186 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 



door of which was always carefully closed, skimmed off the 

 cream which had been formed on the milk of previous days, 

 and putting it in the churn, they began to make the butter. 

 Others took the empty vessels to the river, and rubbed 

 them inside arid outside with fine sand from the shore, and 

 afterwards with juniper branches, finishing by a thorough 

 rinsing in the stream. The pails are generally made of 

 white pine, and are clean and spotless. Cheese day also 

 proves a busy time, and its work is done in the same 

 thorough manner. The room where the milk is kept was 

 marvellously neat ; about 150 pails filled with it were on 

 the shelves, each being about twenty inches in diameter 

 and five inches deep, made of white pine, with wooden 

 hoops; the milking-pails stood on the floor ready to be used. 

 Several barrels for the churned milk and butter-milk, and 

 vessels for the butter, were also arranged in order. 



'On Sunday, after their morning milking, every one 

 commenced his or her toilet, as if getting ready to go to 

 church, putting on clean linen, and all their holiday clothes 

 and shoes. The girls and their mother wore dresses of 

 thick dark -bluish woollen material, homespun, with cor- 

 sages of the same colour. The bottom of the skirt was 

 ornamented with a wide green band all around. The cor- 

 sage was open, and showed a handkerchief embroidered 

 with gold. Each girl wore a close-fitting little cap, which 

 seemed to be made only to hide the ends of her thick 

 luxuriant hair. No work was done, except what was 

 absolutely necessary ; some of the family read the Bible 

 and sung a few hymns of praise. After dinner visiting 

 took place from saeter to saeter, and the afternoon was 

 spent in the social fashion customary to the country.' 



Du Chaillu went on such a visit with one of the maidens. 

 ' Early on Monday morning/ says he, 'Everybody was up; 

 the horses were ready for the return of Nels to the farm ; 

 the pack-saddles were put on over two thicknesses of 

 woollen blanket ; the butter, cheese, and milk for the 

 working people on the farm were not forgotten ; the father, 

 in a quiet way, without kissing, said good-bye to all his 



