[80] Sœter is pronounced “saiter,” and, like the châlet in Switzerland, affords rough accommodation on the cattle run, in the mountains, often at a long distance from the valley farm to which it belongs. The cattle are driven up from the valley, at the beginning of the summer, for pasture, and the butter and cheese are made at the sœter. At the end of the summer, the cattle are driven back to the valley farms, and housed for the winter.
[81] We were more fortunate than Williams, who, during his knapsack tour, lost his way when crossing over the Kjölen Fjeldene to Skeaker, and was alone, without food or rest, for nearly twenty-four hours—page 202 of “Through Norway with a Knapsack.”
[82] Grona elv, green river.
[83] Reindeer pits, formed in the fjelds, for taking reindeer.
[84] New sœter.
[85] Of the Norwegian winged game, the “capercailzie,” or, as the male bird is called in Norsk, “tiur,” is, perhaps the finest, varying from nine to sixteen pounds in weight. They feed much on the cranberry, red whortleberry, bilberry or bleaberry, wild strawberry, raspberry, and on juniper berries, insects, and also on leaves of the Scotch fir and spruce pine. Then there are the ptarmigan of two kinds—the “fjeld rype,” mountain ptarmigan, and the “skov rype,” or wood ptarmigan; also the “hjerpe,” hazle hen, hazle grouse—the handsomest of the grouse species—the “aarfugl,” black cock or black grouse; also “raphöne,” partridges; “vagtel,” quail; and “rugde,” woodcock. Partridges and quails are not numerous. We refer those who wish to know more about the game birds of Norway to a most complete and beautifully illustrated work, “Game Birds and Wild Fowl of Sweden and Norway,” by L. Lloyd, author of “Field Sports of Northern Europe,” published by Day & Son, 1867. Many of the beautiful illustrations of this work are by the celebrated Swedish artist, the late M. Körner. Several excellent woodcuts are by Wolf.
[86] “Rankny rackly,” pretty girl; sometimes pronounced “rinkenno” and “rankno,” pretty. In the Italian gipsy, it is pronounced “rincano,” bello.
[87] The following description is given of Lom Church in “Wild Life in the Fjelds of Norway,” by Francis M. Wyndham, published by Longmans, 1861:—“The church is a very picturesque building, made entirely of wood, even to the roof, which is composed of small pieces of wood, shaped and laid on like tiles. A beautiful tapering spire rises from the centre of the building, and forms no insignificant object in the view of Lom.”
[88] In a recent guide book we notice that Prœsten Hallen is now entitled Provsten Hallen.
[89] Beaver stream.