considerably, upon which the stones 
 were thrown overboard. 
 
 At ten o'clock, we landed at Surendalsoren, si- 
 tuated at the end of a small branch of the Hall's 
 fiord; and here I landed with a different feeling 
 from that when we fancied we had taken leave 
 altogether of the fiords at Molde. They were, in 
 fact, in this part of Norway, tame in comparison 
 with those we had passed, and were now become 
 so tedious, that I was not sorry to think we had in 
 reality made the last passage across the Norwegian 
 fiords. 
 
 The boating is certainly attended with consider- 
 able hazard, as the wind rushes suddenly down the 
 mountains, and might upset a frail boat in an in- 
 
 p5 
 
322 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 slant, particularly such small ones as are sometimes 
 used by the Norwegians on their fiords; but I 
 must do the boatmen the justice to say, that they 
 were, in general, exceedingly cautious, and watched 
 the wind with g-reat care ; and when the fiord was 
 tolerably broad, they could always see the breeze 
 coming, by the rippling it made along the surface 
 of the water, and prepared accordingly. The 
 man who steered mostly held the sheet in his 
 hands, so that the danger of accident was less, as 
 he could always let it fly in a moment : some, how- 
 ever, did not take this necessary precaution, but 
 fastened it, and whenever they did so, I invariably 
 held in my hand a sharp knife to cut the sheet, 
 knowinor there was no time to be lost if a sudden 
 squall of wind once caught the sail. 
 
 This last was the fifteenth fiord upon which we 
 had embarked since leaving Bergen, and had crossed 
 fourteen rugged and rocky interjacent flanks of the 
 great chain, which required that the operation of 
 taking or putting on the wheels of the carrioles 
 should be performed thirty different times : this, 
 of course, occasioned considerable delay and trou- 
 ble on oiu- journey, and sometimes put our patience 
 to the test. We were, however, highly satisfied 
 with this unusual route, though attended with hard 
 fare and much fatigue ; but to have seen those lovely 
 lakes and stupendous mountain precipices, and to 
 have witnessed the conduct of the honest boatmen, 
 of whom w^e had had not fewer than sixty, are worth 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 323 
 
 any sacrifice of this kind. They were a fine sam- 
 ple of the human animal, — active, powerful, and 
 robust; never did I witness so much good nature, 
 such constant cheerfulness, such willingness to 
 oblige, and such perfect contentment as they inva- 
 riably exhibited. I would have given any thing to 
 be able to talk to them, but, that not being feasible, 
 I was obliged to content myself with the pleasure 
 of seeing tliem laugh and talk with one another, 
 which they did, with great good humour, the greater 
 part of the way they had to row us ; and whenever 
 they happened to see any person on the shore at 
 work, who was within hail, they would always ex- 
 change a few friendly words, although they had 
 probably never seen each other before. 
 
 We always took care to have a small bottle of corn- 
 brandy with us in the boat, to serve out to these 
 people ; and they were all evidently much pleased 
 at this little mark of attention, and expressed their 
 thanks, one after another, as our servant filled them 
 a small glass, in the usual way, by a hearty shake 
 of the hand. On paying their fare, we also made 
 it a rule to give them a small trifle beyond what 
 was their actual due, for which they also expressed 
 their gratitude by the observance of the same cere- 
 mony. Their address was invariably firm, manly, 
 and open; their manners simple and pleasing; 
 and they appeared to know no guile. Indeed, this 
 character may be applied to the greater part of the 
 peasantry of Norway, and more especially to those 
 little knots of some twenty or thirty persons who 
 
324 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. IT. 
 
 cluster round the post-houses, as they are called, 
 by the sides of the fiords, secluded from all tlie 
 world besides, and forming a little world of them- 
 selves. Of these simple people may be truly said 
 what the poet has applied to their neighbours of 
 Lapland, — 
 
 "They ask no more than simple Nature gives : 
 They love their mountains, and enjoy their storms. 
 No false desires — no pride-created wants 
 Disturb the peaceful current of their lives.'' 
 
 It often struck me, that these single-minded peo- 
 ple are very much like what the peasantry of Eng- 
 land might have been in former days, before manu- 
 factures and large farms had destro3^ed all sem- 
 blance of agricultural equality by reducing the small 
 farmers and peasantry — 
 
 " ere England's griefs began, 
 
 And every rood of ground maintained its man." 
 
 The simple arts that administer to the wants of the 
 Norwegians have made but little progress towards 
 what is called refinement, and the improvements in 
 agriculture equally little. 
 
 As we approached Surendalsoren, I remarked a 
 fox which had descended the mountains to the 
 water's edge; and, singular enough, this was the 
 only wild quadruped of any description we met 
 with in Norway : but, in the winter, we were as- 
 sured, the traveller is not so secure, and that wolves 
 and foxes, and other destructive vermin, are plen- 
 tiful and troublesome enoucrh. The wolves are said 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 325 
 
 to prowl about in troops of dozens together, while 
 ice and snow remain on the ground.'^ 
 
 The post station being situated at some lilde dis- 
 tance from the shore, we got the boatmen to drag 
 up the carrioles, which they did with great willing- 
 ness. We fared but badly as to food ; but, what 
 was of more importance, we enjoyed the luxury ot 
 clean beds. The following morning we proceeded 
 on our journey. The roads were good, as well as 
 the horses: generally, indeed, these animals are 
 perfectly safe ; not one of them, out of the great 
 number I have driven, had any appearance of 
 havinp- been down. On asking the price of one 
 which I had driven, and had just been purchased, 
 I was informed it had cost about two pounds. An- 
 other had been purchased for six pounds, which I 
 should have been glad to have got in England for 
 fifteen or twenty. 
 
 The surface of the country now became more 
 tame : — the mountains were not so lofty as we had 
 been accustomed to see them ; the ground, in parts, 
 was well cultivated ; crops of potatoes, as well as 
 
 * « A journey, In winter, down the great Norwegian lakes, would 
 be attended Avith infinite pleasure, if it were not for the wolves, 
 which are extremely dangerous in the early twilights of winter. 
 They avoid everything which hangs over their heads, and therefore 
 flee the woods : this is singular enough, but not the less true : 
 many of the peasants can defend their possessions in no other way 
 from the wolves than by a hedge enclosure, through which the wolf 
 may creep, but over which he cannot spring. He will go round the 
 hedge before he will creep through it:'— Fon Buck's Travels, p. 84. 
 
326 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 quantities of oats, were growing luxuriantly, and 
 hops not less so — the quality said to be good — but 
 the beer made with them is execrable — at least that 
 which we tasted. 
 
 Our next stage lay through an extensive valley, 
 the greater part of which was also well cultivated. 
 A rapid stream of water flows through it. The boats 
 upon this stream are well calculated for the pur- 
 pose, and show^ some ingenuity in their construction. 
 The stern is perfectly square and flat, so that the 
 current would carry them down, if the head was kept 
 straight, without any assistance : the bow of the 
 boat is sharp. The houses in the villages were 
 now much improved in appearance : they were bet- 
 ter finished in every respect than what w^e had 
 hitherto seen, but still of wood. The mile-stones 
 were quite ornamental : the}^ were also of wood, 
 painted to resemble marble, with bright, gilt let- 
 ters inscribed on them. The half-mile stones are 
 marked in a similar manner. 
 
 We had to cross a bridge, before which was a 
 gate, the opening and shutting of which w.ere simple 
 and inorenious. A string led from the gate to the 
 upper part of a small birch tree. When the gate 
 opened, the birch, being very pliant, bent with it ; 
 but when it was let go, the birch-tree righted itself, 
 and, of course, drew the gate after it. 
 
 We were unfortunate in the weather to-day: much 
 rain fell: indeed, since leaving Bergen, we have 
 had a fair share of it : the inhabitants say that it 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 327 
 
 is always so at this season. The mornings are 
 generally fine, and the rain begins to fall soon after 
 mid-day; but in the evening it clears up again. 
 The scenery has now assumed a softer character; 
 the mountains are dwindled into hills, whose sides 
 slope gently, and are completely covered with ver- 
 dure; and grain of different kinds is growing more 
 abundantly than in any other part of Norway w^e 
 have yet seen. The peasantry have the appearance 
 of being more comfortable, better clothed, and 
 better fed, quiet, and well-behaved people. It is 
 surprising, indeed, and speaks much in their favour, 
 that there is so little drunkenness amongst these 
 simple people, and the more so when one re- 
 flects on the excessive cheapness of this corn- 
 spirit. A quart bottle of the very best that 
 could be bought at Christiania, or in the other 
 towns, costs only eighteen skillings, or about six- 
 pence English money; but the common price is 
 twelve skillings, which is four-pence. 
 
 Changing horses at Kalstad, and proceeding to 
 Gumdal, the face of the country is still very beau- 
 tiful. Kalstad is situated in one of the most lovely 
 valleys we have seen, and the village was clean and 
 neat. It consisted chiefly of a row of very neat 
 houses, painted deep red, with white window frames; 
 and they were two stories high. The approach to 
 it was over a stout wooden bridge, also painted 
 red. A few nights since, the weather had been so 
 severe as completely to destroy several fine crops of 
 
328 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 potatoes which we passed on the road, which would 
 prove a severe loss to the inhabitants. 
 
 We arrived at Gumdal late in the eveningf : and, 
 not having sent on a forebud, passed the night there. 
 Not I'ar from this station, there is a copper-mine in 
 work, but we had not time to visit it. The post- 
 house was clean and comfortable, and what we jrot 
 to eat was good : it consisted of eggs, dried salmon, 
 and coffee, the latter of which w^as excellent. After 
 being nearly smothered to death between two eider- 
 down beds, we started early the next morning for 
 Tronyem. 
 
 A road comes into Molde from the great road 
 between Christiania and Tronyem. This was ap- 
 parent from the travellers' books containing many 
 more names ; but still I could not trace one of our 
 own countrymen among them. 
 
 The horse which was harnessed in my carriole 
 on leaving Gumdal, was one of the best I have 
 driven. At first, I was unable to hold him in, and 
 he ran with his nose close up to the man who was 
 seated at the back of the other carriole; and in 
 going down hill I was fearful of an accident; but 
 finding my arms beginning to tire, I drove on in 
 front, determined to let him go as fast as he 
 pleased ; and I certainly never saw a horse trot so 
 quick, without breaking into a canter. I was very 
 soon far before the others. On alighting, I was in- 
 formed that I had driven the fastest horse in that 
 part of the country, and that he was acknowledged 
 
Chap. II.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 329 
 
 to be so. The Norwegians pride themselves upon 
 their horses being able to trot fast ; and some are 
 said to trot as much as sixteen miles in the hour ! 
 
 In the post-house at Fandrem, on the Orkel Elv, 
 where we changed, there were several curious old 
 leather chairs, beautifully worked with gold, on a 
 blue ground, which, when new, must have been vei-y 
 handsome. They were high-backed, similar to 
 others I have remarked elsewhere. This kind of 
 furniture seems very common, and, no doubt, de- 
 scends as an heir-loom in the family. 
 
