OBSERVATIONS

IN

NORWAY AND SWEDEN.

HISTORICAL and Descriptive Sketch.-Christiana-The Myosen Lake-Life in NorwayMountain Scenery-Norwegian Hospitality-Norwegian Liberty-Constitution-LawsThe Storthing-Education-Gottenburg-Gotha Canal-Rustic Ball-A Hoosier-Rural Life in Sweden--Stockholm-Gustavus Adolphus-Swedish Politeness-GovernmentNational Customs-Upsala-Enchantments of Odin-Gustavus Vasa and the Dalecarlians-Mines of Dannemora-The Laps-Science and Literature-Distinguished Characters.

A NORWEGIAN SCENE.

NORWAY and SWEDEN, now united into one kingdom, form an extensive region, stretching from the utmost verge of the temperate zone far into the frozen region of the Arctic Circle, and comprising the immense area of 297,000 square miles, of which scarcely one-half can be considered as belonging to the civilized world. Even the Southern Districts have a rugged and repulsive aspect. Forests of tall and gloomy pine stretch over the plains, or hang on the sides of the mountains; the ground for near five months of the year, is buried under the snow; cultivation appears only in scattered patches, and was long quite insufficient to furnish bread for the inhabitants.

The early history of Scandinavia, as this region was anciently termed, is deeply involved in uncertainty and fable. Scandinavia has been called "the storehouse of nations," and the "blue-eyed myriads from the Baltic coast," are

supposed to have been among the most numerous of those, who, in ancient times, spread war and desolation through Europe.

"Scandinavia, first, by a series of formidable expeditions, made a figure in history at the end of the ninth century. Harold Harfager, or the Fairhaired, the first of the great sea-kings of the North, having united the formerly independent districts of Norway under his sway, undertook triumphant expeditions against Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides. For several centuries the Danes and Norwegians held full possession of those islands; gave a king to England, and formed a permanent establishment in Normandy. The defeat of Haco in Scotland, and of Harold III, in England, during the eleventh century, put an end to this maritime dominion: and the northern nations, notwithstanding their immense supply of naval stores, have never since attained to more than a secondary rank among the maritime powers.

The union of the kingdoms of Scandinavia, in 1388, under Margaret, called the Semiramis of the North, forms a memorable era. Immediately, however, after the death of that able princess, the Swedes began to struggle for independence. But their repeated attempts to establish a separate kingdom were always defeated, till the cruel and tyrannical reign of Christian II, drove matters to extremity, and brought on a new revolution.

Gustavus Vasa, in 1520, hoisted again the national standard in the province of Dalecarlia, and, in three years subsequently, entered Stockholm in triumph. After a long struggle, the Danes were compelled to recognize the independence of Sweden.

The reign of Gustavus Adolphus formed a glorious era for Sweden. The Protestant religion having been established under Gustavus Vasa, Sweden began to be looked to as its support when assailed by a formidable confederacy. In 1630, Gustavus took the field at the head of only ten thousand Swedes; but around this gallant band rallied all the Protestant powers of Germany. The splendid victory of Breitenfeld humbled the house of Austria, and re-established the civil and religious liberties of the empire. Even after his fall, in the glorious field of Lutzen, his generals continued to wage that desperate war of thirty years, which was necessary to compel the Catholic league finally to renounce its pretensions. Sweden, at the peace, obtained Pomerania, and other important possessions in Germany; and continued, till the end of the seventeenth century, to exercise a powerful influence on the affairs of Europe.

The victories and reverses of Charles XII, threw a wild and romantic luster around Sweden, which terminated, however, in the loss of her station and greatness. Being defeated at Pultowa, by the Czar Peter, and driven to seek shelter from the Turks at Bender, he was obliged to purchase peace by the sacrifice of Livonia, and others of his finest provinces. The influence of Sweden was thenceforth confined within its own barren limits, and it ranked with difficulty as a power of the second order. The only remarkable change in the course of the century, was produced by the revolutions of 1772 and 1789, when Gustavus III, succeeded in converting the government into an absolute monarchy, though in other respects his reign was advantageous to Sweden.

