not long at a loss, for the cook appeared, grim and smiling,
with a tolerable-sized coal exposed to view and approbation, between his
thumb and forefinger. Side by side, like a fair-haired youth with his
swarthy bride, the coal and potato were placed; and P----, poising for
the second time the precious parcel, rolled up his shirt-sleeve, and,
throwing himself well back, hurled, with all the elegance of a Parthian,
coal, potato, and parcel toward the Norwegian captain's head. But,
horror! the potato and coal combined proved rather too heavy, and,
retaining their impetus longer than intended, carried the luckless
brown-paper bundle over the lee-side and into the North Sea.

The ship immediately backed her main-yard, and, lowering one of her
stern boats, sent her off in search of the unhappy letters; but having
rowed about for some time without catching a glimpse of coal, paper, or
potato, the search was abandoned, and the boat came alongside of us.
After delivering another packet of brown paper, and presenting each man
(there were four) with a bottle of brandy, we parted company with mutual
good wishes conveyed through our interpreter, King, not omitting sundry
well-meaning gesticulations telegraphed between the fat Norwegian
captain on the weather quarter and ourselves. This was the first
specimen we had met with of northern kindness; and, although we had
heard a great deal of their unaffected goodness of heart, this act of
civility made no slight impression upon us. At four o'clock, while our
Norwegian bark was just _hull down_, the gaff-topsail was taken in, a
strong S.E. wind with rain having arisen. The wind still increasing, at
seven the first reef in the mainsail was also taken in, jibs shifted,
and the bowsprit reefed.

During the rest of the evening I was a martyr to all the miseries of
sea-sickness, and, stretched at full length on the cabin sofa, I closed
my eyes, and, allowing my thoughts to wander where they would, hoped to
cheat myself out of my present discomfort; but nausea, like no other ill
to which we are subservient, is not to be pacified, and I lay the whole
night sensible of the keenest pain.

CHAPTER II.

FOGGY WEATHER--FIRST VIEW OF NORWAY--CHRISTIANSAND
FIORD--ARRIVAL AT CHRISTIANSAND--DESCRIPTION OF THE
TOWN--THE TOPTDAL RIVER--EXCURSION INLAND--THE
ENTHUSIASTIC ANGLER--RUSTIC LODGINGS--HUNTING THE
BEAR--THE TRAP--THE DEATH--NORWEGIAN LIBERALITY.

Sunday, the 9th, dawned on us,