A Yacht Voyage to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden - 2nd edition

William A. Ross

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• Publié par: mosor
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 43
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Yacht Voyage to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, by W. A. Ross This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: A Yacht Voyage to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden 2nd edition Author: W. A. Ross Release Date: February 14, 2009 [EBook #28073] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A YACHT VOYAGE TO NORWAY *** Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note Hover mouse over Greek words for a transliteration. Errata listed on Page viii have been corrected in the text. A YACHT VOYAGE TO NORWAY, DENMARK, AND SWEDEN. BY W. A. ROSS, ESQ. Ver erat: errabam: Zephyrus conspexit: abibam: Insequitur: fugio. Lib. v. OVID. Fast., Second Edition. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1849. LONDON: PRINTED BY T. R. HARRISON, ST. MARTIN'S LANE. TO AN AMIABLE AND A GENEROUS FRIEND, ROBERT, LORD RODNEY, I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME, IN TOKEN OF ADMIRATION, GRATITUDE, AND AFFECTION. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. [Pg v] Departure from Greenwich—The History of the Iris Yacht—Sheerness —Harwich—Under Weigh—The North Sea—Sail in Sight—The Mail Overboard—Speaking the Norwegian CHAPTER II. Foggy Weather—First View of Norway—Christiansand Fiord—Arrival at Christiansand—Description of the Town—The Toptdal River—Excursion Inland—The Enthusiastic Angler—Rustic Lodgings—Hunting the Bear—The Trap—The Death—Norwegian Liberality CHAPTER III. Departure from Christiansand—The Pilot's Pram—Skaw Point —Delinquencies of Jacko—Expensive Cannonading—Elsineur—Hamlet's Walk—The Minister, Struensee—Story of Queen Caroline-Matilda—Legend of the Serf CHAPTER IV. The Pilot—Tempestuous Weather—Distant View of Copenhagen—Lord Nelson—The Battle of the Baltic—The Harbour-Master—Interest excited by the Yacht's Arrival—The Artist—The Angler—We go Ashore CHAPTER V. Copenhagen—The Cape—The Dilemma—The Guard—Compliment to England—Description of the Harbour and Fortifications— Delinquent Sailors —The City on Sunday—Negro Commissionaire—A Walk through the City —Notices of the various Public Buildings CHAPTER VI. The Casino—The Royal Family of Denmark—Succession to Holstein—The English Consul—Visit to the English Ambassador—Colossal Statue of Christian the Fifth—Anecdote of Belzoni—Trinity Church—Extraordinary Feat of Peter the Great—Ducking an Offender—Palace of Christiansborg—The Exchange—The Castle of Rosenberg CHAPTER VII. Dinner at the Embassy—Manners and Customs of the Danes—The Spanish Ambassador and the English Exile—The Citadel—Story of the Two Captives —Joe Washimtum, again—A Danish Dinner—Visit to the Theatre—Political Reflections—Festivities on Board the Yacht—Merry Party at the American Ambassador's—The Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein CHAPTER VIII. The Exile's Souvenir—The Disappointed Artist—Departure from Copenhagen —Arrival at Elsineur—Description of the Town—The Castle of Cronenborg —Hamlet's Garden—Esrom Lake—The Legend of Esrom Monastery—The French War-Steamer—Sailing up the Cattegat CHAPTER IX. Arrival at Falkenborg—The Storm—The Yacht in Danger—Safe Anchorage —Visit to Falkenborg—Ludicrous Adventure—A Drive into the Interior—Great Scarcity experienced by the Inhabitants—Description of the Country—The Disappointed Anglers—Kongsbacka—The Yacht runs aground—Gottenborg CHAPTER X. The Casino at Gottenborg—Awkward Dilemma—The Watchman and the Northern Star—Swedish Artillery—The Grove—An Old Man's History—The Alarm of Fire—The Carriage overturned—The River Gotha—Washing in the Stream—The Narrow Streets—Description of Gottenborg—Its Decayed Commerce—The Herring Fishery CHAPTER XI. Return to Norway—Sail up the Gulf—Approach to Christiania—Its Appearance from the Water—Anecdote of Bernadotte—Description of the City—The Fortress—Charles the XIIth—The Convicts—Story of the Captured Cannon—The Highwayman—Prospect from the Mountains—The Norwegian Peasant Girl CHAPTER