The election of Bernadotte, one of Bonaparte's commanders, to fill the throne left vacant through the rash conduct of the legitimate monarch, made a great change in the relations of Sweden. To conciliate his new subjects, he restored in full plentitude the representative constitution, which had been reduced to a mere shadow. Having joined the confederacy against his former master, he received Norway in compensation for the loss of Finland, and had thus a more compact and defensible territory. The Norwegians exclaimed, not without reason, against the compulsory transference; yet Denmark had deprived them of their free constitution, which they now regained, and had in so many respects depressed the country, with the view of concentrating everything at Copenhagen, that the connection now terminated had been considered the bane of Norway.

The manufactures of these countries are inconsiderable, and even in the common trades the work is lazily and illy performed. The mines of Sweden are very rich; its iron, widely diffused, is the finest in the world, and the silver mines of Königsberg in Norway are the richest in Europe. The commerce of Scandinavia is greater than unimproved agriculture, and total want of manufactures might lead us to suppose. But nature has gifted these bleak regions with an almost inexhaustible share of timber and iron, two of the prime necessaries of human life."

The honesty of the people is remarkable. Highway robbery, though it has been known, is exceedingly rare; and charity boxes, though often set up on the public roads, have never been plundered. They have an undaunted spirit of perseverance, an honest love of freedom, and a passive courage which makes of them the very best of sailors and soldiers.

At Elsinore, in Denmark, Mr. Maxwell, the American traveler, took passage in a steamer for Christiana the capital of Norway. The second morning after the mountains of old Norway were revealed to his delighted vision, and he was soon treading the soil of the Norsemen.

Christiana is a neat town of about 24,000 inhabitants; but usually very dull except during the sessions of the Storthing or Congress of the nation. From this place he journeyed into the interior for a few days to see the country, and the manners and customs of its people. He departed with his comrades from the capital in carioles, a conveyance resembling our sulky, "en route" for Lake Myosen, some forty miles north of that city. The stations where they successively changed carioles and horses, united the characteristics of farm-houses and inns, were neat and comfortable, and provided with abundant, though plain fare. The farmers are all obliged by law to furnish each, in turn, at the requisition of the master of the station, horses and con veyances for travelers. It is a good arrangement for all parties, the farmers being well compensated, and the traveler enabled to proceed fast or slow, and stop at pleasure as if in his own vehicle.

This article is abridged from the work of John S. Maxwell, entitled "The Czar, his court and People, including a Tour in Sweden and Norway," and Baird's Northern Europe.

At the little hamlet of Minde he embarked on board of a small iron steamer, for the northern end of the lake, which although the longest in Norway is but seventy miles in length, with a width varying from two to ten miles. The country on each shore is gently sloping, and covered with beau

tiful farms.

He had a fine opportunity of seeing on board, "the Bonder" or farmer proprietors of Norway, of which a large proportion of the population are composed and as fine a race of people as exist. Their costume was similar to that of the same class among us. At Lillehammer, at the northern end of the lake, they again took carioles, and passed up the beautiful valley of the Guldebrands; through it winds a clear stream of water, and on each side are the houses and farms of the Bonder, exhibiting a charming picture of industry and comfort. The dwellings are of logs, weather-boarded and painted; luxuriant crops of grass covered the fields.

Many of the farms are irrigated by means of water brought from the mountain rills and distributed by troughs, which simple mode brings immense returns. Usually the farms are small; but this is compensated for by the abundance of the pasture enabling many of the farmers to keep thirty or forty cows.

Excepting tea, coffee, sugar, and a few other foreign luxuries, the, farmer produces everything, dressing in homemade cloth, wearing homemade leather, and drinking homemade whisky. The cottages of the farm servants are neat and comfortable and stand near the residence of the proprietor; the servants holding a relation here similar to that of the “ in the family of a New England farmer.