 The sudden changes in the scenery are very re- 
 markable : for many miles we had been driving over 
 a quiet, well- cultivated country ; but on leaving this 
 last place, we ascended some steep hills, from the 
 summits of which the views were extensive; the sur- 
 rounding scenery became wild, and forests of firs nu- 
 merous, with cultivated patches among them ; this 
 kind of country lasted for a considerable distance, but 
 changed again at Hammer, on leaving which we 
 crossed the Guul Eh, in a ferry-boat. Chano-ino- 
 horses at Skiefstad, we were now upon our last stage 
 to Tronyem. 
 
 The whole coast of Norway, from Christiania 
 to the North Cape, is deeply indented with Ihese 
 noble inlets, some of them running to the distance 
 of 50 or 60, or even 80 to 100 miles inland : they 
 are generally separated from each other by moun- 
 tainous ridges, the flanks or buttresses of the great 
 central chain that permeates Norway from north 
 
330 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 to south. It is impossible not to regard those 
 fiords as having been scooped out from the more 
 sohd parts of the continent by some tremendous 
 rush of ^vaters, which carried away the looser 
 materials — in all human probability, by that de- 
 luge, which we are told, on sacred authority, once 
 overwhelmed the whole earth — that rush of waters 
 from the north, which is supposed to have swept 
 away those large boulders of gneiss and granite, 
 similar to those traced by Professor Buckland, 
 even as far as the plains of Livonia and Esthonia, 
 where they lie imbedded in deep sand, and 
 some of which are also found in Norfolk, distant, 
 in both situations, many hundred miles from the 
 nearest primitive and parent mountains. The rocks 
 and islands in the fiords, and along the coast of 
 Norway, are innumerable, and have all the appear- 
 ance of being once united to the main land — -fast 
 land, as the natives significantly call it *. 
 
 If Mr. Buckland could devote a couple of the 
 summer months to trace the numerous arms of these 
 fiords to their extreme points, where they meet and 
 receive (as by the Swedish map they all do) 
 the streams of their respective ravines, many of 
 them terminating in a grand cascade or waterfall, 
 
 |- * a The term/rt5/ land may almost seem to have originated in the 
 convulsions which in former ages must have torn in pieces the 
 whole of Norway, striking off, perhaps at a blow, the thousands of 
 islands from the main land, shivering the latter, and dividing it by 
 inlets of the sea, in such a manner, as to render it difficult almost 
 to tell what is or is not continent." — Travels through Norway, 8fC, 
 by A. de Capell Brooke, p. 278. 
 
5F^g2ES®iri^lgILIi IPHik^^MTI?^ 
 
Chap. II.] FROxM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 331 
 
 the ravine being cut abruptly off—he would find 
 his theory of a sweeping torrent and his distant 
 boulders greatly corroborated, by the riven and dis- 
 rupted mountains, the scooped-out ravines and 
 fiords, and the thousand rocks and islets that beset 
 the coast of Norway. 
 
 The peasantry throughout the country generally 
 wear red caps ; their dresses vary considerably. In 
 some parts short breeches with large knee-buckles 
 are the fashion, in others loose trowsers. Near Tron- 
 yem they seem to have but little taste in the cut of 
 their clothes ; some of them have the skirts of their 
 coats made of prodigious length, hanging close to 
 the heels, and coming nearly to a point at the bot- 
 tom; the buttons, particularly at the waist, are 
 about the size of a half-crown piece, or larger, if 
 it suits their fancy. Others again, as if from 
 a spirit of opposition, wear jackets so short as 
 to terminate a little under the arms : these look 
 more ridiculous, if possible, than the long coats, 
 as it gives them the appearance of long-backed, 
 overgrown boys, out of all proportion, and yet 
 many of them were well-made men. They all wear 
 their hair hanging slovenly about the collars of 
 their coat. Some few had hats, such as they were. 
 A petticoat, and a jacket, bound with a sash round 
 the waist, and a coloured handkerchief tied round 
 the head, with the ends flying out behind each ear, 
 constitute the common dress of the female pea- 
 santry. In such a country as that we have passed 
 
33*2 FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. [Cliap. 11. 
 
 through, whore there arc no towns, very few vil- 
 laofes that contain half a dozen dwellincrs, and in 
 many places one solitary house, the poor people 
 have been taught by necessity to help themselves. 
 Accordingly, the inmates of a family make their 
 own hats, shoes, stockings, and woollen cloth, and 
 perform all carpenter and smith's work. The fe- 
 males knit, spin, and make the clothing, and do all 
 the drudgery of the house. While this gives them 
 a feeling of independence, their lonely situation 
 attaches them to their families and kindred, who 
 rarely leave their native villages, excepting when 
 the young people marry, and then only to some 
 unoccupied spot in a neighbouring hill or valley, 
 where food is to be found for their cattle. They 
 rarely leave home except to attend some distant 
 place of W'Orship, or when the younger branches of 
 the family, generally the females, are sent for two 
 or three of the summer months to w'atch the cattle 
 in the mountains, and to make their butter and 
 cheese for their winter provision. How applicable 
 to the unsophisticated mountaineers. of Norway are 
 those beautiful lines of Goldsmith, when speaking 
 of the then patriot passion of the inhabitants of Swit- 
 zerland : — 
 
 " Dear is that shed to which his soul conforms. 
 And dear that hill which lifts him to the storms ; 
 And as a child, when scaring sounds molest, 
 Clings close and closer to the mother's hreast, 
 So the loud torrent and the whirlwind's roar 
 But bind him to his native mountains more." 
 
Chap, ir.] FROM BERGEN TO TRONYEM. 333 
 
 When in the year 1814, these sons of the moun- 
 tains and the fiords were struggling for their inde- 
 pendence, and when it was decided to turn them 
 over to Sweden, Lord Grey, in the House of 
 Lords, asked — " And what people is it whose fate 
 you are thus to decide ? — a people who have never 
 done you any wrong, who hav'e never injured 
 any of your interests — a people who are known 
 to you only by their virtuous character, by their 
 meritorious services, by their interchange of good 
 offices, by the extension of your commercial rela- 
 tions, and by their constant and unremitting dis 
 charge of all those duties which constitute the 
 moral greatness and happiness of a nation." 
 
 The Norwegian people are highly deserving this 
 just and generous appeal made in their favour, but 
 made in vain. At this time they were suffering 
 under a severe famine, the miseries of which were 
 further aggravated by a blockade of their ports on 
 the part of Sweden, assisted by Great Britain. 
 The merchants and inhabitants of Leith, in their 
 memorial to the privy council, praying for per- 
 mission to export grain to Norway, state, that the 
 wretched Norwegrians had been driven to the neces- 
 sity of iising the bark of trees, moss, and other sub- 
 stitutes, giving rise to nauseous and mortal diseases. 
 Several accounts have mentioned harke hrod being 
 occasionally used as food in Norway, but Von 
 Buch seems to doubt the fact, not so much from its 
 poverty and nauseousness, as from the trouble, the 
 
33 1 TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 labour, and the number of processes it nuist under- 
 go, and then relates, in minute detail, from another 
 author, the various preparations necessary from the 
 fellincr of the viororous fir-tree to the formincr of the 
 cake of bread. 
 
 The first view we had of Tronyem and its mag- 
 nificent bay, which is completely surrounded with 
 mountains, is very striking. A small island, on 
 which is erected a fortress, called Munkholm, first 
 catches the eye, and the town breaks upon the 
 sio^ht as the road makes a turn to the eastward. 
 The numerous white chimney-pots rising from the 
 tiled roofs are remarkable objects, and give quite a 
 character to the town. Almost every house has 
 two of these placed above the gable ends, invariably 
 white. The buildings, w'lXh. the exception of the 
 cathedral, and two or three others, are of wood. 
 Like those of Molde, they are generally painted a 
 deep red, dirty yellow, or white; these are the 
 three favourite colours made use of, I believe I 
 may say, in all the towns. 
 
 It was late in the evening when we entered Tron- 
 yem at a rapid rate, with the carrioles literally 
 covered with mud, which had dried hard upon 
 them, and in many parts was nearly a quarter of 
 an inch thick. The weather was exceedini{lv cold, 
 owing to a northerly wind blowing directly in our 
 faces across the bay. We were fortunate enough 
 to procure rooms at Madame Holmberg's, who 
 speaks English, where we were very comfortably 
 
Chap. II.] TRONYEM. 335 
 
 lodged during our stay, but still more fortunate in 
 finding there the three gentlemen, Messrs. Smith, 
 Entwistle, and Royds, from whom we had received 
 so much civility at Christiania. We had told them 
 of our intention, if possible, of going to Tronyem, 
 after visiting Bergen, but they were not a little sur- 
 prised to see us walk into their room one day when 
 they were quietly at their dinner. They had crossed 
 the Dovrefi-eld ; and in consequence of what we 
 heard from them of this mountain track, as well as 
 what we had read of it, we determined upon pur- 
 suing this route to Christiania, rather than going 
 by Roraas, which we had thought of doing, in 
 order that we might visit the celebrated copper- 
 works, as well as, if possible, to fall in with the Lap- 
 landers, who frequently visit this part of Norway in 
 the summer months with their rein-deer; but, alas! 
 our days in Norway were numbered. 
 
 Mr. Smith had travelled a great deal in the 
 country, both in summer and winter, and had vi- 
 sited the North Cape ; he spoke the language 
 fluently, and we were indebted to him for many 
 friendly acts ; but one in particular, which was of es- 
 sential use. On sending to the bank for the purpose 
 of getting either our notes (which were of the bank of 
 England) or our sovereigns exchanged for the money 
 of the country, we were informed, to our great dis- 
 may, that they positively refused to receive them; 
 and after sending our servant over the whole of the 
 town to endeavour to dispose of them for Norwegian 
 
33G TRONYEM. [Chap. II. 
 
 notes, he returned, and said it was quite useless to 
 try any more, as no one would have any thing to 
 say to them. Here, then, we were in a pretty pre- 
 dicament, our Norwegian money being all gone. 
 Upon acquainting Mr. Smith with our awkward situ- 
 ation, he most kindly went to his writing-desk, and 
 wrote out a draft for thirty pounds, the sum we re- 
 quired, for which we gave him our English notes in 
 return. We were quite unprepared for this dilemma. 
 We had not met with any difficulty either at Chris- 
 tiania or Bergen in parting with bank of England 
 notes, and they were always too glad to receive our 
 sovereigns, which I certainly should have thought 
 would also have been the case at Tronyem, but 
 nobody seemed to know them here, a proof of what 
 I had often heard, that there is not a Jew in all 
 Norway *. 
 
 * " Norway is one of the few countries in which no Jews are 
 found. When silver mines were first discovered, a foolish preju- 
 dice prevailed, that these lovers of money would secure and retain 
 possession of the coin ; they were therefore expelled."— £//<o//'s 
 Lellcrs from the North of Eujope, p. 191. 
 
