PROFESSOR FORBES'S NORWAY AND ITS GLACIERS. * TRAVEL in the common
sense of the word was not the purpose of Professor Forbes's visit to Norway. His first object was to ob- serve the total eclipse in July 1851 ; his second, to examine the glacier system of Norway, so far as the time at his disposal per- mitted. The narrative of his carriole tour from Christiania to Drontheim, his steam voyage Northward along the coast of Nor- way to the 70th degree of latitude, his return passage to Ber- gen, and his varied route from Bergen back to Christiania, may all be perused with interest. Passages of course occur chiefly addressed to geologists. The critically observing eye of science, however, brings the character of the landscapes more distinctly before the reader's mind than is accomplished by general descrip- tion, while the continual comparison between the scenery of Norway and that of other countries impresses its characteristics with perhaps yet more clearness. Of the field and the fiord Professor Forbes clearly prefers the fiord. The field is far inferior to Switzerland in form and picturesqueness, even inferior to many places in Scotland. The positive height of the Norwegian mountains is not nearly so great as that of the Alps ; and they look lower than they are, be- cause they rise from a table-land, which the field really is,—and a very uncomfortable table-land too unless in late summer, from the half-melted snow, or the streamfets it forms when quite melted. The forms of the mountains, in the Professor's opinion, are rounded and tame compared with the Alpine character, or even with some scenes in Britain. Measured by the numerous plates, after draw- ings by the Professor, with which the volume is illustrated, this judgment may be thought severe, or at least that Norwegian scenery is beautiful enough, especially in colour ; though, un- doubtedly, the fiord with its water, and its lofty precipitous rocks, sometimes taking most singular shapes, predominates over the field.
The most interesting part of Professor Forbes's journey was his steam trip along the coast, which combines sea views with fiord and mountain ; nor for a person fond of steam travelling can there be a pleasanter excursion in midsummer, if the weather is fine. Under the auspices of Government, a steamer runs every fortnight from Christiania (if we understand rightly, and at all events from Bergen,) to Hainmerfest, and thence beyond North Cape to Vadsti, stretching some five degrees within the Arctic circle. Of course, in bad weather there will be a sea; but nothing like what might be expected, as the passage is made between the shore and the numerous islands that cluster along it, and form for long dis- • Norway and its Glaciers Visited in 1851; followed by Journals of Excursions in the High Alps of Dauphine, Berne, and Savoy. By James Forbes, D.C.L., I.R.S., &c. Ike. • Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh,.
Published by BI;tck, Edinburgh.
tames a species of barrier reef, within which the Northern Ocean is calm as a lake. Not the least useful part of this enterprise is the conveying of information and strangers to places that would other- wise be inaccessible ; nor could there be a better plan, we think, devised for seeing Western Norway easily, than that of taking a berth in these vessels. It has. this further advantage, that you can see the whole. Nature will find daylight as long as you can keep your eyes open. Even at Christiania there is no real night at midsummer; and as you advance into the Arctic circle, you have the sun above the horizon at midnight, and even when the days begin to draw in, midnight is still glorious. One of the most splendid pieces of colourino.° in the volume—the view of Rafte Sund Lofodden—was taken an hour before midnight well on in July. And, according to Professor Forbes, you can keep awake longer than in dark countries. About latitude 70 many natives take no regular rest ; saying there is time enough to sleep in the winter. When you tire of "prospecting," there is the navigation to in- terest you,—which is often a nice affair.
"The continuation of the scenery towards Bergen presents the same pecu- liarities in a still more emphatic degree, and is, I firmly believe, quite unpa- ralleled. For a space of nearly fifty English miles, we navigated through a series of inlets which penetrate in all directions a low, bare, rocky land, partly island, partly continent, nowhere rising but to a very small height above the sea, and so monotonous in character, and destitute of any long reaches or natural landmarks, ma to seem to require an almost superhuman instinct for its pilotage. It is consequently regarded, I believe, as the most difficult navigation in this part of the world, We had a special pilot on board for the purpose of conducting us through it ; and we observed that the admirable pilots—to whom the whole coast from Throndhjem to Hammer- feat was as familiar as any highway in England to a coachman a the old school—were watching with curiosity and admiration the skill of their col- league, who extricated us with perfect composure from this enchanted laby- rinth. The pilots are, naturally, the most important persons on board, for on them the responsibility of the ship is entirely laid. The navigation of the Norwegian coast, regularly performed by these excellent steamers, is not less than 1260 English miles; uf Which it is not too much to say that four- fifths is performed through narrow ebatinels amidst the reefs (viir), shallows, sunken rocks, and bluff headlands of this iron-bound shore. The compass is scarcely ever used ; the navigation is performed by sight alone, and is in a manner rendered possible by the short nights or perpetual day of summer. Yet fogs prevail at certain seasons.' and, though happily we saw none, I could easily understand the greatness of the responsibility filen imposed upon the pilot, who, at such times, distinguishes almost every rock and promontory by its peculiar physiognomy, and thus directs the vessel from point to point in safety, and with a degree of punctuality of arrival (in fine weather) at the numerous stations altogether surprising. To expect such knowledge from the commanding officers, is obviously impossible. Their main duty con- gists in seeing that one of the two pilots with whom each vessel is provided, is always at his post, and always sober ; and for this purpose, the commander or lieutenant is always on_the deck, and generally on the gangway between the paddle-boxes, which is the station of the pilot. The pilots are, of course, very highly paid ; I believe above 1001. sterling for their summer service, besides provisions. "The most singular part of this navigation from the Songe-fiord to Bergen was through the Atveisuud, a mere canal in the rock, (entirely natural, how- ever,) many miles in length, and in some places so narrow that the breadth did not appear to exceed the length of our little steamer. At one part the tide rushes through with considerable velocity. It is called the Alverstrom."
