Soon after breakfast Mr. T. came to us, and said, “I have asked your young man to play his violin, and he very properly says he cannot do so, without your permission.” Mr. T. was anxious to hear them play; we therefore at once gave our consent. Noah came for one of the Regent Street tambourines, then in our cabin, and in a very short time the gay sounds of violin and tambourine, were heard in the Christiania Fjord. Our gipsies were grouped below the fore-deck, the sun was shining. The travellers and sailors seemed much amused. “Why you are travelling with your band!” said some of the passengers. Nor shall we forget the tall form of our gipsy, Noah, with his hat placed jauntily on one side his head, as he rattled the tambourine, with a verve, and feeling which only one, of wild, strong passions can do. Mr. T. came up. “I like your idea very much,” said he; “and I suppose that young gipsy girl, will cook for you. I admire her boots; they are something like boots. What a difference,” whispered he, as a genteel, ladylike passenger, passed near, whose small, thin, elaborately-worked, fashionable boots, with high heels, and small rosettes, just above the toes, certainly did not appear, fitted to promote, the elasticity of the footstep, or comfort of the wearer, among the Norwegian fjelds and fjords.
Then we had much speculation as to the astonishment of the Norwegian people, when they saw our donkeys. We were informed that the Chevalier’s father, had once possessed the only donkey in Norway. This animal had long since been dead, and Norway had been left without a single donkey in all the land. Some said we ought to make a charge for exhibiting them to the peasantry, and an animated discussion took place, as to the amount of duty to be paid, before they could be landed. One said it would be the same as upon horses; another said that the duty could not be the same as upon horses, and they would have nothing to pay. Some passengers expressed an opinion, that they would have to pass a law in the Storthing, to assess the amount of duty, before we could possibly land them, and it might cost us 20l. to get them through.
As we approached Christiania, and our voyage was nearly over, we had our account to discharge with the stewards. Our gipsies cost quite a fortune. If they had been ill at first, their appetites must have been ravenous, towards the close of the voyage. The steward had been told, to let them have everything they wanted to eat, and to drink; we could not, therefore, say much, so settled the bill. Both stewards, hoped we should come back in the same vessel, and took some trouble to give us the dates of sailing, from Christiansand. It was then our intention to take the steamer from Christiansand, at the end of the summer.
We met with another freemason on the morning we landed at Christiania, whom we believe was chief engineer—a very stout-built man, with a kind, amiable disposition, whose every word rang, of open-heartedness, and benevolence. He had a jolly, merry wife, and a French poodle dog, which, of course, begged, and was as intelligent, as those animals usually are. We became very good friends. Before we landed he gave us a newspaper, containing some verses, which, if we remember right, were written by some man going to be hung. Unfortunately, we have mislaid the gift. Our friend said the verses had struck his wife, and himself, as being most appropriate to the wanderings of ourself, and the young people. They wished us all success, which we sincerely reciprocated.
In the second cabin there was also a sea captain, and his wife, from Australia—very kind people to our gipsies; in fact, we could not help feeling, some tinge of regret, that we were so soon to leave. Yet we were on the threshold of camp life. We were about to continue our former wanderings. The thread broken elsewhere, was to be resumed in Norway. We must admit, that the allurements of fresh scenes of nomadic life, softened our separation, and gave us new hopes for the approaching campaign.
Our baggage was mounted on deck, as we approached Christiania. Very soon we had the city of Christiania in full view, with the King’s palace, and castle of Agershuus.[20] We could scarcely account for the feeling, but Christiania seemed to wear a pleasant, homelike aspect, which we liked. It was probably eleven o’clock when the steamer arrived. A number of the inhabitants had arrived on the pier. Mr. Bennett was there. Time had favoured him, for he looked stronger, and we might say younger, than when we were last at Christiania. One of the first incidents before landing was a solicitation for horse-money. It seems to be a kind of payment customary for the benefit of the sailors; and it was hoped that the donkeys, although not horses, would still entitle the sailors to its payment. We had enjoyed such a pleasant voyage, and were in such good temper, with all on board, that we did not raise any objection to the remuneration.
What a quaint, foreign-looking court-yard you enter as you seek Mr. Bennett. Numbers of carrioles are crowded together at the end of the court, ready for distant journeys. Then you ascend some steps, to a wooden balcony, and enter his suite of rooms. One large room is completely full of Norwegian silver relics—tankards, belts of a past age, carvings, paintings, engravings, photographs of Norwegian scenery, maps, books, and all sorts of articles, illustrative of the manners, and customs of the Norwegians, of ancient and modern time. We seem to have wandered into a dream-land of ancient sagas, and ten to one you meet other spirits who are doing the same.
Mr. Bennett, the presiding genius of the place, had probably ceased to be astonished at any mode of travelling an Englishman might adopt. Williams had landed with his knapsack, which resulted in an interesting work, having the additional value, of giving a correct entry, of the expenses of his expedition. MacGregor came en route to Sweden, with his canoe, and wrote another interesting work. Now an Englishman comes with gipsies and donkeys! What next?[21] The worthy English consul, and chargé-d’affaires, who so well represents our country, was absent from Christiania, but we were introduced to his son. When he heard of our retinue, grave doubts as to our safety, apparently crossed his mind. He seemed to think it improbable, we should return to our friends. It could scarcely be expected, that Mr. Bennett could advise us, upon the best camping grounds, but we must ever feel grateful remembrance to him, for the trouble he took, to pass our things through the Custom-house, and forward those left behind to Eidsvold.
The cicerone provided for us by the Chevalier, dined with us at the Victoria Hotel, Raadhuusgaden. The day was lovely. We found some of our fellow-passengers, already seated at the table d’hôte. -