The Argosy — page 223: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

206 ABOUT NORWAY. By CHARLES W. Woop, AUTHOR OF “THROUGH HOLLAND.” N the Lofodens Nature having put forth all her strength, seems to have be- come exhausted with the effort. No scenery be- tween these islands and the North Cape can compare with them in grandeur and sublimity. You steam on- wards reluctant to leave regions so magnificent, so desolate and remote; form- ing a little world apart, dis- tinct and different from anything else encountered in these high latitudes. They become henceforth to the imagination less realities than scenes from fairyland, and memory recalls them as objects seen in a dream. A dream made up of gigantic rocks peaked and pinnacled ; jagged outlines sharp and piercing ; surrounded by gorgeous colours, skies tropic-hued at midnight, flashing, jewelled waters, and eternal day- light. More tangible were the bays and sounds that opened up ab- ruptly, ran a little way ‘nto the land, and disclosed small settlements sreen and sheltered ; mossy slopes that stood out in contrast with the | barren outer walls of these matchless islands of the North. . b We steered into one of these bays forming a natural harbour. For once the people of the settlement were asleep in the broad midnight light. The steamer sounded her whistle. Every little house was closed ; silence reigned, deep as that upon the summit of the peaks. | Not a creature stirred; not a dog barked ; not a window opened in answer to the signal. It might have been the abode of the Seven Sleepers, or an infected spot abandoned by every thing of life. Half-a-dozen times the whistle sounded, the echoes went multiplying up into the hills, and still the good folk heeded not. There was — _ cargo to land ; but, as the captain observed, it would keep. It was impossible to stay here for ever ; so, out of patience at last, he went ? off again. The drowsy people might wait for their goods until the return journey: perhaps by that time they would have awakened. Eomicbooks.com rw NNN . 5S thes Le