337 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 
 
 Tronyem — Cathedral — Public Buildings — Trade — Fortress of 
 Munkholm — Prisoners — Falls of Lierfossen — Neighbouring 
 Country — Productions — Road, gradual Elevation of — Com- 
 mencement of Dovreji-eld — View and Height of 5^/('ee^a//6'>8 — Pea- 
 santry — Height and Steepness of the Road — Highest Elevation 
 of — Sublime Scenery — Field-sluen, or Mountain Lodgings — 
 Commencement of Descent — Excellent Road and beautiful Val- 
 leys — Miosen Lake and Valley — Arrival at Christiania — General 
 OLservatious — Arrival in England. 
 
 The name of this town, which the Enghsh call 
 Drontheim, is spelled by the Norwegians Tron- 
 dhjem, and pronounced, as I have already stated — 
 Tronyem; which latter form I have ventured to 
 adopt, as more convenient than the correct ortho- 
 graphy, of which no mere English reader could 
 guess the true pronunciation. In this I follow the 
 example of Dr. Clarke*. 
 
 * In glancing over Dr. Clarke's Preface to his ' Scandinavia,' 
 &€., I find the following passage: — ''This word (^Tronyevi), if ac- 
 curately pronounced in our language, would, with us, be Trunyem, 
 which is the real name of the place. It was the wish of many of 
 its literary inhabitants, that this should be duly stated to the Eng- 
 lish nation, with a view, if it be possible, to abolish the nick-names of 
 Drontheim, anH Droniort, bestowed upon this city by the Irish, who, 
 from their intercourse with Nonvay, first gave rise to those appel- 
 lations. It is not a more low and vulgar barbarism to write Lunnun, 
 instead of London^ than it is to substitute Drontheim, or Dronton 
 in lieu of Tronyem P 
 
 Q 
 
338 TKONYK^r. I Chap. III. 
 
 The town of Tronyem is built almost entirely of 
 ■wood, there not being above half-a-dozen houses in 
 it constructed of brick, of which the Bank, which 
 may be called the Bank of Norway, is one. 'i'lie 
 Governor's residence — a handsome palace — is con- 
 structed of wood; and one or two other public edi- 
 fices are also of wood. The largest and broadest 
 street is called the Munk-gade ; but the houses are 
 generally small, and only two stories in height ; 
 and, being irregularly placed^ it cannot lay much 
 claim to beauty. 
 
 The object of greatest curiosity is the Cathedral, 
 or rather the remains of the ancient Gothic cathe- 
 dral, which dates its origin from the eleventh cen- 
 tury. Having suffered by fire, about one hundred 
 years ago, and since that time frequently under- 
 gone repairs, very httle remains of the original 
 structure ; but that part which is kept up for the 
 purposes of religious worship is not an unsightly 
 building, and is preserved in good repair and 
 neat order. In the inclosure, - or churchyard, we 
 observed that flowers, fresh gathered, were strew ed 
 over many of the graves which had evidently been 
 occupied for some years, — a certain and pleasing 
 proof that their tenants were not wholly obliterated 
 from the memory of those who survived them. No- 
 thing can be more simple than these mansions of 
 the dead, as they generally appear in Norway : a 
 small mound of earth is thrown up, its sides neatly 
 trimmed with a turf of grass, and the top strewed 
 
Chap. III.] TRONYExM. 339 
 
 with white sand, which has the appearance of beino^ 
 constantly renewed ; and in this sand are inserted 
 the fresh-g'athered flowers. 
 
 Within the Cathedral is an extensive vault, filled 
 on either side with huge coffins, some of which must 
 have been there a long period, as they were crum- 
 bling to pieces. One, however^ had been placed 
 there within the last year or two, which was con- 
 sidered a rare occurrence : it contained the body of 
 a man who had lived to be a hundred and four 
 years of age, and was placed in the vault of the 
 Cathedral as a remarkable instance of longevity. 
 
 The most ancient part of the Cathedral is that 
 which was so much injured by fire that the w^alls 
 only are remaining; but sufficient is left to show 
 that the architecture was by no means wanting 
 in good taste and execution. The part where 
 the altar now stands is also of ancient date ; and 
 some of the iron doors still remaining are curiously 
 wrought. We were shown, as a great curiosity, 
 '' St. Olaf's Well," within the walls. He is sup- 
 posed to have been originally buried on this spot, 
 but, according to tradition, on the removal of the 
 body from the grave, the water rose up, and has 
 continued as a well ever since. 
 
 As we happened to be at Tronyem on the Sab- 
 bath, we attended Cathedral service, and heard a 
 good deal of singing and chanting, but certainly 
 not of the best. The priest, who was a little, old 
 man, delivered a sermon extempore, which occupied 
 
 Q 2 
 
340 TRONYEM. [Chap. III. 
 
 about an hour : he had not even a note-book 
 before him, yet spoke with great fluency, and 
 very emphatically. He never once looked up, but 
 kept his eyes closed during the whole period of his 
 preaching. The ladies were arranged on one side 
 of the Cathedral, and the gentlemen on the other. 
 Besides this Cathedral, there are three other 
 churches, all of them plain structures. The otlier 
 public buildings are — an Hospital for the aged and 
 infirm, a Workhouse, or House of Industry ; a Public 
 Library and Museum, and a Public Grammar- 
 school : there are, besides, other schools on the Lan- 
 casterian plan; nor can it be said that literature is 
 neglected, particularly that which relates to the his- 
 torj^ and antiquities of Norway. Most of the lower 
 class can read and write, and a Bible and Psalter 
 may be found in every house. But we were not pre- 
 pared to meet, in this northern city, in the latitude 
 of 63° N., so many of the more respectable part 
 of the inhabitants well acquainted with, and con- 
 versant in, the English language; and still less 
 could we have expected to find how well-informed 
 they were in regard to passing events in England, 
 in which they appeared to take a more than com- 
 mon interest : they knew^ perfectly well who had 
 spoken on such and such a question in the House 
 of Commons, and which side he took in the debate. 
 Both here and in Bergen, everything that relates to 
 England seemed to create a deep interest. We are 
 told by certain travel-writers, that Englishmen are 
 
Chap. III.] TRONYEM. 341 
 
 hated in foreign countries. T am proud to say, I 
 never experienced it, and I am inclined to think the 
 discovery must have been made by some of those 
 who had brought on themselves, by their conduct, 
 that feehnof. 
 
 There was at this time very Httle shipping in the 
 harbour. Fish — such as dried salmon, ling, salted 
 cod, and herrings — tar, and timber, are the prin- 
 cipal exports, the last mostly in the shape of deals. 
 Copper is sometimes brought from the mines of 
 Roraas, to be shipped from hence. There was 
 no appearance of much trade — no bustle nor active 
 movement — everything seemed at a stand, and the 
 town exhibited no signs of a numerous population. 
 We were told, however, that many of the wealthier 
 portion of the inhabitants were at their country 
 villas, and others had gone to Christiania on ac- 
 count of the Storthing. The streets were nearly 
 deserted, and grass might be seen springing up 
 luxuriantly in many parts of them. The shops 
 were few, and not so well stocked as one sees them 
 in a small country town in England. With diffi- 
 culty we found one small silversmith's shop, and 
 that very scantily stocked. I purchased, however, 
 a few silver trinkets, of native manufacture, very 
 tastily wrought, and neatly finished. These, and 
 a variety of furs and skins, are the only articles 
 that can be procured as acceptable trifles for one's 
 friends at home : some of the latter — the ermines 
 and eider-down — are very beautiful, and sold at 
 
3^ TRONYEM. [Chap. III. 
 
 moderate prices, as compared with those demanded 
 for them in England. The skins of bears and 
 "vvohes may be purchased for about six or eight 
 dollars a-piece, and would make very handsome 
 fire-rugs, or rugs for the bedside. 
 
 Bergen has certainly more claims to be called 
 the capital of Norway than Tronyem, although the 
 latter is nearly as large ; but the population of the 
 former is stated at 20,000, while that of the latter 
 is only 12,000. But Christiania, from its size, its 
 population (about equal to that of Bergen), and 
 its traffic, may lay claim to higher pretensions 
 than either of them. The trade, in fact, has been 
 abstracted by this and the other southern ports from 
 both of those western cities, and for very obvious 
 reasons ; merchants will not go to a more distant 
 market and fare worse, when they can effect their 
 purpose nearer home and fare better. The society, 
 however, at Tronyem, is of a higher cast than at 
 either, for the very reason, probably, that their atten- 
 tion is not too much diverted by tlie occupations of 
 trade. Von Buch says, that in no district of Norway is 
 there such an attachment to their country, such true 
 patriotism and public spirit, as in Tronyem; and 
 the cause he assigns is ingenious enough*. But 
 
 * " The patriotism of Drontheim is more concentrated in the 
 country, and less diffused. Christiania sends boards and planks to 
 England, from whence it draws the means of living with comfort, 
 and even splendour ; and therefore it naturally Avishes the pros- 
 perity of England, with which its business has been always success- 
 
Chap, in.] TRONYEM. ' 343 
 
 the agreeable appearance of the town, so much ex- 
 tolled by this traveller, did not strike us ; on the 
 contrary, the exterior of the houses appeared to be 
 neglected, and many were obviously falling into 
 deca)^; and we observed, what this author has stated, 
 that, from the effects of the sun and moisture, the 
 w^ooden buildhigs had become distorted, and all 
 the little ornaments grown disfigured, so as to serve 
 only to excite an unpleasant idea of disorder and 
 decay. How, then, are we to reconcile what Clarke 
 says, that *^ there is no part of Copenhagen better 
 built, or neater in its aspect, than the streets of 
 Tronyem ?" To compare an ordinary wooden town 
 to one of the finest second-rate cities in Europe is 
 indeed jmrvis componere magna — " Imperial Rome 
 with Mantua;" but the Doctor had just left a Lap- 
 lander's encampment of skin huts. 
 
 As the water which washes the foot of the town, 
 and into which some of the houses are actually car- 
 ried, and erected on posts, continues to be very 
 shallow for some distance, a small pier is thrown 
 
 fuUy carried on. Bergen sends fish to Holland, and imports garden- 
 stufFs in return : in Bergen, therefore, the people cannot be indiflfe- 
 rent to what passes in Holland : but, in Drontheim, these foreiga 
 relations are not so determinate; their view is alone fixed on the 
 country in which they live in security and repose, and every at- 
 tempt to disturb that repose awakes most powerfully in them the 
 spirit of self-defence, and repulsion of foreign attacks by which 
 their peace may be endangered. Drontheim possesses the patriotism 
 and public spirit of a solitary republic, and Christiania the spirit of a 
 trading town, with extensive connexions in a large monarchical 
 state."— ro« Buck's Travels, p. 109. 
 
