Up The Baltic Part 47

"There is no history about it, Lincoln. His residence in this part of Denmark is all a fiction. Shakespeare makes terrible blunders in his allusions to this place; for there is no 'eastern hill,' no 'dreadful summit of the cliff,' or anything of the sort. Hamlet lived in Jutland, not in Seeland, about four centuries before Christ, and was the son of a pirate chief, instead of a king, who, with his brother, was governor of the province. He married the daughter of the king, who was Hamlet's mother. The chief was murdered by his brother, who married the widow, and was then the sole governor. Hamlet, in order to avenge his father's death, feigned madness; but his uncle, suspecting the trick, sent him to England, with a message carved in wood, requesting the king to destroy him. During the voyage, he obtained the wooden letter, and altered it so as to make it ask for the killing of the two men, creatures of his uncle, who had charge of him, which was done on their arrival. According to the style of romances, he married the king's daughter, and afterwards returned to Jutland, where, still pretending insanity, he contrived to surprise and slay his uncle. He succeeded his victim as governor, and married a second time, to a queen of Scotland, and was finally killed in battle. The main features of the tragedy correspond with the incidents of the story, but the locality is not correct."

The party walked to Marienlyst, a pleasant watering-place, which contains a small royal chateau. The view from this place, as from the tower of Kronberg, is very beautiful. At four o'clock the party took the steamer, and arrived at Copenhagen before dark.

CHAPTER XVII.

TO STOCKHOLM BY GoTA Ca.n.a.l.

The Wadstena, in which the absentees had taken pa.s.sage at Gottenburg, was a small steamer, but very well fitted up for one of her size.

Forward was the saloon, in which meals were taken, and saloon pa.s.sengers slept. Aft was the cabin, on each side of which were state-rooms, called "hutte." They were not made with regular berths, but had a sofa on each side of the door, on which the beds were made up at night, with a wash-stand between them. Between this cabin and the forward saloon the main deck was raised about three feet, so as to cover the engine and boilers. On each side of this higher deck were more "hutte," which were the best rooms on board. The hurricane-deck, over the after cabin, was the favorite resort of the pa.s.sengers.

It was two o'clock in the morning, and the independent excursionists were tired and sleepy. They had taken first-cla.s.s tickets, and two of them had been a.s.signed to each "hutte." As soon as they went on board, therefore, they retired, and most of them slept, in spite of the fleas and other vermin that revelled in their banquet of blood. None but very tired boys could have slumbered under such unfavorable circ.u.mstances, and it is a great pity that a steamer otherwise so neat and comfortable should be given up to the dominion of these sleep-destroying insects.

At seven the party turned out, anxious to see the scenery on the banks of the ca.n.a.l. The steamer was still in the river, a stream not more than a hundred and fifty feet wide, with occasional rapids, which are pa.s.sed by ca.n.a.ls, with locks in them. The scenery was pleasant, with rocky hills on each side. Schooners and other craft were continually met, loaded with lumber and other articles from the lakes. The scene was novel and interesting, and though the boys gaped fearfully, they enjoyed the view.

Presently one of the women, who do all the work of stewards and waiters, appeared with coffee on deck, pa.s.sing the cups to the pa.s.sengers first, and then filling them. The coffee was delicious, served with the whitest of sugar and the richest of cream, with some little biscuits. It waked the boys up, and seemed to make new beings of them.

"How's this, Sanford?" said Scott.

"First rate! That's the best coffee I ever drank in my life," replied the c.o.xswain.

"Is it a free blow?"

"I don't know. How is it, Ole?"

"No; you pay at the end of the trip for all you have had," replied the waif.

"But who keeps the account?" asked Scott.

"n.o.body," laughed Ole. "On the boats from Christiania every pa.s.senger tells what he has had, and pays for it."

"Do they think everybody is honest?"

"Certainly; everybody is honest."

"Not much," added Sanford, shaking his head. "Of course you don't pretend to be honest, Norway."

