266 THROUGH NORWAY WITH THE VESEY CLUB. 
Dice., 1890. 
Coming down such hills is bad for the front teeth. The 
great main roads over Norway are five in number. (1) Lille- 
hammer (for Christiania) to Trondhjem, over the Dovrefjeld ; 
(2) Lillehammer to Veblungsnaes, for Molde, through the 
Gudbransdal and Eomsdal; these two roads being common 
to Domaas, i.e., about mid-way ; (8) Bergen, over the Fille 
Fjeld and Yaldres, or, as an alternative, Hallingdal* to 
Christiania; (4) from Christiania through the Thelemarken 
to Odde for Bergen and Stavanger; and (5) a coast road, 
connecting Stavanger, Christiansand, and Christiania. With 
the exception of Trondhjem, these five roads with their 
subsidiary branches, are the sole means of land communica- 
tion between Christiania and any part of the south, 
west, north, or centre of Norway. Until recently these 
roads were all of the type of those already referred to, 
and which we may designate “surface” roads; but 
within the last dozen years or so they have been in gradual 
process of reconstruction, or, to speak more accurately, are 
being gradually replaced by new roads, the construction and 
engineering of which are worthy of the highest encomiums. 
The Dovrefjeld Koad, for example, over which we shall be 
driving during the next few days, has no gradients so steep 
as those by which many an important English road is carried 
over rising ground ; of this, however, more hereafter. 
These roads are all made by Government, but in most cases, 
have to be kept in repair by the local authorities. I believe 
that the old roads had to be maintained by the individual 
occupiers on the route, and at varying intervals, from a few 
yards upwards, by the roadside are posts indicating the 
occupier responsible for that section. 
At irregular intervals along the roads, varying from five 
to twenty English miles, are situated what are called 
“ stations,” the owners of which are under contract with 
Government to either keep or obtain horses and vehicles for 
the travellers’ use, and at a stated charge. Those which 
keep the horses, &c., are Faste Stationer, i.e., fixed stations, 
but by the English tourist known as “ fast stations,” as at 
these your delay rarely exceeds half an hour ; the others are 
known as “ Tilsigelse Stationer,” i.e., summoning stations, 
the master of which sends for your horses to the neighbouring 
farmers, and charges a fee for so doing. These “ slow 
stations,” as English-speaking travellers popularly and very 
aptly call them, are now relatively scarce, and few exist on 
*Througk the Halliugdal a railway is prospected to connect 
Christiania with Bergen. 
