When depriving the beast of his skin, two small portions of it were allowed to remain attached to the carcass; one to the foot of the hind-leg, and the other to the haunch. The young dog Passopp, that had accompanied us on the preceding day, was then thrust headlong through the aperture formed by the carcass and the loose skin. This manœuvre, which was repeated three times, was for the purpose of entering him to a bear, it being the first of those animals with which he had ever come in contact. This idle custom, for which I could hear no reason assigned, is common among the Finnish chasseurs in the Wermeland forests. CHAPTER XXII. Norway. Scenery.-Sneehättan.-Glaciers.-Riukanfos.-Vöringfos.-Act of Union.--Form of Government.-Christiana. Population.-Religion.-Revenue.-Trade.-Army. Skielöbere.-Deficiency of Grain.-Weights and Measures. -Posting. Society. - Nobility. Peasantry. Game. — Game-Laws. - It would be tedious were I to detail our proceedings for the three or four succeeding days, as no occurrence of the slightest interest took place. In that while we beat a good deal of ground, in the hopes of getting a bear on foot, but, as usual, our search proved unsuccessful. In the course of Monday, the 24th March, we crossed the line of demarcation separating Sweden from Norway, which lay at some few miles to the westward of Aspberg. It consisted of a road-way, as it were, a few paces in width, cut in a direct line through the forest; this extended, where there was wood, from the one extremity of the two kingdoms to the other. As we were distant from any habitable part of the country when the shades of evening set in, we passed the night before a similar watch-fire to that already described. As I am now in my bivouac within the Norwegian territories, I cannot do better than make some slight mention of that most interesting country. During this During this particular season, it is true, I saw little of that kingdom, but at former periods I have traversed it in almost every direction. The general style of the scenery in Sweden is, as I have said, very beautiful, though, owing to the little elevation of the mountains, it seldom assumes grandeur of character. In Norway, on the contrary, the works of Nature are on a stupendous scale. Few countries in the world present such sublime natural scenery its numerous lakes and rivers; its magnificent cataracts; its boundless forests and solitary wilds, where silence seems to brood eternally; its terrific precipices; its smiling valleys, and its towering Alps covered with everlasting snows, impress the mind of the traveller always with admiration, and often with awe. The Dovrefjeld has for ages been considered the highest range of mountains in Scandinavia, or indeed in the North of Europe. It has recently been discovered, however, that the Skagstöls Tind, situated among the Sogne Alps, is of a more considerable elevation. This is said to be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven feet above the level of the sea; whilst the highest point of the Dovre does not exceed seven thousand seven hundred and fourteen feet. The Skagstöls Tind is a very remarkable mountain, for, though of so considerable an altitude, it is only about fourteen miles from the ocean. Sneehättan, or the Mountain of Snow, is the highest point of the Dovre. I was on its summit on the 8th of June, 1826. The ascent has been described by some travellers as difficult and perilous; this is not the case, as I accomplished it with perfect facility. There was not much snow upon Sneehättan at the time of my visiting it; though in places it was lying in immensely deep masses, which had probably remained there for many ages, as during the short Northern summers the sun could not dissolve any considerable portion of it. The surface of the snow in these drifts was quite hard, so that we could walk upon it with great ease and safety. The temperature was mild on the summit of this mountain, the quicksilver being at 50, according to the scale of Fahrenheit. There were no glaciers on Sneehättan, though such are to be found on several others of the Norwegian Alps. Justedalsbräen, or Sneebräen, as well as Folgefonden, Mr. Forssell says, are the greatest glaciers in Europe. Sneehättan far out-tops the world of mountains |