Houses of Jemtland
Farmers.—Landscape on the Road.—A Drove of Cattle.—The Town of 0stersund.—A
Trusting Landlady.—Frbsb.—Grave-diggers.—Departure from 0stersund.—Immense
Forests.—Game. —A Picturesque Country.—An Intelligent Horse.—Areskutan.—The
Norwegian Frontier.—Descent towards the Sea.—Superb Scenery.—An Old
Farm.—Levanger.—A Fruitful District.—Trondhjem.
THERE are several high- roads from the Baltic
westward, converging towards the town of Ostersund, in Jemtland, and thence
to the Norwegian city of Levanger, and Trondhjem, on the North Sea, thus
crossing the peninsula from sea to sea; from Hudiksvall the route traverses
the whole length of the province of Helsingland, from Sundsvall through that
of Medelpad, and from Hernosand, skirting the Angermanelf, and crossing the
Indalself to Ostersund.
The most direct route is by way of Sundsvall, the
distance to Trondhjem by this being over five hundred miles, but the road
from the former place is at first tiresome and sandy; the most picturesque
road is from Hernosand along the Angerman River. There will soon be direct
railway communication between the two cities.
On the 29th of August, passing through a beautiful
country from Holm, I arrived at the hamlet of Solleftea, where a fair is
held twice a year, and was housed for the night at a very comfortable farm.
All the way from the sea I had noticed that winter rye was raised more
extensively than barley, but both crops seemed to be ripening at about the
same time; oats were backward, requiring about ten days longer to mature for
the summer had been cold ; the currants were ripe, and the carrots, turnips,
beets, and pease looked well.
The next morning I reached the hamlet of Forss, on
the banks of the Indalself, over a fine road from the Angermanelf. I saw no
hassjas, for the grain in this district is dried and stacked in the open
air; the winter rye was cut, the barley was fast falling under the scythes
of the reapers, the oats were getting yellow ; on the coast there were
fields of hemp, which is spun for the manufacture of fishing-nets and cord ;
potatoes were abundant, and each farm had its patches of hop-plants, used by
the farmers in the brewing of their beer. Immense boulders were scattered
over the face of the country. A few of the houses were painted white, but
most of them red, with white borders around the windows and the corners, and
a white strip following the line of the roof.
The hamlets are scattered wherever the soil is
fertile, and the luxuriant waving fields and meadows appear the more
cheerful, as they are separated often by large tracts of rocky or forest
land. The houses of the well-to-do farmers of Southern Agermanland and
Jemtland are exceedingly clean. Many farms have two dwelling-houses, oue of
which is not occupied by the family, but always kept in perfect order; one
house is used in summer, and the other in winter—"giving time to one to
rest," as the people sometimes laughingly remarked.
The landscape was continually changing from
charming tracts of cultivated land, the solitude of silent forests, smiling
shores of lakes, dreary marshes, to now and then a glimpse of a white
foaming stream dashing against rocks and boulders 'which lay in its course.
The cold nights—the mercury standing at 42°-showed
that the summer had ended, though during the day the sun was quite warm, the
mercury often standing at 68° in the shade at 1.30 p.m.; the swallows were
massing together, pre-paring for their migration southward, and the cattle
were returning from Norway.
We met a herd of about two hundred cows following a
girl, whose shrill cries constantly urged them on a short distance behind
came twelve horses, led by a man whose vocation was evidently that of a
cattle-driver. One of the horses turned and followed us, in spite of our
endeavors to prevent him ; we had to stop and give him in charge of a man
who was passing in the opposite direction. Then we came to a flock of sheep,
which, as soon as they saw our horse, turned about, and at a quick trot went
back to the old woman who was their shepherdess; she had in her hands a
stocking, which she was knitting as she walked, but stopped her work to
pacify the frightened animals, talking to them until we had passed.
