14 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



door. There was a strong and cutting west wind blowing 

 over the Fjeld, and drifting" the fine dry snow into our 

 faces and eyes, so that we could scarcely see our horses' 

 heads before us. Still the novelty of the thing made 

 it very enjoyable, especially the drive over the lake, 

 and shivering, yet withal happy, we arrived at Nystuen. 

 Our day's travel had been altogether nineteen English 

 miles, six of them by sleigh. We had a good ' aftensmal ' 

 here — eggs, ' brod og smoer,' and our Keindeer tongue. It 

 seems a capital station. 



As I have said, Ole Nystuen came with us — one of 

 the two brothers to whose acquaintance we had looked 

 forward with great hopes as regards our collecting at this 

 place. Nor do our hopes seem futile. Ole is an intelligent 

 fellow, speaks Enghsh well, and takes uj) our ideas 

 sharply. We made all arrangements with him, to pay 

 him four marks per day, on our return from Gudvangen, 

 to guide us and assist us in collecting. His brother 

 Knut, who is now at Bergen, w^ll be here when we come 

 back, and render assistance also. We gave Ole a blow- 

 pipe and a drill, and showed him the way to use them, 

 and he understood everything at once. 



' Eagles ' (really Eough-legged Buzzards, ArcJiibuteo 

 lagopiis) breed in the high rocks above Nystuen, and he 

 will try for the eggs, and take everything else besides. 

 His brother Knut also can skin. 



We bought from Ole four pair of Reindeer horns — 

 three of them with heads attached — for three dollars, 

 one mark altogether. Three of these were males and 

 one a female. He also showed us skins of two bears 

 and of two foxes in winter coat, all of which were fine, 

 but as they seemed expensive we did not take them 

 at present. The Reindeer horns were (seemed, 1900) 

 at all events cheap enough in all conscience, and we 

 take them with us to-morrow, and will ship them to 



