The record-union., 1893-11-11
Special Correspondence of the RECORD
UNION. Copyright 1898.


LONDON, October 10, 1893.
Norway is SO cut and haggled by the
numerous fords or sea-arms which often
penetrate nearly to her eastern boundary.
that 1t might perhaps, be truthfully said
her thoroughfares are mainly by water
and that her tremendous stone roads OF
the mountains and valleys are after all
merely feeders to her silent and mighty
waterways.
One could truly see most of Norway
without ever leaving steamers deck.
BY keeping TO the routes established from
cities through the larger fiords and
their almost countless lesser arms and
branches, and never leaving them on
either hand more than half-score miles,
every principal point of scenic interest
could be gained. And if one should set
out upon ''land journey from Stavan-
ger, on the southwestern coast, to Trondh-
jem, midway to the Lofoden Islands, 1t is
likely that nearly one-half of this dis
tanee of from three to four hundred
miles would still necessarily be trav-
ersed in the countless rowboats roe
baade) and little steamers OF the tiords.
These fords are therefore almost first
in combined attractiveness to the trav-
eler. They possess three distinct phases
OF interest. They are the chief national
highways, the greatest possible diversity
in peasant and village life is found upon
their shores and in the adjacent valleys,
and, with few exceptions, as with the
glacier fields and upper falls, crags and
dales of the fiercely desolate fields or
mountain reaches, they certainly pro-
vide culminations and combinations of
the most impressive scenery to be found
in Norway.
OF late years Norway has almost out
rivaled Switzerland as q resort for inde-
fatigable lovers of the sublime in natures s
aspects. This is largely because of this
very commingling of the Alpine, the
marine and the human elements. In our
own amazing Y Yosemite there are i'm
mensity, sublimity and a silence that is
appalling. Here are all these in infinite
variety and xpression-endless sea-
reach, measureless water-depths, sheer
walls from 2, 600 to 4, 600 feet in hight, ma
jestic snow-clad peaks twice this alti-
tude, tremendous torrents and water
falls thousands of feet from leap to pool,
glacier fields hundreds of square miles
in area-and, toning and sottening all
from an endless panorama of sublimity
unbearable, that tender threading of hui
man color, in never-failing sight of val
ley or eerie nests of love and effort whore
hardy, honest yeomen dwell.
The most noted of these Norwegian
fiords are the iHardanger, the Sogne, the
Trondhjem and the Geiranger. From
the first three extend more than a score
of lesser fiords. Most of these are mar
wells of beauty and grandeur as individ-
ual types. All are mountain walled and
nearly land-locked. Their protection by
the outer skerries and islets and the un-
ceasing tremendous counterforce eofmoun-
tain torrents from the icefelds prevent a
tidal rise Of their natural surfaces of more
than three feet. Of the four named the
Geiranger is the narrowest, the Hardan-
ger the most beautiful the Trondhiem
the most interestingly diversified, and
the Sogne and its divergent arms the
longest and most savage and often ap-
pal1ing in its grandeur.
Through its accessibility from Bergen
the Hardanger ford is likely to be the
first Norwegian ford seen by the tour
ist. 1t is about seventy miles in
length. Two classes of steamers ply
upon it, as well as upon the other fiords
named, the swift, capacious and elegant
mail steamers which touch at few land
ings called stations" and the local pas
senger and freight boats which take no
heed of time, even from its loss. The
latter should always be chosen. They
are very comfortable, scrupulously clean,
and the incidents of the voyage are more
varied and charming. Besides, the mag
nificent scenery of the fiords is thus more
leisurely enjoyed.
More than a hundred calls for passen-
gers or freight are made on the voyage TO
Odde at the head of the ford. This brings
YOU in closer contact with the life along
Its numberless valley stations, and along
the Hardanger ford this is of much ac-
count. as the peasantry OF the Hardangel
district are perhaps the most character
istic in dress and customs yet remaining
in Norway. The human interest along
the Hardanger is continuous. Groups OF
the peasantry, especially where setting
out for or returning from funerals, we'd
dings or summertime festivities are al
ways as picturesque as may be seen in
Brittany or Normandy. The men are all
clad in dark garments and the women
are gay with CLINT and color. The Har-
danger female costume in the field often
consists of one garment displaying the
outlines of the form with considerable
freedom, though there will always be 9
bit of color in kerchief about the neck OF
head. But when these Hardanger ma
irons and lasses bedeck themselves fol
sad or merry occasions there are certain
old and gaudily painted pine chests in
every household to be safely drawn upoI
for requisite finery.
It is then their black, blue or brown
wcolen skirts reach the plentitude anG
immeasurable foldings of the Newhaver
fishwife or the Connemara knitter Oh
market-day. Their waists and sleeves
are snowy white. and never were else.
where seen such vast, spotlesS and flow
ing aprons as they possess. Their bright
bodices, which are always open for the
display through square yoke of snowy
plaits, bits of embroidery and monstrouS
silver brooches, are quantity wrought
with silk, with beads or with silver anC
gilt, while the tremendous white caps o.
The married women, winged and blarins
and wide, are held in place over ligh
wooden frames. The girls often veal
only the fiaxen head-dress which nature
gave them. braided with bright ribbons
though some will be seen with tiny
beaded caps perched jauntily upon theil
heads. As the Irish country lassies otter
carry their shoes and stockings to tht
edge of the village on market-day, anc
innocently put their pretty feet and legs
into them at convenient halting-places
by the roadside. so these thrifty Hardan
ger peasant women make parcels of theil
most precious garments and fnery, anc
complete their amazing toilets near tht
place of merry making or before entering
the village church, unconscious OF obser'
walton and innocent of alarm.
Then there are the oncomlng and de-
barking of passengers, the curious forms
of freight landed and received; the contin
nous crossing and recrossing of the wa
ters by peasant parties from valley to val
lev and hamlet to hamlet; the touris
crowds rushing for inns or engaging car
roles fer mountain tours; amlable col
lections of stolkjaeres drivers with theil
Datieut ponies and their numbering carts
deans and parsons en- route to distan
parishes: American and English hunters
and fishers with their marvellous outfits
and belongings, comprising everything
save evidences of game taken, setting on