bad looking-glass, swimming round and round the
yacht, ever and anon coming to the surface, and showing the whole length
and depth of its bulky body.

They were considerably excited, as may be supposed, at such an
unexpected visit, and the near approach of such a visitant. As they
gazed at him with eager eyes, he suddenly turned his head straight
towards the side of the vessel, and, sinking down sufficiently to clear
the keel, dived right under it, and came up on the other side.

So clear was the water, and so near was the fish to the surface, that
they saw its great fins driving it along, and observed its comparatively
little eyes looking inquisitively up at them. On clearing the yacht he
came to the surface not more that thirty yards from the side. In fact
he had shaved it as near as possible without actually touching.
"Familiarity breeds contempt," saith the proverb. The longer this whale
played round them, the more did he exhibit a growing tendency to play
_with_ them, and as there was no saying what fancies he might take into
his great head, Fred resolved to give him a shot.

Accordingly, the rifle--a double-barrel--was brought up, and, watching
his opportunity, Fred put two leaden balls into the back of his head.
The insulted monster wisely took the hint, gave a final flourish of his
tail, and disappeared for ever!

On another occasion they landed at the head of a remote fiord, where the
natives seldom had the chance of seeing strangers, and were, therefore,
overjoyed to receive them. Here Sam Sorrel had a small adventure. His
companions had left him to sketch. While thus engaged, a fat, hearty,
good-natured fellow found him and insisted on him paying a visit to his
cottage. The houses of the people in Norway, generally, are built of
wood, and are roofed with red tiles. Floors, walls, ceilings, tables,
chairs, beds, etcetera, all are of wood, and usually unpainted. All
have iron stoves for winter use; no carpets cover the floors, and no
ornaments grace the walls, save one or two prints, and a number of large
tobacco-pipes, for the Norsemen are great smokers and chewers of
tobacco.

The language here perplexed our artist not a little. Being a lazy
student, he had left Fred to do all the talking, but now he found
himself for the first time alone with a Norwegian! fairly left to his
own resources. Well, he accompanied his fat friend, and began by
stringing together all the Norse he knew (which wasn'