Hubert Smith

As Cadurcis approached, he observed some low tents, and in a few minutes he was in the centre of an encampment of gipsies. He was for a moment somewhat dismayed; for he had been brought up with the usual terror of these wild people; nevertheless, he was not unequal to the occasion. He was surrounded in an instant, but only with women and children; for gipsy men never immediately appear. They smiled with their bright eyes, and the flames of the watch fire threw a lurid glow over their dark and flashing countenances; they held out their practised hands; they uttered unintelligible, but not unfriendly sounds.

Disraeli’s Venetia.

A DIFFICULT CROSSING—AGAIN EN ROUTE—SKÖGADAL SŒTER—SŒTER ACCOMMODATION—SPLENDID SCENERY—THE SKÖGADALS ELV—THE MYSTERIOUS BONE—MOUNTAIN EXPLORATION—THE PACK HORSES—A SLIPPERY FLOOR—MUSIC IN THE SŒTER—FLŒSKEDAL STÖL—THE MÖRK FOS—MAGNIFICENT FALL—THE CLIFF’S EDGE—THE IRIS—ALL PAY AND NO COMFORT—A REINDEER SHOT—THE DESERTED FARM—A MOUNTAIN SHADOW.

The three donkeys looked as if they much preferred remaining where they were. Esmeralda said we should never get over.

Noah said “No donkeys can go over such places as these, sir.”

“What can we do in such ways?”

Even Mephistopheles had not quite shaken off the gloom of our last camp, and looked “mumply.” We did not say much.

“There’s the other side. They must go.”

LUSEHAUG BRO, UTLADAL.—RESTIVE DONKEYS.

And without losing more time we all set to work and carried the baggage over. Then came the Tarno Rye’s turn; Zachariah pulled at its head, whilst ourself and Noah pushed behind, and forced it by main strength up the stones to the wicket. It was almost over the cliff once, but we both laid hold of a hind leg each, whilst Mephistopheles tugged at the donkey’s head. As the frail bridge shook it is lucky we did not all vanish into the chasm below. With main force the Tarno Rye was lifted on to the bridge, and finding itself there quietly allowed itself to be led by Zachariah and Ole to the other side.

It was rather expected we should succeed in the same way with the other two, but they made such a resolute fight that there was considerable risk of losing one of the donkeys through the handrail at the end of the bridge.

“Bring the tether rope, Noah.”

We then proposed to noose them by the head, and so drag them over. Noah further suggested that we might double the rope and pass it round the donkeys hind quarters. It was a good idea immediately adopted. The Puru Rawnee was the first. Esmeralda and Zachariah at the ends of the doubled rope across the bridge. Ourself on the bridge steadying its head. Noah and Ole pushing behind.

Sharp was the contest, first at the stones leading to the bridge, then at the light rails at the end of the bridge which shook under our weight as the donkey resisted. Now and again Esmeralda pulled. Mephistopheles pulled, and the Puru Rawnee, at length, sorely against her will, was dragged over the bridge.99 The Puru Rye was also soon pulled over by the same method, amid much laughter from our gipsies. In a few minutes the donkeys were again loaded.

“What is the name of the bridge?” asked we.

“Lusehaug Bro,” said Ole as we pushed along the Utladals Elv, and whilst we gradually ascended obliquely higher above the Utladals Elv, so the Utladals Elv seemed to sink deeper, and deeper, into the hidden recesses of a bottomless ravine. In a short time we entirely lost sight of its rapid waters.100

This river is ultimately joined by the waters from the MÖrkfos. After winding along the hill side we reached a sort of upper plateau at the foot of the SkÖgadal.

Near the SkÖgadals Elv are two soeters some short distance apart, on the banks of the Elv, whose swift course is soon lost down the precipitous steeps which abruptly fall from the plateau to the dark narrow ravine below. Halting at a short distance from the SkÖgadal soeters, a fire was lighted, and we had fried bacon and potatoes and tea for dinner. Until we had another tent pole it was impossible to pitch our tent. Shortly after dinner it poured with rain, but our baggage was all safely covered with our siphonia waterproof. Ole showed his ready skill by cutting down a small birch tree in the wood just above us, which he shaped out with his hunting knife to the proper size and length, and then cut holes sufficiently large for our tent raniers. A very good substitute Ole made. We have it now, after all the rough work of our remaining campaign. There was a slight cessation of rain, during which the tents were pitched. We were delighted with our camping ground. All were pleased with it. It was certainly a wild, secluded, and beautiful spot. There was the pleasing reflection that we were at home in our pleasant camp. No care, no trouble, no sleeping in soeter beds in a suffocating close atmosphere, or lying on mud floors, slimy with spilt milk and damp moisture. No anticipation of fleas, with the certainty of such anticipation being realized to the fullest extent of human endurance. Then there are floating visions as to the number and variety of people who have previously slept in these beds. Some idea may be formed of soeter life by the following extract of recent personal experience, related by Mr. Murray Browne:—“I prepared for the night by pulling on my second shirt and second pair of trousers over that which I was wearing at the time. I then lay down on the floor with a rug—a sort of horse-cloth—under me, and a rope for my pillow. My brother and Saunders slept on a sort of bench, with their legs stretched under a kind of shelf which served as the only table. The women and children occupied the only bed, and Hans and his son slept, like myself, on the floor. Before long it got very cold.”101

