1888-89.] A Sporting Tour in Norway. 227 



others, hardly able to crawl. Starting in pursuit, I was not 

 long in getting sufficiently near, and despatched him with 

 another shot. We soon skinned and cut them to pieces ; 

 and after tying bits of paper with string to the antlers, 

 which flutter in the breeze and prevent birds and beasts 

 of prey from approaching, we hurried to the saeter with 

 a lump of venison. The stove was quickly lighted ; the 

 flesh, which was never allowed time to get cold, was put 

 into the pot; and, long before it was even underdone, we 

 had it out and commenced supper. We had no tablecloth, 

 no knives and forks, no bread, potatoes, or salt. Carrying a 

 bit on a pointed stick outside, in order that it might cool 

 quickly, and seasoned by a splendid appetite, I made a hearty 

 though somewhat unceremonious supper. Leaving my com- 

 panions to bring home the deer, I walked back to the village 

 in the morning, when I was glad to get a wash and change 

 of linen. The hunters turned up in the evening in two 

 stolkjaerres, and after getting the heads and skins, I made them 

 a present of the venison, of which they seemed immensely 

 proud. Eeturning to Bergen, I learned that the summer 

 boats had ceased running, and that I would be unable to 

 return to England for a week. I therefore had an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing Bergen, the Natural History Museum in- 

 teresting me very much. Eather than wait longer, however, 

 I soon made arrangements with the captain of a cargo steamer, 

 who was returning empty to Sunderland ; and getting on board, 

 I reached home in due course. 



This paper might very properly be regarded as imperfect 

 were I to fail in indicating, however briefly, some of the 

 leading features in the character of the ISTorwegians. During 

 my sojourn amongst them, I found them in many respects a 

 most likeable people, resembling, in many of their features, 

 the more remote of our own Celtic race. Large numbers of 

 them are living in comparative seclusion, far away from the 

 forces of civilisation. They exhibit human nature in its un- 

 sophisticated condition, and form a striking contrast to the poor 

 and neglected in the " civilised " cities of our own country. 

 They are just in all their transactions, kind and considerate in 

 their relations to each other, and accommodating and courte- 

 ous to strangers, there being an utter want of that suspicion 



