NORWAY 15 



Christiania from Loerdalsoren, addressed to the Museum, 

 as recommended by Prof. Collett. 



This is a most comfortable station, far better than 

 Thune. At Thune, however, we made the mistake of 

 not sleeping at the inn, but putting up at the station- 

 house. But we were cold and hungry and glad to stop, 

 and the people, too, were kind and obliging, and did all 

 that was in their power to make us comfortable. 



We are here now (Nystuen) 3,100 feet above sea-level, 

 and the mountains rise around to the height of 5,000. 



May 18. 



On Thursday, the 18th of May, about 9 a.m., we left 

 Nystuen in sleighs to complete our passage of the Fille- 

 fjeld. There was bright sunshine and wild wind with 

 snow drifting in our faces. The men put on their snow 

 goggles, and we our veils, which proved a great comfort. 



Being downhill, we went for the most part at a 

 merry pace, but in one or two places fresh drift had 

 filled up the road, and then we took to the open fjeld. 

 Here in some places where the snow was soft our horses 

 plunged in up to their bellies. They always put out their 

 hind legs, so that if they broke through, the weight of 

 their bodies came upon their hocks. They quickly 

 recovered themselves in all instances. 



No Keindeer were sighted, though Ole (' Nystuen ') * 

 told us that often some hundreds were to be seen at 

 this particular part of the route. 



About five English miles from Nystuen we entered 

 the Bergen Stift, marked by a pile of stones and a 

 wooden post. Here we drank ' skaal,' and proceeded. 



No living thing was seen until we began to descend 

 from the plateau. Then we saw a scattered flock of 

 Snow Buntings, and two Titmice, which we could not 

 * To distinguish between ' Ole Nystuen ' and ' Ole LysneV 



