The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-03-26


are really quite comfortable-lookipg
spots still further north. It is, how
ever, a very busy, and, for the north
ern fishing interests, a very i'm
portant little place, the signs of
which one sees everywhere. Many
fishing, as we'll as sea going, craft lie
in the still waters of the excellent
harbor, and everywhere there is fish
in the vessels, on the wharves, in
the great storehouses, on the drying
rocks, In the conversation of the in
habitants, and also, unfortunately, in
the very air strong and disagree
alba odor of fish, train oil and fish
fertilizer.
About year before, Hammerfest
had been burned down, and was not
yet wholly restored. The principal
church, for one thing, being still
wanting. In spite of its being SO far
out of the world, and only fishing
village, Hammerfest is, in one respect
at least, abreast with the times it is
we'll lighted with electricity, the
plant coming from Boston firm. In
summer, of course, they have very
little occasion to use it; but in winter
they will need to use it nearly all the
time.
Our steamer had no occasion to
land at the North Cape as there is
no one living there, but the captain
very obligingly said that il it was
smooth and fine he would gladly
give us chance of going ashore at
this interesting place. Accordingly,
the next morning the conditions
being favorable, we were rowed
ashore to make the ascent before
breakfast. The North Cape, the ex
treme northerly point of Europe, is
a steep, rocky headland 1000 feet
high, and quite inaccessible were
it not for the narrow path that
zigzags to the top, and has to
be helped out in many places
by a hand rope. A stiff climb Of
1000 feet before breakfast was no
child's play, especially for our only
young lady, but after many pauses
and considerable help even she
reached the top. Quite an artistic
pavilion had recently been built
and decorated with the principal
national flags, from the number of
which Hawaiian is still lacking-a
defect that l trust will soon be
remedied-which affords convenient
shelter and contains register book.
In this we duly inscribed our names,
but indulged in none of the cham
payne that can be bought there at
famine prices for the purpose of
celebrating" I was quite aston
ished to find SO far north SO many
Towering plants fourishing almost
as luxuriously as though. they We're
in the tropics. The face of the
cliff up which we had to climb was
literally carpeted with color, and
there were at least twenty five or
thirty different species of flowers,
among which were two delicate vio-
let's and the beautiful blue eyed for
get-me-not.
Shortly after leaving North Cape
we fell in with a small steam whaler
towing a couple of dead to the CEN
trail factory, where they were to be
reduced to marketable products
She was about the size of our smaller
Hawaiian coasters and her only ap-
parent popularity in fitting was a
small swivel cannon on the bow, with
which the bomb lance is thrown, and
the lookout at the masthead.
The north coast of Norway con
sists practically of three great fords
extending into the land to the extent
of some seventy or eighty miles, and
into each one of these fords the regu-
lar route of our steamer called US
and hence, though Vadso, the ter.
minus of our voyage, is scarcely 15C
miles in direct line from the North
Cape, it took us over two days tc
make the distance, and this suggests
a peculiar feature Of steamer travel
in Norway. The double fare between
North Cape and Vadso voyage tha
extended over a whole week, was
only about SIS exclusive of board o.
course). The reason is that in Nor
way they reckon distance in straight
lines and think it is imposition
enough to take the traveller out O
his way without making him pay fo
this forced detour. Accordingly i
not unfrequently happens that i
costs more to go part way than th,
whole, and it is quite possible tina
had l concluded to cut short m,
voyage at one of the intermediate
stations instead of getting rebate
should have been required to pa!
more. However, the principle o
reckoning fares on a straight lin
basis commends itself to the NORWAY
where the crooks and indentations O
the coast are so manifold. There ar
also other steamer concessions tina
seem strange, for instance, member
of family, students and even pedes
TRANS are on some lines entitled t.
reduced fares.
The coast from North Cape t.
Vadso has much less of interest thar
that farther south. The landscap,
is bare and monotonous and even il
the middle of summer, notwithstand
ing the perpetual sunshine, grea
patches of snow extend close down
to the waters edge.
j. NJ. LYDGATE.
(To be continued)