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 mounting the most terrific
precipice, we had to pass through a tremendous defile, where the
closing chasm seemed to threaten us with instant destruction, when,
turning quickly, verdant meadows and a beautiful lake relieved and
charmed my eyes.
I had never travelled through Switzerland, but one of my companions
assured me that I should not there find anything superior, if equal,
to the wild grandeur of these views.
As we had not taken this excursion into our plan, the horses had not
been previously ordered, which obliged us to wait two hours at the
first post. The day was wearing away. The road was so bad that
walking up the precipices consumed the time insensibly; but as we
desired horses at each post ready at a certain hour, we reckoned on
returning more speedily.
We stopped to dine at a tolerable farm; they brought us out ham,
butter, cheese, and milk, and the charge was so moderate that I
scattered a little money amongst the children who were peeping at
us, in order to pay them for their trouble.
Arrived at the ferry, we were still detained, for the people who
attend at the ferries have a stupid kind of sluggishness in their
manner, which is very provoking when you are in haste. At present I
did not feel it, for, scrambling up the cliffs, my eye followed the
river as it rolled between the grand rocky banks; and, to complete
the scenery, they were covered with firs and pines, through which
the wind rustled as if it were lulling itself to sleep with the
declining sun.
Behold us now in Norway; and I could not avoid feeling surprise at
observing the difference in the manners of the inhabitants of the
two sides of the river, for everything shows that the Norwegians are
more industrious and more opulent. The Swedes (for neighbours are
seldom the best friends) accuse the Norwegians of knavery, and they
retaliate by bringing a charge of hypocrisy against the Swedes.
Local circumstances probably render both unjust, speaking from their
feelings rather than reason; and is this astonishing when we
consider that most writers of travels have done the same, whose
works have served as materials for the compilers of universal
histories?