The road then passed through long stretches of
forest, the farms were fewer and the soil more barren. Some of the post
stations were very clean and comfortable, but the food was plain. In one of
the farm-houses the walls of the' parlor were-covered with blue paper of a
small pattern; the curtains were of snowy muslin, and there were two sofas,
a rocking-chair, a bureau, a table in the centre of the room, a portrait of
King Carl, and a little painting representing the farm ; adjoining was a
bedroom, the furniture of which was made of highly polished pine, looking
very much like satin-wood, so fine was its workmanship; glass candlesticks,
placed on either side of the looking- glass, contained wax-candles; the
floor was of bare pine, but clean and bright; the floor of the dining-room
was partly covered by strips of home-made carpet, each about two feet wide,
laid the whole length of the floor, and forming a coutrast to the
intervening spaces of wood, which could not have been made cleaner or whiter.
On the last day of August I came in sight of the
Storsjo (sjo meaning lake), two or three hundred feet below me. The sun was
near its setting, and its declining rays gilded the hills, and the dark
woods of pine and fir; the shores of the lake were doubly golden with fields
ready for the harvest; the sails of a few boats were visible, and a small
steamer was ploughing its way towards the different hamlets.
On the eastern shore is the town of Östersund, in
lat. 63° 24', with a population of 2500. The stars were beginning to shine
as I drove through its streets. I could find no room at the hotel, for the
place was full of strangers, who came to attend a railway meeting. Much
enthusiasm was displayed, as the people wanted the road built from Sundsvall
to Trondlijem, across the peninsula, and the proposed line would ,necessarily
pass through the heart of the provinces of Jemtland, and tend to develop its
resources,
The landlord obtained lodgings for me at a
neighboring house, where the sole drawback was the overtrustfulness of the
landlady, who, in order to show her confidence in her guest, spread before
me all her little treasures. In the evening, when I took possession of the
pleasant room assigned to my use, I found on the bureau, in a little cup,
her gold ear-drops, rings, a watch, brooches, and sundry other valuable
articles, and not a drawer was locked ; everything showed trust in me. I was
ill at ease, however, for I did riot know but that some of the servants or
other persons would help themselves, and suspicion thus be east upon me: two
or three times during my stay I fancied the good woman shot towards me an
inquiring glance, which made me think something had been stolen of was
missing, and that I was suspected ; but it was all imagination. It is not
the custom of the country to secure any-thing under lock and key; indeed, no
servant would have been willing to stay in a house where they were
mistrusted. When I left the place I asked my landlady to see that all her
property was safe. It takes some time for one who has been living in a large
city to get accustomed to the honest ways of such unsophisticated country
folks. I have often stopped in villages and towns of Sweden and Norway when
none of the occupants were at home, but the key hung on a nail outside the
door; and even when the family had gone upon a journey it was left there, so
that in case of an emergency the neighbors might enter.
Two days after my arrival the post brought me a
gold pencil-case which, in my hurry, I had left behind at the hotel in
Hernosand : I had hardly left when I discovered my loss, and had made up my
mind that I should never see it again; but when I spoke to my companion, he
said, in the coolest way, " We will write to have it sent to you at
Ostersund :" the idea did not occur to him that it would be pocketed by any
one, and he was right.
There is no striking peculiarity in the costume of
the people, but some of the girls wore a kind of turban, which with some
faces was becoming, as seen in the picture.
A dinner was given by the governor in honor of the
railway meeting, to which I was invited. There were thirty guests. There was
no set table. The hostess did the honors in an affable and unaffected
manner. In the evening there was a reception, with music and dancing, the
governor being passionately fond of music, and himself a good performer; he
and three of his friends were the musicians, the instruments consisting of
three violins and a violoncello, with a piano accompaniment by the hostess
and one of her friends. The national habit of courtesy caused a complete
suspension of conversation. Later, refreshments were served in the garden,
which was illuminated with Chinese lanterns. Choruses were sung in the open
air, and, as we returned to the house, the host headed the procession while
all sung. The reception closed with dancing, the favorite dance being the
very rapid Swedish waltz.
