SAETER LIFE. 185 
‘The mountain life is an active one, and the girls are 
busy from sunrise to twilight. The pastures belonging to 
this saecter were extensive in the neighbouring mountains, 
and sufficed for fifty-two milch cows, with eight others, 
and four horses. The cattle belonged to three different 
farms, including that of Nels. The farthersome coming 
from Soer fiord, fifty miles distant; two of his daughters 
had charge of those not belonging to him, for which they 
were paid. The milk of each herd was put in the vessels 
_ belonging to the place from which the cows came, and the 
butter and cheese were set apart in like manner. The 
people are so honest that no farmer fears that the girls 
will favour one at the expense of the other, or put any of 
the butter or cheese in vessels belonging to any but the 
rightful owners. 
‘ A large enclosure, surrounded by a stone wall, contained 
a fine meadow, the grass of which was carefully cut and 
dried, to be taken away by sleighs in the winter. There 
were upwards of 250 milch cows at the Valdal saeters, 
besides large numbers of heifers, calves, and horses, The 
calves were kept at home ; every morning and evening they 
were fed on a mixture of churned milk and flour, with 
salt; or if no milk was to be had, on hot water, in which 
juniper shrubs had been kept for a while. 
‘At four o’clock in the morning we were awakened by 
the ringing of the bells, which some of the cows wore 
around their necks; they had come by themselves from 
the mountains to be milked, and this was the signal for the 
girls to rise. This they did at once, and were soon on 
duty. . .-. Each buckling on her waist a belt from 
which hung a horn filled with salt; this is given to the 
cows as well as to the horses and sheep, generally in the 
morning and evening, when they go to or from the 
mountains, 
‘After the milking the girls drove the cows up another 
path in the mountains to new pastures, from which they 
would come and go by themselves after knowing the way. 
Qn their return the maidens went into the milk-room, the 
