over, we had consumed half our coals, and had lost all hope of being rejoined by the 'Saxon.' Thus forced to give up any further attempts in that direction, Commodore de la Roncière, having got the ship clear of the floating ice, took a W. S. W. course, in the direction of Reykjavik.

The instant the Reine Hortense' assumed this new course a telegraphic signal-as had been previously arranged-acquainted Lord Dufferin with our determination. Almost immediately, the young Lord sent on board us a tin box, with two letters, one for his mother, and one for our commander. In the latter he stated that-finding himself clear of the ice, and master of his own movements-he preferred continuing his voyage alone, uncertain whether he should at once push for Norway, or return to Scotland.1 The two ropes that united the vessels were then cast off, a farewell hurrah was given, and in a moment the English schooner was lost in the fog.

Our return to Reykjavik afforded no incident worth notice ; the 'Reine Hortense,' keeping her course outside the ice, encountered no impediment, except from the intense fogs, which forced her-from the impossibility of ascertaining her position to lie to, and anchor off the cape during part of the day and night of the 13th.

On the morning of the 14th, as we were getting out of the Dyre Fiord where we had anchored, we met to our great astonishment-the 'Cocyte' proceeding northward. Her commander, Sonnart, informed us that on the evening of the 12th, the 'Saxon'-in consequence of the injuries she had received, had been forced back to Reykjavik. She had hardly reached the ice on the 9th, when she came into collision with it; five of her timbers had been stove in, and an enormous leak had followed. Becoming water-logged, she was run ashore, the first time at Onundarfiord, and again in Reykjavik roads, whither she had been brought with the greatest difficulty."

I was purposely vague as to my plans, lest you might learn we still inended to go on.

LETTER X.

BUCOLICS THE GOAT-MAID MARIAN-A LAPP LADY-LAPP LOVEMAKING THE SEA-HORSEMAN-THE GULF STREAM-ARCTIC CURRENTS-A DINGY EXPEDITION-A SCHOOL OF PERIPATETIC FISHES -ALTEN-THE CHÂTELAINE OF KAAFIORD-STILL NORTHWARD

HO!

July 27th, Alten.

THIS letter ought to be an Eclogue, so pastoral a life have we been leading lately among these pleasant Nordland valleys. Perhaps it is only the unusual sight of meadows, trees, and flowers, after the barren sea and still more barren lands we have been accustomed to, that invests this neighbourhood with such a smiling character. Be that as it may, the change has been too grateful not to have made us seriously reflect on our condition; and we have at last determined that not even the envious ocean shall for the future cut us off from the pleasures of a shepherd life. Henceforth, the boatswain is no longer to be the only swain on board! We have purchased an ancient goat—a nannygoat-so we may be able to go a-milking upon occasion. Mr. Webster, late of Her Majesty's Foot-guards, carpenter, &c., takes brevet-rank as dairymaid; and our venerable passenger is at this moment being inducted into a sumptuous barrel 1 which I have had fitted up for her reception abaft the binnacle. A spacious meadow of sweet-scented hay has been laid down in a neighbouring corner for her further accommodation; and the Doctor is tuning up his flageolet, in order to complete the bucolic character of the

1 The cask in question was bought in order to be rigged up eventually into a crow's-nest, as soon as we should again find ourselves among the ice.

scene.

The only personage amongst us at all disconcerted by these arrangements is the little white fox which has come with us from Iceland. Whether he considers the admission on board of so domestic an animal to be a reflection on his own wild Viking habits, I cannot say; but there is no impertinence-even to the nibbling of her beard when she is asleep of which he is not guilty towards the poor old thing, who passes the greater part of her mornings in gravely butting at her irreverent tormentor.

But I must relate our last week's proceedings in a more orderly manner.

As soon as the anchor was let go in Hammerfest harbour, we went ashore; and having first ascertained that the existence of a post does not necessarily imply letters, we turned away, a little disappointed, to examine the metropolis of Finmark. A nearer inspection did not improve the impression its first appearence had made upon us; and the odour of rancid cod-liver oil, which seemed indiscriminately to proceed from every building in the town, including the church, has irretrievably confirmed us in our prejudices. Nevertheless, henceforth the place will have one redeeming association connected with it, which I am bound to mention. It was in the streets of Hammerfest that I first set eyes on a Laplander. Turning round the corner of one of the illbuilt houses, we suddenly ran over a diminutive little personage, in a white woollen tunic, bordered with red and yellow stripes, green trousers, fastened round the ankles, and reindeer boots, curving up at the toes like Turkish slippers. On her head-for, notwithstanding the trousers, she turned out to be a lady-was perched a gay parti-coloured cap, fitting close round the face, and running up at the back into an overarching peak of red cloth. Within this peak was crammed—as I afterwards learnt—a piece of hollow wood, weighing about a quarter of a pound, into which is fitted the wearer's back hair; so that perhaps, after all, there does exist a more inconvenient coiffure than a Paris bonnet. Hardly had we taken off our hats, and bowed a thousand apologies for our unintentional rudeness to the fair inhabitant

of the green trousers, before a couple of Lapp gentlemen hove in sight. They were dressed pretty much like their companion, except that an ordinary red night-cap replaced the queer helmet worn by the lady; and the knife and sporran fastened to their belts, instead of being suspended in front as hers were, hung down against their hips. Their

tunics, too, may have been a trifle shorter. None of the three were beautiful. High cheek-bones, short noses, oblique Mongol eyes, no eyelashes, and enormous mouths, composed a cast of features which their burnt-sienna complexion, and hair-like ill-got-in hay-did not much enhance. The expression of their countenances was not unintelligent; and there was a merry, half-timid, half-cunning twinkle in