New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-21
AN EXCURSION TO NORWAY.

TsNnrRs, NcGvPMENT-MARvELLoUs Amos
PHERIc EFFECTS.
"a The EdftOr Of The Tribune
Srp. Our steamer is the Jonas Lee, and Captain
rolo IL inst the shortest joliest kindest skipper
that ever trod quarterback His CABIN anu ms
cigars his bridge on all proper OCCASIONS anu ms
hind words and suggestions at the service OF MS
messengers. He telegraphs for the Laps 10 move
an encampment to meet u.s. he suggests this and that
,laosapt excursion; he is |" host in himself" as
I'LL "a a captain. and has that simple and ngenu-
ons air which one would call bOyish if it were not
The morale of a thorOugh-gOing commander OF
tbirty-three. We sailed from TrOndhjem very late
ON Friday night, or rather early on Saturday
morning; for in this Summer OF perpetual
daylight there is no sense OF night az
all The first days scenery is what we
would call fne but it is not exciting until toward
evening when the island begins to grow thick and
at last Torghatten comes in sight, IN shape some
thing like a sailors wide-aWake, and rising 300 feet
out of the water. This is the mountain with the
famous natural tunnel piercing its side about 900
feet above from its base From the sea it looks like
translueent eve set in the hll-Side for the sky Is
visible through 1t when you sail into the right posi-
ton. But you recognize its unique grandeur only
when you Chamber up to it as we die, ana ma
vaulted cavern with Jagged roof 12O feet
above the floor, perpendicular halls % feet
apart and looking through this gigantic
megaletascope behold ocean, islands, meadows
clouds painted magic screen at the further slde
$50 feet from where you stand. Surely it's one OF
the strangests sensations in the world to gaze
through a mountains side upon so lovely piano.
rama of land and sea and sky. 1t has not the line
basaltc pillars of FngaTs Cave nor does the surg
ing beat of the waves sweeping its floor fill the ear
with solemn monOtOny of sound as IN that Iar
famed cavern of the island Of Stafa. High up IN
the air the mountain itself standing solitary III the
sea- this aperture of natures fashionlng Is still
and silent. It seems TO be an open
ing into world beyond itself You gaze
like St. John at Patmos as into another sphere OF
being, which, while like this. does not seem real
with the reality of the earth on which we tread.
UNIQUE in its existence it is unique in its impress
sion 1t is wierd, though not fantastic, and its
grand solemnity tempered by the tender beauty OF
the view which it dscloses. The old legend runs
that WestmandO-an island 80 miles further north,
which the imagination has, out of somewhat scanty
materials fashioned into the likeness OF horse ana
rider draped with q vOluminous cloak-discharged,
In his fury bolt at some fair eludingnymph OF the
sea- and that Torg rising from the sea for her pro-
lection stayed the bolt by RECEIVING 1t in his hat and
that it passed clean through his head and lett this
chasm Westmando was petrifed and stands for
ever monument Of jealous anger while Torg's hat
"N-AN3~A
virtue and charm of selfsacriice.
As we pass Westmando we cross the Arctic circle
In which it lies The Seven Sisters rise the main
land between these two islands to the height Of
1000 feet. The scenery is putting on its grandeur
now and all of the second daY we seem to be sail
ing through On Alpine valley some lOrdly Hudson,
OF through now Lake MaggiOre, now Como, now Luz
cerne. The islands rise into mountain peaks from
put the waves, and are so thickly stTewn
As to both check the oceans swell and to give the
impression that we are in the midst of the country,
instead Of skirting it's coast. Now the snow begins
to streak the hllsides. and now come in sight of
Ivarlsen the vast snowfeld, the largest IN Norway
next to the Jostedal. 1t lies to our right, high up
on the horizon an immense rounded shoulder Of
purest untracked snow, which extends parallel with
the coast for fifty miles. 1t is buttressed up with
great peaks of black rock scanned with snow, which
are twisted into every strange shape and rise gaunt
and defiant along the mountain side, now reaching
great height and erownedIwith fantastic pinnaces,
now massed together in extending ridges; awhile
continuous then gashed Iasunder, and revealing
enormous glaciers OverhAngng the intervening val
leys from the brow of the trackless snoweld above
Along the shore, between these mountains and the
sea are lower rounded hills clad In living green,
and streaked ofentmes with fOaming waterfalls.
It is the grandeur and beauty of Switzerland indeh-
nitely extended. For, though none Of these peaks
exceed five or six thousand feet, and most of them
range lower yet one sees them not as one looks on
Mount Blanc or the Matterhorn, from valley sew
era thousand feet above the sea, but from the sea
itself The Northern latitude lends the charm of
perpetual snow to the lower height. and
the beauty and grandeur Of Switzerland are wrought
out with less effort of nature but with equal effect
What can / say more of this wondrOus panorama,
unfolding each hour new beauties. as day after day
we sail along. How can words paint the varied
hues with which the perpetual daylight paints the
myriad shapes which nature has carved and
moulded in the long Of centuries on this desc
late coast Yet 1t is not wholly desOlate, for the
hardy fishermen gather in groups in sheltered fords
and light little houses, painted red OF glowing yell
low, peep out about the basis Of the encompassing
hills
We cross over to the LOfoten, that long semi
circular range of islands, which curves around the
northwestern shoulder of Norway and we traverse
Sarly sixty miles of sea to reach them, we start
from the mainland at BOdo. the first town we have
reached The Lofotens have been lkened to
army Of giants stalking ont to and to gigantic
sharks teeth rising from the waves. Within the
curve of sixty miles, innumeIabe peaks, twisted
md split and gashed into every variety Of form,
pierce the water to pierce the clouds. VaagOkallen
the Hottest peak is 5000 feet high, standing the
island of Ost yaago. But all the peaks lofty and
Wreaths OF INST enUWlne themselves among VneIh
clouds often dot their sides. In their werd majesty
they seen to both sky and to do
them homage; to crown their heads with heecy
light OF lave their feet with eresting foam These
savage and inhOspitable islands, exposed on their
western side to the full beat of the Atlantic the
seat Of the vast cod fisheries. Millions of cod are
yearly captured and dried or ground into oil, and
10000 fishermen are engaged in the pursuit.
Leaving the LofoteDs, we are soon at TrOmsoe
the largest town the northwest coast containing
about 5000 people. Plain, built Of wood, and ut
terly uninteresting, it is charmingly situated on a
srean vvoodad ISLAND the annroaeb 70 IL saar,i, I