Chapter I: Preface

We awoke one morning; our gipsies were gone; our camp was gone; no light shining through as we lay in our tent. No freshness of the morning air; no wafted perfume of fragrant wild flowers; no music of the waterfall in the glen below. We were left to pursue the pathway of our journey alone.

Yet our notes _de voyage_ remained to us. Impressions caught on the wayside of travel--written by the light of actual circumstance--we give them to our readers. They are a true episode in a life.

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION xxi

CHAPTER I.

Norway--Our gipsy tent--Tent fittings--Cooking apparatus--Commissariat--Gipsies’
tent--Bagage de luxe--Weight of baggage--Transit--Donkeys--Our
party--Esmeralda 1

CHAPTER II.

Gipsy equipment--Norwegian gipsies--Prœsten Eilert Sundt--The
Hull steamer--The tourist’s friend--Our gipsy song 11

CHAPTER III.

A friend’s misgiving--Dark forebodings--A sleepless night--The
railway station--The Albion--A philosopher--The street boy--Distinguished
travellers 19

CHAPTER IV.

England’s farewell--Summer tourists--The chevalier--Seafaring--A
gipsy reception--Change of plans--Norwegian pilot--The Birmingham
bagman--Inducement to authorship--Strange wills--A
sailor’s philosophy--Icelandic language--Prognostications 26

CHAPTER V.

A seaman’s adventures--The unfortunate tourist-An apt quotation--Freemasonry--Christiansand--Past
recollections--The Runic
stone--Overpayment--Two salmon fishermen--A traveller’s
curiosity--Norwegian snakes--Scenery--We are one--Golden
opinions 36

CHAPTER VI.

Mariner’s life--The evasive answer--A true presentiment--The King
of Norway and Sweden--The beautiful fjord--Gipsy music--A
custom-house difficulty--Another Freemason--Appropriate verses
Christiania--Horse money--17, Store Strandgade 46

CHAPTER VII.

The Victoria Hotel--The Gipsies’ friend--The passe-partout-Prœsten
Eilert Sundt--The Christiania railway--Our donkeys appreciated--Gipsy
spirit--The “tolk”--Norwegian money--Linguistic difficulties--Gipsy
authors--Gipsy numerals--Departure from
Christiania 54

CHAPTER VIII.

A Norwegian officer--Norwegian emigration--Eidsvold--The Skydskiftet--Quiet
retreat--Happy hours--Baiersk öl--Esmeralda’s
toilette--The transformation--Curious address--New acquaintance--Noah’s
engagement--Noah’s conquest--An ungrateful
visitor--A reluctant parting 64

CHAPTER IX.

Moderate bill--Provisions lost--We meet again--Gipsies in advance--Left
alone--A welcome telegram--Norwegian bath room--Singular
paintings--Once more farewell--The telegraph clerk--The
Mjösen Lake--The Dronningen--Ruined cathedral--Utilitarianism--Lillehammer--Once
more in camp 75

CHAPTER X.

Our first camp--Camp visitors--Gipsy music-Foreign tableau--Curious
observations--Preparations for departure--Early start--Laing’s
suggestions--The Gudbransdalen--The Hunnefos--The
Australian meat--Camp rules--The pair of gloves--Sudden
Shadows--Our talisman--New friends 89

CHAPTER XI.

Night alarm--The Puru Rawnee--Donkeys admired--Norwegian
ponies--Our gipsy life--Norwegian flowers--Wild forest--The
pipe of tobacco--Pictures of imagination--The crippled man--Camp
near Holmen--Noah’s self-denial--Wet night--Peasant
girls’ serenade--Zachariah’s gaiety--Lovely nature--Norwegian
newspaper--The mystery explained--Frokost spoilt 102

CHAPTER XII.

Unsuccessful fishing--A military officer--The _dernier ressort_--Our
gipsy reception--Interrupted toilette--Fête champêtre--Dancing
on the greensward--Tincture of cedar--The disappointment--The
Losna Vand--The kettle prop lost--Peasant children--Interesting
discussions--Writing under difficulties--The kindly
heart 118

CHAPTER XIII.

