A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 3 



greatly impede our progress through the country 

 later on. 



For a considerable distance beyond Hammerfest 

 the scenery is very uniform, and not at all striking. 

 Black or grey cliffs rise precipitously from the sea, 

 without a particle of visible vegetation upon them, 

 and even the very wildness and desolation of the 

 scene, though at first impressive, ceased to have 

 novelty, and at length became positively depressing. 

 Xo number of jagged peaks and curiously narrow 

 sounds and fjords can compensate for the absence 

 of colour and life in the landscape. Still there was 

 much to attract one's attention. In particular, the 

 different old shore-marks on the cliffs were very in- 

 teresting. The highest of these was over 100 feet 

 above the present water-level ; and two or three 

 other distinct lines just like terraces were visible 

 almost the whole length of the fjord. It is still an 

 open question among scientific men whether these 

 ancient sea-margin marks have been caused by a 

 sinking of the waters or by an upheaval of the land. 

 To me the latter supposition seemed the more tenable, 

 as the irregularity of the lines, now dipping 10 feet, 

 and then rising again, seem to point to the conclusion 

 that such was their origin ; for had they been caused 

 by the sea-level falling, the lines would have been 

 of equal height throughout. 



All observation, however, speedily became impos- 

 sible, as the long-threatened storm at last burst upon 



