A Yacht Voyage to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden Part 10

Early on Thursday morning, before I had dressed, I heard the sc.r.a.ping of feet on deck, and a man, in a broad Yorkshire dialect, as I thought, asking a thousand questions, one after the other, and answering himself before any person else could find time even to open his own mouth. I could hear R----in his berth make reply to the steward; and,

"Say I am in bed," rose in m.u.f.fled tones above the sheets.

I looked through the sky-light in my cabin, and saw two gentlemen standing in mid-ship on the lee side, and one of them with a pencil was writing on a piece of paper, which he placed against the lee-runner block to supply the conveniences of a desk. As soon as I was dressed, I learned that the American Minister, Mr. I----, and a Captain W---- had been on board, and that the Minister had requested us to dine with him on the following day. R---- hesitated about accepting the invitation, for he had half made up his mind to leave Copenhagen to-day; but after a little consideration, it was deemed advisable to defer our departure till Sat.u.r.day, and dine with Mr. I----.

At twelve o'clock I rowed myself ash.o.r.e and pa.s.sed half the afternoon under the shady trees on the ramparts of Fredrikshavn. At the mouth of the harbour lies a Danish frigate at anchor; and, I suppose, from the position she has taken up, is intended for the guard-ship. The Danish ships of war are in no way inferior to the British; and, at Elsineur, we brought up alongside a 36-gun frigate which was the perfect combination of elegance and strength; nor did I at Portsmouth, or anywhere else, see a finer model. From the spot where I stand, I can catch a glimpse of the dockyards, and the hulls of six dismounted men-of-war. I have been told, that the Danish Government intends to build steam-frigates, and will have nothing more to do with sailing vessels of war. The Danes may be right, or they may be wrong; but what will be the result of any future naval engagement where steam alone, or canva.s.s alone is used, is beyond the intelligence of any living creature. On all human events, such as the issues of peace and war, human beings may conjecture, but cannot determine so precisely.

When I returned on board, I found the cook very busily binding, with a piece of yarn, an immense round of beef, which had been purchased for the crew by R----, in order that they might have a regular _jollification_ to-morrow, it being his birthday. Along the rigging were white trowsers, check shirts, and all the other paraphernalia of a sailor's wardrobe, hung up to swing to the wind, and dry; and, as Jerome sat on the windla.s.s, sc.r.a.ping and s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g his fiddle by way of tuning, I could plainly be made to understand that Friday, the 21st of May, was not intended to be pa.s.sed over with the indifference of any ordinary day,--at least, not on board the Iris. In a few minutes, while I still listened to the plaintive screams of Jerome's fiddle, as he urged the strings to their proper tension, the dingy shot alongside laden with bundles of brown sugar, mult.i.tudes of raisins and currants, and a small bucket of lemons. Jacko, also, mounted, as wont, on Sailor's back, rode from end to end of the yacht, like a general officer, reviewing, and sometimes descending to taste the different dainties as they arrived from the sh.o.r.e; while Sailor would, for no reason whatever, but from mere delight, burst into a loud bark, much to the consternation of Jacko, who would leap from his seat in an instant, and standing, at a little distance, on his hind legs, chatter with excessive alarm.

We dined early and went to the theatre. A play in fifteen acts was performed. Tedious by its prolixity, the language, unintelligible to me, made it still more wearisome. The music played in the orchestra was very beautiful; and the officer, who had behaved so politely to us in permitting the gates, on the first night of our arrival, to be opened, seated on a high stool, rose conspicuously above the other musicians, and seemed indeed the _first fiddle_. This is an act in no way derogatory to the dignity of an officer, or a gentleman; for, throughout our travels in Scandinavia, I often recognised in the orchestra of the different theatres I visited, officers whom I had met in the streets during the day. The interior decorations of the house were tawdry, and could not for an instant bear comparison with the simple adornment of the Haymarket theatre. The body of the theatre was not illuminated as in Southern Europe; but large green tin shades cover the lights toward the audience, and, all the reflection being thrown on the stage, the blaze of light on the performers is very great and effective. The house was much crowded; and, as at the casino, the King, the Queen, and the Princess Louise were part of the audience, and conversed familiarly with different people about them.

