Vadsaeth and Svardal. 175 



our identity, iaformed me that they had rowed down the 

 fjord to take us back. 



We had been instructed that from Floro to Eikefjord 

 was a journey of but three hours, so we had intended 

 to proceed at once ; but to this the men were not very 

 agreeable, urging that as the tide would be against us 

 all the way, we had better put up in Floro for the 

 night. 



Our knowledge of the Norwegian language was at 

 that time extremely limited, and as we had been positively 

 instructed as to the length of the journey, it did not 

 occur to us to put the question to our guides, so cal- 

 culating that with an hour's rest, and our assistance, if 

 necessary, in rowing, we should make Eikefjord by about 

 2 a.m., we adhered to our original intention to proceed 

 without loss of time. 



We despatched one of the men to procure a few bottles 

 of beer ; however, he could only get lemonade, and giving 

 the men a drink of that, and a little of the whisky from 

 a bottle given me at the last moment in Newcastle, we 

 got them into a fairly good humour, and at about 10.30 

 p.m. started for the head of the fjord. 



The night was fine but chilly, and after a while Tom 

 rolled himself up in coats and fell asleep on the top of 

 the baggage, while I took a turn at rowing, chiefly to 

 keep myself awake, for I did not care to leave myself 



