They Shew So Little Extravagance Of Grief And Lamentation
On These Occasions, That It Appeared As If The Deceased Had Only Fallen
Into A Sweet Sleep.
If the deceased was married, the widow prepares a
sumptuous banquet for the neighbours on the day of burial;
When she and her
guests appear in their best attire, and she entreats her guests to eat
heartily, and to drink to the memory of the deceased, and to his eternal
repose and happiness. They went regularly to church, where they prayed very
devoutly on their knees, and they kept the fast days with great strictness.
Their houses are built of wood, in a round form, having a hole in the
middle of the roof for the admission of light; and which hole they cover
over in winter with a transparent fish skin, on account of the severity of
the cold. Their clothes are made of coarse cloth, manufactured at London,
and elsewhere. They wore furs but seldom; and in order to inure themselves
to the coldness of their climate, they expose their new born infants, the
fourth day after birth, naked under the sky-light, which they then open to
allow the snow to fall upon them; for it snowed almost continually during
the whole winter that Quirini and his people were there, from the 5th of
February to the 14th of May. In consequence of this treatment, the boys are
so inured to the cold, and become so hardy, that they do not mind it in the
least.
The isle of Rostoe is frequented by a great number of white sea-fowl called
Muris [6] in the language of the country. These birds are fond of living
hear mankind, and are as tame and familiar as common pigeons. They make an
incessant noise; and in summer, when it is almost one continued day for
three months, they are only silent for about four hours in the twenty-four,
and this silence serves to warn the inhabitants of the proper time of going
to rest. In the early part of the spring, there arrived an amazing quantity
of wild geese, which made their nests on the island, and even sometimes
close to the walls of the houses. These birds are so very tame, that when
the mistress of the house goes to take some eggs from the nest, the goose
walks slowly away, and waits patiently till the woman has taken what she
wants; and when the woman goes away, the goose immediately returns to her
nest.
In the month of May, the inhabitants of Rostoe began to prepare for their
voyage to Bergen, and were willing also to take the strangers along with
them. Some days before their departure, the intelligence of their being at
Rostoe reached the wife of the governor over all these islands; and, her
husband being absent, she sent her chaplain to Quirini with a present of
sixty stockfish, three large flat loaves of rye-bread and a cake: And at
the same time desired him to be informed, that she was told the islanders
had not used them well, and if he would say in what point they had been
wronged, instant satisfaction should be afforded; it was also strongly
recommended by that lady to the inhabitants, to give them good treatment,
and to take them over to Bergen along with themselves. The strangers
returned their sincere thanks to the lady for the interest she took in
their welfare, and gave their full testimony, not only to the innocence of
their hosts in regard to what had been alleged, but spoke of the kind
reception they had experienced in the highest terms. As Quirini still had
remaining a rosary of amber beads which he had brought from St Jago in
Gallicia, he took the liberty of sending them to this lady, and requested
her to use them in praying to God for their safe return into their own
country.
When the time of their departure was come, the people of Rostoe, by the
advice of their priest, forced them to pay two crowns for each month of
their residence or seven crowns each; and as they had not sufficient cash
for this purpose, they gave, besides money, six silver cups, six forks, and
six spoons, with some other articles of small value, which they had saved
from the wreck, as girdles and rings. The greater part of these things fell
into the hands of the rascally priest; who, that nothing might be left to
them of this unfortunate voyage, did not scruple to exact these as his due
for having acted as their interpreter. On the day of their departure, all
the inhabitants of Rostoe made them presents of fish; and on taking leave,
both the inhabitants and the strangers shed tears. The priest, however,
accompanied them to Bergen, to pay a visit to his archbishop, and to give
him a part of the booty.
[1] Rost, or Rostoy. - Forst.
[2] The small island of Rust probably the one in question, is the
south-westernmost of the Loffoden isles of Norway, in lat. 67 deg.. 80 N.
long. 11 deg.. E. and is about 80 statute miles from the nearest land of
the continent of Norway to the east. The rest of the Loffoden islands
are of considerable size, and are divided from Norway by the
Westfiord, which grows considerably narrower as it advances to the
north-east. - E.
[3] The Cod or Gadus Morrhua, is termed stock-fish when dried without
salt. - E.
[4] This must have appeared a most wonderful reliance upon female chastity,
in the opinion of jealous Italians, unaccustomed to the pure morals of
the north. - E.
[5] This custom of promiscuous bathing is very ancient, and existed among
the Romans, from whom it was learnt by the Greeks, but gave rise to
such shameful lewdness, that it was prohibited by Hadrian and
Antoninus. This law seems to have fallen into oblivion, as even the
Christians in after times fell into the practice, and gave occasion to
many decrees of councils and synods for its prohibition; yet with
little effect, as even priests and monks bathed promiscuously along
with the women.
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