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294 THROUGH NORWAY WITII A KNAPSACK.
they were oases of thin brown grass, amidst the desert
of bog; the grass itself growing on a boggy foundation.
The top of this grass is mowed with a small sickle-like
scythe, and stored in wooden houses, built for the
purpose on the spot. These are easily mistaken for human
residences, some being as large as the farmhouses, and
even better looking outside. The people live a gipsy
sort of life during this harvest, as the engs in some
districts are many miles from the farms. I saw some
picturesque groups taking their meal of cement, round
fires surmounted by wooden tripods ; a great black
caldron, suitable for a Macbeth stage property, hanging
by a stout black chain from the tripod. At night the
harvesters 011 the eng all tumble pell-mell into the
hay-barns to sleep.
As T depended upon finding a ferry at Synderland,
its uninhabited condition was rather awkward.
Finding nobody to help me, I endeavoured to help myself,
by coasting along the lake in search of a boat. At last
I found one; but it was 011 the opposite side, and the
lake being; above a mile wide, I called in vain for some
one to bring it over. After much hesitation as to
whether I should swim across or walk round, I
determined upon the latter, and proceeded accordingly for
several miles over villanous ground, consisting of soft
bogs, variegated with boulders. Being unable to reach
Holvik till the next morning, and by 110 means willing
to attempt such bogs at night, I stopped at a place
called Bospen, situated on the slope of a hill rising
from the boggy wilderness.
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