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64 RETURN TO TRONYEM. [Chap. II.
reading the names of those who had travelled this
road, I observed a complaint entered by one of our
countrymen, Mr. Treherne Thomas (whose brother
I have the pleasure of being very Avell acquainted
Avith), of a vicious horse having been harnessed to
his carriole, Avhich not only kicked over the shafts,
but more than once very nearly upset the carriagfe
over a precipice into the river. This gentleman
had driven himself in a carriole some thousand
miles, both in SAveden and Norway, and remarks
that this Avas the only A’icious horse that he had
ever met Avith, during the Avhole of his extensive
traA'els ; and he deemed it right, v'ery properly, to
place it on record, as a caution to those Avho supply
horses, and for the benefit of future traA'ellers.
The covering of the bed in Avhich I slept at the
post-house consisted of sheep-skins, lined Avith
various-coloured Avorsted, neatly worked by the
Avomeii of the house. The counterpanes, indeed, of
all the beds I have slept in, along this line of road,
are made of the skins of animals, sometimes of
Avolves, but generally of sheep, and are usually
lined in this manner. Those of the rein-deer are
the most beautiful, but they are expensive.
Having obtained a good horse early the folloAving
morning, I drove on my journey, and on arriving
at the post-house at Rogstad, again fell in AA'ith
Captain Greene and Mr. Breton, the tAvo gentlemen
I haA'e already mentioned, the foi-mer of Avhom
Avas still enjoying the amusement of angling for
Chap. I I .] RETURN TO TRONYEM. 65
salmon in the Guul river. I am not surprised at
this : there is not perhaps in the Avorld finer fishing
nor cheaper living than in Norway; and the
lover of nature Avill no where find more diversified
scenery of magnificent and picturesque mountains,
luxuriant valleys, expansive lakes, and rivers clear
as crystal, and all these intermingled Avith stately
forests of pines and birch, cascades, Avaterfalls,
and torrents. From these gentlemen, Avho had just
returned from Tronyem, I receiAcd the unwelcome
intellio-ence th a t the “ Flower o ofYarroAv” could
not possibly be ready for sea for ten days to come;
and, as they Avere professional men, no doubt
could be entertained of the accuracy of the information.
I began therefore to revolve the matter
in my mind, as the summer Avas so far adA'anced,
Avhether it might not be expedient to give \qi altogether
my projected visit to Iceland this year, and to
proceed at once doAvn the valley of the Glommen to
Christiania, and from thence to Stockholm, making
a tour along the Avestern shores of the Gulf of
Bothnia, as far as To rn e a; but after mature deliberation
I could not make up my mind to throw
aAvay so favourable an opportunity, Avhich might
never recur, of seeing what may justly be considered
the most extraordinary as Avell as the most
interesting country on the face of the globe; nor on
any consideration thus to part from my most agreeable
companions, setting aside the no A'ery pleasing
prospect of undertaking a long solitary journey.
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