The governor and his wife were attentive to every
one. There was no servility of manner, but all were courteous; no one
presumed upon his official position, civil or military rank, birth,
knowledge, or wealth. If the inclination existed it was carefully concealed,
for education and native courtesy checked the tendency towards such small
exhibitions of vanity.
The Storsjö is a very picturesque sheet of water,
983 feet above the Baltic, nearly in the centre of the province, and is one
of the most lovely lakes of Sweden, its landscape being characteristic.
Close to Ostersund is the pretty island of Frösö,
rising 500 feet above the lake, and connected with the main-land by a bridge
1296 feet long. Here is a Runic stone, with the inscription, "Erected to the
memory of Ostmadur Gudfast's son, who first christianized Jemtland." Frösö
kyrka (church), on the highest part of the island, is built of stone, and is
one of the oldest in Sweden. At- the entrance the walls are about nine feet
in thickness, and at the window seven or eight. Not far off is a wooden
belfry, "Klockstapel," and the church-yard surrounds the edifice. As it was
Saturday, the graves had been decorated with flowers by relatives or
friends, according to the beautiful Swedish and Norwegian custom. On many of
the tombs of the poor, garlands and bouquets of wild-flowers had been cast
by survivors who had no other flowers to give. Hours had been spent in the
woods and meadows, that morning or the evening before, in their search, and
the part of the graveyard which lay next to the road appeared almost like a
parterre of flowers. As I wandered from grave to grave, reading the
epitaphs, my attention was arrested by an inscription which showed that
three syskonen, (brothers and sisters) lay buried below. The words inscribed
upon a scroll at the head of the grave were these :
SYSKONEN.
ARVID ERLAND BEIIM.
F5dd den 17de Maj, 1855 ; - düd den 1ste Jan.,
1858.
„Born the 17th of May, 1855 ; died the 1st of Jan.,
1858.
ARVID EMANUEL.
Fiidd den 20” Febr., 1861 ; diid den Pte Juni,
1864.
Born the 20th of Feb., 1861; died the 1st of Jane,
1864.
EMILIA VIRGINIA MARIA CHRISTINA.
Füdd den 24de Febr., 1863 ; d5d den 25de Maj,1864.
Born the 24th of Feb.,1863 ; died the 24th of May,
1864.
Little Arvid Erland had died just as the year was
budding; he was not three years old. Emanuel had gone to rest the first day
of June, when the sun here begins to be warm, the flowers to bloom, and the
birds to love and sing. Emilia went to sleep on her mother's breast, without
saying how much she had suffered. But the little ones had not been
forgotten, for three large bouquets were over their resting-place. Birds
were singing, bees and butterflies were flitting to and fro over the graves,
and all nature smiled. A gentle breeze from the lake wafted the perfume of
the wild flowers and the pines over this last home of man.
Hearing voices and a strange sound, as of some one
digging, I went to the other side of the church, and there found a contrast
to the scene I had just witnessed. The flowers were scarcer, the little
mounds over the graves had been neglected and were going to rain, and
farther on there were no flowers to be seen. This was the resting-place of
those who had died long ago, and they were forgotten. One side of the
church-yard was a parody on the other. I again heard voices and the sound of
the spade, and I saw two grave-diggers. The grave they were digging was
long, broad, and deep, for they were making room for more of the dead, the
church-yard being full. At my feet lay the mouldering remains of a woman. As
I looked at them, I said, musingly, " Woman ! is that all that is left of
thy beauty? Where are thy beaming eyes—mirror of thy thoughts—that told of
thy love, sorrow, or anger? Where are those smiling lips, that kissed so
lovingly ? Where is thy comely cheek, that flushed and paled, and told so
well the secrets of thy heart ? Woman ! where are thy gentle hands, that
caressed so softly, and took away care, and sorrow, and pain ? Where are all
thy winning ways, that made strong men weak before thee? Is that grim sight
all that is left? Why have they disturbed the couch where loving hearts once
laid thee ?" No answer came back. All was silent : it was the garden of the
dead !
