Transcript
Friday. Jul. 21. Left Grimsby by tender at 4·pm. The Avon started at 6·30. Very bright and hot weather. In the evening passed Flamborough Hd & saw the lights of Bridlington & Filey.
Sat. 22nd. Before breakfast we were off Dunbar and passed the Bass Rock covered with thousands of gulls about 8·45. Anchored off Leith to take on passengers. Very fine view of the Forth Bridge, a huge structure. Left Leith at 12·30. In the evening saw a huge stretch of the Scotch Coast up to the N. of Aberdeen and I think beyond the bay the more northerly part. Dancing in the evening
Sun. 23rd. Service in the morning. Sighted Norway about 3 p.m. Rather grey & stormy but bright sunshine at times. After dinner we were close to the coast very rocky & with a great many islands. Patches of snow on the higher hills inland. Grey & stormy evening. Towards eleven o’clock we reached Aalesund where we stopped to take on a pilot. Warship in harbour picturesque town.
Monday 24 In the morning were sailing up Trondjheim Fiord anchored about 10 a.m. The coast here is very much flatter & less wild, but still very beautiful. Took Cook’s excursion up to the Fjeldsaeter Hotel beautiful hot day & magnificent views. Ice at lunch specially memorable. Afterward we climbed further up Graakaalen and then drove down. Saw the Cathedral (being restored) with St Olaf’s Well, and octagonal east end. Then bought postcards and wandered round.
Left Trondjheim at 6·30 and sailed down the fiord and up the coast. Magnificent sunset about 10 p.m.
Tuesday 25. On getting on deck found ourselves anchored off Torghatten. Brighter & hotter sun than ever. Landed after breakfast and walked through the huge natural tunnel—a good climb curious view of about 100 islets through the tunnel. Sailed away after lunch and saw daylight through the tunnel, passing on the seaward side. Coast began to get finer Seven Sisters (rising to 3500 ft) very remarkable. During dinner (7·15 p.m.) we passed for a long time by the huge Svartisen glacier whose branches reached down to the sea. Passed a wonderfully narrow channel between Mela & Sckerpa, the effect of which was specially fine as we passed from shade to sunshine. Shortly afterwards we saw the chain of Lofoten islands at a great distance showing most curious shapes. Another fine sunset (but with too little cloud compared with last night) but the rosy glow on the snow fields was very fine. Tonight (and frequently after) there were most extraordinary mirage effects—islands & ships upside down and distorted reflections.
Wednesday. 26th. Before breakfast we were on a channel near the end of the Lofoten Islands (photographed) Another hot & beautiful sail up to Tromso which was reached at 3 p.m. We passed outside Senjen & up the Malanger fiord. The town looked very pretty from the Sound but was rather shabby looking, when one got on land. Very hot on land; we climbed to the Alfheim gardens (view not specially good) Bought paper knife from an old Lapp and wandered about the town. Leaving Tromsø at 7·30 we sailed down Grot Sund and out to sea to Fuglo island which looked magnificent against the northern sun. We now passed the higher mountains of the Lyngen peninsula some of them up to 5500 feet and having great snowfields and glaciers. The atmosphere was extraordinarily clear and it was hard to realise their height and distance.
We anchored for an hour or so and saw the Midnight sun well just resting on the horizon.
We steamed slowly back towards Lyngen among some of the finest scenery. I stayed up till 3 a.m. to get a close view of a very fine glacier. With low sun its furrows showed extraordinary colour effects.
Thursday 27. Anchored off Lyngen where we stayed till 4·30 p.m. Sun more powerful than ever and the scenery most beautiful so far. Like Swiss lake luxuriant green forests with grand snowy mountains in background snowfields and numerous glaciers. Pretty church and a few houses at the mouth of a green valley. Took a steam launch trip for 2 hours up the fiord in the morning did not seem to get far as in the clear air the distances are absurdly underestimated at first. After lunch visited a Lapp encampment most interesting scene—about 200 Lapps many Eskimo dogs with delightful puppies. Fine old granny smoking a long pipe—babies slung on cradles over the shoulder—rather mangy reindeer but with fine horns—bright costumes generally blue with red edges, reindeer leggings curious walk with knees bent forward. Huts either turf or bell-tents with open hole in centre.
On leaving we steamed close by a great many glaciers one of which reached the sea-level; we saw a large herd of reindeer high on the snow. On leaving the fiord scenery less grand but bare & wild, seems to be carved out of a table land. *Very little snow and rather English (Cornish type of scenery). The day became grey & dull. The Nordkap is rather a fine headland looking on one side like a gnarled lower part of a tree. The Nordkyn was easily visible in the distance. About 9·30 we took the stiff climb up the Cape, very close & warm work, wild flowers abundant in the valley and all over the summit. There was no view of the sun as the sky was clouded over; but the evening was still and balmy.
*On nearing Hammerfest we kept out to sea in order to see the midnight sun. It just appeared beyond a point of land at the moment of midnight; our Captain did not understand what time midnight was so waited will 12 o’clock the sun visibly rising all the time and long after the Norwegian steamer had returned to Hammerfest.
28th Friday morning at Hammerfest (until noon) chiefly spent in buying curious. Strong smell of fish & blubber and crowds of fishing vessels in the Harbour. On leaving we had the same type of level plateau scooped out into valleys & headlands extending right to the N. Cape.—*
29 Saturday in the morning entered the Altenfiord the clouds were now lying low over the mountains and the scenery not so fine but there was frequent sunshine. Landed at Boskop and walked in the pine woods by the old coast-line two hundred feet up. Mosquitoes were very troublesome. Left soon after lunch and passed Lyngenfiord & Fuglo again.
30 Sunday. Weather improved again—glorious day Reached Digermullen in the Lofoten’s about 11·30 short walk on shore before lunch; found wonderful variety of wild-flowers. After lunch climbed the Digermulkop (1100 ft) glorious view from the top over the Raftsund & the Vest Fiord. Sprained my ankle coming down.
Monday 31 At sea all day and resting my ankle; saw the seven-sisters & Torghatten again also the Vigten’s beautiful day & beautiful scenery.
Tuesday Aug 1. Landed at Aandaelnaes and drove to Horgheim and back up the Romsdal valley. Hot and dusty but fine valley the Romsdalhorn 5100 ft stood first at the head of the valley and we drove close under it on the other side the craggy Troldtinder (6000 ft) with the “Bridal Train.” Fine sail down the Fiord to Molde looking back on these mountains & the Vengetinder, Kongen & Dronnigen, etc. tipped with snow. Landed at Molde saw the picture by Axel in the church of the “He is risen” also the View point and the old Norse house. Fine sunset and fancy dress ball in the evening good view of Aalsund again
—————
2 folded sheets, each bearing the letter-head of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. ‘Cruise to North Cape | 1911’ has been added at the head in pencil by another person. The account was evidently written at the time of the events described in it. The significance of the three asterisks is unclear. The modern Norwegian spellings of some of the place-names mentioned are Ålesund (‘Aalesund’ and ‘Aalsund’), Trondheim, Gråkallen, Meløy or Meløya (depending on whether the village or the island is meant), Skjerpa, Tromsø, Senja, Malangen, Grøtsundet, Nordfugløya (‘Fuglo’), Nordkapp, Altafjord, Bossekop, Digermulen, Raftsundet, Vestfjorden, Vikna (archipelago), Åndalsnaes, Romsdalshornet, Trolltindan, Vengetindan, and Dronniga. For the older spellings cf. The Folks and Fjords of Norway, by Samuel J. Beckett (1915).
