352 Norway and the Norwegians 



to death. It is a curious fact tliat it is found that hay 

 and not oats is the diet best suited to give the animals 

 warmth sufficient to resist the cold. 



The horses drag the trunks down some prepared 

 route which ends at the side of a mountain stream. 

 By the bank huge piles of ' lumber ' are made ; 

 these are visited by the proprietors, and each trunk 

 marked or branded with the proprietor's mark. Dur- 

 ing the winter months the piles accumulate (they 

 are called Tommervcelter or Tommerlunder, ' lumber 

 piles'); but when the spring comes round and the 

 snow melts, commences the difficult and dangerous 

 operation of floating the lumber down the stream. 

 When, as frequently happens, the tree-trunks get caught 

 on their way down stream and accumulate in large 

 masses, the woodmen who superintend their pass- 

 age have to jump upon them to free, with the boat- 

 hooks which they carry, the log which bars the passage, 

 and then jump ashore again before the whole mass is 

 once more whirled down by the stream. It need not 

 be said that this work requires great agility, and is 

 attended by no small danger. On some of the streams 

 where waterfalls or rapids would absolutely debar the 

 passage of the wood, canals have to be made to give 

 it transit. 



The life of the woodcutter is thus not only very soli- 

 tary, but is attended with considerable hardship and 

 danger. It is, however, a great resource for the Norse- 

 men during the long winter months when the ground 

 is covered with snow, and all agricultural occupations 

 would be impossible. It is an occupation most suited 

 for unmarried men, and the great majority of the wood- 



