by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER X.
GOTTENBURG AND FINKEL.
On Saturday night, as Clyde had anticipated, his mother arrived atChristiania; and the people at the Victoria informed her of thedisappearance of her son. The next morning she hastened on board ofthe ship, and heard the principal's story. Mrs. Blacklock weptbitterly, and was fearful that her darling boy was forever lost; butMr. Lowington assured her that no serious harm could befall him. Hespoke very plainly to her in regard to Clyde's character and hisungovernable passions, assuring her that he must certainly come to anevil end within a few years, if he was not restrained and controlled.The poor mother felt the truth of all he said, and was willing that heshould continue the beneficent work upon which he had commenced. Shespent the forenoon on board, and was introduced to Kendall andShuffles and their ladies. The principal illustrated what he had saidabout Clyde by relating the history of the present captain and ownerof the Feodora, and Mrs. Blacklock went away even hopeful that her boymight yet be saved to her.
On Monday, the first secular day of the month, the new list ofofficers was announced in each vessel of the squadron. The changes onboard of the ship were not very violent, though the third lieutenantbecame captain, while Cumberland became the commodore.
"I congratulate you, Captain Lincoln," said Dr. Winstock to the newcommander, when he appeared in the uniform of his new rank.
"Thank you, sir," replied Lincoln.
"I have been satisfied for some time that you would attain thisposition."
"I am only sorry to be promoted over Judson and Norwood, for they havealways been good friends of mine."
"If they are good and true friends they will rejoice at your success,though it places you over them. You have worked very hard, and you arefully entitled to your rank."
"Thank you, sir. I have tried to do my duty," replied Lincoln,modestly.
"When I see a young gentleman use the library as freely as you do, Iam always tolerably confident that he will attain a high rank. We goon shore this forenoon, I believe."
"I heard we were to make an excursion to-day, and another to-morrow."
"You will see something of the interior of Norway, after all, thoughit is not quite possible to transport two hundred boys over a countrywhere the facilities for travel are so meagre," added the surgeon.
"For my part, I should like to walk, even a hundred miles."
"That is not practicable. How could such a crowd be lodged and fed, insome of the small villages where you would be compelled to pass thenight?"
"I suppose it would not be possible, and I shall be satisfied withwhatever the principal thinks best," replied the captain.
The students were called to muster, and Mr. Lowington explained thathe proposed to spend the day, in picnic style, at Frogner Saeter, andthat the party would walk. The boats were then prepared, and the crewsof the several vessels went on shore. Captains Kendall and Shufflesprocured carriages, for the ladies were not able to walk so far.Passing out of the more densely settled portions of the city, theexcursionists came to a delightful region, abounding in pleasantresidences, some of which were grand and lofty. For a time thelandscape was covered with small cottages, painted white or yellow;but as they proceeded they came to a country very sparsely settled,and very similar to that of New England. The road lay through woods ofpine and fir, and had been constructed by Mr. Heftye, apublic-spirited citizen, who owned a large estate at the summit of thehill.
"This looks just like Maine," said Captain Lincoln, who walked at theside of Dr. Winstock.
"Exactly like it. There is a house, however, which is hardly so goodas those you see in Maine," replied the doctor.
"It isn't any better than a shanty, and the barn is as good as thehouse. I wonder what that is for;" and Lincoln pointed to a bunch ofstraw, on the top of a pole, at the entrance of the barn. "I have seentwo or three of those here, and near Christiansand."
"It was grain placed there for the birds during the winter."
"That's very kind of the people, I must say."
"They are very kind to all their animals."
Near the summit of the hill, the party came to the summer-house of Mr.Heftye, a very neat structure of wood, with a piazza, from which isobtained a beautiful view of the surrounding country. Another halfhour brought them to the top of the hill, where the proprietor haderected a wooden tower, or observatory. It was some sixty or seventyfeet high, and was stayed with rope guys, extending to the trees onfour sides, to prevent it from being blown over. Only twenty of theboys were permitted to go up at one time, for the wind was tolerablyfresh, and the structure swayed to and fro like the mast of a ship ina sea. From the top, mountains fifty miles distant could be seen.Christiania Fjord lay like a panorama in the distance, stretching asfar as the eye could reach. To the west the country looked wild anddesolate, and was covered with wood-crowned mountains, though none ofany considerable height could be seen. It was a magnificent view, andsome of the most enthusiastic of the students declared that it wasworth a voyage to Norway; but boys are proverbially extravagant.
