snob in a state of raving helplessness. If snobbie is driving his own carriole, which some consider 'the thing,' he has no alternative but to put himself between the shafts and wheel it, barrow fashion, eight or nine miles to the next station, or wait until the next morning. If he is hiring both horse and vehicle, he must shoulder his luggage and walk on. Mr. Bennett told me of six cases of carriole barrowing that he had heard of during one summer. Complaints were lodged at Christiania, inquiries made, and the verdict in every case was 'sarve him right.'

The carriole with its long shafts, low single seat between horse and axle, from which the driver is not thrown out even if the horse goes down on descending a steep hill, is still the national vehicle, but it is a mistake to suppose that there are no others. There is, in fact, one magnificent district of Norway (that around the great Justedals ice-fjeld) where the single carriole is unknown; it is replaced by the stolkjaerre or chair-car, or chaise, always seated for two. Besides these, double carrioles with seats for two are now to be had everywhere, and on the main road a variety of fourwheeled vehicles, even stage-coaches of the old English pattern, are running.

The water conveyance is similarly organised. The fjords and inland lakes present a unique system of thoroughfares which are traversed by steam-packet omnibuses that call at a multitude of stations to land and embark passengers and goods. The 'Norges Kommunicationer,' published fortnightly in newspaper form, supplies all particulars of times, fares, and distances of steam-packets and railways. Besides these there is a system of boat stations even more elaborate, and all regulated like the posting according to Government tariffs. As an example of the coasting traffic I may name the weekly packets from Hamburg to Christiansand on the South Coast, thence along the West Coast to the North Cape and along the northern coast to Vadsö on the Varanger fjord near the Russian frontier. The length of this trip is 2,900 miles, occupying about fifteen days, the packet calling at eighty-five intermediate stations. The English tourist may embark at Christiansand where the London and Hull packets stop, and thus enjoy an unrivalled sea-trip. Or he may meet one of these boats at Stavanger, or Bergen or Trondhjem, by taking the English packet to Bergen or Trondhjem; or he may go direct to Christiania and thence by rail to Trondhjem and take the Arctic packet there.

Nearly the whole journey from Trondhjem round the North Cape to the Varanger fjord (about a week, including some considerable and interesting stoppages) is done within fjords, or between the mainland and the countless outlying rocky islands which

act as breakwaters and render the journey a marine promenade through smooth land-locked channels that appear like a thousand and one salt-water lakes with magnificent scenery throughout. The only open sea part of the voyage is that from Hammerfest round the North Cape, facing the dark, precipitous, northernmost wall of Arctic Europe.

The midnight sun is visible wholly above the horizon at the North Cape from May 13 to July 30; at Hammerfest from May 15 to July 27; at Tromsö from May 20 to July 22.

The packet makes a halt of about twenty hours at Tromsö, allowing time for an excursion up the Tromsdal to an encampment of Lapps. I visited them in 1856, and again in 1874, when I found the same family there, changed only by age. Occasionally large numbers of these little people visit Tromsö and Hammerfest to do their summer bartering.

I should add that the commissariat of these and the other packets is all that any reasonable tourist can demand; far superior to our own coasting packets communicating between any one part of Great Britain and any other; though not so luxurious as our ocean steamers. The following wines were on the carte of the North Cape steamers in 1874: St. Julien, Pontet Canet, Château Larose, Léoville, Brant Mouton, Lafite, Nuits Romanée, Sauternay, Sauterne, Château Yquem, Hochheimer, Rudesheimer, Johannisberger Cabinet, Cliquot, Sillery, Eil de Perdrix, Port, Madeira, Sherry, Hermitage blanc, Malvaiser, and Paraxete; all unusually genuine, and moderate in price. Breakfast of hot fish and cold meats, 18. 4d.; tea or coffee charged as extras at 3d. per cup. Dinner of soup, fish, meat, poultry and dessert, 28. 3d.; supper same as breakfast.

The Norwegian railways are now considerably extended, the complete system adopted by the Royal Commission of 1875 being nearly finished. It seems like sacrilege to travel by rail through such a country as Norway-would be really so if their lines and mode of travelling were like ours.

Instead of this they follow very nearly the post-carriole routes, which are many of them fine specimens of engineering. Thus they climb over mountain passes, wind along splendid valleys, and in some cases display the country even better than the horse roads. I was much struck with this in travelling by rail from Trondhjem to Storen in 1874, where I had walked in 1856. One of the most interesting features of the country, the great terraces extending up all the valleys and displaying the ancient coast lines, was far better seen than from the post road. Some parts of the line, where it is cut out to form a ledge on the face of a precipice with a foaming torrent below, are especially magnificent. The railway between

Bergen and Vossevangen, thus hewn out of the solid rock, runs through fifty-five tunnels in seventy miles with glorious bursts of fresh scenery on emerging from each.

The pace, about fifteen miles an hour, or twelve including stoppages, is reasonable. On the long journeys there are restaurant stations where a good and cheap dinner is provided, and the train stops for about an hour to enable the passengers to enjoy it. Instead of rushing on through the night, the train stops in the evening at a sleeping station, and starts again at a reasonable hour the next morning. Besides these there are other stoppages at places of special interest. The Norwegians are a deliberate people even when transacting business, and their business movements about suit the pace of an Englishman when he is lounging.

