Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-19
FAMOUS WATERFALL


district without saying few words about |
the famous waterfall, whiehis approached |
by one Of the dark ravines at the head of
the lake before described There are
other falls Of great height and beauty in
the neighbOring gorge, and more than
one full stream shoots over "the perpen-
dicular escarpments of Simedal; there
is also within long days journey the
gigantic cataract of Skjeggedal above the
SOrfjord which an accomplished traveller
has very recently described; but the
Noring-foss remains the wonder OF all
that country side. The road winds up to
1t for several miles between steep cliffs,
and by the side Of foaming river, until
it is blocked by another cliff, or rather
pile of enormous rocks; zlgzag path
leads up through ferns and dropping
streams, and from the plain above we
look down to the lake surrounded with
snOwsribbed mountains through the black
cleft by which we have assembled. On
one side is precipice over which TWO
brothers, racing on snowrshoes, were
dashed one winter into the valley; be-
hind US fat expanse ofmoor and marsh,
covered with flowers and cloudSberries,
divides US from the Jokul and It's rocky
companions At some distance a column
of white smoke rises from the ground,
and this is the reek Of the Voring fOss;
on approaching it and looking down
we see a goOd-sized river falling into
deep chasrn or caldron with a mighty
roar and vapor All manner of
fine descriptions have been written
of it, and one traveller who was
here in the winter has left a striking ac-
count of its beauty when falling through
a cave of ice, glittering with huge crysa
tails and enormous icicles. A visitor of
more pretentiOus style has Eeen quoted
by Lieutenant Breton: "All nature
stands aghast, the very mountains seem
petrifed at the sight, and the animals had
fed from wild which may almost be
said to terrify the vegetable creation"
We will not attempt to rival this magnif.
cent rhapsody, and will only say that the
most striking view is to be obtained from
the overhanging cliff on the south side of
the fall, which cannot however, be
reached without a wearisome journC Y
through quaking boys and across muddy
streams The height of the fall has been
much exaggerated The books all agree
in estimating the descent at least at 900
feet, and it is not unusual for travellers
to maintain that the leap is thousand
feet high. Others have doubted the ac-
curacy of the calculation made by it's
discOverer, Professor Haustein, and have
observed that the visitors position rust
cause the proportions of the waterfall to
be forcshortened in very unusual de d.
gree, if the common opinion is to be az
cepted At the time of one Of our visits
party Of Norwegian engineers were
employed upon government survey, al d
they decided the question for US by stat
ing that the depth of the chasm was un,
der 500 feet There can, however, be no
doubt that the sheer fall of so large a
body of water in long columns OF wreaths
of foam is one Of the most magnificent
sights in Europe After gathering from
the edge OF the cliff oVerhanging the
Foss, fine plant of the King Of the
Mountains which attains great perlec-
ton in the black oozy soil, we fo,>
lowed the course of the river in
land, instead of returning to the
shore, a dozen miles below. As
so few travellers 20 further inland than
the waterfall itself We will close this
description of the Hardanger region with
few words about the upper country.
The march land lying between the nouns
tain-tOps here forms what is called a
field dale, or mountain valley, closed I I
the end of few miles by sudden rise
in the ground, and stretching again in
land on n higher elevation, until step by
step the limit Of vegetation IS reached,
and nothing but stony peaks and muddy
hills remain. We were well entertained
at little farm lying in the lower portion
of the field dale, and surrounded by
meadows were you scarce could see the
earth for flowers" and where the wild
strawberries and juicy cloud.berries grew
all about in wonderful proiusion. After
coffee and trout, with bowls Of fruit and
cream, we were shown to the rooms hung
with sweet herbs and stored with heaps
of peas, mallOws, and other country
treasures where our beds of sweet hay
had been prepared On the left outside
Law stack of what looked like paste
board, but which was in truth the house,
hold store of "fadrbrod' or thin griddle-
cakes of oatmeal We continued next
iay our course beside the river, through
meadows as luxuriant rs ever; the for
get-me -nOts spread in masses on every
side. the slender ranunculi OF "reindeer7
flowers choose the drier sides of the
knobs and hillocks, "and the wild marsh
marigold flames like fire through swamps
and hOllOws gray Passing some fine
cascades at Skurvestol, we entered
weli-wOOded plain, from which a green
hill rises, surmoun}ed by little farm,
the highest in situation of all upon this
range of mountains We turned away
with regret from the wonderful view down
the valley toward the sea, and round the
mountains which cncircled the moor
land of yesterdays journey where tho
broad river DIVORCES into two branches
We had to climb down the curved
rocks, polished apparently by glacial ac>
ton, and even the ponies got without a
stumble down this formidable "Katzen-
Stieg," the men holding on their tails,
and permitting them to move only inch
by inch. Soon after this cloud spray
was seen issuing from the ground, and
swaving to and fro in the wind. This
was waterfall named Storli f0ss, Of
which we had never seen any description
1t falls from u considerable height into a
deep chasm, like the Voriog itself; by
climbing down q rock which iutted out
in front Of the fall very good view was
attained by one Of the party, but as hc
assembled the loose stones of the cliff side
began to move and carry him down, 50
that it was not without some trouble and
anxiety that at last he was extricated
from his dangerous Imprisonment Before
evening We reached the higher falls,
crossing snow ~ intervals; here all
vegetation ceased except the lichens and
4 dwariod willow that grows beside the
snow This region Is inhabited only by
the skulking foxes, this wild rendered.
which, 10 our great pleasure, we passed
numerous hcrd-and by the golden plo-
vera, which perch upon the scattered
rocks and raise their wailing cry az the
traveller passes. along the moor. Turuing
downward at last, we arrive at the broad
pastures Of Bjorsdal, where the last huts
are built upon the verge Of a desert track
which stretches away to the distant Hal
ling-dai The shallow river sparkled,
and the distant SHOWS were illumined in
the crimson sunset as we stood by the
low doorway to see the cattle return to
the sound of the Alpine horn and here,
on the boundary of another province,
and out of sight Of the waters Ofthe Ejord,
we snail close the account OF our summer
ramhle in the pleasant region Of Hardal.
ger
General Howard saws the FrgrlYngn's