344 TRONYEM. [Chap. III. 
 
 out into the bay for the convenience of cmbarldng 
 and landing in and out of boats. The bay, which is 
 only a branch of one of the most extensive of ihe 
 fiords, is completely shut in by hills of considerable 
 height, and is certainly very beautiful; but I must 
 again disagree witli Clarke in thinking it does not 
 yield to the Bay of Naples, and that the isle and 
 fortress of Munkliolm eclipse the Castel del Uovo. 
 All that can be said of it is, that this isle, with its 
 castle, are objects that, by breaking the uniform 
 surface of the fiord, are sure to attract the eye of 
 the observer, their distance not being more than a 
 mile from the shore. 
 
 By the kindness of our friend, Mr. Smith, we 
 obtained permission from the commandant of the 
 town to pay a visit to this fortress, which is built 
 on a rock of small elevation, but sufficiently high to 
 command a favourable view of the town, and the 
 hills which inclose the bay, and on the sides of 
 which are scattered a number of pretty-looking 
 country-seats. A small detachment of twenty-five 
 soldiers, who are relieved every fortnight, is con- 
 stantly in the fortress to guard the prisoners, who 
 are sent to Munkholm here as they are to the castle 
 at Christiania : the number of them at our visit was 
 twx-nty in irons, and two others, who had been sen- 
 tenced to confinement for life ; but they were al- 
 lowed to walk about the fortress unencumbered 
 with chains : one of these, I was informed, had 
 been convicted of coining, and the other of murder- 
 
wum'w ©w ^m©w^M] 
 
UiilON 
 
Chap. III.] TRONYEM. 345 
 
 ing a poor woman in the most inhuman manner, by 
 first cutting out her tongue ; but it was proved, on 
 the trial, that he was insane, and on that account 
 his hfe was spared. The former was a respectable- 
 looking person, very inoffensive, and was amusing 
 himself on the platform where we landed, in fishing: 
 he seemed cheerful, and asked two or three ques- 
 tions about us. The murderer was a much older 
 man, and seemed to be quite idiotical : there was 
 something very peculiar in his manner; he kept 
 his eye on us, and as he passed, took off his hat, 
 and we, of course, returned his salute. 
 
 The prisoners were employed upon the bomb- 
 proof casemates, which were nearly completed. 
 One of these poor men offered for sale a small 
 clothes-brush, for which he asked a mere trifle, 
 and I gave him more than he asked, to be divided 
 among his fellow-prisoners : they were much pleased, 
 and expressed their thanks warmly. 
 
 We remained at Tronyem not more than three' 
 days, at the end of which I felt quite as anxious to 
 quit, as I had done to enter it. It was gratifying 
 to have seen what may be considered as the most 
 northern capital, not only of Europe, but of the 
 four quarters of the globe ; — but to have seen it is 
 quite enough. The manners and appearance of the 
 upper classes very nearly resemble our own. They 
 are, in fact, notwithstanding what Von Buch may say, 
 most of them more or less connected with the mercan- 
 tile houses of England, and many have been educated 
 
346 TRONYEM. [Chap. III. 
 
 in England, and otlieKs every year are in the habit 
 of visiting it. There is, besides, very Uttle difference 
 in the fashion of the dress of the inhabitants, gene- 
 rally speaking, except that they mostly wear their 
 hair long and flowing behind: everything, in fact, 
 looked English, except the dogs, many of which had 
 a very wolf-like appearance ; but though they looked 
 ferocious, they were generally exceedingly good-tem- 
 pered, and inclined to be social. 
 
 A visit to the beautiful falls of Lierfossen, situated 
 four or five miles fiom the town, on the river Nid, 
 was not to be omitted. We did not find them by 
 any means equal to those of TroUhatten in Sweden, 
 to which they have been compared, nor to those 
 which I have mentioned near Bergen ; but they are, 
 nevertheless, two magnificent waterfalls. The lower 
 one is a large vohime of water, dashed into foam in 
 its perpendicular descent over a ledge of rocks : the 
 upper fall is divided into separate masses by an 
 intermediate rock, and is further broken in its 
 descent, as it bounds from cliiT to cliff; the first is 
 what 1 should call a waterfall — the latter, a cas- 
 cade.* 
 
 We visited this spot in company with our friends 
 whom we so agreeably met with in Tronyem : they 
 took with them their fishing-tackle, and caught 
 
 * <' The perpendicular height of the first fall is forty-eight ells 
 (99 English feet), and its breadth two hundred (413 feet). The 
 lower fall, one thousand yards distant from the upper fall, is forty 
 ells (82 feet), and its breadth ninety (122 feet)."— C/ar^e'i Trave/s 
 '^ Scandinavia, p. 664. 
 
Chap. III.] TRONYEM. 347 
 
 three or four salmon at the foot of the lower fall> 
 while we were present. It was amusing to see 
 these vigorous fish leaping in various places directly 
 up the stream of the fall, and, nothing disheartened 
 by failing in the attempt, to try it again and again. 
 Perched on a rock above the surface, we watched, in 
 the clear stream, with what seeming caution one of 
 the finny brood would approach the fatal bait ; but, 
 after playing round it as if conscious of the deceit- 
 ful hook, in an unlucky moment, when — 
 
 ... " liaply o'er the shaded sun 
 
 Passes a cloud, he desperate takes the death, 
 With sullen plunge : at once he darts along, 
 Deep struck, and runs out all thelengthen'd line ; 
 Then seeks the farthest ooze, the shelt'ring weed, 
 The cavern'd bank — his old, secure abode — 
 And flies aloft, and flounces round the pool, 
 Indignant of the guile." 
 
 Close to these falls are several furnaces for smelt- 
 ing copper ore, and also saw-mills, perched near 
 the sides of the falls, similar to those near TroU- 
 hatten. It may be set dow^n as a general remark, 
 that wherever there is a fall of water near to, or in 
 the midst of, forests of firs, there will to a certainty 
 be found mills to saw the timber into baulk and 
 plank. Both the foundries and the saw-mills 
 at Lierfossen belong to Mr. Oveson, who owns 
 the surrounding property, and alone enjoys the 
 riorht of fishing in the immediate neighbourhood 
 of the river and the falls. We received much 
 civility from this gentleman, to whom we had 
 been introduced by our friends. After satisfying 
 
348 FROM TRONYKM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 ourselves with the romantic scenery in the vicinity 
 of the falls, we partook of refreshments at his house, 
 from wlience there is one of the most extensive views 
 that could be desired of Tronyem and its beautiful 
 bay, inclosed by hills of a moderate height. 
 
 Soon after our return, we left this northern city 
 in the afternoon of the 28th of July, to proceed along 
 the common road across the Dovrefi-eld for Chris- 
 tiania, in a due southern direction. The shafts of 
 one of oiu' carrioles had given way in going over the 
 rough roads between Bergen and this place, where 
 it had been repaired rather clumsily. In fact, as 
 no ash grows here, — at least none was to be had, — 
 new shafts of birch had been substituted, and of 
 such large dimensions as to set pliability at defi- 
 ance; the consequence was, that the motion of the 
 carriole was almost insupportable. My companion 
 and myself changed carrioles occasionally, and each 
 pitied the other while he w^as undergoing the ordeal 
 of the birchen shaft — consoling ourselves, however, 
 that the name was not more odious now than, in the 
 shape of a birchen twig, we lield it to be in dav's 
 long past. 
 
 The country, in the neighbourhood of Tronyem, 
 has an agreeable appearance, being well studded 
 with villas or country-houses belonging to the gentry, 
 with svibstantial farm-houses, and fields well culti- 
 vated with grain, chiefly barley and oats. Their 
 orchards are not productive : apples, cherries, and 
 plums appear to be the only fruits that have a 
 chance of ripening, and even these depend upon the 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 349 
 
 season ; but strawberries are abundant. A pro- 
 tracted spring or summer, and a sudden and early 
 frost, not only destroys fruit, vegetables, and chiefly 
 potatoes, but disappoints the hopes of the husband- 
 man by preventing the ripening of his grain. In 
 the town are oaks and lime-trees, planted round an 
 esplanade ; but they are sickly and stunted, and 
 the planted ash barely exists. *' At Tronyem," says 
 Von Buch, " the oak does not grow easily ; it will 
 live there, but never grows any larger. Fruit-trees 
 and oaks thrive in nearly the same temperature ; 
 and, where oaks cease to grow, fruit-trees are as 
 great rarities as a palm at Rome, or a chestnut at 
 Sund." 
 
 There are, however, no want of the common trees 
 of the country in the neighbourhood of Tronyem; 
 and neat villas and farm-houses are thickly scat- 
 tered on both sides of the road. We were met by 
 several persons of both sexes, on horseback, riding 
 in towards the town ; they were all well dressed, and 
 the fashions not much differing from our own. 
 
 At ten miles from Tronyem we got sight of the 
 valley of Guul, and its river, which discharges itself 
 into a branch of the Tronyem fiord. Large forests of 
 Scotch and spruce firs tower up the sides of the hills, 
 amidst which are numerous farm-houses ; and cul- 
 tivated fields of rye, barley, and oats, were ripening 
 for the harvest. Villages and churches are frequently 
 seen from the road, which winds for twenty miles 
 along the margin or ridge of this lovely valley, 
 in which, to use the expression of Von Buch, 
 
350 FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 " the whole antiquity of the nation is crowded 
 together; — it is the cradle of the land." At Mel' 
 huus, the c-oiuitry heo^ins to put on indications 
 of swelling into loftier hills, and even of rising into 
 mountains ; hut it is not till we reach Soknces, 
 the fifth stage from Tronyem, that we perceive 
 those fine views that remind one of the Alpine 
 scenery of Switzerland; hut they are still much 
 inferior to those we had experienced on the western 
 side of Norw^ay. The Guul comes from the east- 
 ward, hut our route w^as south, along the hanks 
 of a small river that falls into the Guul near 
 Soknces. Here we spent the night — a place that 
 ought to be avoided by all travellers. We found it 
 altogether miserable, and sleeping was wholly out 
 of the question ; both creeping and flying creatures 
 abounded ; but I certainly was not 
 
 " Hush'd by buzzing night-flies to my slumber." 
 
 Tlie roads had hitherto been w^orse than we had 
 usually fovmd them, the soil being for the most part 
 clayey; and not feeling the carriole, wdth the birchen 
 shaft, very agreeable, I determined to try a stage 
 on horseback ; but this was a great deal worse, for 
 the saddle was awkwardly made, and entirely of 
 wood, as w^as also the bit in the horse's mouth. 
 Two stages tried my horsemanship ; and, thus 
 mounted, I had quite enough of it at the end of the 
 latter : even my friend's carriole, with its unelastic 
 shaft, was preferable. These two stages brought 
 us to Birkager, situated near a small vand, out of 
 which the river flows, along whose banks we had 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 351 
 
 been travelling. A little to the southward of this, we 
 had to cross the Orkel Eh, over a wooden brido-e : 
 this is a considerable stream running through a 
 deep valley into one of the numerous branches of the 
 Tronyem fiord. Here the elevation of the road is 
 put down on the Swedish map at 1057 feet. The 
 next stage, Sundset, is stated by Von Buch to be 
 1578 feet in heigiit; and, observing here the Scotch 
 fir growing alone, he asks — '' Can spruce-firs 
 actually rise no higher ? It appears evident, 
 however, that in this latitude, a height of more 
 than 2100 English feet will not admit of their 
 grow th ; and therefore we do not probably exceed 
 the truth when we assume 600 or 700 feet as the 
 difference betw een the two boundaries, beyond which 
 the spruce and Scotch firs do not ascend." 
 
