letters from high latitudes-第38部分

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reface　to　so　many　a　disasterthe　ring　of　which；　none　who　have　ever　heard　it　are　likely　to　forget〃Breakers　ahead！〃

In　a　moment　I　was　on　deck；　dressedfor　it　is　always　best　to　dress；and　there；　sure　enough；　right　ahead；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　off；　through　the　mist；　which　had　come　on　very　thick；　I　could　distinguish　the　upward　shooting　fluff　of　seas　shattering　against　rocks。　No　land　was　to　be　seen；　but　the　line　of　breakers　every　instant　became　more　evident；　at　the　pace　we　were　going；　in　seven　or　eight　minutes　we　should　be　upon　them。　Now；　thought　I　to　myself；　we　shall　see　whether　a　stout　heart　beats　beneath　the　silk　tartan！　The　result　covered　that　brilliant　garment　with　glory　and　salt　water。　To　tack　was　impossible；　we　could　only　wear；and　to　wear　in　such　a　sea　was　no　very　pleasant　operation。　But　the　little　ship　seemed　to　know　what　she　was　about；　as　well　as　any　of　us：　up　went　the　helm；　round　came　the　schooner　into　the　trough　of　the　sea；high　over　her　quarter　toppled　an　enormous　sea；　built　up　of　I　know　not　how　many　tons　of　water；　and　hung　over　the　deck；by　some　unaccountable　wriggle；　an　instant　ere　it　thundered　down　she　had　twisted　her　stern　on　one　side；　and　the　waves　passed　underneath。　　In　another　minute　her　head　was　to　the　sea；　the　mainsail　was　eased　over；　and　all　danger　was　past。

What　was　now　to　be　done？　That　the　land　we　had　seen　was　the　coast　of　Norway　I　could　not　believe。　Wrong　as　our　dead　reckoning　evidently　was；　it　could　not　be　so　wrong　as　that。　Yet　only　one　other　supposition　was　possible；　viz。；　that　we　had　not　come　so　far　south　as　we　imagined；　and　that　we　had　stumbled　upon　Roosta　little　rocky　island　that　lies　about　twenty　miles　to　the　southward　of　the　Loffoden　Islands。　　Whether　this　conjecture　was　correct　or　not；　did　not　much　matter；　to　go　straight　away　to　sea；　and　lie　to　until　we　could　get　an　observation；　was　the　only　thing　to　be　done。　　Away　then　we　went；　struggling　against　a　tremendous　sea　for　a　good　nine　hours；　until　we　judged　ourselves　to　be　seventy　or　eighty　miles　from　where　we　had　sighted　the　breakers；when　we　lay　to；　not　in　the　best　of　tempers。　The　next　morning；　not　only　was　it　blowing　as　hard　as　ever；　but　all　chance　of　getting　a　sight　that　day　seemed　also　out　of　the　question。　　I　could　have　eaten　my　head　with　impatience。　However；　as　it　is　best　never　to　throw　a　chance　away；　about　half…past　eleven　o'clock；　though　the　sky　resembled　an　even　sheet　of　lead；　I　got　my　sextant　ready；　and　told　Mr。　Wyse　to　do　the　same。

Now；　out　of　tenderness　for　your　feminine　ignorance　I　must　state；　that　in　order　to　take　an　observation；　it　is　necessary　to　get　a　sight　of　the　sun　at　a　particular　moment　of　the　day：　this　moment　is　noon。　When；　therefore；　twelve　o'clock　came；　and　one　could　not　so　much　as　guess　in　what　quarter　of　the　heavens　he　might　be　lying　perdu；　you　may　suppose　I　almost　despaired。　Ten　minutes　passed。　It　was　evident　we　were　doomed　to　remain；　kicking　our　heels　for　another　four…and…twenty　hours　where　we　were。　No！yes！no！　By　Phoebus！　there　he　is！　A　faint　spongy　spot　of　brightness　gleamed　through　the　grey　roof　overhead。　The　indistinct　outline　grew　a　little　clearer；　one…half　of　him；　though　still　behind　a　cloud；　hardened　into　a　sharp　edge。　Up　went　the　sextant。　〃52。43！〃　（or　whatever　it　was）　I　shouted　to　Mr。　　Wyse。　〃52。41；　my　Lord！〃　cried　he；　in　return；　there　was　only　the　discrepancy　of　a　mile　between　us。　We　had　got　the　altitude；　the　sun　might　go　to　bed　for　good　and　all　now；　we　did　not　care；we　knew　our　position　to　an　inch。　There　had　been　an　error　of　something　like　forty　miles　in　our　dead　reckoning；　in　consequenceas　I　afterwards　foundof　a　current　that　sets　to　the　northward；　along　the　west　coast　of　Norway；　with　a　velocity　varying　from　one　to　three　miles　an　hour。　The　island　upon　which　we　had　so　nearly　run　WAS　Roost。　We　were　still　nearly　200　miles　from　our　port。　　〃Turn　the　hands　up！　Make　sail！〃　and　away　we　went　again　in　the　same　course　as　before；　at　the　rate　of　ten　knots　an　hour。

