nasal organs suffered much, as the whole atmosphere was charged with the odour of decayed fish. We saved two men from being drowned, here. Whilst coming in from fishing, a heavy squall struck and capsized their boat. We saw it, put off, picked them up, righted their boat, and put them ashore.

We left this place as soon as it was possible to do so, having to run eighteen miles to our next harhour. In spite of all our exertions, we were more than twenty-seven hours doing it. Fortunately, the wind was light, although variable. During the night, we let go our anchor, for some hours, under the shelter of an island, and had the pleasure, while we lay in our hammocks, of hearing it grinding, at every fresh puff over the rocks, as we drifted about. Daylight came at last. We beat through a narrow channel, against a strong current, and brought up in the exposed anchorage of the island of Loppen. We had a couple of hours' daylight; went ashore, found grouse plenty, and returned, before dark, with good bags. We determined to stop there, the next day. The main land is nearly all covered with snow, while the islands, especially those to seaward, are almost entirely free from it; and, when covered with birch and other dwarf bushes, together with the different lichens growing on the rocks, from the variety of the tints, their appearance is beautiful and brilliant. The grouse come down in large numbers to these islands, from the main land; so we sometimes get capital shooting. The grouse are nearly all white now; those which are not entirely so are very pretty. We landed after breakfast, next morning, prepared for work, and, as the island rose in a steep incline from the water, on the land side, to a very great height, while it descended sheer and abrupt seaward, we could mark almost every bird. K- -n and B. -e went in one direction, and L- -e and I in another, in order to try which party could kill most game. Le and I were victorious, having bagged some two-and-twenty brace of grouse before

mid-day, when we were driven off the mountain by a most terrific squall, the precursor of a long-continued storm. Enormous masses of black clouds hurried across the sky; down came the wind; down came the hail, with a force and rapidity truly astonishing. Not being able to face it, we made for our sloop. Before we reached the beach, the sea had risen very much, and it was almost impossible to get off to her, although we had not more than sixty yards to pull. As the boat would have been knocked to pieces, had it come close to the shore, we were obliged to wade through the surf, carrying our dogs in our arms, to get into her, and go off in two parties, assisting the men at the oars, being half full of water, and nearly swamped, before we got alongside. Our guns suffered considerably; and the cleaning of them gave us ample employment the whole of the next day. Our skipper, who, although inclined to drink, was a first-rate seaman, anticipating, when the gale commenced, a severe one, had sent ashore, and, fortunately, procured a pilot, in order to enable us, if necessary, to make for a place of shelter, about twenty miles off, as our own one did not know it.. We had not been five minutes on board, when one of our cables parted. We cut the other, and ran for it, through the most intricate maze of rocks and islands possible to conceive. I often thought we were right on one, when a skilful touch of the helm caused us to fly past, clearing it only by a few feet. At last, we shot in through what seemed a cleft in the mountains; and, in a few minutes, made fast to some large stones on each side of a small creek, the water as smooth as a mill-pond, while the wild storm raged and howled, far above our heads, through the craggy and fearful-looking mountain tops. A magnificent glacier rose almost from the sea, on our starboard side, blocking up an entire valley. We lay here nine days, ere we could venture out, committing sad havock among the numerous flocks of ducks and other birds, which had taken shelter in the different creeks

Since

of this retreat. At last, the storm lulled; we made sail, and were fortunate enough to recover our cables and anchors. then, we have not made much progress, in consequence of foul weather. I have an idea we shall catch it before we reach Trondjiem. Can't help it now; we are in for it.

"Here's a sigh to those who love me,

And a smile to those who hate;

And, whatever sky's above me,

Here's a heart for every fate."

I quoted these lines during a council of war, last night, about our look-out; and as they were received with loud and hearty cheers, I give them to you, just to let you know what we think of it. Come what will, we must pull through, or go to Davy Jones.

I guess you have got enough at present; I have my rifle to clean before I turn in; so adios, mon ami.

G. M.

LETTER IX.

ROUGH SEAS AND BLUE EYES.

MY DEAR S

Bruno Sound, November, 1843.

When we left our last anchorage-Bergs

fiord (Rocky fiord), a name it well deserves-we determined to go to an island called Karlso, as we had heard it abounded in grouse. Two or three years ago, Sir Hyde Parker had killed eighty brace, in two days, on it. It lay rather out of our course; this we did not mind, as we looked forward to having good sport. We encountered broken weather, day after day, and we were obliged to bring up in all sorts of creeks and places; among others, we came to an island called Arno, and had to beat through a long narrow channel, between it and another island. These islands are very steep and mountainous. While beating through the channel, we landed, and shot along the mountain side, keeping pace with the sloop. On this island, we killed a great many ptarmigan, as well as grouse. The ptarmigan frequent the most broken parts of the mountains; and scrambling after them, for walking I cannot call it, was hard work. As there were great quantities of ice among the rocks, which, in many places, were quite coated with it, and also a great deal of snow, which hid the dangerous places, and brought us into many a trap, we got numberless severe falls. I am astonished we did not break our necks. The falls were often amusing to the lookers-on, and produced much merriment. It was really quite interesting to see one of us, poor devils, writhing with pain, almost unable to

move, inquiring, in a scarcely articulate voice, of a companion who comes to the rescue, whether his gun is injured or not, and, on receiving the wished-for "all right,-no damage done," to observe how soon he forgets hard knocks, and goes ahead again. We have all deserted grouse-shooting, and stick to the ptarmigan. It is much more difficult, and, therefore, we like it better. We were obliged to come to an anchor in this passage, and remain there several days, before we could get clear of it, blazing away at the ptarmigan. I should like to see some of our dandy battue sportsmen at such rough work.

At length, we got through, and bore away for Karlso, which we could see, at a considerable distance. We carried on that day, and, by the moon's bright beams, we brought up in Karlso. Made all preparations for the morrow, high in hope. Turned out early next morning, every pocket crammed with extra wadding, powder, and shot, enough to have killed half the grouse in Norway. Karlso not being a large island, L. -e and B. -e took one end of it, K- -n the other, and I went up the middle. On we went, all on the qui vive, half-inclined to thrash our dogs for not finding game, at every yard. On, still on I went, not seeing a feather, nor hearing a shot, wishing the extra ammunition anywhere but in my pockets, and heaping maledictions on Karlso, and all who praised it. At the very end of the island, and not ten yards from the sea, I found a pack of six birds, and shot four of them; wheeled round, in disgust, and returned to the sloop. The others had just as bad sport,—only six brace altogether. I wish you had seen our faces when we met. Four more foolish-looking gentlemen cannot be imagined. We had lost much valuable time, and had not been repaid for it. The fact was, the low cover, which the grouse of this country like, had been destroyed; besides, they are of a very migratory disposition, so that there is much uncertainty in falling in with them, in any great numbers. We dined with the Parson, who