The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-09-19
Norway.
Under the Midnight sun.


Under the Midnight sun.
A glance at the map will show that
Tromsoe is the most northerly city or
town of any considerable size in the
world and, indeed, l think there is but
one town, Hammerfest, above this. We
are here, as you see, quite within the
Arctic Circle Since about the first of
June the sun has not once been out of
sight save as obscured by clouds; and
for another month he will forget to hide
himself. You may truthfully say of
Tromsoe for two months in the year,
that there is "no night there. At what
should be midnight, ne may be seen ex-
actly in the north, and apparently about
an hour high, or some five or six de-
Crees above the horizon. And that he
not only gives light at that, to MS, un-
seemly hour, but heat, is proven by the
use of the common burning-glass. Holes
burned in the hat or coat or pocket are
the trophies which travellers carry away
TO prove the existence of the midnight
sun. At midday the sun is IN the
south. but only at a height equal to that
which we usually see during the short
DAYS of winter. Thus it is that we see
here the enSire circuit o. the sun. lie
does not seem to go around the earth,
as in lower latitudes, but to ride arount
in great circle over our heads. No
mountain peak, no isolated tree or
house, but enjoys daily sunshine on
every side at some time In the long lif.
Fortunate are we at home to have the
sun upon three sides of the house, but
here the fiery chariot goes all the way
around. / do not write thus mlnutejy
of a well-lnown fact because l think
YOU are ignorant of it, but because l
wish, so far as / may, TO impress
realization of its effects upon your
minds. The fact is as simple as is the
existence of Niagara Falls; but as you
can only gain an adequate impression
of the power and majesty OF those falls
bv a comparatively long and intimate
| acquaintance with them, so must you
! dwell not a little upon this unusual
position of the sun in its relations TO
| the earth before You fairly comprehend
! its scope. Such at least, is my personal
! experience. And now / will try and
| answer the question which L suppose
Won wish to ask: How does IL seem
to he in continual day?" To person
in tue least nervous 1t is exceedingly
irving. There is a constant excitement
in this continual presence OF the sun
which can only be overcome by drll.
You must go to bed, not when You are
sleepy, but when your appointed hour
arrives. And if you would rest well,
neither daylight nor sunshine should
have a wakeful influence upon you.
Tinbt and sun are too welcome here to
be shut out with blinds, and hence the
houses are quite unprovidid with light
obstacles OF any kind. The people
here usuallv retire about two o'clock,
and about three o'clock something like
rest prevails. / have known, by books,
of the rapid growths and frultfulness OF
tba very short summers in these north
ern regions, but until now 1 could not
comprehenl it. The first cause seems
to be a peculiar richness of soil. Black
, peatv loan abornds, and this cannot
! but Weld nourishm mt in abundance
with even the cOmmonest care and this
| supplemented by the constancy OF Tho
t SIMS rays and the unc asing daylight
= The six weeks of sunlight, in stimulus
} to plant growths, must be equal to iron
D three to five months of the alternate
: heat and chill in our own climate
q When once it is started in life, the plan
e pushes right on, and thus grows at
/, rate which, elsewhere, seems marvellous
e IT is thus, alone, that can undelstan'
d why a plant here will sometimes gro'
l. as much in a single day as in, perhaps
!, a week with us. But the number c
S plants cultivated here is, so far as
h have observed, very small. Potatoe
are the staple, and / might say the onl
table vegetable produced. No doul
others might be grown with equal facil
tv. but the people hee have few wants
> and they seem abundantly satisfied wit
e this single and simple article of II
&; kind. Hardy wild flowers abounC
II tbouph their number is not great, an
II there seems to be 10 effort whatever I
, cultivate flowers out.of-doors. JudR
e then. if youcan, how strange it seen
Il To find these NOrwegians passionate
IL fond of all flowers Every window, Q
2 every side of cvery house, is LITERAL
n filed with them. The table on whic
le 7 write has its contribution both
le growing and cut flowers, and nearI
L every meal is taken in their presenc
y whether it be at the hotel or on Il
$ steamer. The graves at the cemeteri'
sc are the only unsheltered places whel
IL cultivated flowers are to be found, M
Us here they seem almost as abundant
70 in the home-windOw. Not that th'
e. thrive well, but that lovint hands co
ne stantly renew the supply. No soon
eI has IN unexpected fiost cut down q
,'S tender stem than another and anoth
10 treasure is brought from the warm til
S- side as fresh sacrifice Cor. ChrtStt'
- Union.