The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-04-03
Raftsund and again passed out to sea.
That night was the first night Of
several that.we sat up to see the mid

FedO on deck, the sun ala not appear.
All along the coast the Norwegians
have built their homes. II was hard
to believe sometimes that this remote
portion of the earth was inhabited.
These homes bring to mind the words
of the beloved Norwegian poet Born
sen:
Yes, We love with fond devotion, Nor
ways mountain domes.
Rising storm dashed DER the ocean,
with their hundred homes"
LAPP ENCAMPMENT
We landed off the Lyngen ford and
drove to a Lapp encampment about
three miles distant. Here we had
our first ride in a Norwegian convey
ance which they term the "Stolk-
jaerre.'
This is a two wheeled cart for two
persons, with a shelf-lke seat on be-
hind for the driver We became
greatly attached to the Norwegian
horses, or ponies they seemed like.
They are sturdy little animals with
closely clipped names, and of yell
lowish brown or mustard color They
were always well groomed and gentle,
showing that they had been subject
to the kindest of treatment.
We found the visit TO the Lapp en-
campment among the most interest
ing of the side trips that we took.
These strange little inhabitants of the
Arctic circle presented an interesting
and curious sight. 1t was a study to
watch the expression on their little
wizened, dried-up, dirty faces, and to
hear their peculiar chatter when they
had accomplished a sale.
HAMERFEST
The day following our visit to the
Lapp encampment brought us TO
Hammerfest, it was a surprise to us
to see in such close proximity to the
North Pole a town of about 1000 in
habitants with schools, a church.
electric lights "a weekly paper. and
a telegraph station from whence
some of our party sent kilograms
home. More than two months of
darkness is the annual fate of Ham
merfest, and the electric lights are
kept constantly burning during that
time.
Sailing finally from Hamerfest, a
VOYAGE of about seven hours brought
us to our destination, North Cape,
under whose frowning cliffs we land
ed at nine p. NJ, which, if We had not
been informed, we would have as
easily taken for nine A. NJ, as it was
broad day light. North Cape is the
extremity of the small island of Ma
zero, and the most northern point of
Europe.
The form of North Cape is indeed
similar to that of a wedge. 1t is a
dark gray slate rock. furrowed with
deep clefts, rising abruptly from the
sea to q height of 1000 feet. We land
ed on the east side of the rock in a
sort of cove whence we started our
ascent up steep zigzag path, which
has been constructed and provided
with rope fastened to iron stanchions
for the benefit of bad walkers. 1t
was an arduous ascent but there were
few who did not brayely undertake
it. The highest elevation was
marked by a granite monument com
memorating King Oscars visit here in
1873. There was also a hut here
where one could 80 for rest and
warmth. The sole attraction as We
gazed out upon the open polar sea
from this barren summit was the
bleakness and the solemnity with
which We were surrounded. There
was no tree. no habitation in sight
only the rocky cliffs on which the
waves We're dashinE We felt rather
oyerburdened with the sense of the
barrenness about us. Here We must
wait until midnight for that for
which we hoped it might be our lot
to see from this vantage point, name
ly the Midnight sun. At 1870 the
sun appeared and We felt that our pa
thence was to be rewarded, but it soon
hid it's face behind a bank of clouds,
not to reappear again. although we
waited until twelve O'Clock. Had
it not been fro frequent visits to the
hut to get warm We would have suf-
fered with the cold.
We stopped at Tromsoe the head
quarters of the Arctic whalers and
the starting of so many polar ex-
petitions. Tromsoe is an attractive
little town of about 5000 inhabitants
and is beautifully situated on the
eastern slope of a billy island II
is a busy trading place, It's special
commodities being dried and smoked
herring as we'll as other fish and furs.
We noticed here particularly the air
Of cleanliness that peryaded. The
houses are almost all we'll painted,
the windows were gay with gerani-
ums, carnations. and other flowers.
This was true of all Norwegian towns
and was a marked contrast to what
we saw in France.