In Sweden and Norway graveyards are consecrated
ground, and are not enlarged. The people of the same family are generally
buried together, and there must be six feet of earth over the grave, a
little mound marking the spot. When the graveyard is full, the old graves
are opened, and the bones are collected and placed in the bone-house—a
building constructed for the purpose, which I have sometimes seen partly
filled with these relics of humanity.
The beauty of the scenery culminates near the
church and by the school-house, from which twelve churches can be seen. The
view was most extensive. I stood by the old edifice motionless for awhile,
for the natural beauty of the surroundings was unlike any other Swedish
landscape I had seen. In the far distance, towards the west, the outlines of
the snowy mountains looked soft and hazy ; the lake lay below, with its
clear water studded with charming little islands, covered with dark fir or
pine, and its shores indented by little fjord-like bays, penetrating deeply
inland ; the hills and trees mirrored themselves in the water, and beyond
were dark forests ; the banks sloped gently downward ; red farm -houses were
scattered everywhere, in the midst of golden fields of grain and meadows.
Jemtland is one of the largest inland provinces of
Sweden, extending westward as far as the frontier of Norway. In some parts
it rises from 600 to 2000 feet above the sea. Often one sees, as far as the
eye can reach in all directions, nothing but one dark, superb mass of trees,
with hill after hill clad to the very tops with pines and firs. There was
something very imposing in this vast sombre tract of country; while the blue
sky above and the snowy white clouds formed a strange contrast to the
millions and millions of trees.
Many of the valleys are very fruitful and well
cultivated; but in the higher regions are vast tracts of barren land. In the
recesses of these forests is found the elk or moose (Alces malchis),
somewhat smaller and with narrower horns than the American moose (A.
americanus). Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) also roam in the bleak
mountain region. The glut-ton or wolverine (Gulo luscus), foxes, and wolves,
in some districts prove troublesome to the flocks. Bears (Ursus arctos) roam
in the forests, and destroy annually a considerable number of cattle and
sheep, and sometimes even horses. They attain their largest size and
greatest number in Jemtland, Wermland, and Dalarne, and in Central Norway,
almost equalling the grizzly bear (U. horribilis) of the Rocky Mountains.
Game is very plentiful in many parts of the
province. The capercailzie, or wood grouse, " Tjader " (Tetrao urogallus),
is seen even near the road, and neither our presence nor that of our horses
seemed to frighten them. These birds are the largest winged game found in
the forests of Scandinavia, and, when properly cooked, are delicious eating.
They weigh from ten to fifteen pounds each, and even more; great numbers are
trapped in winter in Norrland, and forwarded to the cities. The black grouse,
"Orre" (Tetrao tetrix), the hazel grouse, "Hjerpe" (T. bonasia), the
ptarmigan, "Dalripa" (Lagopus subalpinus), and the mountain ptarmigan (L.
alpinus) are also plentiful, as they are in many provinces. The partridge, "Rapphons"
(Perdu cinerea), is rare. Plover (Charadrius apricarius) and snipe (Gallinago
mcdia and Gal. major) are not uncommon.
As in many other districts, at certain seasons of
the year, several varieties of ducks and geese, and the swan, make their
appearance on the lakes and seas.
The game and fishery laws are strictly enforced.
The moose can only be hunted from the 10th of August to the last day of
September ; the beaver, which is nearly extinct, cannot be killed at any
time; the capercailzie and other species of grouse, and the hare, cannot be
shot from the middle of March to the 10th of August ; the partridges and red
grouse are shot in September and October. Experience shows that in the
countries where the fishery and game laws are the most stringent these are
most abundant. Fishing is excellent in most of the lakes and rivers of the
province.
From Ostersund the high-road to Norway follows the
north-ern shore of the Storsjo, and, crossing its outlet at Flaxelfven,
continues westward. There is also a new route, which is far more pleasant
and less tiresome.