〃The　girls　at　home　have　got　hold　of　the　tow…rope；　I　think；　my　Lord；〃　said　Mr。　Wyse；　as　we　bounded　along　over　the　thundering　seas。

＇Figure：　fig…p192。gif＇

By　three　o'clock　next　day　we　were　up　with　Vigten；　and　now　a　very　nasty　piece　of　navigation　began。　In　order　to　make　the　northern　entrance　of　the　Throndhjem　Fiord；　you　have　first　to　find　your　way　into　what　is　called　the　Froh　Havet；a　kind　of　oblong　basin　about　sixteen　miles　long；　formed　by　a　ledge　of　low　rocks　running　parallel　with　the　mainland；　at　a　distance　of　ten　miles　to　seaward。　Though　the　space　between　this　outer　boundary　and　the　coast　is　so　wide；　in　consequence　of　the　network　of　sunken　rocks　which　stuffs　it　up；　the　passage　by　which　a　vessel　can　enter　is　very　narrow；　and　the　only　landmark　to　enable　you　to　find　the　channel　is　the　head　one　of　the　string　of　outer　islets。　As　this　rock　is　about　the　size　of　a　dining…table；　perfectly　flat；　and　rising　only　a　few　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　to　attempt　to　make　it　is　like　looking　for　a　needle　in　a　bottle　of　hay。　It　was　already　beginning　to　grow　very　late　and　dark　by　the　time　we　had　come　up　with　the　spot　where　it　ought　to　have　been；　but　not　a　vestige　of　such　a　thing　had　turned　up。　　Should　we　not　sight　it　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　we　must　go　to　sea　again；　and　lie　to　for　the　night；a　very　unpleasant　alternative　for　any　one　so　impatient　as　I　was　to　reach　a　port。　　Just　as　I　was　going　to　give　the　order；　Fitzwho　was　certainly　the　Lynceus　of　the　ship's　companyespied　its　black　back　just　peeping　up　above　the　tumbling　water　on　our　starboard　bow。　We　had　hit　it　off　to　a　yard！

In　another　half…hour　we　were　stealing　down　in　quiet　water　towards　the　entrance　of　the　fiord。　All　this　time　not　a　rag　of　a　pilot　had　appeared；　and　it　was　without　any　such　functionary　that　the　schooner　swept　up　next　morning　between　the　wooded；　grain…laden　slopes　of　the　beautiful　loch；　to　Throndhjemthe　capital　of　the　ancient　sea…kings　of　Norway。


LETTER　XII。

THRONDHJEMHARALD　HAARFAGERKING　HACON'S　LAST　BATTLE　OLAF　TRYGGVESSONTHE　〃LONG　SERPENT〃ST。　OLAVETHORMOD　THE　SCALDTHE　JARL　OF　LADETHE　CATHEDRALHARALD　HARDRADATHE　BATTLE　OF　STANFORD　BRIDGEA　NORSE　BALI　ODINAND　HIS　PALADINS。

Off　Munkholm；　Aug。　27；　1856。

Throndhjem　（pronounced　Tronyem）　looked　very　pretty　and　picturesque；　with　its　red…roofed　wooden　houses　sparkling　in　the　sunshine；　its　many　windows　filled　with　flowers；　its　bright　fiord　covered　with　vessels　gaily　dressed　in　flags；　in　honour　of　the　Crown　Prince's　first　visit　to　the　ancient　capital　of　the　Norwegian　realm。　Tall；　pretentious　warehouses　crowded　down　to　the　water's　edge；　like　bullies　at　a　public　show　elbowing　to　the　foremost　rank；　orderly　streets　stretched　in　quiet　rows　at　right　angles　with　each　other；　and　pretty　villas　with　green　cinctures　sloped　away　towards　the　hills。　In　the　midst　rose　the　king's　palace；　the　largest　wooden　edifice　in　Europe；　while　the　old　grey　cathedralstately　and　grand；　in　spite　of　the　slow　destruction　of　the　elements；　the　mutilations　of　man's　hands；　or　his　yet　more　degrading　rough…cast　and　stucco　reparationsstill　towered　above　the　perishable　wooden　buildings　at　his　feet；　with　the　solemn　pride　which　befits　the　shrine　of　a　royal　saint。

