requested the good-wife to furnish him with a little refreshment. She had nothing to offer, but some oatmeal porridge, which was then being boiled on the fire; this she poured into a bowl for the accommodation of her guest, who instantly dipping in his spoon, fell lustily to work, but unfortunately, owing to his impatience and precipitation, scalded his mouth to a very painful degree. "A just punishment!" cried the king; "had I begun cautiously with the borders, I should not have encountered this rebuff."

On leaving Hönafossen, I proceeded up the eastern bank of the Ranas Fjord, a lake of very great extent, but trifling beauty. After passing its northern extremity, I bent my steps toward the West, and presently arrived at the upper portion of Mojson Fjord.* I was now making my way towards the Dovre fjeld, and anticipated

Fjord signifies properly an arm of the sea, that runs so far inland as to assume the appearance of a lake ; but the term is also applied, as in the instances above, to large sheets of water that have no connexion with the sea.

with pleasure the moment when I should first gain a view of Sneehattau.

I continued to plod along for several days, not a little disappointed in the scenery, which presented only a series of mountains covered to the very summit with pine trees, through which occasionally might be seen, half-buried beneath the foliage, the white line of a waterfall, dribbling its meagre stream down the dark and narrow channel. One evening, I reached a little village called Vüg, situated on the banks of the Laŭgen, and in the midst of an amphitheatre of mountains, which were here of a bolder character, and overtopped by others, more distant, capped with eternal snow. Near to the village, and close beside the river, I found a rude wooden cross, or rather a post with a triangular piece of wood fixed upon it,-which bore an epitaph or inscription to the memory of Colonel Sinclair. The story of this unfortunate gentleman is already well known; but perhaps I may as well here briefly repeat it. He lived and perished

in the early part of the seventeenth century, and was engaged by that renowned hero, Gustavus Adolphus, to conduct to his standard a body of twelve hundred Scots, with whom, in consequence, he landed on the western coast of Norway, and endeavoured to lead across the country to Sweden. He had penetrated thus far, to the village of Vüg, in the southern part of the Dovre fjeld, when he was attacked by a body of peasants, who, posting themselves on the sides of a narrow pass, through which his party was defiling, entirely overwhelmed them with immense stones and trunks of trees, which they hurled down from above. There is a tradition among the people of this region, that Colonel Sinclair was accompanied by his wife and child; and I have ventured to weave the interesting fate of the former into the following tale:

CHAPTER VIII.

THE PASS OF KRINGELLEN.

(4 Traditionary Tale.)

4

OLOFF Svensen and his family were seated one evening around the bright wood fire of his commodious cottage in the vicinity of Vüg. His wife was busily attending to the comforts of a sick lamb, which lay upon the hearth breathing heavily; his two ruddy sons, lads of twelve and fourteen, were engaged discussing their usual meal of milk and bread, and his daughter, the interesting Rona, whilst busied with her spinning

wheel, frequently turned her restless glance towards the door of the cottage. Oloff himself was repairing the lock of his heavy gun. Things had not remained long in this state, when the door opened, and a young man in the dress of a wealthy peasant hastily entered the room. Oloff rose to greet him. "What news, Halvor?" he asked. The young man seated himself beside Rona, and then made answer,"Great news,

Oloff. I have seen the men of Lom and Lessoe. The scouts have returned. The daring invaders are already close at hand; most probably they will spend the night in Vüg, turning the poor inhabitants into the open air, and taking themselves possession of their beds and food. 'Tis well if they do no worse-it is said that in many places, they have slaughtered or driven off the cattle of the peasants, slain the owners, and wronged their wives and daughters." "By the soul of my grandfather!" interrupted the old cottager," they shall rue it. How many of the dogs be there?" "It is said that they number