A HOME ON THE HIGH FJELD 191 



qualities, and everything keeps up there wonderfully 

 well. The place where the house stands, and indeed 

 a great part of the valley around it, must once have 

 been a forest of huge fir-trees. In many places their 

 stumps and roots are still visible, although none of 

 the trees are now standing. 



It was pleasant enough after two rather hard days' 

 work to lounge on a chair in the verandah, reading the 

 latest English papers more than a week old watching 

 the black spaniels Nellie and Bobbie making perse- 

 vering but unavailing attempts to capture the trout in 

 the stew ; or drinking in the magnificent panorama of 

 sky, mountain, and water. An evening row on the 

 lake brought an enjoyable day to a close, and again 

 we had an illustration of the startling rapidity with 

 which atmospherical conditions change. The day had 

 been perfectly still, and the evening so calm that 

 the rings made by rising trout could be perceived half- 

 way across the lake, but before we got to bed and 

 we did not sit up late the wind was blowing a full 

 gale, which gradually increased in violence until by 

 the following evening, when we were on our way home, 

 it was difficult to stand upright in exposed places. 



We returned by a different route, crossing the 

 watershed in a north-westerly direction and descending 

 a steep pass leading directly to our house. Although 

 the shortest route in distance only about sixteen 

 miles no time was saved by adopting it, as it was im- 

 practicable for even the roughest cart ; but it enabled 

 us to see a new part of the country, and completely to 

 circumnavigate the mountain separating us from our 

 home. We started off about ten o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, having sent our luggage back by the way we 



