Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1864-01-15
THE PERPETUAL DAYLIGHT IN NORWAY.


The farther north you 60 in voyaging along
the Norwegian coast during the months of June
and July the brighter and longer becomes the day
light, until at last you arrive at the regions of
perpetual day. The exquisite charm Of this
novel state Of things is utterly beyond the COM
prehensiOn Of those who have not experienced it.
Apart altogether from the gladdening influence
Of sunshine, there is something delightfully."-
reckless in the feeling that there is necessity
whatever Of taking note Of the flight of time no
fear lest we should, while wandering together,
or, perchance, alone, among the mountains. be
overtaken by night. During several weeks we
lived in the blaze of long nightless day.
do not use hyperbQlical language when
speaking Of this perpetual daylight During
several weeks, after we had crossed the arctic
circle, the sun descended little more than its
own diameter below the horizon each night, so
that it had scarcely set when it rose again, and
the diminution of the light was quite insguf-
cant it did not approach in the slightest degree
to twilight. If had been suddenly awakened
during any of the twenty-fOur hours, in the
cabin of the yacht, or in any place from which it
vas impossible to observe the position Of the sun,
could not have told whether it was night or day.
Having said that, it is almost superauors to add
that we could, even in the cabin, read the small
est print at midnight as easily as at MONDAY.
| Moreover, clear midnight was absolutely
| brighter than cloudy forenoon.
Nevertheless, there was distinct difference
between night and day-a difference with which
| light had nothing to do. l am inclined to thiak
that the inoaculable myriads of minute aud in
visible creatures with which God has filed the
solitudes of this world, even more largely than
inhabited parts exercise q much more powerful
! influence GU our senses than we suppose Dur
lug the day time these teeming millions, bust
ling about in the activity Of their tiny spheres,
create an actual, though unrecognisable noise.
| do not refer to gnals aud flies 50 much as to
those atomic insects whose little persons are
never seen, aud whose individual voices are
never heard, but whose collective hum is a fast
that is best proved by the silence that follows its
cessation ln the evening these all retire to
rest, and night is marked by deep impressive
| stiffness, which We are apt enormously to sup
pose is altogether the result OF that noisy giant
man having betaken himself to his lair. Yet
this difference between night and day was only
noticeable when we were alone, or very quiet;
the preponderating noises resulting from con-
versaton or walking were more than sufficient
to dispel the sweet influence.
We were often very far wrong in our ideas of
time. Once or twice, on landing and going into
o hamlet on the coast, we have been much sur
prised to find the deepest silence regnng every
where, and, on peeping in at window, to
observe that the inhabitants were oil abed, viii ls
the sun was blazing high in the heavens Some :
times, too, on returning from shooting or fish
ing expedition, have seen bush or tree full of
small birds, each standing on Que leg, with its
head thrust under it's wing and its round little
body pulled up to nearly twice its usual size,
aud having thus been reminded that the hours
for rest had returned. Of course, little ohser-
walton and reflection would at any time have
cleared up our minds as to whether day or night
was on the wing nevertheless, l state the
simple truth when say we we're often much
perplexed, aud sometimes ludicrOusly deceived,
by the conversion of night into day.-A Yachl
Yoyage 70 Norway