The sun., 1881-11-20

ment OF its independence Mr.. Du Chaillu tell.
us that no poasantry or people In Europe pre-
sent prouder bearing or possess a more in
dependent spirit They are manly. honest and
kind-hearted. fond OF equality. addressing
every one. oven their King. with tho pref1
du thou. Entailed estates are unheard o.
among them. and the whole province is
divided into a multitude OF small farms
titled by the owners. The eoi Ia poor
and furnishes but little surplus for ex.
port. The wealth OF Dalecarlia is in its mines
which are among the oldest in Europe and are
known to have been continuously worked for
more than six hundred years. In n document
OF King Magnus Smek. dated 1347. these mines
are mentioned as at that time very ancient. aud
certain privileges arc granted to tho minors
In old times the master miners considered
themselves equal to the highest In the md. al d
were called mining mobiles - many Of their
properties were exempt from taxes except In
men or horses for the Kings army. In the
second volume. also we find an account OF
Mr.. Du Chaillu's Journeys in the three
northern provinces OF Norway. Nord-
land. Tromso. and Finmarken. In the
two last named provinces twenty -eight per cent.
ofthe population are ~ 1() uni1111
secr. - s= euSen the original occupants q this
region before tho northward migration OF the
Vikings. The author tells US that the Finns.
Lapps. and NorweRians intermarry closely in
these districts. and that the mixed offspring
form an excellent race. 1t appears that Nord-
land and Tromso produce between them 40 900
bushels OF grain. and 800. 600 bushels Of pota-
toes; but fishing is the chief occupation OF the
inhabitants. and many OF the farms ara owned
By fishermen. AZ regards the cod fisheries
which are the most lucrative. we are
In uol
take averages 5,00oO0O. and In Fin
markon 100000. Including tho Lofoden
fisheries the aggregate catch Of cod on the
whole Norwegian coast seldom falls short OF
50,000000. Next in importance are the herring
fisheries. which have only yielded I'm article OF
export since 1416. when Beuckel, a Hollandsr.
devised the art OF sailing the fish. The aRgre-
gate number OF barrels OF herring now caught
annually is about 100000. and it has reached
as heh as 1S00.O00 The average value OF
these fisheries is-cod 5000 900. and herring
SO. 800 900. The number OF mon employed in
the fisheries for cod IL about 61.000. in tho
herring fisheries 10000. and then come the
mackerel fisheries with 5000. making. with
the sailors OF the merchant marine. total
OF nearly eight per cent. OF tho whole
population living By maritime pursuits. From
the statistics collected by tho author. it appears
that the merchant navy OF Norway consists OF
S.0GI vesses. with au aggregate capacity Of
100000 tons. or those. only 213 are steamers.
whose combined capacity does not exceed AZ 900
tons. Evon in 1871 a year OF commercial de-
preston. Norwegian ships earned by foreign
freights nearly s2700O.00O. and In 1850 more
than 1000 Norwegian vessels camo to the port
OF New York. more than $50 barks being seen
al one time lying alongside OF the docks. X is
noteworthy that tho coasting trade Ia open 10
vessels OF all nationalties upon the same con-
dhions as those imposed on native bottoms and
people are at liberty 10 buy their ships any
where.
1t is plain. from our authors observations Of
tho domeetic architecture peculiar to Scan
dinavia. that few dwelling houses in Conti-
mental Europe can r:tal In antiquity the farm
buildings OF Norway. The log walls OF tho
lattor have proved more durable than those OF
stone. AID still seem ablo TO DEFY tho ravages
OF time. They were built Of Ar tress hewn in
the primitive forests. and some OF them date
back 10 the yoar 1000. and even to the eighth
and seventh centuries. The timber has become
SO hardened through tho absorption OF tho
resin by the fbres OF the wood that the axe
has hardly any effect upon II. The logs are
often OF great width. showing a s.2s OF
trees not at present prevalent in Sean
dnavia. Many OF these old farms have re-
family from tho tins o, Canute to our own day.
Tho reason why Norway can boast OF so many
Old houses is that its inaccessible mountains
have been safe from tho devastations of wars.
for when conflicts have .tSAen place they have
been chiefly on Tho v.'yRr. or on the shores of
the sea- Most OF these ancient dwellings ars
situated In valleys and dales which but few
years ago were apuroachabls only by bride
paths. and where tho lie OF the isolated inhabi-
taCts Is s.ill most primitive. On many on old
farm are found chests OF different shepes and
sizes. made centuries ago. long before closets
were buil'. and in many districts thoy are still
IN use. Yon also meet With movable cupboards
and wardrobes which are interesting on ac-
count their age and elaborate carvings.
Mr. Du Chaillu has made q careful study OF
the school system in Sweden and Norway.
where education has for long time been conf
pulsory. What mos, struck our traveller In all
his iourneyings was to see the fine school
buildings scattered all over the kingdom. even
10 the furthest north. Almost invariably the
m ost conspicuous structure .G a small town or
village is the school house. Entering these
buildings. the visitor is surprised 10 SEQ how
we'll managed they are. Every school is pro-
vided with q library. 70 which additions are
made at each term. and Mr. Du Chaiilu saw more
hnn 80. 600 volumes In some OF these schoo! co.
eetions. Many OF the schools in small towns
have also museums with biological. geo
ogcal. and botanical repertories. In every In
stance q fully equipped gymnastio hall is al
Sched to the school building. and not only ia
svery student compelled to take gymnsstic ex-
ercse, but the younger children have to so out
eyery hour for an airing. and play In the yard
Ior about ten minutes. Not only is tho study OF
he sciences and foreign languages common in
hese village schools. but the smaller scholars
are taught IRON the blackboard to read musi,
Dur traveller was strulk By the high esteem IN
which the tencher's calling is hold in seandl-
navia. This is doubtless partly due to the
Iact that most OF the Instructors are g-adu-
ates OF the universities. Tho average sell
lry. however. or a Norwegian or Swedish
,9untrT teacher does not exceed $50. but
le receives in addition house and pisce Of
aud to cultivate.
The so-oaiied e.ementarg SCH ools which roallg
correspond to our notion o; grammar ~ g.rheI
perhaps Of Ai1t schools. are divided into tgJ
trades the lower and the higher tile suaIieg
owns having only the f5v,ner. Tue course re-
Iairei for entrance al ole q The universities