On the right of the Utladals Elv a foaming torrent falls from an upper plateau of the Horungerne. On our left we could see the SkÖgadals Elv, and on the opposite side the Aurdals Axelen, forming the two sides of the valley out of which issues the SkÖgadals Elv, and falls down rocky steeps into the deep gorge of the Utladal. A beautiful green, moss-covered, rocky, low hill, formed our foreground on the opposite side of the SkÖgadals Elv. As you look down the deep gorge beyond, two hills rise in picturesque outline, one with a very steep, dark summit. The white foam of a waterfall contrasts with the dark rocks of the mountain down which it falls. In the far distance a small pointed hill stands alone. It is far down the gorge, as far as the eye can reach. For our tea we had grÖd and milk. Ole retired to the soeter at eight o’clock, and as it rained heavily we all went to bed. When we retired to rest on the mossy turf; we could not help expressing pity for the unfortunate people stoved up in the soeters. Ole said it would probably rain next day, but if fine it was arranged that he should call us up at three o’clock the next morning.

It rained heavily when we awoke about three o’clock so that we continued our repose. Ole called us at a much later hour. We gave him out of our tent, matches, and material for making the fire, and soon joined him. The gipsies also were up and stirring. Esmeralda soon managed the breakfast service from her kettle bag, which was quite equal to Pandora’s box for the extraordinary quantity and variety of things it contained. The frokost consisted of fladbrÖd, butter and tea. The day was dull and cloudy. We could hear with greater distinctness the roar of the rising waters of the SkÖgadals Elv. This was pleasant, except that we had the prospect of having one or two of our donkeys drowned in crossing the rapid waters.

The morning gradually cleared, and we diligently wrote up our notes till one o’clock. Esmeralda then announced our mid-day meal. The hobbenengree had boiled some of Ole’s bacon with the unfortunate piece of dried meat from Holaker, which had persistently haunted our soup kettle for so many miles. There was no mistaking it as Noah pronged it out with a fork, and suddenly let it fall back into the soup, as if he had seen the ghost of his Uncle Elijah.

Although not in our arrangement Ole had always had his meals from our commissariat. Ole Rodsheim was worthy of our hospitality, and we had enough to spare. On this occasion Ole said he had shared all our meals, and we might as well consume the bacon, and three loaves of bread he had brought with him. As to our tea Ole had acquired such a taste for it, that we doubt whether he will ever again be able to do without it. Our meal consisted of soup, boiled bacon, the mysterious piece of dried meat, potatoes and fladbrÖd.

When we looked over the maps after dinner with Ole, we could not help being astonished at the Étendue and wonderful extent of wild mountain terrain scarcely explored by the Alpine Club. What a network of deep gorges, glens, valleys, lakes, and glaciers, out of which rise hundreds of steep and rugged peaks; very many have never been ascended and are scarcely known. Three lakes were pointed out by Ole as having been purchased by English gentlemen; the Rus Vand, the Heimdals Vand, and the Sikkildals Vand. Some of the lakes are of considerable extent, as the Bygdin Vand, which Ole said was about seventeen and a half miles long. The Gjendin Vand and the Tyen Vand were also large lakes easily reached from near our tent. After a careful inspection of our maps, we decided to take Ole early the next morning and visit the MÖrk Fos, leaving the gipsies in care of the camp, and returning in the evening. A reconnaissance was made up the SkÖgadals valley above the soeters to find a crossing for our donkeys; the usual ford was too deep. Noah and Zachariah said no donkey could stand with water above his knees. The place, at last selected, was certainly better for our purpose, but we were not very sanguine. Ole said a carrier was expected at the soeter that evening, and some help might be obtained.

