The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-30
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,kli Rillts Reserved.,
 .6ergei, Norway, June 29. 'o6.--Nor- way was so f1ll of attractions at the time of our visit that I am at loss 10 know In what order to treat them. As those things which are permanent win interest a larger number than the transfent ceremonies attending the oivwning of a new king. shall give preference to the most distinguishing feature of Norway, that which has been tnterwoven with her name. viz. the midnight sun.
 Owing to it's accessibility and to the xaot that its climate Is moderated by the Influence of the gulf stream, the coast of upper Norway furnishes the best opportunity which Europeans have f0 mount the Arctic merry-go- rcunt and view the sun through the whoze nightless day. 1t Is a weird experience. this passing from day to day without intervening darkness. and oae returns from 1t somewnat exhaust ed. for the light tempts him to en- croach upon she hours of sleep.
 The North Cape, the. northermost point of -he continent of Europe, IS usually the destination of the tourist, but it is not necessary to go so Tar to see all that there is worth seeing. There are several towns above the Arctic circle where for several weeks the sun never sinks to the horizon, At Bodo. which is but little more than a days ride by boat from Trond- hjen1s the sun is visible at midnight from May 30 to July II. At Hammer fest. which is the terminus of some of the steamboat lines, and wnicn claims to be the northermost town .n the world, the sun does not set be- tween May 13 and July 2S. while at Trornso, not quite so far north as T4amyuerfest, the inhabitants have but ten days less of the midnight sun.
 We stopped at Svolvaer. one of the chief fishing stations of the Lofoden islands. nearly 200 miles north of the Arctic circle. We arrived about seven in the evening, and even before reaching there would have seen the sun but for a bank of clouds behind which 1t passed at about 11:30 on the previous night. Svolvaer nestles at the foot of some snow-crowned peaks which shut out the northern horizon and 1t is necessary to go out into the open sea or to climb . mountain 10 get an uninterrupted view. With our usual good luck we found an English speaking Norwegian who had studied in the United States and with him to direct us, we spent a memorfable night among the islands.
 The channel to the north, known as Raffsund, is one of the most ptctur- esdue along the entire coast. and the Trolafjord, which leads from it through rockbound gorge to the out- let of q famous mountain lake. is not surpassed in rugged grandeur. Trold- ztord deserves to be described by 2 poet, for prose cannot do 1t Justice if any of my, readers have ever passed through the Royal Gorge in southern Colorado. they, may understand me when I say that Troldfjord is a Royal Gorge with its walls widoned Ito . quarter of mile and heightened to a niIe, and the space between them filled with transparent sea. whose surface perfectly mirrors every rock and shrub. At the upper and or tne xj0rd is a majestic cascade, the dash ing, spIashing. foaming outlet of the lake goo feet above. Our launch ceased it's throbbing and floated swanlike on tho fathomless water. while we feast ed our eyes upon a picture so beautiful that darkness hesitates to draw cur tain over its charms.
 The mountain, Digermulkoilen, se- iecfed as an observation point. Is on the Raftsund, and not far from the Troldfjord. I can not give it's height, but when I guess at 1t before the ascent I put it at 500 or 500 feet; af- ter ascending it am satisfied that 1t ls a thousand. We timed our trip so as to reach the top at midnight. siak- ing our thirst from the snowbanks along the trail, and 1t was the fault of the clouds that we did not see the orb Of day--at this season and in this latitude he is orb of night as we'll as he reached the lowest point; but they were kind to us little later GOT through q lift in them we saw the face of old Sol just long enough to be sure that he. like ourselves. was up for all night Even though the clouds concealed the sun at the witching hour or midnight, the light was the light of day. and had no difficulty in reading paper (which truth as well as loyalty to my own publication com pels me to say was the Commoner). The fact that we almost missed seeing the sun at all leads me to remark that