BARROW ' S EXCURSIONS IS a pleasant narrative of two hasty trips

made over ground rarely traversed by tourists in search of pleasure. In 1830, Mr. BARROW and a companion steamed it from London to

Hamburg; drove across the slip of land which separates the Elbe from the Baltic, to Lubeck ; and passed on to St. Petersburg

in another steamer. Remaining here till they had exhausted

sight-seeing, they proceeded to Moscow, and back again, in a wretched diligence; bought a light waggon, and travelled post over the southern extremity of Finland, to Abo; sailed across the Gulf of Bothnia in a packet-boat, to Stockholm; and after journeying through a picturesque part of Sweden, to Copenhagen, returped home, as they went out, by Lubeck and Hamburg; " having passed," says the writer, apparently enraptured with his feat, " over a space by sea and land, of more than four thousand miles, in sixty-eight days." So well were the two Arcadians pleased with their travels and with each other, that, last summer, they availed themselves of a holyday, (lucky fellows, to have such holydays !) " embarked on board the same Hamburg steamer; passed over the same miser- able and still neglected road to Lubeck ; and there embarked a second time, in the same steam-boat, under the same commander as before, for Copenhagen." Another steamer—English-built, as were all the steam-boats our travellers encountered—conveyed them to Christiana; whence having purchased a carriole (a very light sort of gig), they drove post through the whole extent of Norway, to Tronyem " the most Northern capital in Europe, or rather in the world." Tine route they took has rarely been traversed,—never, Mr. BARROW flatters himself, by an English- man : for after gaining Bergen, our adventurers threaded the Western coast of Norway, over roads impassable by aught save

a carriole ; which, wl,en in easily be righted—when broken, can easily be repaired—when it was necessary :3 Cr9s4 the innumerable fiords, or arms of the sea, which intersected .their road, it was easily taken to pieces, and put together again. Throughout their journey outwards, they met but one traveller; and he, or rather they, were going to church. What motive, it may be asked, drove these gentlemen to wander? The love of prospects and locomotion. Did they succeed ? To their hearts' content. The country is picturesque even beyond Switzerland. Their journey began with hills, proceeded to moun- tains, the climax was many a frozen Alp. The lower elevations were covered with forest-trees, feathered down to the ground; as they ascended, vegetation grew scantier and scantier; till, at the highest points, nothing was seen save a few mosses and the eternal snow. The road was frequently as exciting as the prospect; passing along the edge of precipices where a slip would be certain death. These mountains were intersected by vallies teeming with the bright though transient vegetation of a Northern summer. In the mountain recesses were the sources of innumerable torrents, which sought their way to the ocean by successive jumps; now forming a waterfall—by which Mr. BARROW means, a sheet of water falling over a ledge of rock, without interception, to the abyss below; now a cascade—a sheet of water falling by leaps from rock to rock, and dashed among them into limn; now a cataract—a torrent of water, forcing its tortuous way among rocky fragments down the bed of a river more or less sloping. Generally, on reaching a level, their waters meeting some obstruction, "expand in a soe or lake; whence flowing over the obstructing ridge in the form of a cascade or cataract, they resume their course;" and finally reach the fiords, where, by the absence of a powerful tide, the force of their current and the lightness of their waters, the Norwegian rivers rise above the ocean, making the salt sea fresh. Nor must these fords, or branches of the great deep winding their way circuitously into the country, be forgotten in men- tioning the beauties of the landscape; now exhibiting glimpses of the Northern Ocean, now apparently shut in on all sides by the curves and approaches of the land ; the banks soft and beautiful as the features of a Southern climate, the intermediate prospects ro- mantic, the distant stupendous, and ruggedly magnificent ; the water as clear as crystal; the sun almost emulating that of the ,Spaniards and Mr. CANNING, and scarcely setting ; the scene wrapt in prinswval silence and solitude, hardly the glimpse of a human habitation ever breaking iu upon it.

The reader who is doubtful as to the direction in which be shall steer his course during the ensuing summer, will feel inclined to ask—how they travelled ? how they fared? what was the expense of the journey ? what kind of people are the Norwegians? We answer—they travelled post : they fared tolerably ; the expense of posting is 6d. per mile including ihink-nioney, and in all other Nags a very little coin goes a long way ; the people are -amoog the simplest, the most contented, the most industrious, the most

Denmark, and Norway. in the Years 183U awl 1833. By John Barrow junior. exposed to many petty annoyances, miss every comfort he has ken accustomed to at home, and have his patience often put to a severe trial. To make a tour in Norway with comfort, a man should have the temper, the constitution, and the " power of' adaptation," which Mr. BARROW seems to possess.

This volume is put forward as a mere sketch of what the author saw in two rapid excursions "of two months each." It would not therefore be fair to try it by a severe test, or to censure it for not accomplishing what it never proposed. Had the author possessed any of the higher qualities and knowledge which constitute a first- rate traveller, he would scarcely have had time to bring them to bear upon any of the subjects he encountered. He was also ig- norant of the languages of the people amongst whom he travelled; though, in the towns, this was not so great a drawback as might be supposed, for English is frequently spoken, and still more fre- quently understood; and even in the Ultima Thule of Norway, our public affairs are wa'clied with interest. We however think that all "the main objects of the Excursims " are scarcely accom- plished. "A faithful outline of the diversified scenery of moun- tain, forest, lake, and river," is indeed traced; but " the views of the arts and industry of man, the glances at the various shades of human existence," are few and faint.

