1888-S9.] A Sporting Tour in Norway. 217 



laurels, I started with "Donald" the following morning at 

 peep of day. As I could not use the telescope with one arm, 

 I left matters entirely in his hands ; and as we were unable 

 to converse, I walked behind in silence. In due course we 

 sighted deer, and after a deal of manoeuvring crawled to a 

 moss-covered rock within a hundred yards of a stag, which 

 was feeding on a patch of green. " Donald " laid the rifle on 

 the rock, and I prepared to shoot. Keeping the points of the 

 antlers in view, I looked through the sights of the rifle, but 

 felt so awkward with the left hand that I resolved to try the 

 right. I thereupon got " Donald " to remove the sling, but 

 found I had to use the left hand to bring the right one to the 

 trigger-guard. This accomiDlished, I raised myself a little 

 higher, and saw the noble animal quietly feeding quite uncon- 

 scious of our presence ; so, drawing a bead upon his heart, I 

 pressed the trigger. I was then called upon to pay the penalty 

 of my indiscretion for disregarding medical instructions. The 

 recoil of the .500 Express was too much for my injured shoul- 

 der, and I nearly fainted. Strange to say, the stag never 

 moved off the spot, but I could hear the blood gurgling in his 

 throat, and knew that the messenger of death had done its 

 work. Motioning my companion to take the rifle and despatch 

 him, he went up and terminated his sufferings. After perform- 

 ing the usual obsequies, we wended our way towards home, 

 which we reached in time for breakfast, and for once in my 

 life I felt that I had had enough of deer-stalking. Spending 

 a couple more days on the island, I saw numbers of deer, but did 

 not take the rifle. 



Innumerable flocks of eider-ducks breed round this island, 

 and in fact all round the north-west coast of Norway. Nor- 

 wegian law very properly protects these birds, as from them 

 the eider-down of commerce is obtained. The eider-duck 

 plucks the down from her own breast to line her nest, and 

 about a quarter of a pound of this valuable product is found 

 at each nest. Strange to say, if the birds are shot and the 

 down plucked off, it has not the same elasticity, and is con- 

 sequently not so valuable, as when removed by the bird itself. 

 To such an extent is eider-down used in Norway, that during 

 my sojourn in that country I never once had a blanket to cover 

 me, blankets being entirely superseded by eider-down quilts. 



