GENERAL FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY. 5 



there is another saw-mill. At the fall on which this mill 

 stands may be seen what I shall hereafter have occasion 

 to refer to as characteristic of the water transport of 

 timber trees in Norway. The author of a volume entitled 

 Frost and Fire, describing the passage of this fall by trees, 

 says : ' At every moment some new arrival comes sailing 

 down the rapids, pitches over the fall, and dives into a 

 foaming ground pool, where hundreds of other logs are 

 revolving and whirling about each other in creamy froth. 

 The new comer first takes a header, and dives into some 

 unknown depth, but presently he shoots up in the midst 

 of the pool, rolls over and over, and shakes himself till he 

 finds his level, and then he joins the dance. There is 

 first a slow sober glissade eastward across the stream to a 

 rock which bears the mark of many a hard blow. There 

 is a shuffle, a concussion, and a retreat, followed by a 

 pirouette sunwise, and a sidelong sweep northwards up 

 stream towards the fall. Then comes a vehement whirling 

 over and over, or if a tree gets his head under the fall, 

 there is a somersault, like a performance in the Hailing 

 dance. That is followed by a rush sideways and westward, 

 when there is a long fit of setting to partners under the 

 lee of a big rock ; then comes a simultaneous rush south- 

 wards, towards the rapid which leads to the sea, and some 

 logs escape and depart, but the rest appear to be seized 

 with some freak, and away they all slide eastwards again 

 across the stream to have another bout with the old bat- 

 tered pudding-stone rock below the saw-mill j arid so for 

 hours and days logs whirl one way, in this case against the 

 sun, below the fall, and they dash against the rounded 

 walls of the pool. Such is the effect of these concussions 

 that above the fall it has been found necessary to protect 

 the rock against floating bodies so as to preserve the way 

 of the stream. It threatened to alter its course and leave 

 the mill dry, for the rock was wearing rapidly. Lower 

 down, nearer the sea, is a long, flat marsh, between high, 

 rounded cliffs ; and there these mountaineers, floating on 

 to be sawn up, form themselves into a solemn funeral 



