The Argosy — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

216 About Norway. firma, But for his timely help I should have gone down more quickly than pleasantly, and probably never have had the chance of a second visit to the top of the North Cape: a chance, indeed, that I should pause seriously before accepting in any case. It will bear doing once, but I am doubtful about a repetition. Even the rein- deer had found the summit too much for them, for when we were fairly on the level of the table-land they had disappeared as com- pletely as if they had borrowed the magician’s carpet and transported themselves to the North Pole. ‘There the:weather might have been more genial: it could not have been less so. When the first boat-load shot off from the shore, Captain Bjornstad dressed the ship and fired a salute as a compliment to his passengers, and as they went on board the flags were dipped, to go up again when the second boat-load pushed off from the shore. This was re- peated until all were on board, and about two in the morning the ship weighed anchor. A very few yards out at sea and we stopped again; this time for the pleasure of a little deep sea-fishing. The lines were long and strong, and a large baited hook was dropped into the water. Ata certain length the line was held between the finger and thumb, and, jerked sharply upwards, certainly played havoc with the fish. Very soon large codfish strewed the decks. This lasted about an hour, and then the sport was abandoned. ‘Towards 3 a.m. we were fairly under way for Hammerfest, and reached it on Friday morning after breakfast. Torrents of rain were falling ; the air was icy cold, and no one felt inclined to land. Saturday morning early we reached Tromso, and went ashore at 8.30, to visit a settlement of Lapps with their reindeer. The captain had telegraphed our arrival: for, as the deer have to be collected and brought down from the mountains, it is necessary to give notice of an intended visit. It had rained all night in torrents, and it rained still. But this had not quenched anyone’s thirst for the marvellous and the un- common, and no one dreamed of staying behind. More than an hour’s walk was before us. The road to the settlement led through a birch wood, up the Tromsdal, or Valley of Tromsé, and the path in many places was almost impassable. Muddy, slippery, sometimes over ancles in wet, and sometimes coming to a dead stand before some literal slough of despond, we gradually made way, and even enjoyed the excursion. By-and-by the rain ceased for a little, and the air became at once less cold and disagreeable. The valley was picturesque ; in broad sunshine, blue skies, and a dry path, the walk might have been almost magnificent. On either side the slopes of the valley grew the birch trees, looking quite luxuriant for Norway. The valley itself stretched far upwards, and seemed to terminate in a . friendly meeting of the mountains: where, for those who cared and had time to explore, no doubt a grand pass would reward the enterprise. _ But our journey came to an end long before that point was gained, Eomicbooks.com