16 A RIVER OF NORWAY 



free. Our scenery is, to our eyes at least, 

 passing fair ; but it is not of the sensational 

 order which attracts the tourist and the hotel- 

 keeper; and our excellent roads lead to no- 

 where in particular. So we are secure from 

 the contemplation of that " unlovely exhibi- 

 tion of high spirits " which too often marks the 

 tripper, and sometimes makes the quiet Eng- 

 lishman blush for his race in Bergen and on 

 the tourist routes. No doubt such visitors 

 bring money into the country, but it is im- 

 possible not to sympathise with educated 

 Norwegians who deplore that the most beau- 

 tiful spots in the land are vulgarised. 



But to our Salmon. It is now, early in 

 June, that fish really begin to run in any 

 number, As we have seen, a few come in 

 May, but they are only the scouts of the great 

 army. On the whole, perhaps, the fish that 

 run now are the bigger ones, but there is no 

 very marked difference in this respect. At 

 this time our sport is often very good, but it 

 is very uncertain. It is quite possible to see 

 no fish one day and to kill half-a-dozen the 

 next. So I remember it happened two years 

 ago. We had a blank day, an unusual mis- 



