VEBLUNGSNŒS,
WITH CHURCH, FJORD, AND MOUNTAIN OF THE THREE PEAKS, “THE KING, QUEEN, AND BISHOP.”
With what pleasure we looked forward to fresh scenes of travel and adventure in even wilder scenes of nature than those we had yet traversed. Those we had seen were very beautiful; each camp seemed to eclipse the last, in the beauty of its scenery. On those still clear Norwegian nights, full of mystic light, lovely in their starlight stillness, the mind seemed enthralled, in a thousand pleasing fancies; the music of the waterfall; the voices on the breeze. The melody of nature, produced impressions we can never forget.
Norway is not the country for the sybarite, fainéant, and the flâneur; it is the home of the hardy mountaineer, the angler, the reindeer hunter, and nomad wanderer, the lover of nature and nature’s works in her wildest and most beautiful forms.
Plants, mosses of every hue, trees, rocks, glaciers, torrents, lakes, fjords, waterfalls, mountains, woods, and glens, are, in their perfection, met at every step, in Norway’s free romantic land.
When Mr. L. came to our camp in the evening with Herr Solberg, we arranged for our photographs, and paid for them. The views of Romsdalshorn, Veblungsnœs, and Troldtinderne, from which the engravings in this book are taken, had yet to be completed specially for us. They were afterwards forwarded; Herr Solberg was allowed the privilege of disposing of the stereoscopic view of our gipsy camp, and the carte de visite of Esmeralda. The specimens he brought to show us, were presented to Esmeralda.
Our last walk with Mr. L. is taken by the Isfjord. As a parting souvenir we gave him an illustrated copy of Her Majesty the Queen of England’s Journal, with which he was much interested; Mr. L. added much to the pleasure of our visit to the quaint old town of Veblungsnœs. When shall we meet again? So it is in this world; we meet and we part, but fortunately the memory retains friendship’s recollection not so easily effaced.
From the Isfjord, near Veblungsnœs, the farm was pointed out to us where Colonel Sinclair, who perished at the Kringelen, landed with his forces.
The church of Veblungsnœs is represented in the engraving of the town. There was nothing remarkable about this church to note. A newly dug grave was prepared in the churchyard for the deceased Bondegaard, who had resided near. If it happens that the clergyman cannot attend when the corpse is buried no delay occurs; the service is read over by the clergyman at some future time, when he attends for church service. The yacht Claymore added a charm to our evening contemplation of the Isfjord. Noah said he had seen one of the gentlemen of the yacht on shore, who had that day ascended the mountain above our camp.
Our stay was now nearly ended. Hitherto our travels had through every difficulty, been most successful; we had scarcely lost anything; the two hats, musketo veil, and kettle prop we could manage without. Mr. L. told us that two young Norwegian friends who had made an excursion, came to him with scarcely anything left; they had forgotten some article at nearly every place they went to. With some trouble the things were again recovered. When the travellers departed, they again contrived to leave behind them an umbrella and a pair of galoshes.