Steamers run from Ostersund twice a week to
Qvittsle, five Swedish miles, where can be taken the post-road to Bonaset,
four miles farther, on the southern extremity of Kallsjon, 1281 feet above
the sea; and a sail of four and a half Swedish miles more brings the
traveller to Sundet, and a drive of about half a mile to Anjehem, on the
Anjan lake,1413 feet above the sea ; thence a sail of two miles lands him at
Melen, within seven miles of the Norwegian frontier.
By the old road from Ostersund to the Norwegian
frontier the scenery varies from long stretches of forest to fields of
barley, rye, and oats. A species of pea or vetch is planted extensively, to
be used as fodder for the cattle.
At the station I found' an old woman was to be my
driver. The horse provided was apparently as old as she, and was the laziest
animal I had ever seen. The woman, manifestly in continual fear that he was
getting tired, alighted at the foot of every hill, petted the beast, and
gave him a piece of black bread from a loaf provided specially for the
animal, and treated him to a handful of hay. Every time I got out to relieve
the horse she was much pleased; but even then, with apparently no reason,
she would stop occasionally to give him time to breathe, and feel his body
to see if she could detect any moisture. Once she discovered that he had
been overheated, and we had to stop for a quarter of an hour to let him get
cool again. The horse knew how tenderly he was treated, and was intelligent
enough to know how to act, so that we could hardly put him to a trot ; all
the shouting and coaxing expended upon him would not make him move a step
faster than he pleased. I was much delighted with my venerable driver, and,
as the scenery was exceedingly beautiful, the time passed pleasantly. Our
road ran between the river-like lake and hills, green with birch, pine, and
fir, with mountains in the distance. As we approached Areskutan the country
became wilder, and I counted more than thirty patches of snow on that
mountain.
I stopped at one of the farms at the base of
Areskutan, but there was no one in the house, all the inhabitants being busy
in the fields ; a servant-girl, who had seen us approaching, came to inquire
who we were, and went to call Hans Benjamin, the farmer, who soon made his
appearance, and welcomed us, and agreed to guide me to the top of the
mountain.
This farm had two dwelling-houses. The one for
winter, which was inhabited, had in a corner one of the open and spacious
fireplaces, consisting of a platform about a foot high, above which hung a
crane, the whole open space being four or five feet square; for the summer
months, the opening had been filled with branches of juniper; the floor was
clean, and, as was customary, juniper twigs had been scattered over it to
give a pleasant odor; the other rooms were kept in the same good order ;
when no juniper, fir, or pine twigs: can be obtained, the leaves of the
birch and some other trees are used.
From the summit of Areskutan, 4958 feet high, I had
a glorious panorama of mountain ranges, thickly dotted with lakes, in which
some of the largest rivers of Scandinavia find their sources, or a great
part of their water-shed ; the streams run either east and west or -north
and south ; among the largest are the Angerman, Indals, Ljusne, Stordal, and
the Glommen —this last being the largest river in Norway.
I found upon the peak of Areskutan a stone urn, in
which was a tin box containing a blank-book; I added my name to the written
list, fired two shots from the double-barrelled gun I carried for shooting
ptarmigan, and, after a descent of an hour and a quarter, arrived at the
farm whence I had set out.
In the evening the farmers came in, and we had a
good time ; I had to skâl—meaning " to your health "—with them; there was no
help for it, for if the guest declines, the people are offended and call him
proud; the drinking-cup in olden time was called a skâl—hence the name.
Thence to Skalstugan and the frontier of Norway the
scenery becomes monotonous, consisting mainly of forests and
swamps—telegraph-poles being the only apparent sign of civilization beside
the road ; the soil is more sterile, and the farm-houses are unpainted.
About three miles before reaching Stalltjernsstugan
is one of Sweden's finest water-falls—Tännforsen. The river is about eighty
feet wide, and is divided by a rock called the "bear rock," on account of a
bear which was drowned in the attempt to swim across ; it plunges about
ninety feet in a sheet of foam, and forms below a picturesque lake.