XII. A Drive into the Interior—Extensive and Sublime Prospect—Norwegian PostHouses—Repair of the Roads—Preparations for Departure CHAPTER XIII. The Yacht under sail—Jacko overboard—Fredricksværn—The Union Jack —Scenery on the Larvig River—Transit of Timber—Salmon Fishing—The Defeated Angler—Ludicrous Adventure with an Eagle—Result of the Angling Expedition—The Bevy of Ladies—Norwegian Dinner-Party, Singular and Amusing Customs CHAPTER XIV 1 13 46 58 74 91 [Pg vi] 106 140 154 172 204 215 [Pg vii] 240 Another Fishing Excursion—Landing a Salmon—The Carriole—Boats rowed by Ladies—Departure from Larvig—Christiansand Harbour—Return to Boom —Sincere Welcome—Angling at the Falls—The Forsaken Angler—A Misunderstanding—Reconciliation—St. John's Day—Simplicity of Manners CHAPTER XV. Sailing up the Gron Fiord—Dangerous Swell—Excursion Ashore—TroutFishing—Mountain Scenery—Ant-Hills—Hazardous Drive—The Scottish Emigrant—Miserable Lodging—Condition of the Peasantry—A Village Patriarch—Costume of the Country People—Arrival at Fædde CHAPTER XVI. Return to the Yacht—Poor Jacko—Ascending the Stream—Description of the Fædde Fiord—Adventures of an Angler—Sail to the Bukke Fiord—The Fathomless Lake—The Maniac, and her History—The Village of Sand —Extraordinary Peculiarities of the Sand Salmon—Seal Hunting—Shooting Gulls—The Seal caught—Night in the North CHAPTER XVII. The Dangerous Straits—British Seamanship—The Glaciers of Folgefonde —Bergen—Habits of the Fishermen—The Sogne Fiord—Leerdal—Arrival at Auron—A Hospitable Host— Ascending the Mountains—The Two Shepherdesses—Hunting the Rein-Deer—Adventure on the Mountains —Slaughtering Deer—The Fawn CHAPTER XVIII. The Sick Sailor—The Storm—The Lee-Shore—"Breakers a-head"—The Yacht in Distress—Weathering the Storm—Return to Bergen—The Physician —The Whirlpool—The Water-Spout—Homeward Bound—Scarborough —Yarmouth Roads—Erith— Greenwich Hospital—Conclusion 260 287 303 336 [Pg viii] 397 ERRATA. Page 79, line 14, for "Nelson," read "Gambier." 92, omit "to the eye." 100, line 12, for "Nelson's," read "Gambier's." 145, last line, for "Braggesen," read "Baggesen." 165, line 31, for "they had endured," read "each of them had endured." 201, line 9, read "as here at Gottenborg." 239, line 33, for "immovably," read "immoveably." 243, line 6, for "jibbed," read "jibed." 286, line 18, for "everywhere," read "ever where." 327, line 10, for "than me," read "than I." 338, line 31, for "jibbing," read "jibing." A YACHT VOYAGE TO [Pg 1] NORWAY, SWEDEN, & DENMARK. CHAPTER I. DEPARTURE FROM GREENWICH—THE HISTORY OF THE IRIS YACHT—SHEERNESS—HARWICH DEPARTURE FROM GREENWICH—THE HISTORY OF THE IRIS YACHT—SHEERNESS—HARWICH —UNDER WEIGH—THE NORTH SEA—SAIL IN SIGHT—THE MAIL OVERBOARD—SPEAKING THE NORWEGIAN. I believe the old Italian proverb says, that every man, before he dies, should do three things: "Get a son, build a house, and write a book." Now, whether or not I am desirous, by beginning at the end, to end at the beginning of this quaint axiom, I leave the reader to conjecture. My book may afford amusement to him who will smile when I am glad, and sympathise with the impressions I have caught in other moods of mind; but I have little affinity of feeling, and less companionship with him who expects to see pictures of life coloured differently from those I have beheld. At three o'clock on the boisterous afternoon of the 1st of May, 1847, I left Greenwich with my friend Lord R——, in his yacht, to cruise round the coasts of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; and, although the period of the year at which I quitted London was the one I most desired to remain in it, and join, as far as I was able, in the pomps and gaieties of Old Babylon, I did not like to miss this opportunity, offered under such favourable circumstances, of seeing countries so rarely visited by Englishmen, more particularly as the invitation had been pressed upon me so unaffectedly and kindly, that I could not, with any reason, decline it. Dropping down with the tide, we arrived the same evening alongside the guard-ship at Sheerness; and, being desirous of making ourselves snug, and of landing two unfortunate friends whom we had originally promised to send ashore at Gravesend, we