Our additional baggage consisted of one salmon rod, three trout rods, four Alpine stocks, two long ropes for tethering the animals, a fishing basket, a tin box with padlock, a musical box, a moderate allowance of clothes, a small tin of blacking with brushes, hair brushes and combs, soap, towels, pocket mirrors, writing-case, maps, stout straps, books (guide books and others), fishing tackle, &c., two courier bags with locks, and a plaid haversack, which contained a small case of medicaments for use when we were beyond all chance of medical advice—for, although fresh air is peculiarly health-giving, there were times and seasons when we had to officiate as the “cushty drabengro” (good doctor) of the party. We had also in this plaid bag a silver-mounted glass flask of imposing appearance, which was kept filled with Brændeviin, to be poured out into a thick-set, solid-looking drinking glass, that had been purchased, once upon a time, at Épernay, in France; it was fitted to stand the hard usage of this world, even to receiving libations of brændeviin instead of champagne. The glass is still unbroken, and ready to do duty in another campaign; and when we look at it, our brain becomes puzzled as to the number of bold Norwegians whose lips it has touched as they quaffed its contents to gamle Norge.
The weight of baggage is given in the following divisions:—
The kettle and articles packed into it weighed 10½ lbs.; bowls and pewter plates, packed separately, 6¾ lbs.; the frying pan, 3½ lbs.; our boiling can for making tea for our party, four in number, 1¼ lbs.; our large boiling can, for a larger number than four persons, weighed 1¾ lbs.; the large iron kettle-prop, 6 lbs. 6 ozs., making the total weight of cooking apparatus and service de ménage, 30 lbs. 2 ozs.
The tent rods and pole weighed 14½ lbs.; the tent blanket, cover, and partition-curtain, 17½ lbs.; large waterproof siphonia cover, 4½ lbs.; small spade to dig trenches round tent in wet weather, 1 lb. 15 ozs.; total weight, 38 lbs. 7 ozs.
One of Edgington’s waterproof rugs, the tent carpet, two rugs, and two air-pillows, weighed, together, 20 lbs.
Our large tent and fittings, with cooking apparatus and service de ménage, therefore weighed 88 lbs. 9 ozs.; and with books, fishing-rods, clothes, the provisions, and other baggage, made a total of about 360 lbs. weight, which allowed 120 lbs. for each donkey to carry.
The method of transit for baggage of all kinds, that impediment to rapid movement, required careful consideration. We had 360 lbs. weight of baggage to carry across the sea, to take with us through the valleys of Norway, to convey over mountains, and rugged paths, across rivers and shaky wooden bridges. The kind of animal suited to our expedition had also to be considered; ponies and mules had their claims. Excellent ponies might be purchased in Norway upon our arrival, but then we had the risk of delay. If we took mules they were oftentimes vicious and troublesome. At last we commissioned a gipsy to purchase three strong donkeys, to be specially selected for the purpose. It is said in one of Dickens’s works, that no one ever saw a dead donkey or a dead postboy—and this inspired additional hope that the animals would survive the journey. We had no reason to regret our choice. Donkeys will endure want of food better than even mules or horses; they are patient, quiet, and tractable; they soon take to the camp, and seldom stray far. The weight would be about 120 lbs. each, decreasing as they progressed on their journey. A strong donkey has been known to carry for a short distance, 4 cwt., but this is exceptional; 200 lbs. for a journey on good roads they can manage without difficulty; for rough mountain roads and paths, this load ought to be reduced to less than 100 lbs. Donkeys were much valued in early times; and in New South Wales they were recently more expensive than horses. Fortunately our gipsy was able to procure them at a moderate rate; and in a short time I was the possessor—to use gipsy language—of three “cushty merles” (good donkeys). They were to travel with the gipsies’ camp until we were ready to start, and so become used to camp-life. Very good ones they were:[9]
Content with the thistle they tramped o’er the road,
And never repined at the weight of the load.
It was necessary for the success of the expedition, that the party should be composed of not less than four; but one who had before accompanied our wanderings, was unable to come. Our preparations were partly made, and his loss as a fellow compagnon de voyage was irreparable. Skilful in designing and making a tent, full of resource in camp life, never without an expedient to overcome a difficulty, a sketcher from nature, cheerful under all exposure, temperate in all his pleasures, ever ready with his song and guitar; at eveningtide, by the flickering embers of the camp fire, by the silent lake, or in the mountain cwm, or lonely glen—his loss was indeed to be regretted. His lithe figure, and luxuriant raven-black hair, shading in heavy tresses his ample forehead, jet-black eyes, and thoughtful countenance bronzed by exposure, strongly resembled the true gipsy type. By other gipsies whom we had chanced to meet, he had been thought of better gipsy blood than our own gipsy people.
Our right hand seemed gone. As we lounged into the gipsies’ camp, there was no sun to illumine our way to the north. The party must be made up to four; but no other friend would venture on the exposure of a camp life in a foreign country. The romantic scenery, the novelty and charm of a nomadic life in nature’s wildest scenes, completely failed to allure them from their comfortable homes.