THE ROMANCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



enormous fields and patches of snow. Here and 

 there a little reindeer-moss fills the crevices of the 

 shattered rocks, and this is all the verdure of this 

 wilderness of rocks and snow. You must plunge 

 through the sofc snow above your knees for many 

 a weary mile; this is very fatiguing: at other 

 times, through bogs of moss and melted snow; 

 and then, perhaps, through a wide torrent, whose 

 waters reach to your middle. Now you have to 

 cross a ridge of sharp rock, which stands like an 

 island out of the snow, the sharp edges of the 

 granite cutting into the leather of your shoes, 

 now completely soft and sodden with the melted 

 snow. Now you have to descend a steep snow- 

 mountain ; this is very difficult, and not without 

 considerable danger if you are unaccustomed to 

 it. As every one may not know what the descent 

 of a Norwegian snow-mountain is, it may be well 

 to explain it. Imagine a very steep mountain 

 covered with deep, never-melting snow, perhaps 

 five or six hundred feet in height, the side pre- 

 senting a bank of snow as steep as the roof of a 

 house. To try whether the descent is practicable, 

 the guide places a large stone at the top, gives it 

 a gentle push, and watches its progress. If the 

 snow is soft enough to impede its pace, and allow 

 it to form a furrow for itself and glide gradually 

 down, the descent is pronounced feasible; if, on 

 the contrary, the snow is not soft enough for this, 

 but the stone descends in successive bounds, it is 

 pronounced too dangerous to attempt. It is quite 

 wonderful to see the rapidity and ease with which 

 the guide will shoot down these snow-mountains, 

 like an arrow from a bow. Placing both feet 

 together, with nothing in his hands to steady 

 him, but bearing your heavy provision-box and 

 blankets at his back, down he goes, his pace ac- 

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