Wet travelling--Vodvang--Our Russian lamp--Swedish visitors--All
well--Our hobbinengree--The child of nature--Guitar songs--The
village beau--Merles gone--The musketos’ victory--More
rain--Scotch traveller--Timber floaters--Gipsies--Enraged
Englishman--The frightened skydskarl--Gipsies’ endurance--The
Listari commotion--Listad scenery 129

CHAPTER XIV.

A gorgio--Comfortable bondegaards--More speile--The lost key--Den
Asen toujours--Vegetable substitute--The goodlo discussion--Wives’
utility--Friendly peasants--Norwegian waltz--Gipsy
chaff--The dark woman--Anxious querists--Early visitors--Timid
woman--Gipsies appreciated--The charming post-mistress--The
mansion near Harpe Brö 145

CHAPTER XV.

The velocipede--Roadside halt--Lovely scenery--Disappointed
audience--The little gipsy--The lost pocket--The search--Gipsy
lamentation--Amused peasant girls--Norwegian honesty--The
pocket found--A noble heart--Pleasant voyageurs--Patrins--Storklevstad--Tambourine
lost--Norwegian honesty--Eccentric
visits--Interrogatory--The captain--The interview--The
village magnate--Meget godt--Esmeralda in camp--The last
visit--The moorland maiden 158

CHAPTER XVI.

Colonel Sinclair--Qvam church--Death of Sinclair--Monsieur le
Capitaine--The Highflyer--The Hedals--Romantic legend--Antique
mansion--The Kringelen--Kind reception--Warm welcome--The
broken tent-pole--The reindeer hunter--The
Rudane Fjelde--Gipsy-looking woman--More fish--Chiromancy
Esmeralda’s fortune--The handsome captain--His sporting adventure--Esmeralda’s
gift--Our soirée dansante--Gipsies’ glee 174

CHAPTER XVII.

Gipsies’ affection--Laurgaard adieu--Beautiful gorges--Onward ever--Esmeralda’s
Irish song--Dovre--Friendly travellers--The
Landhandelri--The Herr Tofte--King’s visit--Our night camp--Night
disturbance--Kindness to animals--Our beautiful
bouquet--Snehætten Fjeld--Dombaas--Comfortable situation--Wild
scenery--Opportune visit--Illusory hope 190

CHAPTER XVIII.

The new tent pole--What is indigestion?--Peasants at camp--A new
friend--Holaker station--Norwegian honesty--Lœsje Vand--The
tetteramengry--An unsolved mystery--The gipsy collapse--Good
advice--Interest in donkeys--A mountain district--No
church bells--The boy’s questions--The Kjölen Fjeldene 202

CHAPTER XIX.

Esmeralda at the lake--Our cadeau--The visitors--Disappointment--An
Adonis--The silent visit--The old mill--A Norwegian fox--The
Puru Rawnee’s fall--The forest scene--Zachariah’s torment--Under
discipline--Music in the forest--Distant admirers--The
English hunter’s gift--Our gipsies fishing--The militia
camp--Silent visitor--Ornamental fladbröd--A forest concert 213

CHAPTER XX.

Noah unwell--The tine--New scenes--The leper--Hasty departure--Lesjevœrks
Vand--Well met--Agreeable wanderers--Specialty
of travel--Delicious trout--Lake scenery--Norwegian postman--Night
visitor--More tourists--Molmen church 227

CHAPTER XXI.

The Rauma--A lofty climb--More rain--The forest walk--Tent life--Peasant
fête--Norwegian dancing--Zachariah’s ride--The
wood carvings--A psalmodion--Stueflaaten--The Romsdal--Magnificent
scenery--English spoken 237

CHAPTER XXII.

The Dontind--Ormein--Mountain road--Our bivouac--Delighted
visitor--The water elf--Excited gipsies--Tage en Stol--Norwegian
girls--Sunday on the Rauma--Carriole travelling--Coming
to grief--“Spille” a little--Esmeralda’s birthday--The
Norwegian climate--The Sjiriaglns--Uncomfortable bed--The
large ant 248

CHAPTER XXIII.

