NORWAY AND THE VIKINGS 



BY 



CAPTAIN MAGNUS ANDERSEN 



I am called upon to speak of the Vikings. I do not know 

 that I can tell much more about the Vikings than most of you 

 have read in history, though it may interest you to know that it 

 is an ordinary sailor who speaks of them. But I might improve 

 the opportunity to tell you a little about modern Norway. 



As you know, Norwaj'' united with fSweden in 1814, on equal 

 terms ; that is to say, each country enjoying the freedom and 

 liberty of a government independent of the other, except as to 

 the King and the diplomatic representation abroad. This union 

 has benefited both countries to a large extent, and every true 

 Norwegian of to-da}^ feels an admiration for his forefathers who 

 had the courage to sacrifice home and almost everything dear 

 to them to save the liberty of Norway, which was threatened 

 not only by foreign foes, but by starvation which stared the 

 people in the face in 1814. By reason of this union both Norway 

 and Sweden have advanced in commerce, so that to-day we do 

 not call ourselves a very poor nation. We have a commerce 

 which we believe to be up to the times. The Norwegian fisheries 

 are conducted on the most modern princii3les ; great improve- 

 ments have been made, and new devices invented and utilized. 

 The Norwegian department in the Fisheries building at the 

 World's Fair speaks for itself, and I think every one will agree 

 with me that it is astonishing what a small nation can do. Our 

 fish exports amount to something like thirteen million dollars a 

 year, which is very well for two million peo2)le. Besides the 

 ordinary fisheries, the whale and seal industries have in the last 

 forty years yielded a handsome income to the country. The 

 pioneer of this trade is the still living Commander Sven Foyn, 

 who, by his intelligence, energy, endurance and integrit.y, raised 

 himself from an ordinary sea captain to the wealthiest man in 

 Norway. He is now eighty-four or eighty-five years old, and 

 has been going to sea since he was fourteen. 



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