of telling us all this rigmarole about steamers, and Quakers, and Lights? What on earth have they to say to Norway? Now I'll tell you—coincidence.—It was of importance to us to reach Bergen in time to catch the Norway coasting steamer, which we could just do without delay. Well, after pressing you on board, as they always do, making you forget half you have to do, we dropped out of our dock, down the river, or canal, for about two miles. The steamer then hove-to, and we had the exquisite pleasure of waiting four mortal hours for the ship's papers, which were in the hands of the port authorities, and out of the hands of the proprietors of the steamer, who had nothing to say to the delay. As if the authorities had not had the whole morning to get them ready! At last we got off, and steamed that night and the next with a sea like glass. Early Saturday morning, when I got up, I thought we were very quiescent, and it was scarcely possible we could have made Stavanger yet. There we were in the middle of the open sea, something having happened to one of our boilers-pleasant! Now had it been bad weather this would have been no joke. We hove-to for two or three hours, put out our fires, and then, when our boilers were cool,

we found it was a screw that had gone only, which was soon put to rights, and we soon set off steaming again. And great credit did the captain and officers of that nice vessel deserve for the methodical promptness with which they did their work. We soon set to again, poomp, poomp, poomp; and notwithstanding the delays occasioned by the authorities at Hull, and this unforeseen accident, it speaks volumes in favour of

"The crew and the officers true

On board of this bold Arethusa,"

that we made up our way and caught our Norwegian coasting steamer in time. We reached Stavanger at three p.m., coast low, like some of the Hebrides, at a distance. There we stayed two or three hours, but I did not see much worth going on shore for. We then started, coasting away through some very narrow passages between islands, but it was too dark to see anything, though I stayed on deck as long as I could distinguish anything; and we reached Bergen at four o'clock in the morning, where my friend and I quietly slept on board. The other passengers, bound more north, going on by the coasting steamer which had waited for us and very nice fellows some of our pas

sengers were. One of them, though we had never met, I had heard something of. We had, too, a freemasonric bond attaching us. Love of doggie-genus, Gordon setter. The one he had with him, for of course he had had once been under my care, and recogone, nized me, and her friend and relative Spean, at once. What good, jolly fellows Englishmen bound for the wilds are! Before we had got half over the voyage-" Well, you know, when you get tired of your quarters, old fellow, just come and look us up, if you don't mind going so far north. so far north. Lots of Ryper, you know-grand scenery worth seeing-finest part of Norway."

If we are for getting things to ourselves and a bit exclusive about our rights, ain't we always ready to ask a fellow to come and have a bit? You are so happy-at peace with yourself and all mankind; so grateful to an all-bountiful Providence! Dashing along "o'er the deep waters of the dark blue sea," with "heaven smiling o'er you,' you would be the biggest churl alive if you did not impart some of the intense happiness rioting through your veins to others.

15

CHAPTER II.

BERGEN.

ON mom yobselves to shore, and

N Sunday morn we breakfasted on board,

located at the hotel. Being quite a wild man when in a wild country, I should have eschewed towns as much as possible myself, but my friend had business there, and very luckily decided on stopping, by which which means he arranged it entirely to his satisfaction, which is more than one can often say.

Now if anybody who ever looks into this little book expects I am going to write grand accounts of Norway, let him shut it up, as I am not going to do so silly a thing. I know nothing about Norway, I have never read a line written about it, except Lloyd's "Northern Sports," which I did many, many years ago, and was much amused by them-I am only going to maunder, and twaddle, and gossip about the way anything I come across strikes me in my dotage. Well, then, Bergen is very prettily situated,

possible expense. I hear a workhouse pauper can be buried for 7s. 6d., and why spend more on me?

I consulted doggies-one, a dashing young wild Gordon blade, another, a staid old sedate gentleman, as steady as time and as slow as a top. Both thought it would be very good fun, and said they would see me through it. And so, having taken their opinion, I wrote to my man at once; and, like the O'Mulligan, responded, "I'll go wid ye, my boy." And wasn't I mad not a little during the intervening time?-for which I, however, now cared but little, for I knew holiday-time was coming.

And at last the day did come, and I started, with my two canine friends, Prince and Spean, by the night mail train, and arrived safely at Hull the next morning, where I met my kind inviter.

Hull! Hull! I have some gloomy recollections of a journey and sojourn there some half century ago, when I passed an August and September in London, while I was dancing attendance on great men—a thing I have never attempted since, perhaps for the reason that, unfortunately, I got what I wanted. Yes, I remember I had to go to Hull on the business I was then engaged in. There was no Great