At Mestugan the farms appeared less thrifty, though
considerable butter is made; at Skalstugan, also, was a fine but-ter and hay
farm, and all the people were busy getting in the crop.
In less than an hour's drive from this last farm
the Norwegian frontier is passed, at the highest point on the high-road
between the two seas. The plateau was bleak enough; the rocky hills were
clothed with reindeer-moss, and between the undulations were swamp-land,
birch-trees, willows, and morasses; on one side a rivulet seemed to be on
the line of the Swedish water-shed, while on the other flowed a stream going
towards Norway. Upon a slab were inscribed the distances from Ostersund,
sixteen and a half miles, and from Trondhjem eleven and three -quarter
miles. The ascent from the Baltic had been gradual, and I did not realize
that the road was two thousand feet above the sea-level, so good had been
the engineering work.
On the western slope of the range the scenery is
among the finest of the kind in Norway. At first the trees were scarce, but
as we went on the pines made their appearance—tall, strong, and healthy,
with dark mosses hanging upon their` branches. The river below was a foaming
torrent, with several water-falls, and the valley became very narrow and
extremely wild. There seemed to be hardly a place for the road, which
continued to be excellent, and is hewn out of the solid rock ; walls had
been built to the water's edge, to protect the way from the torrents, and
blocks of stone were placed a few feet distant from each other as an
additional safeguard.
A farm barred the road, which passed through a gate
into the yard : it is Garnes, the buildings of which formed a square.
Everything appeared strange, primitive, and old. This farm belonged to a
widow. I found two pretty girls, about eighteen years of age, washing the
floor of the parlor; one of them had the figure of a Venus; her
under-garment was open, revealing her form almost to the waist; but the
weather was warm, and she was perfectly unconscious of anything approaching
impropriety.
The landlady gave me a good dinner, and did not
want any money for it. "No, indeed!" said she; "and you must come again :
you shall always be welcome. The Norwegians are kindly treated in America;
so you shall be with me."
Farther on the road was barred by another
old-fashioned square farm, called Noes. Passing the farms of Garnes and Noes,
the vegetation improved as we descended towards the sea ; the soil was
formed of alluvial terraces. Now the yellow fields of rye contrasted with
the. dark pines; and soon a sub-lime view of the valleys of Suul and Verdal
burst upon us. In the distance lay the superb Trondhjem fjord, and at my
feet the country was covered with farms and farm-houses. Terraces overlapped
each other; and a river flowed in the middle of a valley which was several
miles broad, and flanked by mountains covered with dark forests. Rounded and
oval hills formed little table-lands at different points, and were yellow
with the grain crops : ravines, pastures, meadows, woods, mountains, and
golden fields were all mixed together. The sides of the lower terraces by
the river in many places had slid down, showing the gray color of the clayey
banks. From the place where I stood the scene appeared like fairy-land;
there is not in all Norway a more charming landscape.
As we came down and caught views of. the
farm-houses near us, they appeared poor, and not so picturesque as when seen
from a distance. There seemed to be too many of them, property having been
too much divided. The roofs of the houses were covered with earth, and the
cow-house was attached to, and often formed a part of, the dwelling-house.
Beautiful fair - haired Norwegian children were
running about barefooted and bareheaded. Many of them had been in the woods,
and had come home laden with young branches of birch, which were to be used
as fodder for the goats and sheep in winter. There were a great many pigeons
on these farms, and chickens were becoming abundant.
We finally reached the Norwegian town of Levanger,
which was exceedingly clean, although the streets were not paved; the
red-colored tiled roofs gave a cheerful appearance to the place; a few years
before it had been almost entirely destroyed by fire : it also has a
hospital, for the Norwegians take good care of their sick poor. The port is
well sheltered, affording very safe anchorage. Two fairs take place here
every year, and great numbers of Swedes from Jemtland and other parts of the
country attend them.
Not far from Levanger is the hamlet of Stiklestad,
celebrated as the place where St. Olaf was slain in a great battle. Upon the
spot where the Christian warrior fell were the re-mains of an old stone
pillar, with an iron cross on the top, while a modern one has been erected
by its side.
