New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-06
Bsyard Taylor IN Northern Europe.
No. XIXI
THE LOFODEN ISLES AND THE COAST
OF F1NMARK.

COre,pssdenss Of The n T. Tribune.
HAMMERPEsT, July %, 1857.
The Northern Summer soon teaches one fashion
able habits Of life. Like the man whose windows
sydney Smith dArkened, and who slept all day be-
cause be thought il was night, you keep awake all
night because you forget that it n not day. Ose's
perception of time contracts in some mysterious
vay and the sun, setting at eleven seems 10 be no
later than when it set Of seven. You think you will
eoioy the evening twilight an hour or two before
going TO bed and 10 the morning begins TO dawn.
II seems absurd to turn in and sleep BY daylight,
but YOU sleep. nevertheless, until eight or nine
O'Clock. and get up but little refreshed with your
repose. You miss the grateful covering of dark
ues.. the sweet, welcome gOom, which shuts your
senses one after one, Lie the closing petals OF q
flower. in the restoring trance Of the night The
light comes through your eyefds as you sleep, and
q certain nervous life of the body that should Sleep
TOO. keeps awake and sctive. begin already 10
feel the wear and tear of perpetual daylight in spite
of its novelty and the many advantages which it
presents TO the Traveller
At Bodo, We were in sight of the Lofoden Islands,
which filed up all the northern and western Aori-
ron, rising like blue saw-teeth beyond the broad eX.
panse of the West Fiord, which separates them
from the group of the shore islands. The next
morning, we threaded perfect labyrinth Of rocks,
after passing Groto, and headed scross the ford for
Balstad, on West.Vee6e, one Of the outer iscs
This passage is often very rough, especially when
the wind blows from the south west, rolling the
heavy swels Of the Atlantic into the open mouth Of
tho ford. We were very much favored by the
weather, having clear sky, with light north wind
and smooth sea. The long line Of jagged peaks,
stretching from Vcr6o in the south west, to tho
sant ridges Of Hindoe in the northeast united
themselves 10 the distance with the Alpine chain Of
the mainland behind u.s. forming an amphitheater Of
sharp, snowy SUBMITS, which embraced fve-sxths
Of the entire circle Of the horizon, and would have
certainly numbered not less than two hundred. Won
Buch compares the Lofodens to the jaws Of shark,
and most travellers since his time have resusctated
the comparison, but did not find it go remarkably
applicable. There are shark-tOOth peaks here a,d
there it is true, but the peculiar conformation OF
Norway-extensive plateaus, forming the summit
level of the mOuntains-extends also to these
islands, whose only valleys are those which open to
the sea, and whose interiors are uninhabtable
snowy tracts, mostly above the line Of vegetation.
On approaching the islands, we had fair view
Of the last outposts Of the groupthe solid barrers
against which the utmost fury Of the Atlantic dashes
in vain. This side Of Ver0e lay the large island
of Mosk6e, between which and large solitary rock
in the middle Of the strait dividing them is the To-
cality Of the renowned Maelstrom-now, alas al
most as mythical as the Eaaken or great sea-sDake
of the Norwegian fords. 1t is pity that the geo
graphical illusions Of our boyish days cannot re-
main. Yos learn that the noise Of Niagara can be
heard I2O miles of, and that "some IndiaDs, in
their canoes, have vcntured down it with safety. "
Well, one could give up the Indians without much
difficulty, but it is rather discouragiDg to step out
of the Falls Depot for the frst time, and hear no
sound except "Cab, Sir 2" Hotel, Siri" 80 Of
the Mselstron, denoted on my school-boy map by a
great spiral twist, which suggested to me tre-
nendous whirl Of the ocean currents, aided by the
Information that "vessels cannot approach nearer
han seven miles" In Olney, moreover, there was
picture Of q mckless bark, half way down the vor-
tex. ] had been warming my imagination, - we
came up the coest, with Campbels sOnorous lines:
Round the shores where runic Odn
Howls his war song TO the gslei
Rsund the isles " here iosd LOfoden
WhiIls TO death tho roA,ing whale"
and, as we locked over the smooth water toward
Moehoe, felt renewed desire to make an excursion
thitber on our return from the North. But, accord
hg 10 Capt RGs, and other modern authorities
which consulted, tho Mselstrom has lost all its
terrors and attractions. Under certain conditions
of wind and tide an eddy is formed in the strait it
is true, which moy be dangerous TO small boats
but the place il by no means 80 much dreaded "a
the Ssten FiOrd, where the tide, rushing ID, Is
caught in such manner o. 70 form BORE as IA the
Bay Of Fundy, and frequently proves destructive 30
the fsbbg craft 1t is the general opinion that some
of the rocks which foruerly made the Maelstfom 60
terrible have been worn away, or that some saona'
rne conyulsion has taken place which has changed
the action Of the waters; otherwise, 1t is Impossible
10 account for the reputation it oncs possessed'
It should also bee borne in mind that any acoi-
dent to bca amoug these islands is more likely u
nroye disastrous than elsewhere since there are
probably Lot score cut Of the twenty thousand
Lofo6cn fishermen who pass half their lives on toe
water. who know how 10 swim. The water 10 Zoo
cold to make bathing luxury, aud they are not
sufficiently prepo.sessed in favor Of cleanliness 70
make i. duty. Nevertheless, they are bold sailors
in their way, and tougher, harder more athletic
class of men, it would be difficult to find. Hand
some they are not, but quite the reverse, and tbe
mos, Of them have an awkward and uncouth air; ou'
it is refreshing to look at their broad shoulders
their brawry chests, and the MASSIVE muscles ol
their legs and arms. During the whole voyage,
have .eeD but one man whs appeared to be DIS