 At the church and village of Opdal, we come 
 upon the Driva Elv, which has its rise in various 
 small vands around the foot of the lofty Sneehdt- 
 ten, and, having run through a deep, rocky glen 
 to the northward, as far as Opdal, takes a turn to 
 the westward, and falls into the Ting-vol fiord. 
 At Opdal, the road is marked at an elevation of 
 2114 feet, and at Drivstuen 2220. Here we might 
 fairly be said to commence our passage over the 
 Dovrefi-eld, and the scenery became wild and ro- 
 mantic enough. There was little or no cultivation, 
 and the lower parts of the mountains, clothed 
 with impenetrable forests of firs, birches, and 
 alders, bounded the view on all sides ; but above 
 
352 FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 the forests, tlie upper regions of the mo\mtain range 
 were seen to be partially covered witli snow. At 
 Opdal, we obtained a first glimpse of the celebrated 
 peak of Sneehiitten, or the mountain cappgd with 
 snow. It is the highest point of that part of the 
 Norwegian chain of mountains called the Dovre- 
 fi-ekb and, till lately, has been considered as the 
 highest mountain peak in all Norway. Professor 
 Esmark is, I believe, the only person who has 
 ascended the summit of this mountain, with a 
 view of ascertaining its height barometrically. By 
 this "instrument, he determined it to be 8115 Eng- 
 lish feet above the level of the sea ; having previ- 
 ously ascertained the highest elevation of the road 
 from which he started to be 4563 feet. These are^ 
 of course, but approximations, as the observations 
 of the difterence in the fall of the mercury, made 
 by a single barometer, between the summit of Snee- 
 hatten and an elevation obtained by the same in- 
 strument at a great distance from the sea, must be 
 liable to very considerable errors; they are, how- 
 ever, undoubtedly the best we have yet been fur- 
 nished ^vith. 
 
 Looking at the lofty and jagged peaks, rising 
 out of snow, as they appeared from this part of 
 the road, the traveller is scarcely aware of the 
 enormous height he has himself attained by lei- 
 surely ascending up the public road. A gentle 
 descent, or a piece of level road occurring now and 
 then, makes him forget the weary ascent he has had 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 353 
 
 to climb. On these elevated plains^ however, he will 
 observe posts erected, which will put him in mind 
 that they are intended to point out the road in winter, 
 when the ground there is wholly enveloped in snow, 
 and consequently of considerable elevation. Having 
 passed .the night at Drivstuen, we had now to com- 
 mence the really formidable part of the ascent, 
 which, by winding through rugged ravines, was still 
 gradual, and by no means so abrupt as we had been 
 told we should find it ; — not at all to be compared 
 with some of the mountain-passes we had to en- 
 counter on the opposite side. Nothing could be more 
 civil and obliging than the people were at this place, 
 where we found everything comfortable. 
 
 In the course of our journey through the deep 
 ravine, we met with a poor idiot by the road-side ; 
 but whether he had the goitre or not, I cannot 
 say. His eyes were fixed steadily on the ground, 
 but his countenance indicated a cheerful disposi- 
 tion : he seemed to be perfectly unaware of the 
 carrioles passing him ; the miserable hut, by the 
 road side, in which the poor fellow lived, w^as close at 
 hand; but no one appeared to take charge of him. 
 This was the only imbecile we met with in Norway. 
 
 In this wild and dreary part of the country, and 
 indeed in other parts still more wild, the poorest pea- 
 santry generally appeared cheerful, contented, and 
 happy : the more I saw of them, the more pleased 
 I was with their simplicity of manners, and their 
 frank and open-hearted disposition; free as the native 
 
354 riiOM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 mountain air they breathe, they hold the ireedom 
 they enjoy as a boon too sacred to be abused, and 
 a privilege too valuable to be suffered to degenerate 
 into licentiousness. Tlieir gratitude, as well as 
 their friendly feeling, is here, as we had invariably 
 found it, expressed by a hearty shake of the hand. 
 If at any time we gave a small piece of money to a 
 little child, the mother always desired it to go and 
 shake hands with us ; and if it should happen to 
 have omitted doing so — or if too young to be ex- 
 pected to do so of its own accord — she would her- 
 self bring it to us to perform this indispensable ex- 
 pression of gratitude. I once had the opportunity 
 of giving a trifle of money to an old man who, we 
 were told, was upwards of ninety-five years of age, 
 though still tall and upright; and so grateful was he 
 for this little mark of attention, that I thought he 
 would never have done shaking hands with me. 
 
 Being told at Drivstuen, that the road to Kongs- 
 vold was exceedingly steep and dangerous, and 
 that it would be impossible for one horse to drag 
 up our little carrioles, while we were sitting in them, 
 w^e, therefore, though not forgetting the pains and 
 penalties of the wooden saddles we had already ex- 
 perienced, ordered horses to be saddled, for the pur- 
 pose of relieving those in the carrioles. We reached 
 this formidable place in about three hours, and the 
 carrioles arrived soon after us. This part of the 
 road is certainly wild and romantic, carried along 
 a deep ravine, hemmed in on both sides with rocks. 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 355 
 
 and frequently choked up with huge masses; at 
 such places the road winds up to the top of the pre- 
 cipice, from whence it is sometimes frightful to look 
 below. Its heiofht at Koncrsvold is marked down 
 at 3063 feet. The post-house at this place ap- 
 peared as good as one could have expected in such 
 a situation. But after the rugged and almost un- 
 travelled roads we had passed over in going to 
 Bergen, and also from thence to Tronyem, we felt 
 somewhat disappointed on reaching the summit 
 plain of the Dovrefi-eld, of the approach to which, 
 through almost impassable ravines, we had heard 
 so much ; in fact, it was tame in comparison with 
 those we had gone over on the other side of the 
 country. The sublime scenery, which I had pic- 
 tured to myself as more grand and imposing than 
 any thing we had yet seen, did not by any means 
 come up to what my imagination had made it. The 
 fact, I believe, is, that our little carrioles, bounding 
 lightly over the most rugged mountain-passes, felt 
 none of those difficulties which occur to travellers in 
 those heavy carriages which are generally used in 
 crossing the Dovrefi-eld ; nor, indeed, is such a heavy 
 vehicle so free from danger, when once it receives an 
 impetus downwards, which may possibly hurry it 
 over one of the precipices into the abyss below. This, 
 we were told, has happened ; whereas the extreme 
 lightness of our carrioles enabled the driver to stop 
 them at once in almost any situation of peril. 
 From Kongsvold to Jerkin, (or, as it is pronounced. 
 
35G FROM TRONYEM TO CIIRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 Ycikin,) the road attains its highest elevation 
 at the source of the Driva Elv, which is marked 
 down as 4594 feet. Von Buch, from the mea- 
 surement of Esmark, states it at 4563 feet, the 
 highest elevation, no doubt, of any mountain pass 
 in Norway. It crosses, in fact, the Dovrefi-eld range, 
 which at Sneehiitten trends off to the north-east. 
 From hence the road continues southerly over the 
 highest ridge, which flanks Sneehiitten and the Do- 
 vrefi-eld, and extends as far as Mocn, or Elstadd, 
 separating the two finest valleys in Norway, the 
 Lougen on the west, and the Glommen on the east. 
 The scenery about this part of the road is certainly 
 sublime, but still by no means equal in grandeur and 
 sublimity to that we had experienced in our journey 
 to Bergen, and still less so in many parts of our pas- 
 sage from thence to Tronyem. Having descended a 
 little, we arrived at Yerkin about two o'clock, and re- 
 mained there for the rest of the day. It is merely a 
 post-house, without any village or collection of huts 
 near it. The weather was exceedingly cold, as may be 
 supposed, at an elevation of upwards of four thou- 
 sand feet above the sea, and the wind very piercing. 
 Intending to pass the night here, we amused our- 
 selves for a few hours by hiring a couple of horses^ 
 and riding about the summit, nearly a level 
 plain, upon which were growing a few stunted 
 birch trees, or rather shrubs, some dwarf willows^ 
 junipers, and heaths, the tallest not many inches 
 above the ground. The plain is, in fact, little better 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 357 
 
 than a naked barren moor. We looked for, but 
 could not discover, that picturesque object which 
 Von Buch describes to have seen at this place: 
 " a dwarfish, miserable, crooked, and branch- 
 less Scotch fir stood there, wholly isolated, the first 
 we met with agrain on these mountains : but it was 
 sufficiently evident, from its figure, that it had been 
 driven by mere accident into a climate in which it 
 could only draw out a miserable existence. How 
 can pines," adds this writer, ^' thrive in a latitude 
 of 62° on elevations of 3672 English feet above the 
 sea? M. Esmark found them in a thriving state, 
 for the first time, in the Foldad, at an elevation of 
 2582 English feet." 
 
 A Scotch fir can claim but little pretensions 
 to beauty in its most palmy state ; but wlien so- 
 litary, perched in some lonely nook, or recess, 
 high up on the naked side of a precipitous moun- 
 tain, as it may often be so seen in Scandinavia, 
 sturdily opposing itself to the blast, and insinu- 
 ating into the crevices of the bare rock its snake- 
 like roots for sustenance and support, we are far 
 from despising this living remnant of antiquity; on 
 the contrary, its shattered trunk, its crooked and 
 twisted arms, its mutilated branches, almost de- 
 nuded of foliage, by ages of exposure to the " pelt- 
 ing of the pitiless storm," dispose the spectators to 
 consider it, in all its deformity, as an object of vene- 
 ration and picturesque beauty. 
 