It was a beautiful evening after the rain. The view up the SkÖgadal (wooded valley) with Melkadalstinderne (the peaks of the Milk valley) in the distance, and across the river the Aurdals Axelen, which Ole said meant the shoulder of the stony valley, completed a scene long to be remembered; the sides of the SkÖgadal valley being covered in places with birch wood, has not the too sterile and desolate appearance of some valleys through which we had passed. About five o’clock, when we were having our grÖd and milk for tea, the expected carrier and his boy were seen coming up the mountain track below our tents. The horses shied at first at our camp, but Noah went down and led one, and they passed without difficulty. Each horse can carry about eight vaage, rather more than 3 cwt., each Norwegian vaage being 38 lbs. One of the carrier’s horses was a powerful animal, larger than the Norwegian pony. Two strong wooden barrels, with lids, are slung on each side a wooden frame or saddle furnished with iron rings and a leather crupper. The barrels are two feet two inches long, by eleven and three-quarter inches wide, and one foot eight inches deep. The weight is well balanced, and the fastenings very strong and well adapted to stand the rough stony tracks of the Norwegian fjelds. An arrangement was quickly made for the carrier to take Ole and ourself across the SkÖgadals Elv the next morning, and bring us back in the evening, for half a mark each. It rained heavily after tea. About nine o’clock, when it was over, we took Noah and Zachariah to the upper soeter to give the people some music. Ole was there, the carrier, and his son, and the soeter women. As we came in we made our dÉbut in the SkÖgadal world of music by slipping on the uneven mud floor of the first room, and falling down, nearly upsetting the soeter woman’s bucket of milk, who was milking, and if we had not been very quick completely smashing our guitar. Our satisfaction at having rescued our guitar which had been carried without injury by Esmeralda so many miles, quite healed any bruises we sustained. No bones broken; we were soon up, and in the second room. The violin, guitar, and tambourine, soon waked up the stillness of the night. We must say that no artistes of the greatest celebrity could have had a more pleased and admiring audience. As we retired we felt quite giddy from the extreme closeness of the atmosphere of the soeter. Noah had also carried off two fleas; so much the better for Ole. The night was damp and windy as we sought our camp and went to bed.

Early awake, we were completing our toilette to the music of snoring gipsies when Ole came. Half-past five, grÖd and milk formed our breakfast, Ole adding to his own some myse ost, to qualify, as he said, the milk. The carrier came with one of his horses; we both mounted and forded the SkÖgadals Elv, and turning the horse back he returned across riderless to his master. Commencing our expedition at seven o’clock, we made our way for some distance through a large birch wood, and at length descended into the valley called Aurdal.102 This part of the narrow valley which we crossed is completely full of enormous stones piled one upon another in wild chaos. Ole called the valley Urdal or Aurdal. All was wild sterility, and the separate detached blocks of loose stone were often so enormous, that it was slowly, and with difficulty we made our way to the opposite side. A stream flowed far beneath the loose stones tossed and piled above its course in extraordinary masses. Its waters were at times obscured and hidden by the blocks of stone of all shapes and sizes, piled in heterogeneous confusion. When we left this stony valley we continued our route along the sloping sides of the mountain beyond, to the left of the deep gorge of the Utladals Elv. At about eleven o’clock in the forenoon we reached the “Fleskedal Soeter.” The stÖl is pleasantly situated on a rise of open mountain ground near a clear stream of water. Leaving our things with the soeter woman, we descended through a steep forest of birch and firs, and at last crossing a new bridge over a wild torrent soon afterwards reached another stÖl or soeter which was closed. This was the Vettismark forest and soeter. Ole said that this forest was renowned for its large trees. Round the soeter the trees were partly cleared; some were left scattered here and there. The whole scene reminded us of a sheep station in an Australian forest. From this picturesque plateau we had splendid views of some of the summits of the Horungerne mountains. The scene was beautiful in the sunshine of mid-day; it made us wish to linger there for ever. What a spot for a tent. Crossing the narrow stream near the soeter, and passing through a lovely forest view, we were soon near the edge of the hanging cliff, over which the narrow river we had crossed, falls in one straight and almost perpendicular column of water, not less than 800 feet—we thought it more. In a note to Captain Campbell’s interesting article on the MÖrkfos, published in the “Alpine Journal” of August 1870, it seems that the height of the fall is about 1000 feet.103

We refer our readers to this article for an excellent description of this waterfall, and especially to the engraving there given of the fall, which is from an original sketch by Captain Campbell.

The sun shone high; the sky was Italian blue. Ole produced his rope; carefully securing it round our body, he steadied himself at a small tree and held the other end of the rope. Then we advanced to the edge of the hanging cliff. The wild heath formed an arched and matted roof above the far distant rocks in the abyss below. As we cautiously leant over, Nature broke upon us in all the light of her splendid magnificence. Who can doubt the power of a great Creator who views such scenes? We could have stayed there never-tiring to eternity. As we seemed to catch as it were the broken ground with our legs, almost suspended in mid air, we could not divest ourselves of the thought that some of the finest scenes in Nature are often overlooked. Had the shelving cliff given way we were secured by a rope, but we must say our position would have been unpleasant. The cliffs on either side stand abruptly out and are overhanging, so that it is difficult to get a good view of the fall from above, except at the point we were looking over. The rocks below, which receive the waters of the fall, for some distance upwards are almost black.

