Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/632



The fresh-water lakes of Norway must, as already stated, be generally regarded as mere river expansions. Hence they are, as a rule, long and narrow, and, to judge from the soundings hitherto made, exceedingly deep.

The numerous and in many cases very extensive fjords, as well as the height and contour of the country, give to the different parts of the coast of Norway a remarkably varied character. For long distances the mainland does not come into direct contact with the sea, girdled as it is by a belt of islands, holms, and skerries, more or less thickly set, which forms the so-called “skjærgaard” (fence of skerries) or outer coast. Between this wall of islets and the mainland, accordingly, extends a connected series of sounds—“leder” (roads), as they are called—of the greatest importance for coastal navigation, since they admit of the employment of smaller and weaker vessels. The whole of the coast from Svinesund, the terminal point of the southern frontier towards Sweden, as far as Lister, is comparatively low. Of its most noteworthy fjords the first in order is that of Christiania, 90 miles long from south to north, or from the Færder lighthouse to Christiania. Here, at its head, it forms Bunde Fjord, extending north to south; and some distance down Drammen Fjord. Farther west comes Langesund Fjord, which enters Skien Fjord in a northerly direction. The remaining fjords on this tract of the coast are of minor importance. Of islands must be mentioned those in close proximity to Christiania:—Jelöen, in the vicinity of Moss; the Hvalöer, off the eastern shore of Christiania Fjord; Nöterö and Tjomö, off the western shore; Jomfruland, in the vicinity of Kragerö; and Tromöen, near Arendal. The navigable roads or sounds on this part of the coast are not strictly connected, though comparatively considerable in extent. Open tracts, unprotected by a belt of islets and skerries, occur at the mouth of Langesund Fjord, and along the coast westwards from Lindesnæs. At Lister the coast begins to rise, and continues to do so as far as the flats of Jæderen, where the land has a gentle slope towards the interior of the country. This tract, with the sole exception of Egeröen, has no girdle of skerries, nor is it anywhere intersected by any considerable fjords.

From Bukken Fjord, however, which lies fully exposed to the sea, the “skjærgaard,” in a stricter sense, commences, to continue almost uninterruptedly along the whole west coast. Bukken Fjord sends off several arms, the principal of which are Stavanger Fjord and Lyse Fjord, the latter noted for its great narrowness and its lofty precipitous walls. The roads or navigable sounds between Bukken Fjord and Bergen are open to the sea at the mouths of the larger fjords only. Of such the most noteworthy is Hardanger Fjord, which, beginning at Bömmelen and piercing the country for 80 miles in a north easterly direction, sends off several arms. That nearest the head is the picturesque Sör Fjord, lying north and south. From Bergen northwards to Cape Stad there is, if the mouths of the fjords be excepted, a well-protected “led” or road. At the 61st parallel of latitude we have the longest fjord of Norway, Sogne Fjord, which penetrates 100 miles into the country, everywhere shut in by high and precipitous rocky walls. Northwards, its chief arms are Fjærland Fjord, Sogndal Fjord, and Lyster Fjord; eastwards, Aardal Fjord and Leirdal Fjord ; southwards, Aurland Fjord, together with Nerö Fjord, the grandest of them all. Off the north shore of Sogne Fjord we have the most westerly islands of Norway, viz., Utvær, and farther north the lofty islands of Alden, Kinn, Batalden, and Skorpen. Here Dais Fjord and Förde Fjord, and farther north Nord Fjord, of very considerable extent, penetrate into the country. Off Nord Fjord lies the island of Bremangerland, with a mountain summit, the Hornelen, rising to the height of 2940 feet. The land at Stad projects into the sea without any belt of islets; the protecting fence, however, soon recommences farther towards the north-east. On this part of the coast, that of Romsdal, several large fjords penetrate deep into the country, such as Stor Fjord in Söndmöre, with numerous arms, the most important being Hjörund Fjord and Sunelv Fjord, Romsdal Fjord, Sundal Fjord, and Surendal Fjord. To an exposed tract of coast, Hustadviken, south of Christiansund, succeeds Throndhjem Led (Throndhjem Road), shut off from the sea by the large low islands of Smölen and Hiteren, the latter of which is the largest island in southern Norway. From Throndhjem Led the broad and extensive Throndhjem Fjord stretches in several directions, first south-eastwards, then eastwards, and finally north-eastwards, for about 80 miles into the country, as far as Stenkjær on Beitstad Fjord.

North of Throndhjem Fjord an outer coast with a navigable “road” extends almost unbroken to the North Cape. Among other fjords in Nordre Throndhjem amt Folden Fjord and Namsen Fjord must be mentioned; off the latter, the low-lying group of islands bearing the name of Vigten project far into the sea, surrounded, as in the case of Smolen and Hiteren, by an extremely shoaly “skjærgaard,” which stretches right up to Vest Fjord, and renders an approach to land very difficult and dangerous. The coast of Nordland is distinguished by a chain of lofty picturesque islands, as Torghatten, with its natural tunnel, 400 feet above the sea, which runs from south-west to north-east for a length of 520 feet, Vægö, Dönnesö, Lovunden, Trænan, Hestmandö, Lurö, Fuglö, and Landegode. The mainland, too, exhibits magnificent mountain summits, viz., the Seven Sisters on Alstenöen, Strandtinderne, and the snow-field Svartisen. The fjords, though not so long as in southern Norway, are still of very considerable size, as, for example, Bindal Fjord, Vel Fjord, Vefsen Fjord, Ranen Fjord, Salten Fjord, Folden Fjord, Tys Fjord, and Ofoten Fjord. Off Salten are the well-known Lofoten Islands, skirting westerly the broad arm of the sea called Vest Fjord, which terminates in Ofoten Fjord. The Lofotens consist of a chain of islands separated from each other by broader and narrower channels. The mountains on the outermost group are not particularly high—indeed the principal island, Röst, is