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22 July 1882 — Syltebo, Romsdalsfjord | |
Saturday. 22nd July [1882]. I was called at 7 & got up quietly & went to dress in Hill’s room– John took me to Lower Gredhus pool & I caught a grilse—foul hooked. Lower down I caught a 7 lb. trout & then John pulled the boat up stream again & I fished on the bank side & caught a 4 lb. trout wh jumped out of the water 8 times. Monty was on the bank fishing but caught nothing. We went in to breakfast at 9.30. It was a cool cloudy morng. Monty offered to let me fishing down his beat from Friswold. I started abt 11 in a shower & I fished steadily down to Poolen—only stopping at Fagerslet to land & wait a little as the sun came out too bright– It only got brighter & hotter so I went on—got nothing at Poolen. I found Monty & Ld Rowton & Strax walking on the opposite side of the river & I got out & joined them– There is a lovely wood there & it is a very pretty walk– John took me over at Gredhus to this side & we came home & had some lunch it being 3 o’cl. I painted a little & then got John to take me out again to Lower Gredhus to fish & caught a sea trout but it was 6.30 & I had to stop as the law allows no fishing from Saty at 6 P.M. to Sunday at 6 P.M. Ld R. & Monty had found some small eels & flounders in a pool & went to fetch them in a water can & brought them home. We put them in a bath with earth to have an aquarium. Dined at 7 and then prepared for the ball Monty gave this eveng to the valley. The company assembled in Anton’s house wh had been decorated with green boughs. Two well dressed ladies appeared on the scene & Monty sent to ask them to come in the house. They accepted & found they spoke very good English. They were travelling about & had been overtaken by high wind on the fjord & had been obliged to land at Noste & were now staying at Overaas. We went out of doors to see the people dancing on the grass to a barrel organ wh a man with a stolid face turned & to wh he jumped all the time. The dances were all round ones—walses, polkas, shottisches &c. The Norwegian ladies told us there was a national dance called the “Spring lanz” & we asked for it. A violin was brought & played & 2 or 3 couples danced. It was a violent performance something like a Scotch Reel– The people were shy of dancing at first—the men all stood on one side the women on the other. When a man wished to danced he walked up to a woman & seized her by the arm & dragged her out. When abt 11 it grew dusk they took heart & danced more freely & John who had waited till it grew “a little more darker” was seen in the mazy– Monty danced with 2 or 3 of the girls to their great delight. When they began to warm to the work they asked leave to dance in the house & we went in to see them. The rooms quickly got filled & it was almost dark still they danced & pranced & we nearly got squashed & were glad to get out. In one room there was the barrel organ to dance to & in the other the violin. Rye bread & butter & hot coffee was served on the grass & beer & aquavit went round freely & many men were soon rather the worse for it & handled the women rather roughly. At abt 1 o’cl Siemonsen came to say that the school master wished to make a speech wh he did from the steps of the farm house thanking Monty in the name of the people for the entertainment. Monty answered that he was glad to see them & hoped if the fishing kept good or better than this year to come often to this valley. We sent the Norwegian ladies back to Overaas in the carioles at 12 o’cl having previously given them some supper. The elder one said she lived at Absend & her name was Lina Horsted. The sight of the people dancing on the grass with the lovely mountain forming an amphitheatre was very picturesque & one was glad to see they enjoyed themselves thoroughly. When I went to bed they were dancing away & in my attempt to sleep I heard the music till after 7 A.M. | |
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