படிமம்:View on Sinly (JW Edy plate 16).jpg

The banks of Lake Sinli present an assemblage of romantic, beautiful and interesting scenery. Cloud-capt mountains and pyramidal rocks on a large scale partially fringed with wood, detached clusters of trees, natural vistas and verdant fields, furnish the contemplative eye with a perpetual succession of varied entertainment. Here a mmd prepossessed with poetical representations of pastoral life, will also find ample scope for indulgence. The peasant of this, as well as of most parts of Norway in the height of summer, retires with some of his family to pasturages called Saeterhavne, situated up in the country, and in many cases at a considerable distance from his habitation. Here he passes some weeks in pursuits characteristic of Nomadian innocence and simplicity. A fastidious judge of pastoral life may not indeed at all times recognize Colin in every young man who is making hay, or Rosalinda in every lass who is churning butter or watching her little flock in some sequestered place while singing a plaintive air; but he will certainly return from a Norwegian Saeterhavn disposed to exclaim with Gray;

"The thoughtless world to majesty may bow,

Exalt the brave, and idolize success;

But more to innocence their safety owe

Than power or genius e'er conspired to bless."

The people of Sweden throughout all ranks, even to the very dregs of society, pique themselves on being styled the French of the North; but without any intention of drawing an invidious comparison, the people of Norway may assume the title of the Swiss of the North. In love of country and of freedom, in impatience of oppression, in a lofty sense of the rights of humanity, in courteousness and hospitality to strangers, in hardiness of body combined with the most determined valour, in kindness of heart, in resources of mind and in rectitude of conduct, the mass of the Norwegian people may be equalled but cannot be surpassed by the countrymen of William Tell. Indeed the moral and physical affinities between the two nations and their respective countries are equally prominent; and a stranger will contemplate both with the same surprise and delight with which he will view the rainbow in the form of a perfect circle from a hill in Norway or from one in Switzerland.

But although nature assumes the same grand, awful and sublime attitudes in Norway as she does in Switzerland, she is infinitely less liberal in scattering plenty over the land. What has been already said of the precarious and scanty production of grain, is equally applicable to the pastures of Norway. Their excellence depends much on situation, and rainy or dry summers. It may, however, be generally assumed, that the pastures in the interior of the country excel those near the sea. But the size and general state of Norwegian cattle does not bespeak much luxuri ance of pasturage.

The native horse of Norway is of small size, generally, and always low. Of this animal Mr. John Lawrence gives the following very correct account :¹

"The Norway horse is of some consequence, in relation to the horses of this country, in certain varieties of which there is a considerable admixture of Norsk, or Norway blood: in fact, the dun colour in our common road hacknies, is chiefly derived from that source. This cross has taken place in a method opposite to the general one, since the custom has been to import Norway mares, not stallions. These have been chiefly imported to the coasts of Suffolk and Norfolk, in former days, for I have not heard of the practice within the last thirty years ; and very probably the duns and sorrels or chesnuts of those districts, have been derived from the Norway cross. The produce of these mares, and proper English stallions, make hardy and good trotting hacks, of which I can speak from experience.

"Many valuable qualities are with justice ascribed to the Norway horses. They are round made, but with clean heads and limbs ; their best pace is the trot, which indeed is the characteristic pace of the Northern, as the gallop is of the Southern horse. They are so surefooted in their own rough country, as to be equal to mules in that rare quality. It is said, when they go down the steep cliffs, strewed with stones, as it were steps, they throw themselves upon their haunches, like our shaft horses in a waggon, and supporting themselves with one forefoot, they try each stone with the other, in order to find whether it be fast, and to be depended on.² In these break-neck situations, the rider must trust to the discretion and practice of his beast, whether a Norway horse or a mule, for should he, from timidity or rash intermeddling, confuse the aim, or affect the equilibrium of the animal, there could be little other chance than that both would describe the figure, une over the other, down the precipice. These horses are said to be among the most courageous, and to fight with bears and wolves, which they conquer and sometimes destroy, by drumming the sculls with their fore feet: but in these contests, which frequently happen in a wild country, it is found that the horse is always conquered by the bear, much the stronger animal, whenever the horse happens to strike with his hinder feet; being in that unguarded position, the bear soon leaps upon his back, and the horse running away, is at last torn down by his savage rider. Frederick IV. ordered an experiment of this to be made in his presence. A bear was let loose upon one of these horses, which instantly dispatched his enemy in the manner above described."

The black-cattle is generally of a very diminutive size; an English calf will outweigh many a Norwegian ox. In autumn the beef is tolerably fat, rather well flavoured; and Norwegian epicures who havehad opportunities of comparison, assert it to be superior even to English beef. To an English taste it will, however, appear to be something between beef and veal, and most certainly not tempt their palate except in autumn.

The native sheep, which they call Souer, are of a poor kind; they are twice shorn in the course of the year, in autumn and in spring. Attempts have, however, been made to improve the native breed by crossing it with English sheep. Merino sheep have also been introduced by Count Moltke and some other land owners in Norway.

1.^ History and Delineation of the Horse in all his varieties, part 111. page 54.

2.^ These statements are founded in facts which the writer of these descriptions has had frequent opportunities of observing. Among other native authorities upon the subject, Mr. P. Holm may be consulted in his de scription of Lister and Mandal, page 93, No. 9, of the Topographical Journal of Norway.