Nordland. 237 



management of the kitchen garden, and are perfectly 

 content so long as they have plenty of grease (smor) of 

 any sort to eat, which, with the exclusion of all fresh air 

 from their dwellings, provides them with their delightfully 

 oily complexions, and fosters sickness in their midst. 



The idiotic raptures in which tourists indulge who visit 

 the country but for a week or two have imbued the krone- 

 scenting Norsk country-hotel-keeper with the notion that 

 he has merely to stand by and receive toll for the privilege 

 of viewing his native fosses, fjelds, and fjords, and give as 

 little as possible in return for five or more krone a day. 



In many places where the blood, of the British coinage 

 has been but once tasted, the natives are grasping and 

 extortionate to a degree, and will not scruple to demand 

 double the correct remuneration 



The proprietors of small inns are pleasant enough, so 

 long as no question arises which affects their pockets ; but, 

 should a mistake occur, which is invariably in their favour 

 — for instance, a . bottle of wine or a few bottles of beer — 

 then the highly-extolled Norsk will fight for a krone or 

 two as does a lioness for her cubs. 



The question of penge is apt to expose the weak points 

 of the lower-class provincial Norsk, and, unless one is 

 prepared to be fleeced, this wastes a deal of one's time. 



I make no doubt the provincial Norsk is all very well 

 in his way, and, in the aggregate, neither better nor worse 