"helps"

The farmers or their servants make all their furniture; the cobbler and the tinker, as was customary in "olden times," in our country, tramp from house to house to "do up" all the little jobs in their respective vocations, generally receiving their pay in grain or butter and cheese. In the interior of Norway business is mainly carried on by barter. The wealth of the people is acquired within themselves, and arises from the industry of the farmers and fishermen. Her principal mineral wealth is a silver mine, and she exports chiefly fish, lumber, iron, and copper. The established religion is Lutheran.

The Norwegians resemble the Danes and Swedes, and are essentially the same people. They are strong, active, and capable of enduring severe labor; yellow and reddish hair is very prevalent. In patriotism no people surpass them. Everything relating to "old Norway" has charms for them, and even their bleak and dreary mountains are dear to their hearts.

The Norwegians are fond of amusements; the winter is the season for social enjoyments, and the holidays are observed with universal jollity and good cheer. Parties go out to hunt the reindeer and the elk, and merry sleighing parties make a regular round of visits from farm to farm.

It was on a Saturday that Mr. Maxwell returned to Lillehammer, a small place consisting of only a few scattered houses, yet the largest inland town in Norway. Saturday night is observed in this country, as in New England, as part of the Sabbath; the old folks gossip and the young make love. The

next day he attended the little church of Lillehammer which was crowded with country people. The short gown and petticoat, so general in the agricultural districts of Europe, were worn by the women. The men were clothed in gray homespun, and in some instances their heads were surmounted by bright scarlet caps.

The next day they continued their journey along in a south-eastern direction, and were everywhere, day after day, received with unbounded hospitality. Every peasant they passed lifted his hat and bowed, and at every house a frank welcome greeted them. The station-houses furnished abundance of good fare, among which was coffee of an excellent quality. This is used in immoderate quantities by the women, and by the men a sort of strong, fiery but pure whisky called Finkel. It is distilled at every farm-house, from potatoes, and is taken regularly the first thing every morning, and the last every night, in sickness and in health; being considered by the Norwegians as a universal panacea for all human ills. The people are enormous feeders, eating generally four, and sometimes five times a day, yet dyspepsia, and kindred diseases are rare.

Leaving the valley of the lake in their rear, their road crossed mountain after mountain, continually presenting every variety of picturesque scenery, until they arrived at Jonsrud, about a dozen miles northwest of Christiana. From thence they passed along on the eastern side of Christiana bay or fiord. While driving leisurely along through a beautiful region, their guide stopped to light his pipe at a neat vine-covered cottage charmingly nestled by the road-side.

As they drove up, the proprietor, a tall powerful man, in his shirt sleeves, advanced and met them with great cordiality, stating in English that having learned from their guide they were Americans, he hoped, in the name of all that was great and glorious in the United States and Norway, that they would not pass his door without allowing him the pleasure of their company and conversation.

The reception was so cordial and warm-hearted that they could not resist; but passing through the little front garden, entered the dwelling and were presented to the lady of the domicile, who was employed in sewing in company with several young ladies. She conducted them into an adjoining room. A large map of the United States and the portraits of American presidents hung on the wall. "We looked," says Mr. Maxwell," from one to the other in amazement, and at last our eyes met those of the delighted host. You should have been here a few days since,' said he, speaking with a vehemence that increased our surprise, you should have been here on the fourth of July;—you should have seen the flag of the United States and the flag of Norway flying from the same staff in glorious unity:-it was the birthday of Oscar, our youthful king and president, and in his honor I hoisted the flag of Norway:-it was the birthday of American Independence, and in honor of that independence, I hoisted the flag of your renowned country. Come to my garden; come see the laurel I have from the Alleghany mountains, and I am sure you will feel at home in Norway.'

"Now it is easier to imagine than to describe the sensations that resulted