The theatres are entirely supported by the Government, and the actors and actresses receive their salaries from the same quarter. Whether this be a system which works well in Copenhagen, I have had no opportunity of knowing; but I should fancy it would be more beneficial to the Government, to the players, and the public, that individual labour, or ability, should seek and find its own remuneration; for I do not believe it is in the power of any Government to discriminate properly, and reward the services of a particular cla.s.s of the community. I do not think I am at fault when I say, that England has produced more great men, eminent in every department of the professions, politics, and trade, than any other nation of the earth; and this superiority of mental, intellectual, and physical greatness, is to be ascribed to that timidity which the English Government manifests at all times to interfere with individual exertions or collective industry.

To-day was our last day at Copenhagen, and the crew seemed determined to make it the gayest. At early dawn, floating from the mast head to the bowsprit end, then down again to the boom-end, even to the water; and from the cross-trees along both back-stays, every flag and pennant on board the yacht might have been seen.

"There's not a prettier craft in Denmark," I heard one man say, as he sat in the boat, hauled up close to the port-hole of the cabin, where I was dressing, "and I don't know as how there's a drier thing in a gale."

"No, nor I neither," replied another; "I'm blowed if it 'taint as good as a picture to look at her."

This short dialogue had scarcely been brought to a conclusion, when I heard some one in a raised tone of voice, as if at a distance from the cutter, ask if Lord R, or P, or I, was up, but being answered in the negative, the same person inquired what all the flags were flying for; and being told that it was R's birthday, all further interrogation ceased. It was the American Minister, who had rowed off to the yacht, to repeat his invitation. At 12 o'clock, the conviviality of the crew commenced; and as I sat down with R and P, near the binnacle, toast after toast could be heard unanimously proposed, and more unanimously drank. As the afternoon began to decline, their jollity began to rise, and ere the sun had set, the grog had risen high in their heads.

"Here's to the Governor!" I could distinguish from a mult.i.tude of noises, which issued upwards from the forecastle; and then s.n.a.t.c.hes of such Baccha.n.a.lian songs as,

"He's a jolly good fellow, He's a jolly good fellow,"

interrupted the calm serenity of the coming evening.

"Now then, 'order,' my lads," I heard D. shout aloud, "and let's drink the Governor's health, and long life to him!"

"Hurrah!" replied eight or ten voices;--"Hurrah!"

"Where's Jacko?" was then the cry; "where is he? out with the young lubber, George--give him a gla.s.s."

"Ay, give him a gla.s.s;" echoed in answer.

"Time, my sons, time," shouted D., "attend to time. One--two--three; hip! hip! hip! hurra!--hurra!--hurra!--nine times nine, my sons; hip!"--and his voice was drowned in a perfect uproar. The next thing I heard was that Jacko, confused by the din of joviality, had decamped from the middle of the table where they had placed him, and broken his gla.s.s. In the midst of all this merriment, we were rowed ash.o.r.e to keep our engagement with the American Minister; and, on reaching the land, about half a mile off, we could hear the whole yacht's company joining in the chorus, and Jerome's fiddle screaming the accompaniment, of

"True blue for ever."

Our party at the American Minister's consisted of the Spanish Minister, the Baron de B----, R----, P----, Captain W----, Mr. A----, the nephew of Lord F----, a gentleman farmer from Holstein, and myself. The dinner was an excellent one, and an improvement on the French system of cookery; and every fruit and wine which could be bought in Copenhagen were on the table. After we had dined, the American Minister rose, and drank the health of the Queen of England. P---- immediately replied, and proposed the President of the United States, and that also was drunk in a b.u.mper. A pause now took place in the proposal and drinking of healths, and the conversation turned into a political current, and flowed towards the merits and demerits of Christian, King of Denmark.

Public opinion was rather in opposition to the king, because he had shown himself reluctant to give the people that limit of reform which they asked.

"Well," exclaimed Captain W----, who, though a boisterous, was an amiable man, "I have not the honour of knowing King Christian; but I believe him a good fellow."

"Bravo! bravo!" and the Baron de B---- touched the table gently with his hand.

"And I believe," continued Captain W----, "any reluctance he may show in acceding to popular opinion is for the ultimate benefit of the country."

