\I m^91 /
■r
CHAPTER II.
FROM TRO N Y EM TO RORAAS, A N D V IS IT TO
TH E LA P L A N D E R S .
\ alley o f the Gitul River—Villages of Rogstad, Bogen, and K irk -
vo!d Captain Greene and Lieutenant Breton— Carts proceeding
to the Fair of Tronyem— Courteous Behaviour of the Peasantry
Cascades— Song of the Peasant Girls— Smelting-hoiise o f
Ejda— Beautiful Children— Valley o f the Glommen-------Roraas
Smelting-houses— P op u la tion— Road to the Laplanders—
Mountain Scenery— Oresund Lake— Myhrmoe— Laplanders ;
their Portraits— Sseters on the Mountains— A Lapland Woman
Hu ts—In h a b ita n ts; their Character and Condition— Return
to Bekosen—A remarkably fine Family— Copper-mine o f Stor-
vitr/x—-Nature o f the Operations— W a g e s o f the Miners—
L nglish Association for working Mines in Norway— Return—
Salmon F .sh in g— Horrible state of the Road—Arrival in Tronyem.
H aving sent fonvard a forebud to secure horses on
the road, T started at an early hour on the morning
of the 29th of June, on my intended journey to
Roraas, about a hundred miles from Tronyem. The
road I had first to travel is the same as that tvhich is
commonly used between Tronyem and Christiania,
passing over the Dovre F i-c ld ; but the Roraas
road turns off to the eastward a little before reaching
Soknoes, and follows the beautiful valley of the
Guul river, in an opposite direction to its stream,
for many miles, and continues nearly to the spot
whence it derives its source. The drive along this
/
valley is exceedingly picturescpie, and more p articularly
SO in the neighbourhood of the three villages
of Rogstad, Bogen, and Kirkvold.
At Rogstad I had the pleasure to become acquainted
with Captain Greene, of the Royal Navy,
to whom I had conveyed a letter of introduction
from Mr. Hutchinson. He was residing at the
post-house of this place, and although alone, he
told me that, since he had taken up his abode
there, he never found time to hang heavy on his
hands, having all the patience, and being as “ complete
an angler” as Izaak Walton himself, the prince
of anglers. I found_^him standing with his rod in
his hand at the river-side, and noticed four or five
good-sized salmon lying on the bank, Avhich he
had hooked and brought to land that morning. I
arrived just at the lucky moment to be able to congratulate
him upon his success, as he was landing
a fine fish, being the fifth.* A Norwegian peasant,
who seemed to be up to the business, was attending
him. Captain Greene very kindly offered me his
rod, but as I had not been initiated in the art, and
had still some distance to go before I should reach
the end of my day’s journe^q I did not avail myself
of his politeness. At this spot I also met Lieutenant
Breton, of the Navy, the author of “ Travels in New
South Wales.” The latter officer, like myself, Avas
driving one of the little Norwegian carrioles towards
* Since my return I have seen Captain Greene, who informs me
tb.at, in thirty-two days’ fishing, he caught ninety-four fine salmon.