Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-16

special Correspondence of Gazette ana Journal |
LONDON, Nov. 1.-Norway is so cut and |
haggled by the numerous fords or sea-
arms which often penetrate nearly to her |
eastern boundary, that it might perhaps |
be truthfully said her thordughfares are |
mainly by water and that her many and |
tremendous stone roads of the mountains
and valleys are after all merely feeders to
her silent and mighty water ways.
One could truly see most Of Norway
without ever leaving steamers deck. By
keeping to the routes established from
cities through the larger liords and their
almost countless lesser arms and branches
and never leaving them OH either hand
more than half-score miles, every princ,-
pal point of scenic interest could he gained.
And il one should set out upon "lapd
Journey" from Stavanger, on the south
western coast, to Trondhjem, midway TO
the Lofoden Islands, it is likely that nearly
one.half of this distance of from three to
four hundred miles would still necessarily
be traversed in the countless row-boats
(roe-baade) and little steamers of the
fords.
These fiords are therefore almost first in
combined attractiveness to the traveller.
They possess three distinct phases of in
terest. They are the chief national high
ways: the greatest possible diversity in
peasant and village life is found upon
their shores and in the adjacent valleys;
aud with few exceptions, as with the glacier
fields and upper waterfalls, crags and dales
OF the fiercely- desolate fields or mountain
reaches, they certainly provide culmina-
tons and combinations of the most i'm
pressive scenery to be found in Norway.
OF late years Norway has almost out
riyaled Switzerland as resort for indie
fatigable lovers of the sublime in natures
aspects. This is largely because of this
very commingling of the Alpine, the ma
rine and the human elements. In our own
amazing Yosemite there are immensely,
sublimity, and silence that is appalling.
Here are all these in infinite variety and
expression-endless sea-reach, measureless
water depths, sheer walls from 1000 To
4,00O feet in height, majestic snow-clad
peaks twice this altitude, tremendous tor
rents and waterfalls thousands OF feet
from leap to pool glacier-ields hundreds
of square miles in area-and, toniEg and
softening all from an endless panorama of
sublimity uubearable, that tender thrend-
ing of human color, in never-failing sight
of valley or eerie nests of love and effort
where hardy, honest yeomen dwell.
The most noted of these Norwegian
fiords are the Hardanger, the Sogne, the
Trondhjem and the Geirapger. From
the first three extend more than score of
lesser fiords. Most of these are marvels of
beauty and grandeur as individual types.
All are mountain-w walled and nearly land
locked Their protection by the outer
mendous counter-force Of mountain tor
rents from the ice-helds, prevent tidal
rise of their natural surfaces of more than
three feet. OF the four named, the
Geiranger is the narrowest, the Hardanger
the most beautiful, the TrondhJem the
Sogne and its divergent arms the longest
and most savage and often appalling in its
grandeur. .,.
Through its accessibility from Bergen
the Hardanger ford is likely to be the first
Norwegian ford seen by the tourist. It is
about seventy miles in length. Two
classes of steamers ply upon IT, as well as
upon the other iior6s named, the swift
capacious and elegant mail steamers
which touch at few landings, called ''sta
tions," and the local passenger and freight
boats which take no head of time, ever
from its loss. The latter should always bt
chosen, They are very comfortable, scru
pulously clean, and the incidents of the
voyage are more varied and charming
Besides, the magnificent scenery OF thu
tlords is thus more leisurely enjoyed.
More than hundred calls for pas
sengers or freight are made on the voyage
to Odde Mt the head OF the hord. Ihli
brings Won in closer contact with the lif'
along its numberless valley stations; ant
along the Hardanger ford this is OF mucl
accoant, as the peasantry OF the Hard
anger district are perhaps the mos
CHARACTERISTIC in dress and customs. yet re
naming in Norway. The human interes
along the Hardanger is continuous
Groups of the peasantry, especially wher
setting out for or returning from funerals
weddings or summertime festivities ar
always as picturesque as may be seen il
Brittany or Normandy. The men are al
clad in dark garments and the women ar
gay with CLINT and color. The Hardange
female costume in the field often consist
of opegarment displaying the outlines @
the form with considerable freedom
though there will always be hit Of colo
in kerchief about the neck or head. Blu
when these Hardanger matrons and lasse
bedeck themselves for sad or merry occi
sions there are certain old and gaudii
painted pine chests in every household
be safely drawn upon for requisite tnery
u is then their black, blue or brow
wooden skirts reach the plenitude and i'm
measurable foldings OF the Newhaye
fishwife or the Connemara knitter o
market day. Their waists and sleeves IL
snowy white. and never were elsewheT
seen such vast, spotless and flown
aprons as they possess. Their hrigl
bodices, which are always open for Il
display through square yoke OF snow
plaits. bits of embroidery and monstrol
silver breaches are quantity wrougl
with silk, with beads or with silver IN
gilt while the tremendous white caps
the married women, winged and blarir
and wide, are held in place over ligl
wooden frames. The girls often wear on
the haxen head-dress which nature ga
them, braided with bright ribbons, {
though some will be seen with tiny bead,
caps perched jauntily upon their head
As the Irish country lnssies often car
their shoes and stockings to the edge
the village on market-day, and innocent
put their pretty feet and legs into them
convenient halting-places by the roadsid
so these thrifty Hardanger peasant wom
make parcels of their most precious "a
ments and finery, and complete the
amazing toilets near the place of merr
making or before entering the villa
church, unconscious of observation al
innocent of alarm.
Then there are the oncoming and {
barking of passengers; the curious forl
of freight landed and received; the cont
uous crossing and recrossing of the wat(
by peasant parties from valley to vail
and hamlet 10 hamlet; the tourist crow
rushing for inns or engaging carrioles
mountain tours; amiable collections
Stolkiaeres drivers with their patient
mics and their numbering carts; deans a
parsons enroute to distant parishes: Anne
can and English hunters and fishers wi
their marvellous outfits and belonging
comprising everything save evidences
game taken. setting out for the fields
being rowed TO more promising .fields
sport; grave old bonders from upla
gaarde, silent, important, wise, but rotu
from good digestion and calm and benz
from measureless content, making y
feel that there is something substant
about Norway aside from her crags a
ice lumber owners from the cities visit