A couple of hours were spent on the hill, the lunch was eaten, and theboys declared that they were well rested. The return walk was not sopleasant, for the novelties of the region had been exhausted. The roadpassed through private property, where there were at least a dozengates across it in different places; and as the party approached, awoman, a boy, or a girl appeared, to open them. Kendall or Shufflesrewarded each of them with a few skillings for the service. Whentheir two and four skilling pieces were exhausted, they were obligedto use larger coins, rather than be mean; but it was observed that theNorwegians themselves, though able to ride in a carriage, never gaveanything. It was amusing to see the astonishment of the boys and girlswhen they received an eight skilling piece, and the haste with whichthey ran to their parents to exhibit the prize.
The party reached the vessels at five o'clock, and after supper theboats were again in demand for a visit to Oscarshal, the white summerpalace, which could be seen from the ship. Mr. Bennett had providedthe necessary tickets, and made the arrangements for the excursion. Itis certainly a very pretty place, but there are a hundred countryresidences in the vicinity of New York, Boston, or any other largecity of the United States, which excel it in beauty and elegance, aswell as in the expense lavished upon them. Before returning to theanchorage, the boat squadron pulled about for a couple of hours amongthe beautiful islands, and when the students returned to the fleet,they felt that they had about exhausted Christiania and its environs.
The next day they went by the railroad train to Eidsvold, and thereembarked in the steamer Kong Oscar for a voyage of sixty-five miles upthe Mjosen Lake to Lillehammer, where they arrived at half past fivein the afternoon. The scenery of the lake is pleasant, but not grand,the slope of the hills being covered with farms. Near the upper end,the hills are higher, and the aspect is more picturesque. Some of thewestern boys thought it looked like the shores of the Ohio River,others compared it with the Delaware, and a New Hampshire youthconsidered it more like Lake Winnipiseogee.
Lillehammer is a small town of seventeen hundred inhabitants. M.Hammer's and Madame Ormsrud's hotel were not large enough toaccommodate the party, and they began to experience some of thedifficulties of travelling in such large numbers; but Mr. Bennett haddone his work well, and sleeping-rooms were provided in other housesfor the rest. The tourists rambled all over the town and its vicinity,looked into the saw-mills, visited the farms, and compared theagriculture with that of their own country; and it must be added thatNorway suffered very much in the comparison, for the people are slowto adopt innovations upon the methods of their fathers.
Early in the morning--for steamers in Norway and Sweden have avillanous practice of starting at unseemly hours--the studentsembarked for Eidsvold, and were on board the vessels long before thelate sunset. On the quarter, waiting for the principal, was Clyde'scourier, who had arrived that morning, after the departure of theexcursionists. He evidently had not hurried his journey
, though he hadbeen told to do so. He delivered Sanford's brief note, which waswritten in pencil, and Mr. Lowington read it. The absentees were safeand well, and would arrive by Thursday. He was glad to hear of theirsafety, but as the squadron was now ready to sail, he regretted thedelay.
"Where did you leave the boys?" asked the principal of the courier.
"At Apalstoe," replied the guide, whose name was Poulsen.
"Do you belong there?"
"No, sir; I live in Christiania. I went down there with a younggentleman last Saturday."
"Who was he?"
"Mr. Blacklock, sir; a young English gentleman."
"Ah! did you? And where is Mr. Blacklock now?"
"I left him at Apalstoe with a party of young gentlemen who weredressed like the people here; and he sent me back with this letter,"replied Poulsen, who proceeded to explain that Clyde had engaged himas courier for Christiansand, but had changed his mind when he met theparty belonging to the ship, and had concluded to return toChristiania with them.
