r88o-i88i] 47 



wood is entirely hidden, and in churchyards fresh flowers and 

 vases are regularly renewed on the graves for many years. 

 Passing on to the busy town of Burgen, where are numbers of 

 most elegant wooden villas nestling amongst the plantations at 

 the base of the steep hill, one of the most attractive being within 

 a few yards of the Leper Hospital, where are about 120 inmates 

 afflicted with true Asiatic leprosy, caused by a diet of salt fish — 

 flat brod — he sailed up the Hardanger Fjord, one bank of which 

 has some valleys so sheltered that grapes and peaches ripen in 

 the open air, while the other side is barren and desolate. After 

 visiting the Voringfos, which falls 475 feet at a single bound, 

 he drove through the charming Noerodal, or narrow valley, 

 whose sides are precipitous mountains of 2,000 to 3,600 feet 

 high, separated at the base by a space just sufficient for the road 

 and river. He mentioned the immense depth of the Sogne and 

 Nord Fjords, the maximum in the former being 3,800 and in 

 the latter over 5,000 feet, These soundings are surprising, 

 especially as the average depth of the North Sea is only about 

 1,200 feet. He rowed up a narrow lake called Olden, sur- 

 rounded by most picturesque mountains (some of which are over 

 6,000 feet high), patched with snow, and the summits and upper 

 valleys covered with glaciers, which looked most beautiful under 

 the brilliant noonday sun. Numberless waterfalls enliven the 

 scenery ; but these are even more numerous on the Geiranger, 

 which, though short, he considers the finest fjord in Norway. 

 Just on the edge of its precipitous sides are sectors, or summ.er 

 farm-houses. The children and cattle should certainly be 

 tethered up there, as they are said to be on the North Fjord. 

 Passing up the lovely Romsdal, and over the extremely desolate 

 table land of the Dovrefjeld, he embarked at Drontheim in the 

 mail steamer for the north. The outward and return voyages, 

 which occupied ten days, were amongst the myriads of islands, 

 which so fringe the coast, that but rarely does one get into the 

 open ocean. The scenery presents such a wonderful variety 

 that it is intensely interesting. The weather was delightfully 

 fine, and the thermometer inside the Arctic circle was for days 



