< LACHES IS LAPP NIC A 185 



1 NORWAY. 



'At the place where I stopped to rest after my 

 fatiguing journey they gave me sword-fish l to eat, which 

 much resembled salmon in flavour. 



' Here I found myself close to the sea-coast. I took 

 up my abode at the house of a shipmaster, with whom I 

 made an agreement to be taken in a boat the following 

 day along the coast. I much wished to approach the 

 celebrated whirlpool called the Maelstrom, but I could 

 find nobody willing to venture near it. We set sail next 

 morning, according to appointment, but the wind proved 

 contrary, and the boatmen were after a while exhausted 

 with rowing. Meanwhile I amused myself in examining 

 various petrifactions, principally medusae, zoophytes, and 

 submarine plants of the Fucus tribe, which occupied 

 every part of the coast. I was kindly received at the 

 house of the pastor of Torfiorden, who had an extremely 

 beautiful daughter, Sarah Rask, eighteen years of age. I 

 must not omit to write to him hereafter ; for, according to 

 his account, he never expected to see an honest Swede.' 

 [By the Norwegians the Swedes were always accounted 

 fair and false, as Scott says of the Scots.] ' Next day 

 we proceeded further on our voyage and returned to our 

 place of departure, the wind being still contrary.' [They 

 could get no further than Rorstad church, near the 

 mouth of the fiord.] ' On the following morning I climbed 

 one of the neighbouring mountains With the intention 

 1 Xiphias gladiut. 



