Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

ORNAMENTAL FLADBRÖD,

225

in raptures with the donkeys, and kept exclaiming Peen giore! Peen gioere!!-meaning very beautiful. This was a common expression of the peasants as they lifted their hands and expressed their admiration of our donkeys. As far as we could make out we were near "Loesjeskogen," and the station of "Lesje Vork." On our right are the mountains of the "Stor Hö,". and the "Soter Fjeld." Across the Logan are the Toever Fjeld, Hyrion Fjeld, and the Skarvehöerne. We should think this would be a good position for fishing, and reindeer hunting, though we scarcely think the reindeer hunting of these parts is so good as formerly, and a sportsman must seek the wilder recesses of the mountains.

[graphic]

Our gipsies, Noah and Zachariah, returned. Noah had caught four trout, and Zachariah one. Although cautioned specially, Noah had been wading, and his feet were very wet. Some of our trout were fried for tea. Three men and a woman came down to the stream, and watched with

interest our method of cooking. After tea we gave our visitors some music-guitar, violin, and tambourine. It was a very damp evening, and few visitors came. At last Zachariah broke a violin-string, and the rain commencing, ended our concert.

CHAPTER XX.

"There was a gipsy's tent, close beside me, and a party of about ten of this wandering tribe were seated around a wood fire, which habit seemed to make them approach closely to, whether it was cold or hot weather."

Séñor JUAN DE VEGA, the Spanish Minstrel of 1828-9.*

NOAH

UNWELL-THE TINE-NEW SCENES-THE LEPER-HASTY DEPARTURE-LESJEVERKS VAND-WELL MET-AGREEABLE WANDERERSSPECIALTY OF TRAVEL-DELICIOUS TROUT LAKE SCENERY-NORWEGIAN POSTMAN - NIGHT VISITORS MORE TOURISTS MOLMEN CHURCH.

IMMEDIATELY after our music had ceased, Noah was taken ill with severe rheumatism resulting from getting wet. Our services as the "Cushty Drabengro." (Gip., "good doctor") of the party were in requisition. He was sent to lie down in the tents, and we rubbed his back and body well with brandy, giving him a stiff glass of brandyand-water to drink. All had retired to rest, but ourself. Hearing voices near our donkeys, we went up and found

* Señor Juan de Vega is the name assumed by a young English gentleman of noble family, who wandered through England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland with his guitar, in the character of a Spanish minstrel, and who not only entirely supported himself during his wanderings, by his minstrelsy, but realised a surplus of £58, which he charitably presented to the committee of Spanish officers, for the relief of the refugees, then lately arrived from Portugal. His work, entitled the "Spanish Minstrel's Sketch Book," in two volumes, containing a record of his minstrel wanderings, was published for the author by Simkins and Marshall, 1832.

a number of peasants and peasant girls near them. We had an idea that they had been teasing them. Taking the peasants down to our tents they looked round our camp, and when we wished them good-night they left. It rained heavily as we went to sleep.

Much rain had fallen in the night. We looked out about seven o'clock on the morning of 13th of July; the rain had ceased, but misty clouds gathered thickly on the mountains. A fire was lighted, and Noah was better, and we made him rub some of our bruise mixture on his knee.

Noah promised never to go into the water again. As we were getting our breakfast, the farmer's son passed with a wooden bottle of milk and a wooden "Tine." This word is pronounced "Teena." It is a small wooden oblong box with a slide lid used for carrying provisions. A box of this kind is in common use all over Norway. Some of them are curiously ornamented, according to the fancy of the possessor. For Frokost we had fried trout, fladbröd and butter, and tea. Two women came to our camp; one wore men's Wellington boots, and they were both knitting.

Whilst Noah was packing up, he said he dreamed we lived in a beautiful wooden house, and were going to the East Indies. The gipsies dreamt very often of their Romany Rye-sometimes Noah, sometimes Esmeralda, and sometimes Zachariah. It was impossible to leave such a beautiful camping-ground without regret. Whilst we were getting our things together three young tourists, carrying their knapsacks, came to our camp; they were very intelligent, agreeable companions. One of them said his father lived at Veblungsnoes. They left before the

[blocks in formation]

gipsies had loaded our donkeys. The weather now cleared up, and we were soon en route. As we afterwards passed "Lesje, Jernvoerk" (ironworks), we saw the three tourists at the station. Mr. Bennett, in his handbook, says it is a tolerable inn kept by civil people. Our road lay through a pleasing diversity of lake, mountain, and pine forest. The tourists soon afterwards overtook us; one knew something of French, and we were able to converse more at ease. As we passed a house on the roadside, we observed our silent visitor in black surtout coat, and German silver watch chain, standing outside immobile with all his schoolboys. He was a schoolmaster. They seemed as a guard just turned out, and not a sound was heard as we passed. The peasants evinced the usual curiosity. One old woman who was knitting exhibited great signs of pleasure. One of our tourists said she was in an "extasy." We had the donkeys, much to Noah's chagrin, stopped for her inspection. The usual exclamation "Peen gioere!" was marked with much emphasis. Our tourists had gone on. The old lady followed along the road. As we went down a short descent to a bridge, we noticed a beautiful level camping-ground along the brook-side, sheltered by a few bushes, at a convenient distance from the road.

The camping-ground was all we could desire; saying, "We will camp here for to-night," the word was given to halt. The donkeys were driven down to the brookside. The old lady, who had been joined by three boys, still walked after us. The gipsies were so busy unloading that they did not pay much attention to our visitors. As we suddenly looked round we were astonished at the appearance of one boy about sixteen; his face was

« НазадПродовжити »