 The appearance of the plain of Yerkin gives 
 
358 FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 no Other indication of its great heiglit than the 
 scantiness of vegetation, and the cohlness of the 
 atmosphere. The Sneehiitten, and the inferior 
 ramifications chistering round its base, pour down 
 their streams in rapid currents, which, wlien 
 united, form the Driva ¥Av, the river along whose 
 banks we have for several stages been proceeding. 
 We had here, at Yerkin, a full view of the pinnacled 
 peak of Sneehiitten, with which we contented our- 
 selves, witliout being at the trouble of ascending it. 
 Its height, deducting that of Yerkin, is nothing re- 
 markable. It necessarily loses much of its magni- 
 tude, or rather altitude, by being viewed from a base 
 elevated above 4500 feet, leaving its peaked sum- 
 mit only about 3500 feet, which may be easily 
 ascended from Yerkin in about half a day*. SirT. 
 Acland ascended the peak and returned in the course 
 of twenty-four hours, including a twilight night. 
 Mr. Smith, whom we met at Tronyem, ascended 
 Sneehiitten, with the intention of reaching the sum- 
 mit, but, falling in with a herd of rein-deer, like 
 a true sportsman, he pursued the game, and did 
 not accomplish his original intention. Mr. Everest 
 
 * In the Swedish map, Sneehiitten is said to be 7714; but 
 snpposiuf^ it computed by Danish feet, it would only be 7940; by 
 the same computation, the peak of Skacjstols tind would be 168 
 feet hii^her than SneehUtteu, or 8108. As, however, no authority 
 is stated for the heights inserted on the Stockholm map, we must 
 consider M. Esmark's as nearest the truth, which would give to 
 Skagstols tind (assuming the above difference) an elevation of 8283 
 feet. 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 359 
 
 also ascended it, and returned in about eighteen 
 hours, and disparages both its altitude and 
 grandeur. He says it does not rise much more 
 than 2000 feet above the level of the plain on 
 which Yerkin is situated ; but this is mere conjec- 
 ture. The only objects he notices in ascending, 
 were snow, precipices, and morass; some ptarmi- 
 gan, golden plovers, snow finches, a few lemmings, 
 and rein-deer moss. It is popularly believed that 
 at the summit there is a lake, but Mr. Everest met 
 with onlv a laro^e semicircular broken down crater*. 
 His geological description of this mountain is but 
 meagre ; he says, where the valley first opens to a 
 large moor, they saw, on the side of the river, first, 
 the gneiss, with white felspar, — next, a dark-co- 
 loured gneiss, — then, quartz-slate, with scales of 
 mica between the laminae, all dipping to the south- 
 
 * Sir Thomas Acland, in his correspondence at the time of 
 ascent, has set this point at rest. He describes the crater to be 
 broken down on the northern side, surrounded on the others by- 
 perpendicular masses of black rock, rising out of, and high above, 
 beds of snow that enveloped their bases. The interior sides of the 
 crater descended in one vast sheet of snow to the bottom, where aa 
 ict/ lake closed the view, at the depth of 1500 feet from the highest 
 ridge. "Almost at the top," he says, "and close to the snow, 
 which had probably but a few days before covered them, were some 
 very delicate and beautiful flowers, in their highest bloom, of the 
 ranunculus glacialis, growing most profusely : nor were they the 
 only inhabitants ; — mosses, lichens, and a variety of small herba- 
 ceous plants were in the same neighbourhood ; and lower down, 
 dwarf-birch, and a species of osier, form a pretty kind of thicket. 
 The traces of rein-deer appeared on the very topmost snow." — MS* 
 Letter. 
 
3G0 FROM TRONYEM TO CIIRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 cast*. This great towering mass is stated, on the 
 authority of Professor Esmark, to be composed al- 
 most wholly of mica slate. 
 
 The rooms in the post-house were comfortably 
 warmed by means of stoves ; and, had it not been 
 for the very short beds and eider-down mattresses, 
 I should have slept most soundly. Everything 
 in the house was neat and cleanly, and we fared 
 well. The oat- cakes were good, and so were some 
 biscuits, made of flour and eggs, baked as thin as 
 wafers. Yerkin may be considered as one of those 
 regular houses, established ages ago, for the ac- 
 commodation of travellers destined to cross high 
 mountainous roads. On Dovrefi-eld there are 
 four of such houses — Kongsvold, Yerkin, Fog- 
 stiien, and Tofte. They are called fi-eld-stuen, 
 or mountain-lodgings, and are held by the hosts 
 rent and tax free, who have the privilege, which is 
 also extended to all the post-stations, of selUng 
 corn-brandy. They are said to have been first 
 established by one of the Norwegian kings, for his 
 own accommodation, in travelling from Tronyem,the 
 seat of government ; and they have been continued 
 for the benefit of the public ever since. Nyestuen 
 and JNIaristuen, in crossing the Fillefi-eld, are of 
 this description. It was not our good fortune, how- 
 ever, to meet with any travellers, native or foreign, 
 to avail themselves of these accommodations. I 
 conclude the Norwegians rarely travel, except in 
 
 * Journey through Norway, &Cv by the Rev. R, Everest. 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 361 
 
 going to churchy to a wedding, or a christenino- — 
 at a funeral, the family of the deceased only at- 
 tends. I understand, however, that the several 
 roads are most frequented when the annual circuit 
 is made by the Sorenscriver or puisne-judo-e, to 
 hear and determine causes, when the Land Foged, 
 or bailiff, or superintendent of the district^ goes round 
 at the same time, assesses the inhabitants, and settles 
 any little differences or disputes amono- the r)ea- 
 santry, regarding parochial and other matters; 
 but the Storthing, when sitting, appears to super- 
 sede all minor affairs. 
 
 For some distance after leaving Yerkin, the 
 rocks, the ravines, and the general scenery, conti- 
 nued to wear the character of grandeur : the snow, 
 which covered the tops of the mountain peaks, 
 glittering in the rays of the sun, contrasted finely 
 v,ith their naked and black weather-worn sides, 
 which, in descending towards their base, were finally 
 buried in forests of fir-trees. It was bitter cold 
 while crossing this elevated plain or moor, and as 
 much as I could do to hold the reins firm in my 
 hand ; but the road was now excellent, and so even 
 and regular in its descent, that we trotted rapidly 
 all the way down to Fogstuen, at which place the 
 elevation was reduced to 3150 feet. At this spot 
 the Folda Eh takes its rise, and, flowing to the 
 eastward, falls into the Glommen, the largest of 
 the Norwegian rivers. Fogstuen, as the name im- 
 plies—the foggy lodgings— is a most dreary habi- 
 
 R 
 
3G'2 I ROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIAMA. [ Chap. III. 
 
 tat ion, situated at the bottom of a deep valley or 
 ravine. 
 
 We here changed horses, the road still continu- 
 ing to descend ; and, at the distance of four or five 
 miles, we reached the left banks of the Lougen 
 river at the place where it is joined by the Lessoe 
 Elv, from the eastward. We were now entering 
 upon a beautiful valley, down which the Loucjen 
 was rushing with great rapidity. This river ex- 
 pands its waters into the Losne Soe, and, farther 
 down, into the Miosen lake, which is of so great an 
 extent as to be called generally by the name of 
 fiord. Beyond this lake, the Lougen takes the name 
 of the Vormen Elv, and once more spreading out its 
 waters into the Ojeren lake, finally falls into the 
 gulf of Christiania, at the town of Frederikstad. 
 The source of the Lougen is in a small lake called 
 Lessoe, near the foot of Sneehiitten, on the south- 
 w^est side, not far from which, and a little to the 
 westward, is another small lake, out of which a 
 river falls to the westward into the Romsdal's fiord. 
 In soiiie of the maps, I perceive that these two lakes 
 are connected by a river, which would make — what 
 is next to, if not altogether, impossible in a moun- 
 tainous country — the same water, from its highest 
 elevation, to run in opposite directions, part to the 
 east and part to the west. It is rather surprising 
 that so intellig^ent a writer as Von Buch should 
 have suffered himself to be misled into this absur- 
 dity by these maps, which have never been altered 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA, 363 
 
 since the days of Pontoppidon. He says — '' Lessoe 
 X)'drks vand, a small lake, about nine English miles 
 above Dovre, commmiicaies at the same time with 
 both oceans, and is not certainly more than 2343 
 English feet above the sea." It has, I believe, 
 always been considered impossible that two rivers 
 can flow out of the opposite sides of the same lake ; 
 one of them must wear down the channel at the 
 point of exit to a lower level than the other. The 
 valley of Lessoe intersects the great central chain 
 of mountains dividing the Dovrefi-eld from the 
 Langefi-eld, as this is separated from the Fillefi-eld 
 near Vug, and Fillefi-eld from Hardano-erfi-eld *, 
 by the pass we crossed on our way to Bergen. 
 
 The road continues to be excellent, and with a 
 gradual descent along the left bank of the Louo-en"; 
 its elevation at Dovre, or its opposite village, Tofte, 
 having diminished to 1 575 feet. Tofte', the^first of the 
 fi^eld-shien in coming from Christiaiiia, is romanti- 
 cally perched at the edge of a wall-sided mountain ; 
 it is a considerable village, and overlooks the beau- 
 tiful valley of Guldbrandsdalcn, which may be said 
 here to commence. 
 
 Just before reaching Tofte, we passed a laro-e 
 hill of white silicious sand, which had the appear- 
 ance of a drift of snow, particularly when the sun 
 shone upon it : the whole surface, either from the 
 
 * It has been stated, thai Ji-eld signifies "mountain," or "a 
 cluster of mountains." Our northern fell is probably derived from 
 the same word. 
 
 r2 
 
3G1 FROM TRONYKM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 wind or the rain, was beautifully smooth — so much 
 so, indeed, that there was not a ridge, or an inden- 
 tation, or the least unevenness, to disturb its uni- 
 formity : it had all the appearance of granular 
 white quartz pulverized. At Tofte we observed, 
 for the first time, a sort of sign put up at the post- 
 house, to instruct the traveller of the name of the 
 place from which he has come, painted on one side, 
 and the distance ; and, on the other, the place to 
 which he is next going, together with the distance 
 which it may be from the next post-house. Mile- 
 posts are also very regularly placed, but, stupidly 
 enough, they have been painted black, with white 
 letters on them; and many of these were com- 
 pletely obliterated. 
 
 We are now proceeding through a part of 
 the country where the road winds over fir-clad 
 mountains, of easy ascent and moderate height, 
 the lower parts of which are studded with farm- 
 houses, and mostly under cultivation. Grain of diffe- 
 rent kinds is seen in great abvuidance, nearly fit for 
 the harvest; the verdure of the meadows as soft and 
 lively as any in England. As we approached Viig, 
 the country became still more fertile, and more 
 abounding in cultivation : to judge from the appear- 
 ance of the crops, which were generally heavy, the 
 soil must be rich. Our servant, who was driving 
 behind me, came galloping up at a great pace, to 
 call our attention to the spot where Colonel Sinclair 
 was buried. This Scotch officer was killed in 1612, 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 365 
 
 with nearly the whole of his little party^ close to 
 Viig, by the peasantry, who lay in ambush for 
 him, — a feat that is never to be forgotten in Nor- 
 way. It is commemorated on a wooden tablet, in 
 a pass near the road side. This officer had raised 
 a corps of 900 Scotch soldiers, who were on their 
 way through Norway to join the forces of Gustavus 
 Adolphus, against Christian IV. of Denmark. In 
 passing the kingelen or defile, about 500 peasantry, 
 armed with bludgeons, bows, and stones, fell upon 
 them, and, as the inscription says, '' broke them in 
 pieces like a potter's vessel." They all perished. 
 The inscription has been renewed several tim.es, 
 and the bravery of the feat is probably exaggerated 
 at every renewal. Dr. Clarke found the one he 
 saw headed thus — " Courage, loyalty, intrepidity, 
 and whatsoever gives honour, the whole world, 
 amidst Norwegian rocks, may learn*." It was, 
 after all, but a sort of Rob-Roy attack. 
 