The church is very ancient, built of stone, and is
said to have sunk six feet below its former level. On the walls I counted
twenty primitive paintings, which date from before the Reformation : they
illustrate the stories of the Bible, rep-resenting Adam and Eve, both nude;
Adam under the apple-tree, tempted by Eve, rather ludicrous; Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John and the different phases of the life of Christ, ending with
his crucifixion.
From Levanger southward to the city of Trondhjem,
about fifty miles farther down the fjord, the scenery, both by land and
water, is very beautiful. The superb road winds its way by thrifty farms and
hamlets, among wooded hills here and there skirting the fjord. This part of
the Trondhjem Stift is one of the most fruitful in Norway, and when, on the
9th of September, I left Levanger, the hay crop was being success-fully
gathered. The grain-fields were about as advanced as in the provinces of
Sweden we had left. We were travelling between 63° and 64° lat., and the
currants and strawberries had entirely gone.
The springs along the Norwegian coast and fjords
are earlier than in Sweden, but vegetation is more backward, as the climate
is not so dry, and with less sunshine; but it is also less subject to sudden
frosts, which rarely occur in August, and none had appeared at the date of
our arrival.
Near Levanger, by the high-road, was one of those
large herregaard ("gentleman's farm ") which one meets here and there in
Norwegian Nordland, easily distinguished, by their clean appearance, flower
and vegetable gardens, and planted trees, from the gaard* of the bonde
(bonde, farmer owning his land). This was remarkable for the size of its
buildings. The dwelling-house was over one hundred and forty feet long, with
an upper story, and broad in proportion ; in front was a garden ; at the
back the yard was flanked by three other large buildings, which, with the
dwelling, made an enclosure about two hundred feet wide and two hundred and
fifty feet long; in the centre of the square the water came through pipes
from the mountains. One building had stalls for more than fifty cows, and
there was a stable for nine horses; above the cow-house was a barn, where a
hundred tons of hay could be stored.
The people were busy harvesting ; the women were
binding sheaves, and seemed to suffer from the heat of the sum ; many wore
only a long linen chemise with sleeves, with a handkerchief as a belt around
the waist; and in their simple innocence they did not seem alarmed when,
bending over, they showed their snowy bosoms.
I did not wonder at the excellence of the Norwegian
roads when .I saw the manner in which they were built. First there was a
foundation of heavy rounded boulders; over this were placed layers of pieces
of cut granite or gneiss to a depth of fifteen or eighteen inches, and then
the whole was covered thickly with fine gravel; I then understood why rain
and frost did not affect them. The road at times was very hilly, and the.
ascents or descents consequently steep ; the ponies at the station were in ,
better condition than on many roads, as there were few travellers. In this
region, as soon as the 'descent began, the reins were let loose, and
immediately the horses plunged down the. hills. The pace was fearful, but
the animals are so surefooted that there is no danger.
The farms vary very much, according to the
districts. From Forbord the valley was thickly settled, but the farms were
small. Many of the dwellings on the poorer ones had only grass-covered
roofs, while others were roofed with shingles, with one side of the house
apportioned to the cows, goats, and sheep; others, again, had little
low-built houses for the cattle.
The stations on this route were poor in regard to
food ; but eggs and bacon, with excellent coffee, milk, butter and cheese,
with flatbröd, were readily procured.
The picturesque hamlet of Humlevigen (rig meaning
cove in Norwegian), with its little cotton-mill, lay by the river. Its
houses were covered with slates or red tiles, shingles, and earth. Near the
shore stood a few fishing warehouses, built on wooden piles, and three
smacks were stranded on the beach. The days were shorteniug fast, and at
about eight o'clock the outlines of the mountains appeared dimly in the
twilight ; a little later the aurora borealis shot up its high flashes to
the zenith.
