The frokost consisted of tea, biscuits, and cheese. Our donkeys loaded, we moved off at six o’clock. Noah left his unfinished basket on our camp-ground, as a souvenir. Soon we passed under the arch of the Rands Fjord Railway. Then the road lay through enclosures, and we came in sight of Hönefos.
Before we entered the town of Hönefos, we cautioned Mephistopheles, as to propriety of conduct. It was, perhaps, about nine o’clock; many people came out of their houses, and anxiously inquired what the donkeys were. Mephistopheles called for a glass of sherry, and imitated a drunken man, until he was called to attention. A civil Norwegian coming up, we inquired for the Postaabneri and a krambod.
Keeping Noah with us, we sent the donkeys and baggage through the town, in care of Esmeralda and Zachariah. Coming into a sort of square, our first visit was the post-office; we went into a court-yard, and entering the back of a house, we soon found ourselves in a small room, with a kind of bank counter, behind which sat a respectable-looking, pale, intelligent man. By his side, he had an ear-trumpet, for he was deaf; behind him, he had shelves, filled with books; on his long table, he had writing materials, documents, and papers relating to his duties. He spoke in English with a very good accent; we wrote our answers, for he was deaf. The postage of our English letter, was sixteen skillings, and four skillings each for our letters to Christiania. Readily giving us some information, about the steamers with mails from Christiania, we left our civil postmaster. The war seemed the all-engrossing topic of the time, and we had, of course, some converse on the subject.
Our next visit was to the shop, where we bought five pounds of sugar, for three marks eight skillings; five loaves of bread, for one mark six skillings; and, at a baker’s, we bought two loaves of bread, for eight skillings and six cakes for six skillings.
Hönefos is a spirited town, and a pretty one. Crossing the Hönefos Bridge we soon rejoined our baggage. As we ascended a hill, and continued our route along the new road, which is being made, we had a beautiful view of the town.
A French gentleman, who was driving towards the Hönefos, had asked Esmeralda and Zachariah, if they were French.
Soon afterwards we came to an iron mile-stone, marked five miles to Christiania og Dramen (thirty-five English miles).
Then we saw Norderhoug church. It is large, as compared with many of the Norwegian churches we had seen. The parsonage and village have an air of substantial comfort. Geese and ducks, and cherry-trees were seen for the first time during our wanderings in Norway. This village is noted for the destruction of a small Swedish force, which was quartered at the Parsonage House in 1716.
Still following onwards along our route, we came to enclosed lands, which appeared quite as fertile as any we had seen. Here and there, the harvest people would hurry towards the road fence, to catch a sight of our donkeys, as they passed. Some asked one question, some another. Our gipsies answered wildly any Norwegian word at hand, or ya! ya! Now we meet a carriage and pair, and the gentleman takes off his hat, which we of course acknowledge.
At length we halt on the right of the road on the hill above “Vik Station,” on some rocky open ground.