NORWEGIAN FISHING 149 



undertaking than was then a journey to the 

 Namsen, their Mecca. We read of occasional 

 merchant ships sailing for Norwegian ports ; 

 but the more certain route was by " com- 

 modious and powerful steam packets to Ham- 

 burg " ; whence the traveller had before him 

 a long and toilsome journey by road or coast- 

 ing steamer through Denmark and Sweden to 

 Christiania and thence to Trondhjem. 



The earliest book with which I am ac- 

 quainted, in which may be found any con- 

 siderable account of salmon fishing in Norway 

 is Belton's " Two Summers in Norway " 

 (London, 1840). In 1837 the author reached 

 Mediaa on the Namsen on the 14th July. 

 According to his account, the river had been 

 unknown to anglers, " until about seven or 

 eight years ago, a couple of Irishmen, who had 

 heard of the fame of the Namsen, penetrated to 

 Fiskum Fos ; of which they brought back such 

 a report, that many have been induced to follow 

 their steps." But in 1837, until his arrival, 

 not a single angler had been heard of. He 

 gives an interesting account of the river, and 

 regrets that such a big water can only be fished 

 by harling. " This is doubtless a very killing 



