6 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 
procession, which extends for miles ; and it may be noticed 
that the course of this stream of floats is always longer 
than the course of the river’s bed; for the water is slowly 
swinging from side to side as it flows, and the floats show 
the course of the stream and its whirling eddies.’ 
The Halling dance referred to is a Norwegian dance, 
reminding one at once of the sailors’ hornpipe and the 
Highland fling, but still more vigorous and exbausting to 
the dancer, being diversified with somersaults such as are 
here alluded to. 
On my return to Christiansand in the evening I at once 
took possession of my berth on board the steamer, which, 
like others in which I have sailed on these northern seas, 
was more luxurious in its arrangements than are those in 
many of the sea-going steamers on the British coast. 
We sailed at three o'clock in the morning, and from that 
time, till near nine o'clock in the evening, with the excep- 
tion of about an hour and a half in the middle of the 
day when we left the coast, we were the whole way sailing 
onwards among islands, rounding them and passing them 
as if on a pleasure trip-—there being always rocks to sea- 
ward to break the roll of the waves, and secure for us 
placid waters,—and looking in on every village on the 
coast, while breakfast, dinner, and supper were served 
with all the northern whets and appetisers of which many 
a one has heard. 
Steamers from Britain to Christiania generally avoid 
the coast, so that this sight is lost until they enter the 
Christiania Fiord. Such as is the fiord, such was the 
whole course, with the trifling exception of the hour and 
a half spoken of. I was reminded of a voyage through 
tbe Thousand Isles of Lake Ontario in America; but the 
scene was different. Here the islands are rocks, not rocks 
rough and rugged—but rocks of granite planed down 
and smoothed by glacial action, more like clean and white 
and sparkling banks of mud than are rocks on a sea-gitt 
shore. It required no ettort aud but little fancy to picture 