 As we proceeded onwards, the country became 
 more and more cultivated ; and villages, churches, 
 and clusters of cottag^es, were scattered over the 
 sides of the hills and in the valley, in all directions ; 
 sometimes they might be seen in small cleared 
 
 * Eight years after this, we find the following inscription stated 
 to be written on the tablet: — " Here lies Colonel Jorgen Zmclar, 
 who, with 900 Scotchmen, was dashed to pieces like earthen pots, 
 by 300 boors o[ Lessde, Faage, and Froen. Berdon Segalstadt, of 
 Ringaboe, was the leader of the boors. This tablet was destroyed, 
 in 1789, by a flood, and again restored by the boors A. Fiber g and 
 iV. Fiigr— Fori Buck's Travels, p. 88. 
 
3G6 FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 spots, in the midst of the forests of pines, sur- 
 rounded by little patches of verdure, Ijut more fre- 
 quently in the open valley. Dr. Clarke says, the 
 road through Guldbrandsdalen, for 170 En^dish 
 miles, conthmes through a series of the finest land- 
 scapes in the world ; that it is remarka])le for the 
 tallest people, and the finest horses and cattle, in all 
 Norway ; that the women are fair and handsome, 
 and the men stouter and more athletic than any he 
 had seen, with their light and long flowing hair, 
 reminding him of Ossian's heroes. In these obser- 
 vations I entirely concur ; and the contrast between 
 them and their northern neighbours of the moun- 
 tains of Dovrefi-eld is very remarkable : of these, 
 the persons of both sexes are diminutive and ill- 
 formed, and their features large, ill-favoured, va- 
 cant, and .void of expression; their hair light 
 brown, inclined to red, flowing profusely over their 
 shoulders; their complexion sallow; red caps, blue 
 or green stockings, and large long light grey coats 
 flounced with green, constitute the holyday dress 
 of the men. The cattle partake of the diminu- 
 tive size of the people ; the horses are mere ponies ; 
 the dun mouse-coloured cows are remarkably 
 small ; the sheep equally so, with harsh and \\'iry 
 wool; the goats are the only fine animals. 
 
 Not having sent on a forebud beyond Moen, we 
 remained the night at this post-station, and enjoyed 
 the luxury of clean sheets, which cannot always be 
 depended upon. 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 367 
 
 The next morning we pursued our journey, and 
 came to the post-station at Elstad ; and, leaving 
 this, we ascended a steep hill, from whence a pa- 
 noramic view presented itself over a valley which 
 may vie with any that Switzerland can afford. De- 
 scending the other side, the scenery, is not less 
 beautiful. We crossed a very romantic bridge, 
 thrown across a chasm in the rocks, through which 
 a foaming torrent of water was rushing down. 
 Beyond this, the road winds along a narrow 
 lake, which was not, like the lakes in general, re- 
 markable for its transparency, but rather the reverse. 
 This may be accounted for by the clayey appear- 
 ance of the adjacent hills, the rocky ravines having 
 here almost disappeared. On the opposite side of 
 this lake there is an almost uninterrupted line of 
 dark forests, thickly covered with firs, and with 
 small breaks of cultivated ground, each enlivened 
 with its cottage. 
 
 After a continued succession of varied scenery, 
 all beautiful, along the left bank of the Lougen, we 
 approached the Miosenlake; but, before we reached 
 it, we had occasion to admire a very beautiful cas- 
 cade in the river — one of the prettiest that we had 
 yet seen. A ledge of rocks running across it, acts as 
 a dam, over which the water, rushing with great 
 rapidity, is precipitated with considerable force, 
 and dashed into foam ao^ainst detached fragments 
 lying in the bed of the river. This fall bears a 
 res^emblance to that of Lilla Edet, in Sweden. The 
 
368 FROM TRONYEM TO CIIRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 rocks, blackened by the weather, appearing llirough 
 the white foam, add to the general pleasing effect. 
 Near this j)lace we passed the spot where a person 
 was beheaded about a year or two since, for the 
 murder of a man who was employed in conveying 
 the post. His body was exhibited for throe days, 
 close to the road side. We saw the pole and plat- 
 form on which it had been placed : the head had 
 been stuck upon the top of the pole, and the body 
 laid across the scaffold, which was about three feet 
 below the top of the pole. As far as I could learn 
 of the story, it appeared that the man who was mur- 
 dered was carrying dollars to a large amount for 
 the bank at Tronyem, which had come to the 
 knowledge of the other person, who waylaid, robbed, 
 and niurdered him. He was beheaded close to the 
 spot where the act was committed, and his body 
 lies buried at the foot of the scaffold. 
 
 We soon reached Lille Hammer, a pretty little 
 hamlet situated at the upper extremity of the Mio- 
 sen lake, which is a beautiful and extensive sheet 
 of water, formed, as already stated, by the expan- 
 sion of the Lougen river : it is about sixty miles in 
 length, and of various widths, from one mile to four 
 or five. Lille Hammer was once a town of some 
 importance : it was the capital of the Hedemarkeii 
 district, and situated in the midst of the richest 
 part of Norway, and on the banks of this lake, 
 which is navigable, though neither the Lougen 
 nor its continuation, the Vormen, below the lake. 
 
Chap. III.] FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIANIA. 369 
 
 is SO. Von Buch speaks, not very consistently, of 
 the ruins of churches*; but in our short stay we 
 saw none, and only observed that the houses- were 
 generally built of logs of wood, and neatly finished 
 by being covered outside with neatly wrought plank, 
 and the roofs tiled. 
 
 Finding our furebud had got no farther, we re- 
 ma,ined here the night. I had to myself a double- 
 bedded room; and our servant informed me the next 
 mornino-, that he had encountered o^reat difficulty in 
 preventing an officer, who was travelling through, 
 from sharing it with me. He remonstrated upon it, 
 and being a very determined person in his manner, 
 we never knew him to fail in carrying his point, as 
 he succeeded in doing in the present instance. Here 
 we passed a comfortable night, and proceeded on 
 our journey the following morning, the road lying 
 along the beautiful Miosen lake, which occasionally 
 we lost sio^ht of altoo^ether, and then came close 
 upon it again : sometimes we were much above it^ 
 and at others on a level with it. Its elevation is put 
 down as 437 feet above the level of the sea; but the 
 
 *"The isolated ruins of the numerous churches preserve i1s 
 memory, and the great palace of Stor Hammer its name. The Re- 
 formation occasioned the removal of the bishop's seat from Hammer 
 to Opslo ; but still the town continued to prosper. In the year 
 1567, the Swedes advanced from Opslo to Hammer; they revenged 
 themseh'es on Hammer, plundered the rest of the town, which 
 had been already plundered by them, set fire to the hoiises, 
 and destroyed every vestige both of them and the churches. The 
 inhabitants fled to Opslo, and never returned." — Fon Bach's Tra- 
 vels, p. 79. 
 
370 FROM TRONYEM TO CHRISTIAMA. [Chap. III. 
 
 mountains on both sides, more particularly on the 
 west, are of considerable height, and clothed with 
 firs and birches to their very summits. Even the 
 road passed through forests of these trees, mixed 
 with aspen and ash: the drive through them was 
 very pretty, much resembling the approach wliich 
 one frequently meets with to a gentleman's park in 
 England. The bending branches of the spruce some- 
 limes rest on the ground, and the deep, rich green 
 is occasionally relieved by the graceful birch ; but 
 the fir-trees of Norway generally are not to be com- 
 pared with those of Sweden, which rise majestically 
 to an enormous height, and their branches gene- 
 rally are feathered down to the very ground. 
 
 The Hedemarken, through the centre of which 
 the Miosen flows, is certainly a fine and beautiful 
 district. It produces abundance of grain, grass, 
 fruit, and vegetables. It may be considered with 
 regard to Norway, what the Lothians are to Scot- 
 land ; and to us, who had seen, in so long a journey, 
 little else than barrenness, it appeared most lux- 
 uriant, and continued so to the post-stations of 
 Frogner, and from thence to Korsodegaarden : in 
 fact, the whole of the scenery along the banks of 
 the Miosen is one constant succession of unrivalled 
 beauties. A great improvement also has taken 
 place in the painting of the mile-posts, which are 
 now just the reverse of what they were, the boards 
 being white and the letters black. 
 
 It was late at night when we arrived at a small 
 
Chap. III.] CHRISTIANIA. 3/1 
 
 spot, just at the southern extremity of the Miosen, 
 called Holdt, opposite to which, on the right bank 
 of the river, which now takes the name of the Wor- 
 men Elv, is the post-station of Minde, to which we 
 had to be ferried over; but as it was blowing strong, 
 and was very cold, we thought it advisable to sleep 
 at Holdt, rather than to cross the water ; and on 
 the followinor morninor we were ferried over. It was 
 blowing quite a gale of wind, and the river which 
 flows from the Miosen was running very rapidly. 
 In fact, close above the passage it was quite a cata- 
 ract. Taken altogether, had we first seen this spot 
 on our arrival in Norway, we should have described 
 it as one of the most wild that could be imagined. 
 After some little difficulty, however, we succeeded in 
 crossing, and procured horses at Minde, to carry us 
 on our journey. I cannot, however, take leave of the 
 lovely Miosen lake without stating my hearty con- 
 currence with Dr. Clarke, and other writers quoted 
 by him, that the banks of this lake, and of its feed- 
 ing river the Lougen, (not Louven,) for the distance 
 of 170 English miles from Tofte, aiford a series of 
 the finest landscapes in the world ; that it is doubt- 
 ful whether any other river can show such a con- 
 stant succession of beautiful scenery. He might 
 have added, that the grandeur of the forest-clad 
 mountains which enclose the rich and charming 
 valley of Guldbransdalen, through which it winds its 
 impetuous course, is quite equal to its beauties; 
 and that the richness and fertility of the banks of 
 
37'2 CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 file lake are on a par with both. We here see 
 farm-houses, and villages and churches, risino- 
 above each other from the level of the valley, till 
 the naked rock forbids them to advance hio-her. 
 In this flourishing district of Hedemarken we, as 
 in the valley of Guldbransdalen, found the horses 
 of a strouf^er cast, the cattle in hiorhcr condition, 
 and what is still more remarkable, the men more 
 stout and tall than we had hitherto met with in 
 other parts, and the women handsomer and of a 
 more healthy appearance. Every thing, indeed, 
 wore an aspect of fertility, plenty, and comfort. 
 
 From Minde, however, to the very suburbs of 
 Christiania, the traveller who has crossed the moun- 
 tainous region of the Dovrefi-eld will be apt to 
 consider this part of the country tame and uninte- 
 resting. The road here began to be heavy, being 
 composed of loose sand, which flew about in every 
 direction, and almost smothered us with its dusty 
 particles. The first view we got of Christiania and 
 its beautiful fiord, studded with numerous clusters of 
 islands, and surrounded by fir-clad hills, was highly 
 gratifying to us ; and we drove ihto the court-yard 
 of the Hotel du Nord, from whence we had started 
 just one month before, with our little carrioles, not 
 much the worse for all the wear and tear w^e had 
 taken out of them. 
 
