f the fjords represent a coast line of twelve
thousand miles, and they are so entirely separated from the sea by
islands and reefs and obstructed at their entrances by old moraines,
that the fresh water from the melting snows and rivers lies four or
five feet deep on the surface. Small steamers ply on all the larger
fjords on which the rates are moderate and the accommodations fair. On
most of these boats a passenger pays full fare for himself and half
fare for the other members of his family, including his wife. Persons
who want to see the fjords of Norway thoroughly should take the
regular mail steamers, which call at all small ports and take a month
instead of a week for the voyage. The boats are small, but clean and
comfortable, and only occasionally have bad weather--very seldom in
summer. They wind in and out of the narrow passages, and because of
their size can navigate where the larger tourist steamers are not able
to go, and therefore the passengers on the latter miss some of the
finest scenery.

Voyages to the North Cape by the tourist steamers are limited to a few
weeks during the midsummer, when the sun is supposed to be visible at
midnight in the arctic regions, but steamers run regularly all the
year way around the Cape to Archangel, Vadsoe, and Horningsvaag, the
arctic ports of Russia. The fjords never freeze, so that navigation is
always open, and there is more or less travel in midwinter between the
civilized portions of the arctic regions.

If you will take your map and examine the north coast of Europe within
the arctic circle, you will find several towns east of the North Cape
on the White Sea which are wide open 365 days in the year, and do more
business in the winter than during the summer months. They do not see
the sun from December to February. At some places it is invisible for
a longer period, but at Hammerfest the streets, houses, and business
places are lighted with electric lights, and similar plants are being
introduced into other cities of the polar section. It is stated, also,
that the aurora borealis is so brilliant night after night as to make
it easy to read ordinary newspaper print without artificial light, and
by long experience people are prepared for the peculiar conditions
that exist there. The passengers on the steamers in these waters in
winter are mostly commercial travelers and men interested in the
fisheries, which are more active from October to March than at any
other ti