This was precisely what he had been told to say by the young Briton,and probably he believed that it was a correct statement. Theprincipal saw no reason to doubt the truth of it, for Clyde must besatisfied that his mother was in Christiania by this time, and wouldnaturally wish to join her. Anxious to console Mrs. Blacklock, Mr.Lowington called for a boat, and hastened on shore to see her. Hefound her, her daughter, and Paul Kendall and lady, in thereading-room at the Victoria--a unique apartment, with a fountain inthe centre, a glass gallery over the court-yard, and lighted withmany-colored lamps. The principal communicated the intelligence he hadreceived of her son to Mrs. Blacklock, whose face lighted up at thenews.
"Then you have heard from the absentees, Mr. Lowington," said PaulKendall.
"Yes; they are on their way to Christiania, and Sanford says they willarrive to-morrow, at farthest; but they may be delayed," replied theprincipal.
"No one need worry about them if they are safe and well," added Paul,glancing at Clyde's mother.
"They are safe and well, but I intended to sail for Gottenburgto-morrow morning. I have almost concluded to do so, and leave someone to accompany the boys to Gottenburg in the steamer. I do not liketo delay the whole fleet for them."
"It would take a long time to beat out of the fjord against a headwind," added Paul.
"If the wind is fair to-morrow morning, I shall sail, whether theyarrive or not."
"A steamer leaves for Gottenburg on Saturday morning, and she mayarrive as soon as your ship," added Paul.
"Very true. I think I will leave Peaks to look out for the absentees.Are you sure the steamer goes on Saturday?"
"Yes, sir; here is the time table," replied Paul, producing a paper hehad obtained at Mr. Bennett's. "Dampskibet Kronprindsesse Louise."
"That's Norwegian, Paul. Can you read it?" laughed Mr. Lowington.
"A little. 'Hver Loeverday;' that means on Saturday; 'at 6 fm.,' whichis early in the morning. She arrives at Gottenburg about midnight."
"That will answer our purpose very well. We shall get under way earlyin the morning, Paul."
"Then I will go on board of the yacht to-night, sir; but you need notwait for me, for I think I can catch you if you should get two orthree hours the start of me. I haven't used my balloon jib yet, and amrather anxious to do so."
"I shall not wait for you, then, Paul."
After a long conversation with Mrs. Blacklock, in which he assured heragain that nothing but firmness on her part could save her son fromruin, the principal left the hotel, and returned to the ship. In theevening Mr. and Mrs. Kendall went on board of the Grace. On thefollowing morning, the wind being a little north of west, the signalfor sailing was displayed on board of the Young America, and at sixo'clock the fleet were under way. The weather was beautiful, and thefresh breeze enabled all the vessels to log eight knots an hour, whichbrought them fairly into the Skager Rack early in the afternoon.
"I suppose we are off the coast of Sweden now," said Norwood, as heglanced at the distant hills on the left.
"The pilot said Frederikshald was in this direction," replied CaptainLincoln, pointing to the shore. "It is at the head of a small fjord,and is near the line between Norway and Sweden."
"Charles XII. was killed there--wasn't he?"
"That's the place. The fortress of Frederiksteen is there, on aperpendicular rock four hundred feet high."
"I wish we went nearer to the Swedish coast," added Norwood.
"We shall see enough of it before we leave the Baltic," said Lincoln.
"Probably we shall not care to see it after we have been looking at ita week."
"According to the chart, this part of the coast is fringed withislands, but they don't look so bare and desolate as those of Norway.I had an idea that everything on this side of the ocean was entirelydifferent from what we see on our side," added the captain.
"That was just my idea."
"But it isn't so. It is almost the same thing here as the coast ofMaine. The shore here is hilly, and through the glass it looks asthough it was covered with pine forests."
"I expect to see something different before we return."
"Not in the Baltic; for I fancy most of the southern coast looks likethat of our Middle and Southern States."
"Up here, even the houses look just as they do at home."
"I don't believe we shall find it so in Denmark."
As there was little to be seen, the regular routine of the squadronwas followed, and those who were in the steerage, attending to theirrecitations, did not feel that they were losing anything. Later in theday, the wind was light, and the vessels made very little progress,though the course brought them nearer to the coast, where on the portbow appeared a high promontory, extending far out into the sea. Thewind died out entirely just before sunset, and the sails hungmotionless from the spars; for there was no swell to make them thrashabout, as at sea. It was utter silence, and it was hard to believethat very ugly storms often made sad havoc in this channel.
