1888-89.] -^ sporting Tour in Norivay. 225 



following morning with two hunters for a mountain sseter 

 some ten or twelve miles distant — the surrounding mountains 

 being the well-known haunts of reindeer. After leaving the 

 road, we clambered up a mountain-steep in order to reach the 

 s?eter on the fjeld above. ISTo time was lost in getting un- 

 packed, and with my rifle and telescope I took a walk in the 

 hope of being able to see some deer. In this I was disap- 

 pointed, but saw numerous fresh tracks, and anticipated good 

 sport the following day. Eeturning to the softer, my com- 

 panions, Ole and Sjur, had supper ready, of which we partook, 

 and prepared to go to bed. Small preparations, however, 

 were necessary, as after divesting myself of my boots only, 

 I turned in. There were no down quilts here, my only 

 covering being my waterproof and rug, and my bed some 

 dried grass and birch leaves. I could have put up with that, 

 but my bed, which was a wooden one, was only five feet long, 

 and as I stand six feet in my stockings, I was by no means 

 comfortable. To make matters worse, I had not been long in 

 bed when I made the discovery that I had companions ; and 

 I strongly recommend any who purpose visiting Norway, and 

 have any chance of sleeping in a mountain sseter, to take 

 with them a packet of Keating's insect-destroying powder. 

 As a naturalist, interested in the study of insect life, I may 

 say that I have no animosity or unkindly feeling towards 

 these creatures ; but on that occasion, at least, I did most 

 solemnly protest against the means by which they obtained 

 their supper. Starting as soon as we could see, in the hope 

 of discovering deer, we wandered over rocky mountains and 

 patches of eternal snow, but returned to the saster at dusk 

 without ever having spied one. The second and third day 

 passed with similar results, and our provisions ran done. 

 Having seen large numbers of fresh tracks, I was very un- 

 willing to leave without getting a shot, and we arranged to 

 take a last look the following morning before returning to the 

 village. A pound-tin of salt beef and some tea was all we 

 had for supper, after travelling a long day on the mountains \ 

 so I opened the tin, and divided it equally into three, and for 

 hungry men it was a scanty enough repast. It must not be 

 supposed that we had bread along with it, as we had none — 

 not even milk or sugar in the tea. Starting breakfastless the 



