Early next morning, we made Bosicop, on the Alten Fiord— our ultimate destination. It is too late in the season to venture further North. We are sorry for it, as we all like our wild life. This seems rather a bleak place; but I will be able to tell you more about it, in a few days. We are all in high health and spirits. Salmon, wild reindeer, bears, &c., are reported to be plenty. What more do we want? We have been ashore for a short excursion; bagged a few grouse, snipe, &c., and are now looking over the side, in order to get some fresh fish for supper. The water is very clear in these regions, and you can see the fish swimming about, at a great depth. We have grown wise, and seldom waste a bait upon a small one. Often have I seen a fellow swimming about-hooked him, and pitched him slap into the pan, for breakfast, before he knew where he was. B- -e is a great hand at this work. All the kinds of fish which frequent our coasts are plenty on this.

I told you before, that the land is barren, but the ocean teems with life;—it is there the Norse men reap their harvest. South of the Artic circle, they have some little agriculture; but here it amounts to almost nothing. During the Winter, their cows, in many places, are fed upon a mixture of sea-weed and fishbones, boiled down to a kind of jelly, with a small portion of fodder put into it. The cows do not give much milk, but what they do give is very rich. There are copper mines on the opposite side of the Fiord, superintended by Englishmen. An English Consul resides at the mines, where there is also a small town. I have picked up these bits of news to-day. I will write, and let you know how we get on here. I expect sport; and, if I do not get it, I shall be disappointed; all the others the same; but it will not be our faults if we do not get it. We care not what turns up: we are ready for any thing-the more devilment in it, the better. Take care of yourself, old boy.—Yours, &c.,

G. M.

LETTER VII.

BELT-TIGHTENING AND DEER-STALKING.

Alten, September, 1843.

DEAR S

-The morning after I last wrote to you, we set to work in earnest. I forgot to mention to you, that there are inns situated among the islands, and on the main land, at different places along the regular route. In order to encourage people to come up here and settle, the Government have hitherto granted to persons doing so, a trading monopoly within a given district,

-or, rather, no other person is allowed to settle within a certain distance of them, without their permission; but, at the same time, obliging each of them to keep a house of entertainment, of which the charges are strictly regulated. They must, also, have a store-house, or general merchandize establishment, in order to supply the people of the surrounding district with the different kinds of goods they may want. Trade is carried on entirely by barter. Many of these people are wealthy, and live most comfortably. They are exceedingly hospitable, and especially to strangers. We are constantly invited to their houses for dinner, supper, &c. Of course, if we order any meals to be prepared, we pay for them. Our present host is a Herr (Mr.) Klarke, who owns a large tract of country here. We sleep on board, but grub, &c., on shore. His father was a near relation, by marriage, of the late King; his mother, a fine old lady, is very kind to us. His family originally came from Scotland. He is one of the finest and most powerful men I ever saw-tall, active, strong as Hercules, and uncommonly good looking. He and I

F

are great friends. Not liking the salmon fishing, which is splendid, so much as my companions, I planned with him an expedition to the mountains, in search of wild reindeer. We were joined by H, one of K- -n's old friends, who cooked and dined with us at Bodo, and was staying here until the steamer should return from Hamerfest. The interior of this country is not inhabited, but merely occupied by families of Laplanders, who wander over it, with their herds of reindeer.

One fine morning, all arrangements made, boats and men having been procured, the day before, as we intended to go up the Alten river for about twenty miles; and then the fishing party, consisting of K- L -e, and B- -e, were to turn