When the sun rose the next morning it brought with it a light breezefrom the west, and the fleet again skimmed merrily along over thewater. Its course was near the town of Marstrand, a noted Swedishwatering-place, situated on an island. Soon after, pilots were taken,and the vessels stood into the harbor of Gottenburg, which is formedby the mouth of Goeta River. Along the sides of the channel were postsset in the water, for the convenience of vessels hauling in or out ofthe harbor. The fleet came to anchor in a convenient part of the port,and those on board proceeded to take a leisurely survey of the city.The portion of the town nearest to them was built on low, flat land,and they could see the entrances of various canals. Farther back was aseries of rugged hills, which were covered with pleasant residencesand beautiful gardens. After dinner the students were mustered ondeck, to listen to a few particulars in regard to the city, though itwas understood that the general lecture on Sweden would be reserveduntil the arrival of the squadron at Stockholm.
"What city is this?" asked Mr. Mapps.
"Gottenburg," replied a hundred of the students.
"That is plain English. What do the Swedes call it?"
"G-oe-t-e-b-o-r-g," answered Captain Lincoln, spelling the word.
"Perhaps I had better call on Professor Badois to pronounce it foryou."
"Y[=a]t-a-borg," said the instructor in languages, repeating thepronunciation several times, which, however, cannot be very accuratelyexpressed with English characters. "And the river here is Ya-tah."
"The French call the city _Gothembourg_. It is five miles from thesea, and is connected with Stockholm by the Goeta Canal, which is awonderful piece of engineering. Steamboats ply regularly betweenGottenburg and the capital through this canal, the voyage occupyingthree or four days."
"I intend to make a trip up this canal as far as the Wenern Lake, withthe students," said Mr. Lowington.
A cheer greeted this announcement, and then the professor describedthe canal minutely.
"The pri
ncipal street of Gottenburg," he continued, "is on the canal,extending through the centre of the city. There are no remarkablebuildings, however, for the city is a commercial place. It was foundedby Gustavus Adolphus, and, like many other cities of the north, beingbuilt of wood, it has several times been nearly destroyed by fire. Thebuildings now are mostly of stone, or of brick covered with plaster.The environs of the city, as you may see from the ship, are verypleasant. Now a word about the money of Sweden. The government hasadopted a decimal system, of which the unit is the _riksdaler_,containing one hundred _oere_. The currency in circulation is almostentirely paper, though no bills smaller than one riksdaler are issued.The silver coins in use are the half and the quarter riksdaler, andthe ten-oere piece; the latter being a very small coin. On the coppers,the value in oere is marked. A riksdaler is worth about twenty-sevencents of our money. Sweden is a cheap country."
The signal was made for embarking in the boats, and in a few momentsthe Gottenburgers, as well as the people on board of the foreignvessels in the harbor, were astonished by the evolutions of thesquadron. The students landed, and dividing into parties, explored thecity. Their first care was to examine the canal, and the various craftthat floated upon it; but the latter, consisting mainly of schooners,were not different from those they saw at home. They visited theexchange, the cathedral, the residence of the governor of theprovince, and other principal edifices.
"How do you feel, Scott?" asked Laybold, after they had walked tillthey were tired out, and it was nearly time to go to thelanding-place.
"Tired and hungry," replied the wag. "I wonder if these Swedishershave anything to eat."
"Probably they do; here's a place which looks like a restaurant."
"I feel as though I hadn't tasted food for four months. Let's go in."
They entered the store, which was near the _Bourse_. A neatly-dressedwaiter bowed to them, and Scott intimated that they wanted a lunch.The man who understood English, conducted them to a table, on which avariety of eatables was displayed, some of which had a familiar look,and others were utterly new and strange. The waiter filled a couple ofwine-glasses from a decanter containing a light-colored fluid, andplaced them before the boys.
"What's that?" asked Scott, glancing suspiciously at the wine-glass.
"_Finkel_," replied the man.
"Exactly so; that's what I thought it was," replied Scott, who hadnever heard of the stuff before. "Is it strong?"
