t the
floor was strewed over with the fine points of the fir-trees, which had
an agreeable odour, a more healthy one probably than any artificial
perfume. I found this custom prevalent all over Sweden and Norway, but
only in hotels and in the dwellings of the poorer classes.

About eleven o'clock in the forenoon we continued our journey. We
steered safely through the many rocks and shoals, and soon reached the
open sea again. We did not stand out far from the shore, and saw several
telegraphs erected on the rocks. We soon lost sight of Denmark on the
left, and arrived at the fortress Friedrichsver towards evening, but
could not see much of it. Here the so-called Scheren begin, which extend
sixty leagues, and form the Christian's Sound. By what I could see in
the dim twilight, the scene was beautiful. Numerous islands, some merely
consisting of bare rocks, others overgrown with slender pines, surrounded
us on all sides. But our pilot understood his business perfectly, and
steered us safely through to Sandesund, spite of the dark night. Here we
anchored, for it would have been too dangerous to proceed. We had to
wait here for the steamer from Bergen, which exchanged passengers with
us. The sea was very rough, and this exchange was therefore extremely
difficult to effect. Neither of the steamers would lower a boat; at last
our steamer gave way, after midnight, and the terrified and wailing
passengers were lowered into it. I pitied them from my heart, but
fortunately no accident happened.

August 21st

I could see the situation of Sandesund better by day; and found it to
consist only of a few houses. The water is so hemmed in here that it
scarcely attains the breadth of a stream; but it soon widens again, and
increases in beauty and variety with every yard. We seemed to ride on a
beautiful lake; for the islands lie so close to the mountains in the
background, that they look like a continent, and the bays they form like
the mouths of rivers. The next moment the scene changes to a succession
of lakes, one coming close on the other; and when the ship appears to be
hemmed in, a new opening is suddenly presented to the eye behind another
island. The islands themselves are of a most varied character: some only
consist of bare rocks, with now and then a pine; some are richly covered
with fields and groves; and the shore presents so many fine scenes, t