"Good, good," said the Baron de B----, and tapped his wine gla.s.s with a small salt spoon.

"And he is partial to the English," added the American Minister, looking towards our end of the table, "therefore he can't fail to have some liberality of soul."

"The Danes have always been our old allies," said P----, "and I drink with sincerity to the health of Christian, King of Denmark, and long may he be so!"

P---- rose from his seat as he spoke, and held a br.i.m.m.i.n.g gla.s.s above his head. The whole company followed his example, and with a round of "hurrahs," quaffed to the personal welfare of the aged monarch in whose dominions we had been enjoying ourselves for the last week. The Holstein gentleman, having learned from the Baron de B---- what P---- had said, walked round the table, and, cordially shaking hands with us, said something in Danish which we did not understand, but at the conclusion of every sentence, each one, except ourselves, exclaimed "Hear, hear;"

and so I am led to conclude it was complimentary. The Baron de B---- thanked us in English for the kind feeling we had shown in drinking the health of his sovereign, and which he appreciated the more, because it came from an Englishman. He drank to P----, and, of course, all present joined in the toast.

"My Lord," said the American Minister, addressing himself to R----, "I saw your yacht to-day, looking pretty--excessively--among the other vessels which lay in the harbour; and, from her mast-head to the surface of the sea, I also saw streamers resting their full length on the air. This must be a day of jubilee, and one, no doubt, replete with good fortune to you, or your two friends; and my guests are desirous, and I am too, of noting this day with white chalk. If I be not exceeding the bounds of curiosity, and, in a moment of conviviality, the conventionalities of society, may I ask the reason of so much festivity?"

"Oh! nothing," replied R----, laughing carelessly; "I suppose my sailing-master has merely hoisted the signals to give them an airing."

"That won't do, my Lord. Now, gentlemen," exclaimed the American Minister, "I am not accredited minister to Denmark, without by secret sources receiving information of all that pa.s.ses in Copenhagen. Lord R----, gentlemen, has done me the honour of dining with me on his birthday."

This rather staggered R----, for he had no idea the American Minister knew anything about the matter; and it was the last circ.u.mstance he would have wished the company to know.

"Therefore," continued the American Minister, "I beg to propose Lord R----'s health with all the honours."

"With all the honours," reiterated Captain W----.

Of course the clatter of gla.s.ses, the rapping of knuckles, the bravos, and hears, are nothing more on all similar occasions than the reverberations of such an appeal. Captain W---- mounted on his chair.

"Come down, W----," said Mr. A----.

"Not a bit," answered Captain W----. "Let me alone. I'm all right." The Captain was elevated, and would remain so.

"I beg, with the permission of his Excellency," continued Mr. A----, "to suggest an amendment,--the health of Lord R----, _and_ his two friends."

"My health has been drunk already," observed P----.

"Never mind. Bravo!" said Captain W----, from his point of elevation, and, stooping down, he rapped the table. "Lord R---- _and_ his two friends--good idea!"

"It was my intention to have them one by one," said the American Minister.

"No, no;" interrupted Captain W----. "All together--three jolly chaps."

"Just as you like," answered the American Minister.

"Yes. We'll have two girls afterwards, instead," replied Captain W----.

"As you are so conspicuous, then," said the American Minister to Captain W----, "perhaps you had better do the toast with honours."

"To be sure," replied Captain W----, "nine times nine, and one over for a fair breeze. Gentlemen! _are_ you charged?"

"Yes, yes, yes," came from all quarters.

"Well, then, gentlemen," continued Captain W----, "reserve your fire, till I give the word.--Now!" and, with all the hubbub of a toast, our united healths were drunk. R---- was called upon to return thanks, which he did; and another jingling of spoons, forks, and finger-basins, rose in reply. The gentleman-farmer from Holstein now commenced a speech, which none of us, but the Baron de B----, thoroughly understood; but it evidently alluded to our three selves, for he often turned, and, looking in our faces, delivered whole sentences without wincing. The Holsteiner was much applauded. Captain W---- having come down to our level, now offered to sing a song; and he dashed headlong into a pretty air, which had an eternal chorus of

"Trik-a-trik, trik,"