[90] Our guide, Ole, was commonly called “Ole Rödsheim,” from the name of his farm and station; but his right name is Ole Halvorsen. Ole is spoken of in Mr. Bennett’s Guide Book as a thoroughly honest, trustworthy man. The author of “How to See Norway” says—“Ole Rödsheim of Rödsheim is a justly celebrated guide.” The author of “Wild Life in the Fjelds of Norway,” speaking of the station of Rödsheim, says:—“Fortunately, however, in compensation for the delay, the station was very clean and comfortable, and a bonâ fide bed was not unwelcome.”
[91] The mountain is said to be named after a farm at its base.—“How to See Norway,” p. 48.
[92] This mountain was ascended for the first time on the 27th August, 1870, by Messrs. Browne and Saunders. An interesting account is given by T. L. Murray Browne, in the “Alpine Club Journal” for February, 1871.
[93] An additional reason quite accounts for the rapid flight of the night visitors. Esmeralda, who was with her brother, suddenly shouted when she saw them, “Halloo! What are you doing there?” and preceded her brother in the pursuit, which must have had a still more startling effect on the exaggerated fancies of the fugitives.
[94] The “myse ost” is a cheese, shaped like a brick, yellowish brown in colour, and very hard, with a peculiar flavour much relished. Small, thin shavings are sliced off the cheese on to fladbröd and butter, and so it is generally eaten. Occasionally the thin shavings of cheese are eaten with gröd.
[95] Kop is the Norwegian for cup. Milk is often sold in Norway by the kop.
[96] This immense glacier is also called “Smörstabben.”
[97] “Scenes from the Snow Fields, or the Upper Ice World of Mont Blanc,” by Edmund T. Coleman, was published, at the cost of three guineas each copy, by Messrs. Longman, in 1859. Mr. Coleman, who is still a member of the English Alpine Club, has since extended his travels to British Columbia and California. In 1868, in company with Messrs. Ogilvy, Stratton, and Tennent, he finally succeeded in making the first ascent of Mount Baker, and planting the American flag on its highest peak, which he named “Grant’s Peak,” in honour of the President of the United States. Mount Baker is 10,613 feet above the level of the sea, and is the most northerly of the great cones of the Cascade range, being only fourteen miles from the boundary line dividing America from English possessions. Like another “snowy Olympus,” it towers above the rest, as the sentinel of a solitary land. The justly celebrated and successful American serial, “Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,” of November, 1869, page 793, contains a most interesting article, entitled “Mountaineering on the Pacific,” by Mr. Coleman, with numerous engravings from Mr. Coleman’s drawings, descriptive of his successful ascent. Illustrations and a paragraph referring to the ascent also appeared 29th June, 1872, in a number of the Illustrated London News.
[98] So singular was the appearance of the ice cliff, rising on the glacier and towering above us in the waning light of a Norwegian summer’s eve, that after describing it to an Alpine traveller of much experience, we wrote to our guide, and the following extract from Ole’s letter, dated 12th April, 1872, may be interesting:—“I am apt to think that the Ice Cliff, which I perfectly well remember, consists of rock on the side we did not see. I can hardly believe it to be entirely of ice. It certainly seemed so to us from the view we had at it; but there must be rock on the other side, I should think.”
[99] Exposed to the heavy snows of winter and the storms of each changing season, some of the frail bridges which span the mountain torrent of many a deep and narrow gorge are very insecure. Many districts are remote, and the bridges seldom used. This danger to travellers has not escaped the attention of the Norske Turistforening. A melancholy accident occurred, just before we left Norway, to a young gentleman named Wright, travelling with his party in the north-west of Norway. All had safely passed across a wooden bridge but his sister. She was afraid to venture. Her brother was testing the stability of the bridge to remove her fears, when a portion gave way. The tourist fell with it into the torrent below, and lost his life. We were told he was afterwards buried at Bergen.