I　cannot　tell　you　with　what　eagerness　I　drank　in　all　the　features　of　this　lovely　scene；　at　least；　such　features　as　Time　can　hardly　alterthe　glancing　river；　from　whence　the　city's　ancient　name　of　Nidaros；　or　〃mouth　of　the　Nid；〃　is　derived；the　rocky　island　of　Munkholm；　the　bluff　of　Lade；the　land…locked　fiord　and　its　pleasant　hills；　beyond　whose　grey　stony　ridges　I　knew　must　lie　the　fatal　battle…field　of　Sticklestad。　Every　spot　to　me　was　full　of　interest；but　an　interest　noways　connected　with　the　neat　green　villas；　the　rectangular　streets；　and　the　obtrusive　warehouses。　These　signs　of　a　modern　humdrum　prosperity　seemed　to　melt　away　before　my　eyes　as　I　gazed　from　the　schooner's　deck；　and　the　accessories　of　an　elder　time　came　to　furnish　the　landscape；the　clumsy　merchantmen　lazily　swaying　with　the　tide；　darkened　into　armed　galleys　with　their　rows　of　glittering　shields；the　snug；　bourgeois…looking　town　shrank　into　the　quaint　proportions　of　the　huddled　ancient　Nidaros；and　the　old　marauding　days；　with　their　shadowy　line　of　grand　old　pirate　kings；　rose　up　with　welcome　vividness　before　my　mind。

What　picture　shall　I　try　to　conjure　from　the　past；　to　live　in　your　fancy；　as　it　does　in　mine？

Let　the　setting　be　these　very　hills；flooded　by　this　same　cold；　steely　sunshine。　In　the　midst　stands　a　stalwart　form；　in　quaint　but　regal　attire。　Hot　blood　deepens　the　colour　of　his　sun…bronzed　cheek；　an　iron　purpose　gleams　in　his　earnest　eyes；　like　the　flash　of　a　drawn　sword；　a　circlet　of　gold　binds　the　massive　brow；　and　from　beneath　it　stream　to　below　his　waist　thick　masses　of　hair；　of　that　dusky　red　which　glows　like　the　heart　of　a　furnace　in　the　sunlight；　but　deepens　earth…brown　in　the　shadow。　By　his　side　stands　a　fair　woman；　her　demure　and　heavy…lidded　eyes　are　seldom　lifted　from　the　earth；　which　yet　they　seem　to　scorn；　but　the　king's　eyes　rest　on　her；　and　many　looks　are　turned　towards　him。　A　multitude　is　present；　moved　by　one　great　event；　swayed　by　a　thousand　passions；some　with　garrulous　throats　full　of　base　adulation　and　an　unworthy　joy；some　pale；　self…scorning；　with　averted　looks；　and　hands　that　twitch　instinctively　at　their　idle　daggers；　then　drop　hopeless；　harmless　at　their　sides。

The　king　is　Harald　Haarfager；　〃of　the　fair　hair；〃　the　woman　is　proud　and　beautiful　Gyda；　whose　former　scorn　for　him；　in　the　days　when　he　was　nothing　but　the　petty　chief　of　a　few　barren　mountains；　provoked　that　strange　wild　vow　of　his；　〃That　he　would　never　clip　or　comb　his　locks　till　he　could　woo　her　as　sole　king　of　Norway。〃

Among　the　crowd　are　those　who　have　bartered；　for　ease；　and　wealth；　and　empty　titles　born　of　the　king's　breaththeir　ancient　Udal　rights；　their　Bonder　privileges；　others　have　sunk　their　proud　hearts　to　bear　the　yoke　of　the　stronger　hand；　yet　gaze　with　yearning　looks　on　the　misty　horizon　that　opens　between　the　hills。　A　dark　speck　mars　that　shadowy　line。　Thought　follows　across　the　space。　It　is　a　ship。　Its　sides　are　long；　and　black；　and　low；　but　high　in　front　rises　the　prow；　fashioned　into　the　semblance　of　a　gigantic　golden　dragon；　against　whose　gleaming　breast　the　divided　waters　angrily　flash　and　gurgle。　Along　the　top　sides　of　the　deck　are　hung　a　row　of　shining　shield