One of the most storm-swept and barren of Denmark's many islands is the island of FanÖ. Lying, as it does, exposed to the full force of the North Sea gales, it yet serves to protect the harbour of Esbjerg from these storms. It is eight miles long, and three miles at its broadest part. A trim little steamer will carry you across from Esbjerg to Nordby—the fishing town on the east coast of FanÖ—in twenty minutes. Nordby is both quaint and picturesque. The low thatched houses, with rough-cast, whitewashed walls, nestle close to each other for shelter from the winds.

The FanÖ women have a practical but peculiar costume; the thickly-pleated skirt has a bright-coloured border, while the close-fitting bodice is adorned with embroidery, and pretty antique buttons. A folded cotton kerchief and accordion-pleated apron give a daintiness to the whole dress. The head-dress, however, gives the most singular finish to the costume. A dark, checked-bordered handkerchief tied over a stiff, cambric frame, entirely envelops the head. The four ends of this handkerchief are tied in an odd way, two being left upstanding like rabbits' ears! This striking head-dress gives the FanÖ wife a fantastic appearance. When the good-natured, smiling faces of these women are hidden behind a mask, the combination of dress and mask makes them awesome-looking folk. The men of the island are nearly all fishermen; the women are the farmers, and it is to protect their faces from the blinding sand-storms, while working on the land, that these masks are worn. This mask obliterates all comeliness, for only the eyes peep out from the weird face-protector.

This island of heath, dune, and quicksand is wild and romantic. The cultivated fields are protected by sand-hills, and belts of stunted, wind-swept trees that afford some slight protection to the crops. The island belongs to the people, who cultivate it assiduously. The courage and perseverance of these women agriculturalists is rewarded by fair crops, notwithstanding an adverse climate.

At the south end of the island, far away from any dwelling, is the interesting "FuglekÖjerne,"[9] where three or four hundred wild-duck are taken in a day during the season. Decoy-ducks are used for this purpose.

The west side of the island is the most fashionable watering-place in Denmark. Large hotels and pretty villas line the shore, and here the well-to-do Danes inhale bracing sea-breezes.On a windy day this western shore is not amusing. Clouds of blinding sand whirl high in the air, while the booming surf rolls and plunges on the beach with deafening roar, and makes rank and fashion fly to shelter in hotel or villa till the storm is over. Visitors in summer and storms in winter have it all their own way on this west coast—the people of FanÖ trouble it not.

Bornholm, situated in the middle of the Baltic, is both beautiful and fertile. Its products are very valuable to Denmark. From here comes the clay of which the exquisite Copenhagen porcelain is made. Here, too, the granite for building the country's defences and docks is quarried. I fancy if you were to ask a young Dane what Bornholm is most famed for he would say, "Turkeys," for the island supplies the Copenhagen market with these birds.

The chief town, RÖnne, is charming, with its many low-roofed houses, which overlook the Baltic. It is noted for its terra-cotta ware, clocks, and Museum of Antiquities.

Most of the towns are upon the coast. Four singular round churches, built of granite, were formerly used as places of refuge for the people when beset by pirates. These "Rundkirker" are peculiar to Bornholm.

A high festival is celebrated every year on the anniversary of the day when the inhabitants succeeded in throwing off the Swedish yoke, which they had borne for a short time in the seventeenth century with resentment.

Hammershus Castle, on the northern extremity of Bornholm, was built in the thirteenth century. There is a sad tale connected with this romantic castle, about a Danish noble and his wife. This noble, Corfitz Ulfeldt, was imprisoned there for treason. His beautiful wife, Eleonora, the favourite daughter of Christian IV., accompanied him, preferring imprisonment with him to liberty without him. After the Count died, Eleonora, who had a mortal enemy in Queen Caroline Amalia, was sent by the latter to the "Blaataarn"[10] of Slotsholmen, Copenhagen, and there incarcerated for twenty-two years. The illustrious Eleonora was only liberated on the death of the vindictive Queen, but the long years of captivity—without reason—had wrecked her life.

LÆsÖ is a small island in the Cattegat, the inhabitants of which are mainly farmers and fishermen, and the old women wear a particular costume for Sunday, which is called the "church costume."

The people of Amager are great market-gardeners. They are of Dutch extraction. Christian II., after flying from his country, took refuge in Holland, and some of the Dutch helped him in trying to regain his throne. For this service he gave his Dutch followers the island of Amager. The descendants of these Dutch people still retain their old customs and characteristics. Clattering about in wooden shoes, the old women, in quaint costume, may be seen driving their geese down the picturesque streets to the meadows. Besides being market-gardeners and florists, these Amager folk rear and fatten the geese for the Christmas market.

The natural beauty of the island of MÖen is striking, and unlike the rest of Denmark. "MÖen's Klint" are great, jagged white cliffs rising abruptly from the sea. Enchanting beech-woods thickly crown the summit, giving distinctive and unusual beauty to it. From Sommerspiret, the highest point, we have an extensive view over the ØstersÖen and KÖjge Bay, where the famous victory over the Swedes was won by Niels Juel in 1677.

In Denmark the town-crier beats a drum to draw attention to the notice he is about to give.

Danish postmen present a gorgeous appearance, in red coats, with smart cloaks of the same brilliant hue for winter wear. These and the bright yellow mail-vans, which they drive sometimes, arrest attention, and give importance to the carriers of His Majesty's mails.

In many of the houses the "ForhÖjning" is still used. This is a raised platform close to the window, on which the lady of the house sits to do her embroidery. While she is here she can follow all that goes on in the street below by an ingenious arrangement of oblique convex mirrors fixed to the outside of the window, and reflecting the life in the streets both ways.

The numerous pretty articles made of amber, which adorn the ladies' dressing-tables, and of which beads and ornaments for the girls are composed, are of local manufacture, amber being found in quantities on the west coast of Jutland.

In the islands of Funen and Seeland there are many grand old manor-houses belonging to the nobility, whose fine estates give employment to many peasants. A story is told of a certain noble, Christian Barnekow by name, who saved his King, Christian IV., by his heroic self-sacrifice. The King had lost his horse, and was on the point of being killed or made prisoner when Barnekow came to his rescue. Giving the King his own horse, he said, "I give my horse to my King, my life to the enemy, and my soul to God." A street in Copenhagen is called after this brave nobleman "Kristenbernikovstrade."

It is characteristic of the Danes to run words into each other, and streets in Denmark often have prodigiously long names.