The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-08-04

YET. One curiosity IL tHS GhOitdouo
size Of the leaves of the maple trees,
being as large as mans straw hat.
There is very little night here. For
weeks the long continued light is very
favorable for the growth Of vegetation
but at this time it is too early for vege
tables The valleys m Ike good dairy
country, only the season Is short.
Having seen all that was interesting,
we take passage on one Of the Ber-
genske. Selskab mail steamers tor a
| cruise along the coast 10 the North
cape, Almost all the way up the
course is inside the SkraeEgaard or
inland belt which lines the coast. Each
Of the boats has two pilots, one always
on duty, because Of the very rocky
and dangerous channel. When the
boat is moving the real interest Of the
Northland trip begins with the island
OF Froghatten, which we reached the
second day. We land by small boat
and Chamber over rocks to inspect the
rock tunnel, the greatest natural curl
osity in Norway. The hill is about
eight hundred feet high, and the tunnel
is about half way up and is two hun
bred feet high and two hundred yards
long. The ends are piled with i'm
mense piles of debris fallen from the
rocks above. TIE tunnel, which IS
large hole through the hill. Is supposed
to have been sand rock, which time
has worn away. One can walk in
twenty minutes from Froghalten TO
the Altenijord, which is grand and
beyond my power to describe. At
times it would look as though we were
on a large lake studded with low,
rocky islands, then through a narrow
winding river with perpendicular rocks
two thousand feet high. Then we
would seem to be completely land
locked in a small pond with mountains
four and five thousand feet high on all
sides covered with snow almost to the
waters edge. The rocks and snow
would be reflected from the smooth,
calm water, then gusts of wind would
rush down the mountain gorges
and lash the Gords into a fury. The
scene would shift from one TO the
other the entire distance of four hun
dred miles in very short time.
This being the noon Of the long day
everything is lighted up by the sun.
We got our first view of the midnight
sun on the Svartisen glacier, the best
place to see it on the coast. The sun
swings around the northern horizon
about three diameters CT its disk above
the sea, and casts its bright rays over
miles OF blue green ice. Passing the
Altenford the scenery becomes tame In
comparison. The snow clad noun
tains disappear and it becomes dreary
We reached Hemmerfest the seventh
day from Trondhjem. Hemmerfest IS
the most northern town In the world,
latitude 100 40 and 1862 miles in
| direct line from the north pole. From
May 18th until July 29th, period of
seventy-seven days, the sun does not
set. AT midnight OF June goth it is
about 10 degrees above the horizon,
and it looks very strange to see the
suu going around in circle and not
setting. We found Hemmerfest to be
commonplace fishing town with about
two thousand inhabitants and situated
above the limited timber. No trees Of
any kind to be seen many miles before
reaching it. 1t is not pleasant place
to visit, the odors from the cod liver
oil boileries and train oil factories are
sickening.
We soon made arrangements for a
trip inland. One can see the same
sights IN day as he could in week,
the difference being repetition of the
same scenes, namely, rocky table
land with low hills, not visible sign of
vegetable life except reindeer moss.
Sometimes we would see a herd of
deer and ali occasional patch Of dirty
snow.
In the interior are tracts Of land
larger than Cecil county where not
human being is to be found. Leaving
Hemmerfest TO continue our voyage
We found plenty 10 interest Us. At
times the air would be full of sea gulls
and swarms of cider ducks, and we
could see droves of seals and now and
then norwhale sporting and playing.
We owe great part OF the pleasure
of the trip to the kindness of Captain
Svendsten, who was 50 kind as to let
US on the bridge The weather Is very
uncertain in the high laiitudes. In
few hours alter leaving Hemmertest we
are in the fogs and mists of the Arctic
ocean. We saw nothing OF the north
cape but black rocks through clouds
of mist. Our vessel beng trading
boat we sailed to the southwest TO a
lonely whaling station, Sarvar, belong
Ing to Svend Tayn, the great Nor
wegian whale fisherman. While TAX
ing on cargo an Arctic storm was gath
ering. We could hear the roar Of the
breakers upon the rocks around the
harbor. As we had a ten hour run
before we could get within the island
belt we had the experience Of an
Arctic storm, our vessel, the Jonas Lee,
went through some very remarkable
performances. There are some things
which it is not pleasant to think ever,
and the recollection OF the next ten
hours is among them. Even under
what passes for favorable conditions on
an Atlantic liner, it is no easy matter
to convince ones self that it worth
while being through an attack Of sea
sickness. 1t is more difficult, one can
sassure you, to find yourself almost
deserted IN bit of cabin where the
stewards cannot speak English.
The next day finds US in Tromso,
busy trading town, $50 miles south
of Hemmerfest, and the best place to
spend a few days that there is in the
northern country. 1t is about as large
as Elkton, houses built of timber
rooted with red tile. Wood grows here,
and what they call fine woods grow
ing back of the town is what a Cecil
countian would call brush, the trees
being only ten and fifteen feet tall, the
variety not being great, only birch and |
mountain ash.
When clear one can see the sur
rounding mountains covered with snow
that are many miles away. We made
an excursion inland 10 the Lapp's
village in the Tromsdad, collection of
huts or gammer, with about one hun
bred inhabitaEs, In summer the