in that manner," protested the
captain.

"There is no history about it, Lincoln. His residence in this part of
Denmark is all a fiction. Shakespeare makes terrible blunders in his
allusions to this place; for there is no 'eastern hill,' no 'dreadful
summit of the cliff,' or anything of the sort. Hamlet lived in
Jutland, not in Seeland, about four centuries before Christ, and was
the son of a pirate chief, instead of a king, who, with his brother,
was governor of the province. He married the daughter of the king,
who was Hamlet's mother. The chief was murdered by his brother, who
married the widow, and was then the sole governor. Hamlet, in order to
avenge his father's death, feigned madness; but his uncle, suspecting
the trick, sent him to England, with a message carved in wood,
requesting the king to destroy him. During the voyage, he obtained the
wooden letter, and altered it so as to make it ask for the killing of
the two men, creatures of his uncle, who had charge of him, which was
done on their arrival. According to the style of romances, he married
the king's daughter, and afterwards returned to Jutland, where, still
pretending insanity, he contrived to surprise and slay his uncle. He
succeeded his victim as governor, and married a second time, to a
queen of Scotland, and was finally killed in battle. The main features
of the tragedy correspond with the incidents of the story, but the
locality is not correct."

The party walked to Marienlyst, a pleasant watering-place, which
contains a small royal chateau. The view from this place, as from the
tower of Kronberg, is very beautiful. At four o'clock the party took
the steamer, and arrived at Copenhagen before dark.

CHAPTER XVII.

TO STOCKHOLM BY GOETA CANAL.

The Wadstena, in which the absentees had taken passage at Gottenburg,
was a small steamer, but very well fitted up for one of her size.
Forward was the saloon, in which meals were taken, and saloon
passengers slept. Aft was the cabin, on each side of which were
state-rooms, called "huette." They were not made with regular berths,
but had a sofa on each side of the door, on which the beds were made
up at night, with a wash-stand between them. Between this cabin and
the forward saloon the main deck was raised about three feet, so as to
cover the engine and boilers. On each side of this higher deck were
more "huette," which were the best rooms on board. The hurricane-deck,
over the after cabin, was