When we retired from the cliff’s edge, we roped Ole and he had a similar view. Notwithstanding all that had been said by Captain Campbell, the MÖrkfos far surpassed our expectations in height, volume of water, and picturesque beauty. There is no drawback. All accessories are perfect. Mountain outline, rock, tree, forest—all that surround the fall, rival it in their several perfections of harmonious beauty. Reluctantly we must say, that even the Rjukan fos and its romantic association of the “Lovers” or “Marie stein” is scarcely equal to the MÖrkfos.104 Other lovers of nature who visit this wild scene may probably pass a decisive opinion either to confirm or reverse ours. Both falls have their separate beauty.

The valley of the Aardal below, is all the most enthusiastic lover of nature could desire.105 Opposite to us were the magnificent steeps of the Maradalstinder. The waterfall roaring down its sides, was only dwarfed, by its more splendid rival the MÖrkfos. The fall opposite is the Maradals elv fos. As we watched it, a beautiful iris of red, yellow, and blue, hovered above the foaming waters, the only one, we had ever seen.

Before we left, we contemplated the deep valley of the Aardal, and its wooded sides. Trees covered the summit of the cliffs, on either side the MÖrkfos. One mountain ash, had caught its roots in a cleft, and overhung in mid-air. Scotch firs crowned the rocks above.

We left at a quarter to one. Never shall we forget a small patch of golden moss, forming a miniature island in a small forest tarn; its resplendent colour in the glowing sun. Near the soeter in the Vettismark forest, a few large trees scattered near, were without bark, and dead. The Vettismark Soeter, and the Fleskedal Soeter, Ole said, belonged to the same owner. The ascent to the Fleskedal Soeter was very steep, but we reached it at five minutes past two o’clock.

Our middags mad, on the banks of the stream, near the Fleskedal Soeter, consisted of cold bacon, fladbrÖd, a box of sardines, and kage brÖd, or ovens brÖd (bread baked in an oven), which we had brought with us. Ole boiled our water at the soeter, and we had two pannikins of tea. The Fleskedal Soeter is a new soeter. One woman, and some children, were staying there. The soeter is built of wood, and of the usual size. We paid the woman four skillings, for allowing Ole to boil our water at the soeter.

It appears that Messrs. Boyson and Harrison stayed at the Fleskedal Soeter one night, with three other gentlemen going to Lyster. We were told that for one bed, for two of the party, the other three sleeping as they could, and for some fladbrÖd, butter, and milk, they were charged two specie dollars, or nine shillings English money, when they left. An English gentleman, accompanied by a reindeer hunter, came to the Fleskedal Soeter the day before we arrived, and stayed all night. Early in the morning he had shot a reindeer in the mountains.

The English sportsman returned to the soeter for a pony, but could not get one, and went to obtain one somewhere else. He said he should reserve the reindeer’s skin for himself, and send the carcass to a friend at Bergen. Ole said he would probably have to pay two or three dollars, and if he had sent it down to SkÖgadals Soeter, the carrier would have met the steamer for Bergen, and it would have gone at a much cheaper rate.

Leaving Fleskedal Soeter at about four o’clock, we had a delightful walk along the mountain slopes. At one point, in the depths of the valley below, on the opposite bank of the Utladal Elv, we could see the Bondegaard of Vormelid. A deep dark shadow seemed to hang about it in the far distance below. What a solitary abode. Few footsteps would ever pass its threshold. Imagine the winter solitude of this homestead. The silence broken by the wolf’s howl. Ole said the bears had destroyed the cattle of the former owner. He was nearly ruined. The bridge across the torrent was broken down, and the house deserted. Ole signaled as we approached the SkÖgadals Elv. The gipsies were soon on the alert to give us welcome. The carrier brought two horses, and we crossed the river. Our tents were reached at seven o’clock.

The gipsies appeared to have slept most of the day. They had not even quarrelled. We began to think they must be ill, until we found they had diligently inspected nearly every single article we possessed, which were afterwards carefully arranged upside down. We decided to move very early the next day, and Ole had the grÖd at once prepared for breakfast the next morning.

Before retiring to rest, we strolled on the turf near our tents, and watched the secluded valley by moonlight. Vast ranges of snowy mountains were before us silvered by the moon. As we looked down the valley, we could not help observing, a large shadowed outline, representing the figure of a woman, singularly distinct, and formed by the conformation of a hill above the ravine. It was Sunday, and no music was given at the soeters.