Musical peasant--Cascades--The leaning-stone--The serious peasant--Zachariah
ill--No ventilation--The Magician’s Peaks--The
Mangehöe--“Ramulous”--Romantic valley--Agreeable visitors--The
serenade--Future route--Horgheim--Rip van Winkle 261

CHAPTER XXIV.

The invalid--Restive donkeys--Fiva--Aak--Veblungsnœs--The
Norwegian farmer--The grassy knoll--A Norwegian town--The
fjord’s shore--The Veblungsnœs’ baths--Herr Solberg--Homme
galant--Musical conversazione--Gipsy music 273

CHAPTER XXV.

Purchases--Zachariah’s trouble--Esmeralda’s photograph--The kiöd--Price
of meat--The yachtsmen--The three peaks--The spirit-world--Frost-bites--Ultima
Thule--Esmeralda galvanised--The
fjord--Heen Kirke--Parelius--Eider ducks--Beautiful
bouquets 285

CHAPTER XXVI.

Our guide--To the mountains--Mystic light--The photographs--The
“Claymore” yacht--Norwegian gipsies--Singular race--Occupations--Gipsy
burials--Romantic love--Predestination--The
bondegaard--The high demand--Esmeralda’s souvenir 297

CHAPTER XXVII.

Adieu, Aak--Romsdalshorn--Troldtinderne--Fladmark--Young
Norwegian ladies--Our fair visitors--A night scene--Morning
meal--Exhausted peasants--Esmeralda’s compliment--A gipsy
cuisine--How gipsies sleep--Our guide arrives--The invisible
bather--The race--The river Gröna 307

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Botanising--Esmeralda lost--Found again--The Eagle--Mountain
difficulties--Mountain bivouac--Esmeralda ill--Ole’s bed--Hotel
bills--Rough route--Donkeys in snow--The Puru Rawnee
down--The Ny sœter--Gipsy discussion--The Englishman’s
house--Hospitality--Norwegian names--Fillingshö--Large lake 319

CHAPTER XXIX.

The peasants’ wood--Skeaker--Our fair visitor--Esmeralda’s indignation--The
gipsy hornpipe--The fate of Ezekiel--Feeble
advocacy--The Rankny rackly--The Otta Vand 332

CHAPTER XXX.

The wasps’ nest--Lom--Kind friends--Songs of Björnsen--The
Prœsten’s ministration--The repulsed student--Beautiful valley--The
two artists--The Bœver Elven--Rödsheim--The ravine--The
lost stardy--Ascent of Galdhöpiggen--The highest mountain
in Norway--The night ascent--The dome of snow--The
sunrise 340

CHAPTER XXXI.

The reindeer’s fate--Desolate scene--Several ascents--The frightened
peasants--A coat lost--Esmeralda’s views--Absent treasures--Ole
re-engaged--A new kettle prop--The handsome artist--Comfortable
station--Adieu, Rödsheim--Our excellent guide--Crossing
the bridge--Zachariah’s escape 352

CHAPTER XXXII.

The Elv Sœter--A mountaineer--The Ytterdal Sœter--To make gröd--The
gröd stick--Evening concert--A wild night--The waterfall--Mountain
glaciers--The Lera Elv--Camp by a glacier--Nomadic
happiness--A gipsy maëlstrom--Insect life 363

CHAPTER XXXIII.

The Virgin Peak--Esmeralda in the Lera--A dripping Nereid--Heavy
clouds--The Church Mountain--Wild reindeer--Where’s
the tea?--Singular glacier--Valley of red sandstone--The
Hunter’s Cave--The Utladal Stöl--The Mumpley Valley--Flödsgröd--A
mountain stöl--A rough path--The Puru Rawnee’s
escape--The narrow bridge 374

CHAPTER XXXIV.

