56 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



the shores are, as usual, thickly wooded, for almost the 

 whole of Sweden is one vast forest. In Norway, on the 

 other hand, only twenty per cent, of the country is 

 covered with timber. On arrival at the little log- 

 house on its shores, the inhabitants, as usual, were 

 found away haymaking, nor did they return till the 

 following evening. 



So, on the departure of Forstrom and his son, the 

 fourth of the series of my guides and attendants, I was 

 left to shift for myself. The first thing to be done 

 was evidently to support the system, which meant 

 catching fish, for there was not an atom of food to be 

 seen in the house. Not supposing that anything 

 could be got with certainty in the lake, I took a small 

 boat found lying on the beach and rowed up a long 

 bay, where, from the configuration of the hills, I con- 

 sidered there would be a stream. I was not mistaken, 

 but as it was very broad and shallow at the mouth, I 

 ran the boat ashore, and making my way with some 

 difficulty through a thickly tangled forest of birch 

 and pine, came upon a large pool several acres in 

 extent. Stationing myself at the inflow I let the line 

 float out slowly. 



Keeping it taut, though the sun was shining brightly 

 and the mosquitoes exceedingly annoying, I succeeded 

 in half an hour in catching twenty-five trout, of which 

 the five largest taken together weighed five pounds 

 and a quarter. 



Having caught enough for two or three meals I 

 returned, and lighting a fire proceeded to broil the 



