three fossil Englishmen, two snobbish do., and some jolly,
good-natured, free-and-easy youths, bound to Norway, with dogs, guns,
rods, fishing tackle, and oil-cloth overalls.

We had a fair wind and smooth sea, but the most favourable circumstances
could not get more than eight knots an hour out of our steamer. After
forty-eight hours, however, the coast of Norway came in sight--a fringe
of scattered rocks, behind which rose bleak hills, enveloped in mist and
rain. Our captain, who had been running on this route some years, did
not know where we were, and was for putting to sea again, but one of the
Norwegian passengers offered his services as pilot and soon brought us
to the fjord of Christiansand. We first passed through a
_Skargaard_--archipelago, or "garden of rocks," as it is picturesquely
termed in Norsk--and then between hills of dark-red rock, covered by a
sprinkling of fir-trees, to a sheltered and tranquil harbour, upon which
lay the little town. By this time the rain came down, not in drops, but
in separate threads or streams, as if the nozzle of an immense
watering-pot had been held over us. After three months of drouth, which
had burned up the soil and entirely ruined the hay-crops, it was now
raining for the first time in Southern Norway. The young Englishmen
bravely put on their waterproofs and set out to visit the town in the
midst of the deluge; but as it contains no sight of special interest, I
made up my mind that, like Constantinople, it was more attractive from
without than within, and remained on board. An amphitheatre of rugged
hills surrounds the place, broken only by a charming little valley,
which stretches off to the westward.

The fishermen brought us some fresh mackerel for our breakfast. They are
not more than half the size of ours, and of a brighter green along the
back; their flavour, however, is delicious. With these mackerels, four
salmons, a custom-house officer, and a Norwegian parson, we set off at
noon for Christiania. The coast was visible, but at a considerable
distance, all day. Fleeting gleams of sunshine sometimes showed the
broken inland ranges of mountains with jagged saw-tooth peaks shooting
up here and there. When night came there was no darkness, but a strong
golden gleam, whereby one could read until after ten o'clock. We reached
the mouth of Christiania Fjord a little after midnight, and most of the
passengers arose to view the scenery. After passing the branch which
le