ALTEN, HAMMERFEST, &C. 469 



continued to salute them with all the fire-arms we could 

 muster, as long as we were in sight. The short nights we 

 had lately had made us inclined to turn in at an early 

 hour, especially as the scenery through which we were passing 

 was not particularly fine. 



24#A. — During the night we entered the Great Alten Fiord, 

 but the wind dying away we made but little progress. The 

 scenery began decidedly to improve. In some places the 

 Fiord resembled a large lake, in others it was contracted to a 

 narrow passage, between high and almost perpendicular rocks. 

 On some of these precipices we observed a few pines, and the 

 farther we advanced the larger and more numerous they be- 

 came. It was not, however, till the evening when wo entered 

 Kaafiord (pronounced A'ofiord), that they constituted an im- 

 portant feature of the scene. Here we saw mountains covered 

 with them to a considerable elevation. The wind having quite 

 died away, we had much difficulty in working up the narrow 

 fiord, but at length anchored a little below the establishment 

 of the Alten Mining Company, to which our vessel was bound. 



The narrow Fiord was bounded on one side by mountains 

 upwards of 1000 feet in height, which rose almost perpen- 

 dicularly from the water, while on the opposite side, between 

 the high mountains and the shore, were hills covered with 

 pine and birch, below which were scattered the smelting- 

 houses, cottages and other buildings belonging to the establish- 

 ment. We were most hospitably received at the house by 

 Messrs. Woodfall and Crowe, the resident Directors, the latter 

 of whom had been our fellow-passenger from England. His 

 knowledge of the language, and extensive acquaintance, proved 

 of great service to us at Hammerfest and elsewhere. From 

 these gentlemen, and indeed every one connected with the 

 mines, we received every possible kindness and assistance. 



Before retiring to rest I ran up into the pine woods above the 

 house, and was repaid by seeing a bank entirely covered with 

 the delicate flowers of LinncEa borealis, which quite perfumed 

 the air. As long as I remained in Finmark, I almost always 

 wore a bouquet of Linncea and Menziesia in my cap. 



25^/i and ^Qth. — We visited the mines, which are numerous, 

 and are worked by means of levels or adits in the Greenstone 

 mountains. The copper ore is amorphous pyrites, accom- 

 panied sometimes by specular iron. Beautiful crystals of 



NO. V. VOL. IV. 3 P 



