2/4 



A Cruise on tlic S.V. " Vectis. 



Widgeon, .'iml of course there may have been other varieties. 

 These were the only game birds seen on the trip, and they 

 reminded the sportsmen among. it us of some of our wildfowhng 

 excursions. We reached Molde at breakfast-time the next 

 morning, and were dehghted with our first view of the place. 

 It was, 1 think, quite the prettiest little town we saw in Norway. 

 From the luxiunance of the vegetation I imagine that it enjoys 

 a milder climate than many places further south. In one of 

 the churches here there is a magnificent picture of the Resur- 

 rection. It takes the place in the church of the coloured east 

 window, usually found in our English churches. In the after- 

 noon the " Hohenzollern " entered the harbour, followed in 

 line by eight battleships and several cruisers, destroyers and 

 torpedo boats. We had a splendid view, as they all passed the 

 " Vectis " within easy range. One wqnders whether the Kaiser 

 will be ever again so popular in Norwegian waters, after the 

 ruthless way his submarines have torpedoed their shipping. 



After another full day's steaming, most of the time through 

 the magnificent Hardanger fjord, we reached the little town of 

 Odde. Here again we got mixed up with royalty. On attempting 

 to land at the steps of the principal Hotel, we were peremptorily 

 ordered off. We found that the late King of the Belgians had 

 hired the whole hotel. We didn't see his Majesty, but some of 

 his lady friends were very much in evidence, and were apparently 

 amused at our discomforture. Here w^e once more hired 

 stoljarres and drove out to see two very fine waterfalls. With 

 one of these is connected a tale of the Kaiser's ruthlessness. 

 The story goes that a young ofilicer of the " Hohenzollern " in 

 a tit of passion struck the Kaiser in the face. The penalty for 

 this Icsc majcstc was death. The mode of his execution was an 

 original one. He was taken to the top of the mountain, placed 

 blindfolded upon a bicycle, and made to ride over the 

 edge of the fall. In the magazine in which this story appeared 

 the Kaiser and his staff are depicted gloating" over the perform- 

 ance. A few^ years ago one wouldn't have believed this story for 

 a moment, but after what has happened in Belgium and Servia 

 it is possible to believe that it may be true. The volume of water 

 tumbling over these falls doesn't compare with that of the 

 Trondheim fall, but the height is very much greater. I should 