A difficult crossing--Again en route--Skögadal Sœter--Sœter accommodation--Splendid
scenery--The Skögadals Elv--The mysterious
bone--Mountain exploration--The pack horses--A
slippery floor--Music in the Sœter--Flœskedal Stöl--The Mörk
Fos--Magnificent fall--The cliff’s edge--The iris--All pay and
no comfort--A reindeer shot--The deserted farm--A mountain
shadow 389

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Meisgrie--We cross a river--The slippery rock--An active guide--The
carrier’s aid--The lame horse--Melkedalstinderne--The
stony way--The Nedrevand--Ole’s night quarters--The lake by
moonlight--Early rising--Eisbod on the Bygdin Lake--The
poet’s house--Vinje, the poet--The poetical mortgage--Pleasant
acquaintance--Old Norwegian poetry--The reindeer hunter--Esmeralda
condoned 404

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Lake Tyen--The Tourist Club châlet--Lortwick Sœter--Lake driftwood--A
cold morning--A cheap meal--Thunder in the air--Sunshine
again--The separation--The gallant Ole farewell--To
Christiania--Energy always--Push on--The Bergen road--The
violinist--One dollar more--Picturesque scene 420

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Camp on Lille Mjösen--The Skjyri Fjeld--An acquaintance from
Eisbod--Camp rules confirmed--Our gipsy Noah--English
spoken--Singular stone--Öiloe station--Our friend from Eisbod--Artist
souvenirs--Zachariah’s sport--Fast travelling--Harvest
time--Secluded camp--Able pleading--The Stee Station--Obliging
hostess--Tether rope lost--The kindly welcome--An
Englishman’s wish--An open-air concert--Esmeralda’s
flowers--Adieu, but remembered--A mid-day rest 433

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

An English fisherman--The haunted mill--The tourist’s purchase--Noah’s
good fortune--The Strand Fjord--A woman’s curiosity--The
heroine of our book--A Norwegian seaman--The mistaken
mansion--The Aurdal church--Frydenlund Station--A roadside
halt--The appreciated gift--The severe young lady--The kind-hearted
peasant--Krœmmermoen--Impulse and reason 449

CHAPTER XXXIX.

The gipsy signal--Our Australian meat--The fair poetess--Our
friend from Eisbod ill--The Rye’s unwell--The Lehnsmœnd of
Bang--The ferryman and son--We cross to Beina--Tatersprog--A
kind family--Storsveen Station--Secluded valley--A
tourist lels us--Esmeralda’s adventure--The peasant women’s
song--Sorum Station--Tents pitched by a lagoon--Nœs--No
horseboat--Impromptu horseboat--How we got across--A river
scene 460

CHAPTER XL.

We leave the Beina--The Lille pige--Any port in a storm--The
fairies’ visit--The Spirilen--Ytre Aadalen Val--Large bondegaard--Heen
woodland camp--Evening visitors--The Hönefos--Intelligent
postmaster--Norderhoug church--Halt near Vik--The
gipsies’ political philosophy--Noah and the philanthropist
Steens Fjord--The Krogkleven--Beautiful gorge--Camp near
the King’s View 477

CHAPTER XLI.

Summer waning--Norwegian scenery--Splendid views--The cross
fire--Sorte Död--Romantic camp--Mandy’s a Rye--The tourist’s
dog--The Hobbenengree’s surprise--The Baron at Bœrums Verk--Snake
killed near our tent--Our last night in camp--Adieu,
camp life 490

CHAPTER XLII.

Christiania--Generous offer--Advice we do not take--The paper-viken
fishermen--Christophersen’s--Norway, farewell--Donkeys’
accommodation--Want of feeling--Our steward--The gipsies’
friends--The Spanish courier--The literary American--The
gipsies’ mal de mer--The donkeys in a smoke room--The lost
necklace--England’s shore--To our readers 500

CHAPTER XLIII.

Alluring promises--Compliment to Englishmen--True sketches of
gipsy life--The gipsies’ origin--Yet a mystery--Esmeralda--Noah
and Zachariah--Before the curtain--The end 511