The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-04

mn which the road is carried. There is not,
perhaps, in Europe another 30 weird place as -
Gudvangen-a place 80 utterly severed, as lar
as appears at first sight, from the outer world,
SO entirely devoid both OF convenience OF 20
cess and OF the customary ornaments OF beau
tiful scenery. Yet the impression 1t produces
is profound. What is most singular about 1t
is that IL lies on the high road from Uhristiania
to Bergen, il being necessary to take boat
from Leidals0ren to Gudvsngeu, q row OF ten
hours in the finest weather; unless you can
catch the steamer, which goes once week,
and takes four or five hours in the voyage.
Far more beautiful than the Nero ford, and
rivalling the Lake Of Lucerne itself in their
varied splendor, are the great hords that
stretch inland from Melde and Aaesund-
the Romsdal and Stor fiords. OF these the
former is very well, the latter very little,
known to Norwegian tourists. 1t would be
difficult to say which is the finer, at least If
the valley of Romsdal be taken in together
with the ford; otherwise the decided prefer
ence would have to be given to the Stor ford.
They are both distinguished for the extraor-
dinaTily jagged and peaked outline OF the
submits that overhang them-a feature that
belongs to no other part Of Norway south OF
the Arctic circle, except the wild ranges of the
Ymestjeld and Hurupgernefjeld, which stretch
from the head of the Sogne ford up to Lom,
and, eliminating in Galdhopiggen and Skag-
tolstind, form the highest elevations in the
whole country. The Romsdal mountains are
probably loftier than those of the Stor
ford, but these latter are the sharper and
more aiguille-like. This, it sho uld be
observed, applies only to the western arm of
the Stor ford, which runs past Sebo, and to
the smaller reach that lies Immediately to the
east of it; the long eastern arm, that ends in
Hellesylt is overhung by less remarkable
SUBMITS. The Sebo branch has some very
fine glaciers and snowy domes. The steamer
from Aalesund runs only to Hellesylt, pass
ing by the entrance to the western arm OF the
ford nor is this Hellesylt branch, even If in
ferior to the other, at all to be decried. The
mountains come down sheer into the water,
yet are green and well wooded, the birches
and pines clinging to the lodges even of the
steepest precipices, and in every long receding
glen on the tops of the cliffs are farm houses
and chalets that remind one of Switzerland.
Most refreshing is it to the eyes of the travel
Ter who has been winding through the stern
barren islands of the on-bound coast.
Not many Norwegian tourists traverse the
rough road from Hellesylt to Bergen, yet few
roads can exhibit greater variety of beauty.
The Bredheim Wand, for instance, is lake
that will compare with the famous K0nigsee of
the Bavarisn Alps, and is not at all inferior to
1t. In parts, again, as at F0rde and Eidevig,
there is a really luxuriant vegetation. The
LaDgfjeld and Justedel mountains, on the
Europe, skirt the left Of the road for a long
distance. We have not penetrated into them,
but to all appearance it must be extremely
well worth while to do so. 1t is curious that
neither Mr.. Forester nor Professor Forbes
came into these parts, nor even into Romsdal.
Professor Forbes, however, examined the JUS
tedal mountains from the other side.
The great defect of Norway lies in the gene
raj (though not invariably want of boldness
and picturesqueness in its higher submits,
and also, Of course, as compared with Switzer-
land, in their lesser elevation. The want Of
plain country, too, must be reckoned fault,
tor it results from this that the panoramic
views, SO frequent in the Alps, are rare, and
when they occur are deficient in character.
An extensive view must be poor unless the
height of the mountains is shown by contrast.
The most celebrated broad view in Norway is
that called the Kings View, on the Tyri ford,
near Christiania; but here the high mountains
are very distant, and, though some bold
tourist has compared it to the view from the
Rigi, the comparison is absurd. 1t is even
very decidedly inferior to the view from Snow
don or Scawfel.
1t is the valley and ford scenery that is so
remarkable in Norway, and here it scarcely
yields at all even to the Alps. We have not
yet mentioned the waterfalls, which are con-
tessedly the finest in Europe. There is, how
ever, one excellent rule that we have long
adopted in discovering the height of any
waterfall-a rule both of extreme simplicity
and, as far as our experience goes, of great
accuracy. 1t is this: take the height Of the
waterfall asSstated by Murray, divide it by
two, and you will have the real height. If
you use any other guidebook than that of
Murray (and perhaps also Black) you are
pretty safe in dividing the nominal height by
four Sometimes even Murray requires a
further reduction; according to the current
number of the CornhW, the Ostudfoss, reck-
oned TO be seven hundred feet high, has to be
brought down to seventy, or even forty..fee
This, We think, is the ne plus ultra of
ex aggeration. But even the Voringfoss, the
greatest Norwegian fall, which we had always
tondiy hoped to be real nine hundred feet
OF sheer descent, has now, alas !! according to
the stern decision OF ordnance surveyors, to be
brought down below five hundred feet; how
much below is not stated. 1t is the same in
all countries. The Krmml Fall in the Tyrol
is roundly Ieckoned by Murray at two thou
sand feet; this fall is in four parts, of which
the upper part is again roundly reckoned by
Murray at Thousand feet sheer. II sounds
well, no doubt. We have visited this fall
twice; the second time with friend who was
well acquainted with all the Swiss waterfalls,
and over whom we consequently felt certain
sense of superiority, for no Swiss waterfall
pretends to be a sheer thousand feet. But our
friends perceptions were unsophistioated, his
Judgment Rhadamanthine; he insisted that
the united four falls did not exceed thousand
1eet. Yes" we replied, with some shame
(for we had boasted OF the Krimml fall), cor
call Il twelve hundred; fifteen hundred it may
even be-" But we felt at the time that
he was right. The Staubbach, that beauti-
fui ''pillar of light" which some people