Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-12
FAMOUS FLOODS OF NORWAY
Days and Nights Along the WondrOus
Water Ways of that Country,
S%LUMBRoUS VALLEYS AND MIGHTY CHASMS.
High Waterfalls and Most Tremendous Gia-
cier Fields, Forming continuous Scenes
Observation-Disclosures Facts About
the Hard Peasantry.

LONDON, Oct. 10. Correspondence OF
The BEE. Norway is so cut and haggled
by the numerous tiords or sea arms which
often penetrate nearly to her eastern
boundary, that 1t might perhaps be truth
fully said her ~thoroughfares 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 with
out ever leaving a steamers deck. BY keep
ing 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 a half-score miles, every principal point
of scenic interest could be gained. And If
one should set out upon a "land Journey
from Stavanger, on the southwestern coast
to ~Trondhjem, midway to the Lofoden
islands, it is likely that nearly one.half of
this distance Of from 800 to 400 miles would
still necessarily be traversed in the count
less row boats (roe baade) and little steamers
of the fiords.
These fords are therefore almost first in
combined attractiveness TO the traveller.
They possess three distinct phases of inter
est. They are the chief national highways;
~ BIOdbcSb pUSSlulb 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 waterfalls, crags and dales of the
fercely desolate fields or mountain reaches.
they certainly provide EXAMINATIONS and
combinations of the most impressive scenery
to be found IN Norway.
OF late years Norway has almost out
| rtyolad Gyyifza,l,nI 4, O. n ra,o,, fo, ;,l.r,,,
gable lovers of the sublime in natures as
poets. This is largely because of this very
c~ommlngling of the Alpine; tho marine and
the human elements. In our own amazing Yo-
semitic there are immensity, sublimity and q
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 1000 feet in height, ma
jestlc snowclad peaks twice this altitude,
tremendous torrents and waterfalls thou
sands OF feet from leap to pool, glacier fields
hundreds OF square miles in area-and, ton
ing and softening all from an endless piano.
rama of sublimity unoearable, that tender
threading OF human color in never-failing
sight of valley or eerie nests of love and
effort where hardy, honest yeomen dwell.
Famous Norwegian FIord,.
The most noted of these Norwegian fiords
are the Hardanger, the Sogne. the
L hliu IUo IOIl lUb
first three extend more than a score of
lesser fiords. Most of these are marvels of
beauty and grandeur as individual types.
All are mountain-waled and nearly land
locked. Their protection by the outer SKIER
ries and lslets and the unceasing tremendous
counter-force of mountain torrents from the
ice fields, prevent a tidal rise Of their natu-
raj surfaces of moro than three feet. OF
the four named, the Gciranger is the mar
rowest, tho Hardanger the most beautiful,
the Trondhjemthe most interestingly diver
sitied, and the Sogne and its divergent arms
the longest and most savage ana often APP
palling in its grandeur.
Through its accessibility from Bergen the
Hardangcr ford is likely to be the first Nor
wegian ford seen by the tourist. II is about
seventy miles in length. Two classes of
steamers ply upon it, as well as upon the
other tiords named, ohc swift, capacious and
elegant mail steamers which touch at few
landings, called stations and the local
passenger 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 in
cidents of the voyage are more varied and
charming. Besides, the magnificent scenery
of the tiords is thus more leisurely enjoyed.
More than 100 calls for passengers 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 num-
berless valley stations; and along the Har-
danger ford this is OF much account, as the
| peaSanUfy OF Jne f1ufuanEer district are per-
hapS the most characteristic in dress and
customs yet remaining in Norway. The hui
man interest along the H~ardangeris continu.
Gus. Groups of the peasantry, especially
where setting out for or returning from
funerals, weddings or summertime festlvi-
ties, are always as picturesque as may be
seen in Brittany or Normandy. The men
are all clad in dark garments and the women
arc gay with CLINT and color. The Harlan
ger female costume in the field often consists
| nf nna Unrnnpt 1iSnla yinU the outllnna nf tho
form with considerable freedom, though
there will always be a bit of color in kerchief
about the neck or head. But when these
Hardanger matrons and lasscs bedeck them
selves for sad or merry occasions there are
certain old and gaudily painted pine chests
IN every household TO be safely drawn upon
for requisite finery.
How the Women Folk Dress.
II is then their black, blue or brown
wooden skirts reach the plentiGude and i'm
measurab BILE foldingssof the Newshayen fish
wife or the Connemara knitter on market
day. Their waists and sleeves are snowy
white, and never were elsewhere seen such
vast, ~spotless and flowing aprons as they
possess. Their big bodices, which are always
open for the display through Il square yoke
of snowy plaits, bits of embroidery and
monstrous silver breaches, are quantity
wrought with silk, white beads, or with sill
yer and gilt, while the tremendous white
caps of the married women, winged and
oldi lHS uia Wv - tlt IA blhfS v
light WOODEN frames. The girls often wear
only the haxen head dress which nature
gave them, braided with bright ribbons,
although some will be seen with tiny beaded
caps pcrched ~jauntily upon their heads. AS
the Irish country lassies often carry their
shoes and stockings to the edge of the vii
lage on market day and innocently put their
pretty feet and legs into Them at convenient
hating places by the roadside, SO these
thrifty Hardanger peasant women make
parcels OF their most precious garments and
iinery and complete their amazing toilets
near the place of merry making or before
entering the village church, unconscious of
observation and innocent of alarm.
Then there are the oncommg and debark-
ing of passengers; the curious forms of
freight landed and received; the continuous
crossing and recrossing of the waters by
peasant parties from valley TO valley and
hamlet TO hamlet; the tours, crowds rush
ing for inus or engaging carrloles for noun
tain tours amiable collections OF Stolkjaeres
drivers with their patient ponies and their
numbering carts; deans and parsons enroute
to distant parishes; American and English
hunters and fishers with their marvellous
outfits and belongings, comprising every
thing save evidences of game taken, setting
out for the fields or being rowed To more
promising fields of sport; grave old bonders