The river above Lillehammer contains trout upwards of 18 lbs. weight, which are taken with a net; and many of the tarns (or mountain lakes) are full of big trout. It comes from what I have said, that a tourist who likes fishing ought to bring a trout, but not a salmon rod. Should he be invited to fish salmon, his friend will lend him a rod.

Barring fieldfares (in the summer), magpies, and greybacked crows, the paucity of birds seen during a walk in Norway is remarkable; of singing birds there appears to be almost a dearth.

Scenery of Norway compared with that of Switzerland-Turistforeningen (note)-Localities most remarkable for grandeur of Scenery -Triangular Area in which most of the best Scenery is found-The Arctic Coast-Its Population-Mirage and other Atmospheric Phenomena - Lofoten Islands - Lapps and their Reindeer-QuainsMidnight Sun.

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AND now to come to Norwegian scenery. Everyone has his own idea of what constitutes beauty or grandeur; and on a view that pleases one, another would scarcely bestow a glance. In a country so large, scenery of all kinds may be found, but it is in gorges, where Nature looks her sternest, that Norway may be said to excel. Added to this, there is the scenery along the Arctic coast, which is of a different character altogether; and also particular objects (rather than general views)-for example, the Vöringfos, worth going hundreds of miles to visit.

It may be asked, 'Is the country as fine as Switzerland ?' Well, one can hardly compare the two. If grandeur be pro

'There is a society in Christiania called Den Norske Turistforening, which deserves the thanks of English travellers-especially of those who are mountaineers. Mr. Thomas J. Heftye, the well-known banker, president, and a large number of the principal gentlemen in Norway, with the king and other members of the royal family at their head, members. In many respects the society resembles our own Alpine Club, and it publishes an interesting little volume every year, giving an account of ascents, new routes, &c. But besides this, it has another object, viz. the erection of sleeping-huts on the mountains a day's journey from any house, and the improvement of footpaths leading to celebrated views, &c. For more detailed information respecting it, I would refer the traveller to Mr. Bennet, of Christiania. N.B.-The society admits foreigners as members.

portioned to mere height alone, Switzerland must rank first, the loftiest mountain in Norway being under 9,000 ft. The scenery can cope with the Swiss only in the element of form, the precipices being generally bolder; and in charming combinations of mountain, wood, and water, Norway can vie with any land. Vertical cliffs of 2,000 ft. or more are rare in most countries, while in Norway such are common. This is probably owing to the hardness of the rocks, a very large portion of them being gneiss, or closely allied to that stone. The remark one author makes of there being a tameness of skyline, i.e. an absence of peaks in the upper portion of a chain, although true of a great part of Norway, is not without exceptions. Few ranges in Switzerland can surpass the Horungtinder in boldness of form; neither are the mountains within the Arctic circle subject to this defect. In some respects the country resembles the west part of Scotland, especially in the configuration of coast, the Fjorde being what we should term friths or sea lochs; but here everything is on a grander scale. Glencoe is tame compared to Romsdal, nor can Loch Duich compete with Geirangerfjorden.

The best scenery in Norway is found in patches here and there. These are, in many cases, separated (especially to travellers who follow the road) by intervals comparatively tame. Most of the grand valleys lie west of Gudbrandsdalen. If you take a map and draw lines from Lom (nearly in the centre of the country) to Bergen and Molde, the space enclosed by these lines and the coast will be found to contain most of the finest glens. There are, nevertheless, other districts not included in this triangle worth visiting, as Thelemarken, Hardanger, Lysefjorden, and the scenery along the Arctic coast.

For the greater portion of its extent, the Norwegian coast is protected from the fury of the ocean by a fringe of islands, which act as breakwaters, especially when they form a close chain. There are myriads of these islands, of all sizes, from

a mere projecting reef to territories larger than the Isle of Man, Some have a few inhabitants along the coast, but the majority are barren or only used for pasturage. The voyage from Throndhjem to Hammerfest in weekly mail steamers most of them comfortable boats, well managed in every respect-usually lasts six days, the grandeur of the coast. scenery fairly commencing towards the evening (or night) of the second. For a description of the whole route see Chap. VI.; here space permits me only to glance at some of its leading features. One island, Torghatten (see Chap. V.), is perforated by a natural tunnel, which from the sea appears like a bright loophole in a dome of rock. As you approach the Arctic circle, the mountains, hitherto feeble in outline, terminate in steep, torn peaks, and the islands become sterner in character—many of them are wild precipices rising abruptly from the waves. The bold figure of the 'Hestmand' (or 'Horseman,' from its resemblance to a mounted knight) is an island nearly on the Arctic circle, which latitude you cross during the night following the second day.

The population in the far north is nearly confined to fishermen living on the coast. Very little cultivation is seen, and there are no roads—all communication being by boat. The interior of the country appears to be an uninhabited tract of mountain, glacier, and lake; ranges of snowy peaks crown the distant horizon. The temperature along the Arctic coast, owing to the influence of the Gulfstream, is considerably milder than in many other parts of the world as far north; and there is a general abundance of vegetation, comprising grass, berries, juniper, &c. where the rocks are clothed with soil. After leaving Throndhjem but little forest is observable from the steamer; and as you proceed the quantity diminishes until there is scarcely a tree to be seen.

Mirage in these latitudes produces remarkable effects. Distant islands appear as if floating above the horizon and doubled; as you approach them the lower half begins to dip,

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and gradually to vanish in the sea. In fine weather nothing can be more splendid than the gradation of tints which colour the atmosphere about sunrise and sunset; and in the extreme north during winter the aurora borealis must be superb. It is said there that, sometimes, a crackling sound, produced by electric action, accompanies the show (?).

Soon after leaving the little town of Bodö (on the third day), the steamer crosses an open sea, conventionally called the Vestfjord, to the Lofoten islands. This most remarkable group, appearing from a distance like one continuous land, or, as Murray says, 'a row of shark's teeth,' is a very labyrinth of mountain and sea, the tortuous passages between the islands being in many places mere rivers in breadth. Conceive a block of high land capped by peaks of the wildest form, and the whole submerged to above the plateau, and you have an idea of the scene. The cliffs generally rise precipitously (void of strand or beach) from the wave. They are not altogether barren; herbage and often scraggy birch grow in streaks among the crags. The highest point is said to be Vaagekallen (by station Henningsvær), of which I have given a very rough sketch. Svolvær is one of the most picturesque stopping places in the group. I spent a week there in 1858 at the house of a very pleasant family. The father was a large landhandler, and one of his daughters a musical genius. This young lady had composed a very pretty waltz for the guitar. The Lofotenöer are the seat of the cod fishery in February and March, and the population (confined to the coasts) are all connected with it, and many of them well to do. The Malström, about which so much fiction has been penned, lies between two little öer or islands, at the south end of the chain. Here, the fact is, the tide during a high wind produces a sea of broken water, extremely dangerous for small craft. The Storström (near Bodö) resembles it, and is more dangerous, skippers say.

After quitting the Lofotenöer, the coast views become less grand, and a tourist pressed for time might relinquish his