"No," answered the waiter, shaking his head with a laugh. "Everybodydrinks it in Sweden."
"Then we must, Laybold, for we are somebody."
Scott raised the glass. The fluid had the odor of anise-seed, and wasnot at all disagreeable. The taste, too, was rather pleasant at first,and Scott drank it off. Laybold followed his example. We must do themthe justice to say that neither of them knew what "finkel" was.Something like strangulation followed the swallowing of the fluid.
"That's not bad," said Scott, trying to make the best of it.
"No, not bad, Scott; but what are you crying about?" replied theother, when he recovered the use of his tongue.
"I happened to think of an old aunt of mine, who died and left me allher money," added Scott, wiping his eyes. "But you needn't cry; shedidn't leave any of the money to you."
"What are you going to eat?"
"I generally eat victuals," replied Scott, picking up a slice of breadon which was laid a very thin slice of smoked salmon. "That's notbad."
The waiter passed to Laybold a small plate of sandwiches, filled witha kind of fish-spawn, black and shining. The student took a huge biteof one of them, but a moment elapsed before he realized the taste ofthe interior of the sandwich; then, with the ugliest face a boy couldassume, he rushed to the door, and violently ejected the contents ofhis mouth into the street.
"What's the matter?" demanded the waiter, struggling to keep fromlaughing.
"What abominably nasty stuff!" exclaimed Laybold. "It's just like fishslime."
"Don't you like it, Laybold?" asked Scott, coolly.
"Like it? I don't like it."
"Everybody in Sweden eats it," said the waiter.
"What's the matter with it? Is it like defunct cat?" asked Scott.
"More like defunct fish. Try it."
"I will, my lad," added Scott, taking a liberal bite of one of thesandwiches.
"How is it?" inquired Laybold.
"First rate; that's the diet for me."
"Very good," said the waiter.
"You don't mean to say you like that stuff, Scott."
"The proof of the pudding is the eating of the bag. I do like it, evenbetter than 'finkel.'"
"I don't believe it. No one with a Christian stomach could eat suchstuff."
"You judge by your own experience. I say it is good. Yours isn't aChristian stomach, and that's the reason you don't like it."
"You are a heathen, Scott."
"Heathen enough to know what's good."
"Some more finkel, sir?" suggested the waiter.
"No more finkel for me," replied Scott, whose head was beginning towhirl like a top.
"Better take some more," laughed Laybold, who was in the samecondition.
"I can't stop to take any more; I'm hungry," replied Scott, whocontinued to devour the various viands on the table, till hiscompanion's patience was exhausted.
"Come, Scott, we shall be late at the landing."
"We won't go home till morning," chanted the boozy student.
"I will go now;" and Laybold stood up, and tried to walk to thedoor--a feat which he accomplished with no little difficulty.
"Don't be in a hurry, my boy. Come and take some finkel."
"I don't want any finkel."
"Then come and pay the bill. I shall clean out this concern if I stayany longer."
"How much, waiter?" stammered Laybold.
"One riksdaler."
"Cheap enough. I should have been broken if they charged by the poundfor what I ate."
"That's so," added Laybold, as he gave the waiter an Englishsovereign, and received his change in paper.
"Now, my boy, we'll go to sea again," said Scott, as he staggeredtowards the door. "See here, Laybold."
"Well, what do you want?" snarled the latter.
"I'll tell you something, if you won't say anything about it to anyone."
"I won't."
"Don't tell the principal."
"No."
"Well, then, we're drunk," added Scott, with a tipsy grin.
"You are."
"I am, my boy; I don't know a bob-stay from a bowling hitch. And youare as drunk as I am, Laybold."
"I know what I am about."
"So do I know what you are about. You are making a fool of yourself.Hold on a minute," added Scott, as he seated himself on a bench beforea shop.
"Come along, Scott."
"Not for Joseph."
"We shall be left."
"That's just what I want. I'm not going to present myself before theprincipal in this condition--not if I know it."
Laybold, finding that it was not convenient to stand, seated himselfby the side of his companion. Presently they discovered a party ofofficers on their way to the boats, and they staggered into a lane toescape observation. The two students, utterly vanquished by "finkel,"did not appear at the landing, and the boats left without them.