The first objeet of Dr. Forbes was not attained. The sky was so clouded at Bergen that he could net see the eclipse. His view of the glaciers was sufficient to enable him to draw the general conclusion that their character is identical with those of the Alps, because the same conditions are necessary to ,their production. These conditions are not so frequently or so perfectly developed in Norway as in Switzerland, from the formation of the mountains. The true glaciers are consequently not so large or so perfect; but when they occur, they follow the same laws both in their origin and their course.
Although nature, or rather physical geography, is the Professor's principal subject, society and the people are by no means neglect- ed. Passing sketches of the peasants, and in a less degree of the better classes, are continually introduced into the pictures of scenery, and leave a more favourable impression of the Norwegians than any writer except Laing has done.
Appended to the journey in Norway, and the separate examina- tion of its ice-fields and glaciers are several tours in high Alpine regions, including an ascent of? the Jungfrau, in company with M. Agassiz. As regards risk and personal endurance, these are the most interesting portions of the volumes ; the narrative often producing a breathless sensation in the reader. The Jungfran is the most interesting, but requires cuts for its thorough apprehen- sion. This is the descent from the Col de Celar in Dauphine. "We had ascended above 6500 feet, and had nearly an equal descent before um, which evidently was not unattended with diffieulty, for beyond the glacier basin immediately before us the eye in vain sought for a elope to guide it into the seemingly unfathomable depth of the valley beneath ; in truth, the gla- cier is guarded by precipices on every side. A great rent separated the snow from the rock : thia was our first difficulty, but soon overcome. We had lit- tle time to waste, for we had spent eight hours in climbing the col. The glacier basin was crossed without any of the difficulties we had experienced in ascending ; but we soon reached the rocky chasm which separated us from the habitable world beneath. Our guide, who had already passed this way several times, led on with confidence and skill ; but it required all our as- surance to follow him down the almost perpendicular cliff, exposed and con- vex, without any of those narrow crevices into which a man can, with a lit- tle practice, squeeze his body, and let himself gently down. This was a work of clinging from step to step ; and though our guide manifested much patience for our slow movements, he had none of the adroit usefulness of the Swiss guides, whose familiar acquaintance with travellers enables them to as- sist in a thousand ways, and many of whom have often risked their own lives to save that of their employers. The chamois-hunter of Dauphine feels (not unnaturally) no such bond between him and the traveller whom he con- ducts, and will often scarcely take the trouble of making a circuit, however trifling, to avoid a pass which would make the hair of a common tourist to stand on end. Here, however, there really was no escape. Precipices surrounded us on all hands, unless where they were masked by vertical walls of icih or snow-beds of impracticable inclination. To turn back was out of the question. Evening approached, and the col was not yet far behind us. Who would stand upon trifles at such a moment ? "In the course of this descent, I was not inattentive to the nature of the rocks by which we were compelled continually to cling, and was par- ticularly struck by the occurrence of thin green veins or dykes cutting the granite-dykes, which at the time I took for serpentine, but a more careful inspection shows to be green felspar. These are doubtless of the same na- ture with the dykes of felspar described by Mr. Elie de Beaumont on the Col de Is Pim, between St. Christophe and the Val joufrei. One of the dykes on the Col de Celar exhibited a shift or dislocation. Having reached in safety the foot of a precipice several hundred feet high, we found ourselves on the level of the glacier, and thought that our descent would now be accomplished on its surface ; but from this the guide entirely dissuaded us. Fresh traces of avalanches were everywhere strewed on the steep surface over which we must have passed. Before us rose et buttress of rock, by the foot of which the glacier swept, and which, therefore, it was impossible to turn. There was no alternative but to climb over it. A new cliff was to be scaled, then a longer precipice was to be descended by ledges of scarce a hand'sbreadth ; but this being accomplished, we found ourselves on a moderately-inclined slope of snow, which, owing to the very unusual extent which it had this season at- tained, stretched into the valley for a distance of nearly two miles, along which we slid and and ran at ease ; and, as we approached the first habi- tations of the Val Louise—the wretched hovels of Entraigues—the evening had already fallen, and we looked back almost with awe to the rugged heights from which we had just descended, flanked by glaciers and rocks which appeared equally inaccessible."
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