"But I do."

"You didn't take a sovereign from me, and another from Burchmore--did you?"

"I take what you give me."

"It may be honest, but I don't see it in that light, Norway."

"Never mind that now, Sanford," interposed Burchmore. "He sold out the last time for the public good."

"Do you expect to find the ship in Stockholm when we get there?" asked Scott.

"Of course I do," replied Sanford. "We shall not get there till Tuesday."

"Then our cruise is almost ended."

"I suppose so. I have been trying hard to join the ship ever since we left her at Christiansand," continued the c.o.xswain, solemnly.

"Over the left," chuckled Scott.

"Honor bright! I don't believe in running away."

"Nor I; but Laybold and I have put our foot into it. I suppose we shall have to spend a week in the brig, and make love to Peaks while the rest of the fellows are seeing Russia."

"You will find some way to get out of the sc.r.a.pe."

"I don't know. We have lost Copenhagen and Denmark already, and I suppose we shall not see much of Russia."

"We will help you out."

"I don't think you can do it," added Scott, who had evidently come to the conclusion that running away "did not pay."

The steamer stopped, and the captain informed the party that pa.s.sengers usually walked three miles around the series of locks, by which they were enabled to see the Falls of Trollhatten. The carrying of the ca.n.a.l around these falls was the most difficult problem in engineering in the construction of the work. It is cut through the solid rock, and contains sixteen locks. The pa.s.sage of the steamer occupies an hour and a half, which affords ample time for the voyagers to see the falls. The party immediately landed, and were promptly beset by a dozen ragged boys, who desired to act as guides, where no such persons are needed. Not one of them spoke a word of English; but they led the way to the path, each one selecting his own victims, and trusting to the magnanimity of the pa.s.sengers for their pay. A walk, covered with saw-dust, has been made by some public-spirited persons, and the excursion is a very pleasant one.

The entire fall of the river is one hundred and twelve feet; but it is made in four princ.i.p.al cataracts, and three smaller ones. The scenery in the vicinity is rather picturesque, and at one point the path goes through a grove, on the banks of a rivulet, where the water dashes over large cobble-stones, with an occasional pretty cascade. The walk leads to various eligible spots for examining the falls and the rapids. On the way, the tourist pa.s.ses _Kungsgrottan_, or King's Grotto. It is a hole in the solid rock, in the shape of half a globe, on the sides of which are inscribed the names of the various sovereigns of Sweden, and other distinguished persons who have visited the spot. Near the village of Trollhatten, which contains several founderies and saw-mills, the finest part of the falls is seen by crossing an iron foot-bridge, at the gate of which stands a woman, who collects a toll of fifty ore for the pa.s.sage to the little island.

"I don't think much of these falls," said Scott, as he returned from the island.

"I think they are rather fine," replied Laybold.

"You could cut up the rapids of Niagara into about two hundred just such falls, to say nothing of the big cataract itself," added Scott.

"It is pleasant, this walk along the river, but you can't call the Falls of Trollhatten a big thing."

"Of course they don't compare with Niagara."

"Certainly not."

The party walked through the yards of the manufactories, and came to a small hotel on the bank of the ca.n.a.l. The place looked very much like many American villages. The ca.n.a.l steamer did not appear for half an hour, and some of the boys strolled about the place. The regiment of ragged boys who had followed the tourists, or led the way, pointing out the various falls and other points of interest in an unknown tongue, begged l.u.s.tily for the payment for their services. One of them, who had taken Scott and Laybold under his protection, was particularly urgent in his demands.

"Not a red, my hearty," replied Scott. "I didn't engage you, and I shall not pay you."

The boy still held out his hand, and said something which no one of the party could understand.

"Exactly so," replied Scott. "You told me the names of all the places, but I did not understand a word you said. I say, my lad, when did you escape from the rag-bag?"

The boy uttered a few words in Swedish.

"Is that so?"