The mirror., 1923-01-25
NORWAY
Continued from page I

ones accustomed to the easier ways of life
a wonder comes that living can be
wrestled from such meager resources as
surround these inhabitants of the land of
Thor. And yet, as a class happier, less
carefree, or more independent people,
would be hard to find. Basic reasons for
this, again speaking of the Norwegians OF
Norway as a class, are; a deep rooted
respect for religious and parental authority,
strong belief in Scandinavian mythology,
inmate honesty, outdoor life, habits of
thrift, and the enjoyment of simple COM
munity pleasures without allowing a
"crave" for unattainables to lessen the
joys of what they have.
Two busy towns remain clear in
memory; Tromso, built on small island
about FIVE niles long and Hammerfest, on
the mainland, situated at seventy degrees,
forty minutes North latitude. Although
these towns are within the Arctic Circle
the weather is not overly severe due to
the warmth of the Gulf Stream. The en-
tire west coast of Norway owes its inhabit-
able existence to this stream for without it
fjords, islands, lakes and land would be
buried under solid mass of ice and snow.
Christiana Fjord, some nine hundred miles
south, is frozen over for several months
each year.
Hammerfest is the worlds most northern
city and is built on fiat ledge of rock
along the base of hills that rapidly de-
velope into lofty, snow-capped mountains.
Vegetation finds scant root hold in this
stony locality, few birch and dwarf
pines being the only break in the austere
predominance of the rugged, rocky coast.
The buildings were all of wood, warmly
built to withstand the rigor of the long
frigid months Wood and peat was al
ready being dried and stored for winters
use. A visitor to Hammerfest needs no
explanation as to its means of support as it
is clearly perceptble to at least three of
the normally allotted FIVE senses. One sees
fish necessarily, tastes fish frequently,
smells fish continually. In spite of the
malodoriferous scent of drying fish two
days stay was an appreciated respite and
afforded a chance to obtain some much
needed rest while awaiting a boat bound
for North Cape.
1t is hard to become accustomed to per-
petual daylight with so many strange, stu
pendous sights to be seen but nature finally
asserted its self and retaliated by full
twenty-four hour period of refreshing
sleep. This was followed by ravenous
appetite in the appeasing of which eggs,
peculiar tasting cheese, hatbrod, barley
cakes and even the inevitable fish was
palatable. Hearing of a point of interest
a mile up the coast we started for it, but
as our informant neglected to tell us that
Norwegian mile is equal to nearly seven
American miles we didn't reach our
destination for over two hours. Part of
the way we walked between long rows
dry after being split from the head to
within an inch of the tail fin. Back of
these, on the fiat, rocky lodges were great
piles of partly dried fish corded similar to
the way father years before had instructed
us to pile the kitchen wood. Fish were
everywhere-more fish than one would
surmise the ocean could hold!
Returning close to shore we saw, at the
long, pile supported dock two boats load
ing for the trip south to market. Hides,
eider-down, barrels of whale oil and few
other commodities were slowed away, but
the principle cargoes were fish.
The excursion steamer on which we
were to make the round trip, left at five
o'clock for the eighty mile run to North
Cape. Steaming out through the Soro
Sund we passed many small islands too