o torment; for though the wind was still
cutting, the rocks became intolerably warm under my feet, whilst the
herring effluvia, which I before found so very offensive, once more
assailed me. I hastened back to the house of a merchant, the little
sovereign of the place, because he was by far the richest, though not the
mayor.

Here we were most hospitably received, and introduced to a very fine and
numerous family. I have before mentioned to you the lilies of the north,
I might have added, water lilies, for the complexion of many, even of the
young women, seem to be bleached on the bosom of snow. But in this
youthful circle the roses bloomed with all their wonted freshness, and I
wondered from whence the fire was stolen which sparkled in their fine
blue eyes.

Here we slept; and I rose early in the morning to prepare for my little
voyage to Norway. I had determined to go by water, and was to leave my
companions behind; but not getting a boat immediately, and the wind being
high and unfavourable, I was told that it was not safe to go to sea
during such boisterous weather; I was, therefore, obliged to wait for the
morrow, and had the present day on my hands, which I feared would be
irksome, because the family, who possessed about a dozen French words
amongst them and not an English phrase, were anxious to amuse me, and
would not let me remain alone in my room. The town we had already walked
round and round, and if we advanced farther on the coast, it was still to
view the same unvaried immensity of water surrounded by barrenness.

The gentlemen, wishing to peep into Norway, proposed going to
Fredericshall, the first town--the distance was only three Swedish miles.
There and back again was but a day's journey, and would not, I thought,
interfere with my voyage. I agreed, and invited the eldest and prettiest
of the girls to accompany us. I invited her because I like to see a
beautiful face animated by pleasure, and to have an opportunity of
regarding the country, whilst the gentlemen were amusing themselves with
her.

I did not know, for I had not thought of it, that we were to scale some
of the most mountainous cliffs of Sweden in our way to the ferry which
separates the two countries.

Entering amongst the cliffs, we were sheltered from the wind, warm
sunbeams began to play, streams to flow, and groves of pines diversified
the rocks. Sometimes they became suddenly bare and sublime. Once, in
particular, after