As I approached Trondhjem the island of Munkholm
arose from the fjord, upon which fortifications were in progress for the
defence of the city. On the island a monastery of Benedictines was founded
in 1028, a few ruins of which, within the walls of the fortress, are all
that remain.
I learned to my cost the effect of cobble-stone
pavements on the occupant of a cariole without springs, as we drove through
the streets of Trondhjem. It seemed as if the bones of my body were all
shaken to pieces; and I was glad when, pounded almost to a jelly, I alighted
at the hotel. The service was very neat, and everything seemed very
luxurious compared with the fare at the stations.
Trondhjem is in 63° 26' lat., and was formerly the
capital of Norway. It is said to have been founded by Olaf Tryggvason in
997. It has a population of about 21,000, and is in direct railway
communication with Christiania, and ranks the third city in population in
Norway. It is built on the shores of a bay at the mouth of the river Nid ;
and here the King of Norway and Sweden is crowned as King of Norway. It had
a cheerless look—numerous fires having destroyed the wooden houses in parts
of the city at different times. The air of stillness about the place seemed
to show that it had seen better days, and grass was growing in many of the
streets. It is hoped that by its new railway communications it will recover
some of its former grandeur and prosperity. It is the residence of a Stift
Amtmand, and of a bishop, the seat of a high court of justice, and- contains
a large hospital. There are several daily morning, and one afternoon,
newspaper. The schools are numerous, and here, as everywhere else, my visit
to them was a source of great pleasure.
In summer the town is filled with tourists—principally
English—most of whom like to travel from Christiania to this point by way of
Gudbrandsdal. As they are in the habit of putting on airs of superiority,
the inhabitants do not seem to care for foreigners, and have the reputation
of being generally cold and more reserved than those of other cities. The
great number of travellers has demoralized the lower classes, who have
learned to be exorbitant in the charges for driving, ferrying, carrying
luggage, or performing other services. Two Englishmen and myself, who had to
cross the river Nid—not wider than a broad street—were charged two marks. I
refused to pay the amount, but the Englishmen yielded, thus encouraging the
ferryman in his extortionate demands upon foreigners. There is a regular
tariff of only a few cents, and the fellow would have been heavily fined had
I made a complaint.
The cathedral is very fine, and one of the oldest
stone buildings in Norway. It is being restored, and will consequently lose
the quaint old look so much esteemed by the lovers of antiquity.
The entrance to the fjord from the south is amidst
an archipelago of islands, and near its mouth is Hiteren, the largest island
of Norway south of the arctic circle ; beyond this you enter the Trondhjem
fjord proper, with Skjôren fjord to the northeast. It then bends to the
south-east, throwing out a branch southward, and then eastward to Trondhjern.
From the city it runs north-easterly into Stordalshalsen, Levanger, and
Værdalsoren,and connects farther north by a narrow strait with Beitstad
fjord to Stenkjaer; from this place one can drive as far as Narnsos and up
the Namdal, where the roads terminate. The length of the fjord, includiug
Beitstad fjord, is over seventy-two miles.
One should not fail to visit the Lierfossen, about
three miles distant. The river forming the upper fall plunges from a
perpendicular height of 100 feet, and the lower one, a short distance
farther down, from a height of 80 feet. The water is as clear as crystal,
but the upper fall is by far the most picturesque. Saw-mills and smelting
copper furnaces, however, detract much from the beauty of the landscape.
Kong Karl Johans vei ble åpnet 29/8-1835. Den
nye Jämtlandsveien ble åpnet samme dato 29/8, men først år 1863.
Jämtlandsveien ble da bygd ferdig forbi Innsmoen og Sandvika langs
Innsvatnet, over Åbofjellet og til foreløpig endepunkt Melen i Sverige.
Herfra var det båttransport over Anjan til Bakksjønäs, som hadde veisamband
med det øvrige Sverige.
Den
stedlige folketradisjon vet intet å berette om valplassen for den dramatiske
holmgang mellom Helga den fagres rivaler, de islandske kjemper Gunnlaug
Ormstunga og Skalde-Ravn år 1012.
