The weather being unsettled, we sent Noah and Zachariah with their fishing-rods towards the Logan. They were told to try a lake in that direction through the forest. Directly they were gone, a man and some boys came to see us, and the man had some tobacco. He possessed a pipe which he seemed to prize very much; the pipe had been given him by an English gentleman named Ferrand, who had been in the mountains, reindeer hunting. Our visitor was a fine strong fellow, and said that the reindeer were numerous in that part of Norway. The hunter was exceedingly pleased with the tents, as also another man who afterwards came.
In the course of the morning a carriage and pair passed along the road; they were evidently English. We heard one young lady exclaim, as she caught sight of our camp, “What an awfully comfortable tent.” A lady in a carriole followed them. They stopped a short time in contemplation and then continued their journey, which we hope they enjoyed as much as we did ours.
A young Norwegian traveller and his wife drove up in a Stolkjœrre. They both got down and came to our camp, and asked a number of questions about the donkeys.
We made a sketch of our camp whilst Esmeralda, or “daughter,” as her brothers sometimes called her, went up to the “Bondegaard.” Esmeralda returned with twenty-three fladbröd cakes, and eight extra ones given as a present by the farmer’s wife—a kind, homely, respectable woman. She was very busy baking, and asked Esmeralda in, and said they should come down for some music in the evening.
The rain cleared off, and about half-past three Noah and Zachariah returned. Noah had caught twenty-one and Zachariah ten grayling and trout, some of fair size. The addition to our provisions was very satisfactory. All the fish had been caught in the river Logan; some of the fish were immediately fried, and eaten for dinner with fladbröd. Noah was the subject of some amount of joking about his success, and we kept an account of the number of fish he and Zachariah had caught during the journey. At half-past four o’clock we started them off again to the river. After Esmeralda had cleared up her things, and put the dinner away, she went up to the “Bondegaard” for another pound of butter, and a mark’s worth of flabröd and salt. Whilst she was away a militia soldier in dark green uniform tunic, and cap, came by in a “Stolkjœrre,” a sort of light cart. When he saw our tents from the road, he pulled up. After waiting some time, looking towards our camp, he came down and saluted. It appeared he had come from the camp near Lillehammer. As one who had had some experience in camp matters he appeared much interested in our arrangements. We explained everything as well as our knowledge of the language permitted. After he had drunk to Gamle Norge, he returned to his conveyance. Then his wife came down, and looked at our tents; she also drank to Gamle Norge,[54] and then returned, and they continued their journey.
The soldier and his wife seemed very quiet and respectable people. Esmeralda had only just returned when down came three travellers from their carrioles. Our visitors were in light summer blouses and straw hats, and had round tin cases suspended from a strap over their shoulders; they were evidently men of education. One, I believe, was from Throndjhem, another from Drammen, and the third from Christiania. We answered their questions about our tents, and informed them they were English gipsy tents (zigeuner). Our visitors were apparently going to Romsdal themselves. As we shook hands we hoped their journey would be a pleasant one. When they were gone another traveller drove along the road in a carriole, and came down. He was dressed in a white round-crowned hat, black surtout coat, and possessed a German silver watch-chain. He wandered about our tents; we could not make much of him; whatever we said scarcely produced a word, and we at last left him to continue our writing. Then he came and looked over our notes as we wrote—a breach of good manners which occasioned us to shut our book. He then walked away to our camp spade, scanned it very minutely, and left.
The farmers’ wife came down to our camp with her three children, and made us a present of some fladbröd and milk. The fladbröd we had from this farm was the best we met with in Norway. They made three kinds: one kind of fladbröd was very thin, and stamped with curious tracery that made us regret its demolition; so much did the ornamental fladbröd excite our admiration that we managed with much care to bring back one specimen to England. A representation of it is now given, together with an ornamental Norwegian box-lid which we afterwards found on the shores of the Lille Mjösen. We trust the fidelity of the engraving will be recognised by the farmer’s wife if she ever sees this book. We told her our music would commence at nine o’clock.
After she had left, an old peasant with a round cap came, and we showed him our tents and donkeys. He seemed in raptures with the donkeys, and kept exclaiming Peen giœre! Peen giœre!!—meaning very beautiful. This was a common expression of the peasants as they lifted their hands and expressed their admiration of our donkeys. As far as we could make out we were near “Lœsjeskogen,” and the station of “Lesje Vœrk.” On our right are the mountains of the “Stor Hö,” and the “Sœter Fjeld.” Across the Logan are the Tœver Fjeld, Hyrion Fjeld, and the Skarvehöerne. We should think this would be a good position for fishing, and reindeer hunting, though we scarcely think the reindeer hunting of these parts is so good as formerly, and a sportsman must seek the wilder recesses of the mountains.
Our gipsies, Noah and Zachariah, returned. Noah had caught four trout, and Zachariah one. Although cautioned specially, Noah had been wading, and his feet were very wet. Some of our trout were fried for tea. Three men and a woman came down to the stream, and watched with interest our method of cooking. After tea we gave our visitors some music—guitar, violin, and tambourine. It was a very damp evening, and few visitors came. At last Zachariah broke a violin-string, and the rain commencing, ended our concert.