180 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 



flavour to the milk of these places. Many of these saeters 

 are very difficult of access ; high mountain ranges and 

 snow patches have to be crossed, and rivers forded by man 

 and beast. Solitary indeed is the life in these mountains, 

 for only once or twice during the summer does the farmer 

 go up there to see how those who have been left are get- 

 ting on, to hear about the herds, and if the season has been 

 good. ... On these visits they bring provisions, and 

 take back the produce of the dairy. The saeter life is also 

 a hard one ; the pastures are far away from the huts, and 

 during the whole day the maidens have to follow the herd, 

 rain or shine, and return in the evening; cold, hungry, and 

 often wet. 



' In some mountains pastures are very abundant, and 

 saeters are numerous ; in others they are few and far 

 apart. Almost every farmer possesses one, but some who 

 have more mountain land than they require rent part of 

 this to those less fortunate. . . . The people start 

 for the saeter in many districts toward the middle of June, 

 the time varying somewhat, but generally not after mid- 

 summer St. John's Day according to the distance and 

 the mountain heights that are to be crossed. They return 

 between the middle and end of September, and if high 

 mountains, are to be passed, about the first week in Sep- 

 tember. 



' The young maidens, the pride of their family or of a 

 neighbourhood, will remain in the mountains all alone 

 feeling as safe as in their father's home ; they have no fear 

 of being molested, for they trust to the honour and man- 

 hood of the Bond agriculturist blood. Very few things 

 in Norway have impressed me more than this simple faith. 

 ' The young lover comes once or twice to cheer the hours 

 of his sweetheart, but only for a day. If engaged to him 

 he is the more welcome, for in the autumn, after the 

 labours of the harvest are over, the wedding will probably 

 take place.' 



In connection with this I may cite the following infor- 

 mation given by him in another connection : ' A betrothal 