 Thus ended our excursions in Norway, over 
 which we had gone, in that little month, upwards 
 of a thousand miles by land and by water ; had tra- 
 
Chap. III.] CHRISTIANIA. 373 
 
 versed nearly four hundred miles through a part of 
 the country hitherto untravelled by any of our coun- 
 trymen, and scarcely travelled at all ; had visited 
 Bergen and Tronyem, and had not retraced a single 
 step; — a journey, in fact, which has never, as far as 
 I have been able to ascertain, been attempted by 
 any stranger. 
 
 Those few who have gone from Bergen towards 
 Tronyem by this route, as I have elsewhere re- 
 marked, were Norwegians. All who had heard of 
 our exploit, professed to be quite astonished; and the 
 more so on beinor told that our little carriao^es had 
 come back safe and sound. Few imagined, on start- 
 ing, that we should have gone farther than Bergen 
 and back in the time we had prescribed, and yet 
 we did not average more than forty or fifty miles 
 in the day, and remained a sufficient time at each 
 of the two towns to satisfy our curiosity; but it 
 must be observed, that we were seldom in bed for 
 more than five hours out of the four-and-twenty, 
 which enabled us to perform much more than a 
 greater indulgence would have allowed. 
 
 Both my companion and myself took a peculiar 
 interest in the Norwegian part of our excursions. 
 There is no country which I have hitherto visit ed^, 
 where nature appears to have done so much to 
 make it agreeable,' and man so little to make it 
 what may be called comfortable ; none where I have 
 been so much impressed with the grandeur of the 
 scenery, and the honest simplicity of the natives. 
 
374 CIIIIISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 Yet I have traversed every part of Switzerland — I 
 liave seen its lofty mountains covered with snow, 
 its lakes, its rivers, its waterfalls, and its smilinof 
 valleys ; but the valleys, the lakes, the rivers, and 
 the waterfalls of Norway are not in any degree 
 inferior. The mountains of Switzerland may be 
 loftier, wrapt deeper in perpetual snow, and bound 
 faster in "thrilling regions of thick- ribbed ice;" 
 but where in Switzerland shall we look for the 
 dense forests embosoming the bases of the wall- 
 sided mountains, and where find those clear and 
 glassy fiords which abound in Norway? Then, 
 as to the people — what the Swiss peasantry may 
 have be?n half a century ago, or more, I can 
 only speak from what has been reported ; but with 
 all the good parts they still possess, and of which 
 I have had experience, it would be a departure 
 from truth to say that they are at all to be com- 
 pared, in their integrity and single-mindedness, 
 with the peasantry of Norway. The few of what 
 may be called the upper class with whom we 
 had any intercourse in the towns were of kind 
 and aflable manners, and clever, well-informed 
 men; they were generally perfect masters of our 
 language, and entered willingly into conversation. 
 But we saw only a few of them. In Bergen and in 
 Tronyem all the gentry were absent at their little 
 villas, and some of them this year at the Storthing. 
 To become thoroughly acquainted with the state of 
 society would require a winter's residence ; to see 
 
Chap. III.] CHRISTIANIA. 375 
 
 the country in all its beauty and grandeur, the only 
 favourable time is in the summer months. 
 
 We invariably found the lower class simple and 
 open-hearted, inclined to be very friendly, and always 
 cheerful. Even those whom we saw in parts where 
 their livelihood was earned most hardly, and who 
 in winter must be reduced to almost absolute star- 
 vation, were nevertheless happy and contented. 
 Black bread of barley or rye, with milk and butter, 
 and sometimes a little dried or salted fish, consti- 
 tute their daily fare. Butcher's meat is out of the 
 question ; thousands know not what it is, and the 
 majority very rarely taste it. In the whole of our 
 tour, excepting at Christiania, Bergen, and Tron- 
 yem, we never met with a single morsel of it. 
 The happy and contented disposition of these 
 single-minded people, under all their privations, 
 might afford an instructive lesson to those who 
 have been pampered in cities, and surrounded by 
 all the luxuries they could desire, and yet are dis- 
 contented, and far from enjoying that degree of 
 happiness which falls to the lot of these poor 
 Norwegian mountaineers. They afford a practical 
 exemplification of what the poet has so beautifully 
 expressed — 
 
 " Man wants but little here below, 
 Nor wants that little long." 
 
 One thing only disappointed us, and that was 
 
370 CIIRISTIANIA. [Cliap. III. 
 
 the scarcity of birds and other animals that range 
 under the head o^ force natures; in fact, \\c met with 
 nothing of the kind. We had laid onr account for 
 falling in with vast quantities of wild animals, and 
 abundance of those different species of the feathered 
 race usually called game: not a single head of the 
 one or the other made its appearance; neither 
 wolves, nor bears, nor foxes, not one specimen even 
 of that singular little animal called lemmino^ 
 deio^ned to show itself — a creature which, we are 
 told, when on a migratory march, appears some- 
 times in swarms of thousands and tens of thou- 
 sands, and, with a determination worthy of a swarm 
 of locusts, will not be stopped by any obstacle, but 
 will even make a bridge Oi^ one another's backs, to 
 enable them to cross a fiord ; but how these living 
 bridores are constructed we have not been fortiuiate 
 enough to meet with any rational or intelligible 
 account. Then, as to flying game, not a black 
 cock, ptarmigan, pheasant, or even a partridge, 
 crossed our path. It is well we spared ourselves 
 the trouble and inconvenience, which it would have 
 been, of carrying fowling-pieces as a part of our 
 very light baggage. That the above-mentioned 
 quadrupeds exist in abundance in Norway, no fur- 
 ther proof is required than the skins and furs ex- 
 ported from thence. The wolves are known to fol- 
 low the cattle in the summer months into the moun- 
 tains ; the bears mig^rate to the northward in search 
 of a climate more congenial with their feelings and 
 
Chap. III.] CHRTSTIA?yIA. 377 
 
 habits,, and where a more abundant supply of food 
 is afforded ; then, as to the birds, some of them mi- 
 grate to the north, others keep to the forests during 
 the breeding season. It is true, our rapid progress 
 along the hne of the road was against our faUing 
 in with game; but the friends we met with at 
 Tronyem had their rifles and fowHng-pieces, and 
 had laid themselves out for shooting, yet in the 
 whole distance from Christiania they killed only a 
 few plovers. 
 
 A recent writer has said, " No one ever left Nor- 
 way without regret. It is a country, many parts of 
 which a child might walk about with a bag of gold, 
 and no one would molest it ; where the stranger by 
 day or by night may knock at any door he comes 
 to and be welcome*;" — to all which I can most cor- 
 dially subscribe. Previously to our Excursions in 
 the North, I had cursorily rambled over parts of 
 France, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal, of Hol- 
 land and Belgium, all possessing their several 
 attractions; but Norway is the country that most of 
 all attaches — more even than Switzerland : yet, after 
 all, we may seek in vain the whole world over, to 
 find a country, that, take it for all in all, can com- 
 pete with England, which, setting aside the natural 
 ties of family and friends which bind one to that 
 spot, is, in my estimation, beyond all comparison, 
 with all its defects and drawbacks, superior in all 
 
 * Journey through Norway, &c., by Rev. B. Everest. 
 
 S 
 
378 CHRISTIANIA. [Chap. III. 
 
 respects, morally and intellectually, to any other 
 country I have yet seen. 
 
 " Thee I account still happy, and the chief 
 Among the nations, seeing thou art free, 
 My uative nook of earth !" 
 
 I, too, " leave Norway with regret." I, too, 
 '* found a w^elcome at every door." 
 
 " Many a courtesy 
 
 That sought no recompense, and met with none, 
 But in the swell of heart with which it came, 
 Have I experienced ; not a cabin-door, 
 Go where I would, but open'd with a smile." 
 
 Farewell, then, to Norway ! — a long farewell to 
 her snow-capped mountains, her fir-clad hills, her 
 lovely valleys, her clear and limpid streams, her 
 clearer lakes and unfathomable fiords! — farewell, 
 ye free and happy and contented sons of the moun- 
 tains ! May no intruder disturb your peaceful cot- 
 tages with wild and pernicious theories, that lead 
 only to confusion and ruin ! listen rather to those 
 sound precepts delivered from the mouths of your 
 venerable pastors, your best instructors and truest 
 friends ! Your singularly interesting country, and 
 the many little acts of kindness I received at 
 your hands, wull long remain in my remembrance. 
 Once more, then, virtuous, and therefore happy 
 people, so long as you preserve your virtues, — 
 " hail, and farewell !" 
 
Chap. Ill] COPE^HAGE':-r-fe:iF,L.; ,' '. ,';'\^379' 
 
 On the evening of the 5th of August; we again 
 embarked on board the Constitutionen, and getting 
 under weigh at an early hour on the following 
 morning, proceeded in her to Copenhagen, touch- 
 ing only at Gottenburg. 
 
 The other vessel, which usually performs a part 
 of the voyage, was employed in the service of Prince 
 Oscar, of Sweden, who had gone in her to Bergen, 
 with the intention, as 1 understood, of returning by 
 land to Christiania. He had left the latter place 
 but a few days previous to our arrival. It would 
 have been singular enough had we fallen in with 
 the prince on this excursion, as we did on the former^ 
 when in Russia. 
 
 The passage occupied three days, and on the 
 morning of the 9th, having passed the night at 
 Copenhagen, we proceeded to Kiel, in the same 
 steam-boat which had before brought us from Lu- 
 beck. On our passage we passed between the 
 richly-cultivated islands oi Falsi er and Moen, and 
 were almost within a stone's throw on either side. 
 
 The bay of Kiel is too well known to render it 
 necessary for me to record its beauties; the noble 
 expanse of waters — the deep wood which intercepts 
 the view of the town on entering the bay — the trees 
 feathering their branches to the very edge of the 
 water, and the picturesque scenery which surrounds 
 it, were not, however, lost upon us. 
 
 We passed but a few hours at Kiel, which in 
 itself has little or no attractions. From hence to 
 
 s2 
 
NO LONGER iHt.--;^^.,^^^^^^ 
 
 38(W' •' ARI'IVAC, ■:.>• ENfa.AND. [Chap. III. 
 
 Hamburor is a distance of about fifty miles, which 
 was performed over a highly-finished macadamized 
 road ; but the Diligence, as well as the posting, is so 
 badly regulated, that the traveller seldom arrives 
 at the end of his journey before twelve hours have 
 elapsed. 
 
 We arrived at the Hotel de Russie, at Ham- 
 burg, on the 10th, and were welcomed by Mr. Wei- 
 dermann, to whom the establishment belongs, and 
 whose civility and attention to our countrymen are 
 well known to northern tourists. 
 
 On the 13th we embarked on board the Superb 
 steamer, and after a boisterous passage, — which, 
 however, was rendered as agreeable as circum- 
 stances would allow, by the good humour of Cap- 
 tain Morfee, whom we remembered three years 
 ago, when serving as chief mate of the William 
 Johiffe, — we landed at the Tower-stairs, on the 
 mornins: of the 17th of Auf^rust. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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