The record-union., 1893-12-02
Runnl a3nIstne 31pnner.

We met the head farmer and his son on
their way back to the fiord-side paddock
near the upper edge of the chasm. was
much more of a curiosity to these good
folk than they to me, for | was the first
foreigner that had ever visited this, or, so
far as l can learn, any other eagle-nest
farm in Norway. Peter made them know
easily enough who he was, and the greet
ings at the farm house, or houses, for
several branches of one family were hud-
died in great roomy houses along the
plateau, were rather an ovation than
welcome. | was altogether disappointed,
for had looked forward to knowing in
this experience the utterm0st desOla-
ton in which human beings can sustain
life. | was glad to find one of the cheer
lest places l had come upon anywhere in
Norway.
The eRgle-nest farm comprised alto
gether 200 or 300 acres of partially tillable
and grazing land. A mountain stream
ran through it. The cliff edge above the
ford was protected Dy low walls OF tim
ber and stone. The entire tract might be
called "swail," or little corrie or saucer
shaped depression such as you Will und
in the Scottish Highlands. In front was
misty lire above the ford, then
mighty panorama of mountain, valley
and waterfall as far as the eye could reach.
Behind lay first a field Of shapeless rock.
Then came a seemingly impenetrable for
est Oftir. Above this was another line OF
SCARED gray masses of Jagged stone, It's
upper edge serrated with StreakS and
gullies of snow, and then the glittering
range of ice upon the Dyrdal Field be-
yond. The light at this altitude, with
white peaks everywhere along the cir
cling horizon line, was painful and blind
ing, after a week passed in the shadowy
depths of the hords region below.
There were tine low, wide, stout tim
ber- built homes; perhaps half score OF
outbuildings for focks and herds, all ar
ranged so as to protect, much as possible,
both humans and animals from the awful
winter winds, d huge stOrehouSe as big as
village church for common use, and
curious old mill for grinding grain, where
the stream tumbled into the chasm in
which we had passed the night. The
larger farmhouse, or sort of patriarch to
them ali, had wide outer iucloSed hall.
In this were bestowed on shelves, hung
from pegs, or stood in corners, a strange
collection Of oars, fishing gear, rude farm
implements, game traps, TREMENDOUS fur
coats and rawhide boots, stags' Heads and
antlers, tusks of wild boars, powder
horn and shot pouches and firearms OF
strange and antique pattern. The living
rooms were four in number, huge and
square, leading from one to another
IuIOuRu udIG OpGu1IiSos sliANA III a OOi hOl
of each was an open fireplace as large as l
have ever seen. Every article of furni-
ture-long, low tables, uncouth but COM
Portable chairs, cumberous chests, bunk
beds built into and against the walls,
heavy shelves upon great pegs driven
into the house timbers, and even the
gaily-painted bureaus with the house
wives names and dates of their marriage
upon them-was of home manufacture.
With all these evidences of ample con-
tent, if within primitive environment, l
felt abashed at my own constantly recur-
ring preconceived tendencies to construct
social and material pictures Of meager-
ness and desOlatiOn where no such con-
ditions existed. At middagsmad, or dim
ner, which consisted of a sort OF vegetable
soup seasoned with bits of dried fish, the
universal tladbrod, something like the
Scottish hammock, black bread, inordinate
quantities of cheese, butter, cream and
milk, with great basins OF tiny, but Won
drously sweet jOrdbaeret or strawberries.
these things were frankly spoken Of,
causing the greatest merriment among
the family of my host.
What lacked they? Here were COM
Portable homes, and their land which had
remained unQuestioned in the one family
since Norway was Norway. The women
spun the yarn, wove the cloth, made the
clothing they all wore, and, besides, at
tended to the cattle, and worked much IN
the fields. The men felled timber in
winter, hunted reindeer, trapped and
shot game, sometimes went on long fish
ing and whaling enterprises, and the land
produced enough grain and grass for fod-
der, besides furnishing grazing for the
animals OF less fortunate peasants who
often brought their COWS here for the
summer months, and which explained
the presence of the three waiting in the
gorge beside the ford.
All these folk could read, though none
had ever attended school. Elementary
education seems almost hereditary here,
and books, from the musty sagas TO the
prose poems of Anderson, were piled upon
the rude shelves above the tireplaces.
Two or three times q year they went to
church at Bakke. These were great oc-
casions, and all went in boats together.
In the long winter months the fires of the
great chimneys rOared as loud as the
mountain tempestS; with snoWshoeS they
visited other eagle-nest homes, and en-
ioyed much simple merry-maklng, and
from year in until year out, indeed from
one generation to another they knew no
inextricable exigency and experienced
no need or longing beyond their own mu-
tual provision and Requirement.
More surprising than all, after we had
departed-the entire ''eagle-nest' COM
munity accompanying us to the edge of
the chasm aud sending many hearty
''iavel'' after us even when the cliff had
hidden them from sight-and while de-
scending to the ford with the head far
mer and his son, we learned that these
| folk had never seen or known any officer
of the law, and that there was not even a
| tradition in the numerous family above
our heads of a title to their lands being
essential, or of any attempt ever having
been made for the collection of taxes
upon any Of these Norwegian eagle-nest
farms. EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.