188 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 



rous. Some of them being fifteen feet long, the effect was 

 very striking. This red snow is always found in the large 

 melting patches, and its colour is due chiefly to the pres- 

 ence of minute vegetable organisms, enclosing an oily-like 

 red liquid, this alga is known as Haematococcus Protococ- 

 cus nivalis. We then passed on the border of Vasdalseggen, 

 where the mountains, largely covered with snow, range in 

 the direction of north north-west. After we had traversed 

 this plateau for about three hours it slopped downwards to 

 the east, and a toilsome tramp through wet snow brought 

 Lake Bjoerne into view. On its shores I saw cattle graz- 

 ing, and not far off the smoke curling from a solitary pige 

 saeter girl saeter, in this mountain home of the wild rein- 

 deer. 



' Every year, towards the latter part of June, from the 

 Hardanger fiord, or from Roeldal, a farmer, accompanied 

 by two girls, with a drove of milch cows crosses these 

 mountains. During the summer the girls are left to take 

 care of the cattle, and to attend to the diary. 



' It was late in the day when we arrived at this lonely 

 place ; the girls came out to see who the strangers were, 

 suddenly disappearing at our approach, to put on their 

 best clothes to receive us. They wore the costume of the 

 girls at Roeldal, and their caps were set very coquettishly 

 on their heads. One had red stockings, the other blue/ 



M. Du Chaillu goes on to describe the life and occupa- 

 tion of the girls, which were similar to those of the first 

 saeter visited by him. I have been pleased with what I 

 have heard of the chivalrous respect with which the saeter 

 girls are treated by young men, their acquaintances, occa- 

 sionally visiting them ; and with what has been told me 

 of young women completely non-plussing young men who 

 had presumed to think they might be trifled with with 

 impunity. One scene flashes itself upon my memory : a 

 brave maiden raising into threatening position the handle 

 of her broom, and, with contempt in look and tone, speaking 

 to the cowed bully, much as God spake to Sennacherib, 