The expenses of travelling are very moderate. Posting, including all extras, about 4d. per mile with single carriole; or 3d. per mile each person with double carrioles. Water-posting in rowing boats about the same. Steam-packet fares first class from 1d. to 14d. per mile; married couples counted as one and a half. Coasting steamers a little less than 1d. per mile, first class. Railway fares about 1d. per mile first class, less than 1d. second. Hotel expenses in the cities about the same as in Germany; in the country, an average of 48. to 58. per day is ample allowance, exclusive of wine. Return tickets from Hull to Christiania, first class, 6l.; second, 4l. available by Bergen. From London, 61. 68. and 4l. 48.; victualling on board, 68. 6d. per day first class, 48. 6d. second.

To pedestrians Norway is a paradise. The regularity of the distances between the stations, the exact information attainable respecting them, present a certainty of accommodation in just the sort of quarters which a pedestrian requires. All Norway is mountainous and picturesque; there are no tame flat regions anywhere; the climate is always bracing, even in the hottest summer weather. The alternations of walking and boating or an occasional variation by taking a stage in carriole, which may be done anywhere on the roads, renders pedestrianism luxurious.

But the best way of all for thoroughly enjoying Norway is to adopt my ride and tie' invention. Two tourists A and B are at a station C, and proceeding to unknown regions, X, Y, Z. A starts on foot leaving his knapsack behind in charge of B who pays the bill, takes a carriole and starts half an hour later; three miles ahead he overtakes A, they chat, compare notes with pony at walking pace, then change places; A drives on to station X, where he leaves the horse and carriole he has been driving, orders another to be got ready, and to await his friend; he then walks on to be overtaken as before. This is repeated at Y and Z and on

wards. At dinner-time A orders the food, wbich is about ready when B arrives. Fifty miles per day can thus be covered by walking twenty-five. He who enacts the part of A should learn enough Norsk to explain the intending arrival of B. This is very easily done. In other countries it would be difficult to carry out such an arrangement, as the mercenary hotel-keepers and postmasters would do their worst to frustrate its economy. Norwegian peasants are gentlemen, and therefore do not measure out their respect to a guest according to the amount of his bill. The flunkey's worship of expenditure is unknown among them.

A party of three may adopt the same principle. Two should start to walk after breakfast, leaving the third to follow with the knapsacks. Then one of the pedestrians takes the driver's place. With a double carriole and two always driving, only one-third of the distance covered is done on foot. In this case the luggage must be moderated, or the station-master will object, but the ordinary luggage of two or three true pedestrians is less than that of one average lady.

When my first book, Through Norway with a Knapsack,' was published, Dr. Badham accused me of inventing a new anathema, 'Go to Norway.' This accusation was based on the hardships I chose then to encounter by walking through Tellemarken and other exceptionally wild regions. Besides this, travelling in Norway in 1856 was vastly rougher than now. It was not yet opened to tourists. Very great progress has been made ('change,' I prefer to call it) in providing special accommodation for tourists on all the more frequented routes. Fladbröd is no longer imperative even where wheaten bread is not. The square tins of Huntley and Palmer or Peek and Frean are ubiquitous, and it is now difficult to see a sheepskin bed where I could find no other. Even in the Orkedal and Surrendal, though still but little frequented, I should find a difference; at Quamen station my bill for supper, bed, and breakfast would now amount to more than the five skillings (24d.) I paid in 1856.

I should add that the great influx of tourists has by no means corrupted the country people of Norway. Charges are higher, but only in proportion to the increased cost of the accommodation provided, the ordinary requirements of Englishmen—white bread, for example-being exotic and costly luxuries there.

The non-corruption doubtless arises from the fact that they are freehold farmers and not hotel-keepers. They depend on their farms for their livelihood, and work on them all the year round, only providing for tourists during the very short summer, and making very little profit thereby.

I have jotted down the above in order to supply information to those who are considering their forthcoming summer holiday, limiting my statement to those points on which misunderstanding commonly prevails. I dare not begin to speak of the grandeur of Norwegian scenery, the countless and unrivalled waterfalls, the splendid twilights, the fjords, the fjelds, the glaciers, and other glorious features-cannot even find space to specify particular routes. In the introductory part of the seventh edition of Murray's Handbook a number of skeleton tours are given, the particulars of which will be found fully reliable, the only allowance demanded being that the time is now in some cases shortened by the railways that have been opened since 1880. These routes take in the finest features of the country.

I have just learned that a regular weekly service is now established between Newcastle-on-Tyne and Bergen. The Norge leaves the Tyne every Tuesday at 3 P.M. (the steam tender from the quay at 2 P.M.), and returns from Bergen, calling at Stavanger every Saturday. The single fares are 31. first class, 21. 58. second class, and 11. 28. 6d. third class. Return tickets, 5l. first class, 31. 10s. second class. These include all meals. The owner is a Norwegian, P. G. Halvorsen, of Bergen; the Newcastle agents, Messrs. Borries Craig, and Co. The meals are served in Norwegian style, and I hear them highly praised; the other appointments the same. The first voyage of this season was from Newcastle on March 25, and the last is fixed for October 11 from Bergen. The sea passage is shorter than that from Hull.

The North Cape packet, above referred to, leaves Bergen every Friday, and the Norge arrives on Thursday (estimated passage from Newcastle, forty hours). This allows one day for Bergen, which is quite enough. The Hardanger and Sogne fjord packets, and those to Molde for the Romsdal, run so frequently that little or no delay need occur to those who are visiting the grand scenery of central Norway.

I should add that the shopkeepers and nearly all Norwegian townspeople speak English; many of the farmers also, and the captains and stewards of nearly all the steam-packets. The general construction of the Norsk is so much like English that the vocabulary in Murray's Handbook will carry the tourist through, and enable him at once to read the Norges Kommunicationer.'

W. MATTIEU WILLIAMS.