and fish the river down, while the shooting party, Klarke, H and I, were to take to the hills, and go on ;—well, one fine morning, as I have said, all traps collected, our Lap boatmen loaded with prog, &c., breakfast over-a right substantial one,—none of your tea and toast affairs, and a libation drained to the success of our expedition, we shouldered our guns, and struck off for the river. A sharp walk of about four miles brought us to our boats, long light narrow things, sharp at both ends, drawing about three or four inches of water, not rowed, but forced up against the current, which is very rapid, by poles-two men in each boat, one in the stern, the other in the bow. We had three boats, six men, and a guide; each boat held two people and their traps. Klarke and I took possession of one of them; the others shipped themselves in pairs, also. This is the pleasantest way of travelling that can be conceived. You lie or sit, as you think proper, on piles of reindeer skins; fine warm weather; glorious scenery; no noise or bustle, or any thing to draw off your attention, or disturb your thoughts, as you silently glide along, far from the bustling haunts of man. The eye of the angler glistens with delight, as it wanders over the noble river, viewing splendid pools for salmon, at almost every turn, scarcely

can he master his impatience, as he is forced through the whirling foam; while the sportsman gazes round, with a keen glance, hoping to see an eagle perched on some crag or withered tree, a straggling deer coming down to drink, or, perchance, some fiercer animal, while that noble weapon, his trusty rifle, lies ready at hand. With us, this had not much effect. The song, the laugh, and the jest went round,

"As we merrily thought on the morrow."

About mid-day, we landed; made a frugal meal of dried reindeer's tongues and biscuit. The only annoyance we experienced was from the mosquitoes. They are devils incarnate; but it was trifling to what I afterwards met. We arrived late that evening at our destination, a log-house, in the woods, built by the Foget (Sheriff) of the Province, for the accommodation of travellers, during the Winter, as the river is then the road, being frozen, and fit for sledges. I said, this house was built for the accommodation of travellers, though no one lives in it; but every person who passes, uses it as he thinks proper. We broke open the door, collected a number of logs, and made a roaring fire in front of it, to keep out the mosquitoes; set to work, soon got up a dinner, which disappeared sooner. Some more logs on the fire; pricked for the softest plank; rolled ourselves up in our plaids, and slept as sportsmen sleep, not as "gentlemen at home on beds of down reclining."

The nights, at this season of the year, were very short, scarcely dark at all. At three o'clock, we all turned out, sought the river, and performed our ablutions. Breakfast over, rods and guns overhauled, the fishing party embarked, and their sport commenced, our boat, which now had to carry three, we sent twelve miles farther forward, ourselves striking across the mountains, in search of deer, intending to join the boat towards evening, and to proceed in it some miles farther up the river. We had a Laplander for guide, who was reputed to be the most skil

The

ful of all the Laps, in the pursuit of deer,—a little fellow, about five feet four, active as a cat, with an eye like a needle, and sinews like wire. Gave him my double-barrell to carry; kept my rifle, one of Rigby's magnificent guns, as too precious to part with. We went up a deep valley; the fox, as we christened our guide, in front, all eyes and ears. We proceeded, for about an hour, in dead silence; then began to climb the hill side. heat was tremendous, while the mosquitoes drove us nearly mad. They swarmed in myriads; we dared not stop for one moment; keeping in constant motion, and switching ourselves with small branches, was our only chance. Once, my companions tried to light their cigars and pipes, as smoking, in some degree, protects the face. They could not, and were glad to rush forward again. I, who do not smoke, during the short halt threw myself, in desperation, on the ground, seeking to bury my head in the earth. Words cannot convey to you an idea of the irritating torment we suffered, during an hour or so. At last, we gained the mountain's brow, and got into a little breeze, which freed us from the mosquitoes; a belt of fire would not be more difficult to pass, than the space encircled by those blood-sucking misWe refreshed ourselves at a small rill, which ran out from a large mass of snow, deposited in a rent of the mountain ; it was delightful, after the ordeal we had gone through, to plunge our heads into the cool liquid, and allow it to run over our breasts and shoulders, while we drank deep of the crystal flood. I know this is considered dangerous. I have often done it, and never suffered. I believe, if you do not allow yourself to cool, you never will be injured, in the slightest degree.

creants.

Once you get out of the valleys, or rather deep cracks in the earth, varying from a few hundred to two or three thousand feet deep, with a river running through them, you can see around for miles. It is all table-land, varied with slight rises, like the swell of the ocean during a calm,—carpeted with reindeer moss and