The work is, however, to be recommended. The ground gone over is almost untrodden ; if the sketches want the vigour and vivacity of the Bubbles., they are yet pleasant reading; and the book will be very useful as a Northern Tourist's Guide. It would have been more so, had all the economic information been as spe- cific, for instance, as the account of the rate of Postage and the mode of posting. Should the volume reach a second edition, we recommend Mr. BARROW to print his bills in the appendix. A few transcripts from a book of actual accounts are worth whole folios of general description.

We had marked many passages for quotation, but our limits confine us to a few. We will jot them down without much order.

AUTOCRATICAL A MUSEM ENT.

In one part of the gardens of the Palace of Peterhof, there is a tree with a seat round it ; and if any ignorant person should be beguiled to rest his weary limbs there, he stands a chance of being detained longer than he might probably wish, or of getting a good ducking,—as, at sonic little distance amongst the shrubbery, there is a cock, which, when turned, lets on the water into pipes that communicate very ingeniously with this tree, and that empty themselves from the spreading branches,_ very much in the fashion of a shower-bath, at the circumference of about two feet from the trunkof the tree, confining the simple VIC'"" rirhin a watery cage, much to the amusement, no doubt, of compa- Mons who had enticed him thither. This might be a good practical joke for the amusement of children in a suburban tea-garden, hitt it seemed to us rather out of character in an imperial residence.

DANDY RUSSIAN. SOLDIERS.

Here we saw some soldiers belonging to a regiment of Hussars, evidently what is termed a " crack" regiment. The uniform is scarlet, and made to fit them well ; but the finest looking men I have seen are those of a regiment of horse guards quartered at Peterhof, who certainly equal our Life Guards as far as concerns the appearance of the men ; and the horses also were, if possible, finer

a • Is than ours. The uniform of this regiment is white, and they wore leather breeches and jack-boots similar to those worn by the Life Guards. • At Cronstadt, I remember seeing a small detachment of the Imperial Guard ; and a very smart-looking set of fellows they were, as indeed they well may he,

having been selected from the whole of the Russian army. The 'form is very handsome. Observing some of the privates standing outside of the guard- house, we walked up to inspect them more closely, and they appeared to be much pleased at our notice of them. Their clothes were also beautifully made; awl had they even been cut on "scientific principles" by Mr. Stoltz, they could not have fitted them better, particularly thew trousers, which, contrary to ours, are made to fit close to the leg. and sit without a wrinkle; but, through- out the whole of the Russian army, it is the fashion for the dress to be drawn in at the waist to such a degree as to cause a sensation of pain in looking at them. Our great grandmothers on the canvas of Kneller hardly exhibit a smaller waist than a Russian soldier : he looks as if he would break in two in the middle.

TABLE D"HOTE AT ST. PETERSBURG.

While living at Petersburg, we mixed as much as we could with the Russian gentry, that is to say, with the military and the employs; we made a point of dining very frequently at the principal table Whine in the city, where in general between forty and fifty sat down every flay to dinner. Many of these were of- ficers fully accoutred in their regimentals, who added much to the effect of the dinner-table. The price of dinner was six paper rubles (or six francs) a head, but this sum included a bottle of excellent claret. The dinner-hour was half- past four to a moment, the master proclaiming the time from a clock at one end of the room, upon the striking of which e.,ery one took his seat. Ou the side- tables were placed different kinds of spirits, with bread, butter, caviare, and cheese. It appeared to be the general custom, for each person observed it, to take a glass of the liqueur and a mouthful of bread and cheese before they sat down to their meal ; and as example is catching, we thought it right to do the same. At table, each dish was served up separately, beginning with soup, a. plateful of which was brought to each person by one of the waiters ; but all the other dishes were handed round by them, and everybody helped himself to that whichlw fancied most. The Russians, like the French and Germans, par- • took of every dish. A large supply of ice was placed on the table, and the ge- neral mode of using it was to put a lump of it into a tumbler of wine. When the dinner was ended, a glass of spirits was again served out to every one, as well as a cup of coffee, and a cigar, all of which were included in the six rubles.

Now commenced the smoking. Most of the assembly had long pipes, which were placed under the table between their legs ; but some few were contented with their cigar. In less than five minutes, the room, as may be supposed, be- came one dense mass of smoke, and the fumes of the tobacco to one who, like myself, is not in the habit of smoking, woe quite suffocating, and I always uitde Inv escape into the open air as soon as with decency I could. One parti- cular sn;nker, with large mustachios, amused me exceedingly by a habit he had acquired of puffing a large volume of smoke through his nostrils, which oc-

hospitable, in short the best, upon the face of the globe. But lot 'Tin one dream of travelling in Norway, unless, to use the words of

Tssysr.s, Mr. BARROW, "he is a fine specimen of the human animal :" for IE:corsions in the North et Europe. throngh Parts of Russian Finland, Sweden, he will be subjected to great fatigue and to some privations, be

carted at such regular interliels, that at last I discovered that it came at every sixth puff. My utter insixperience in the art renders me incapable of conceiv- ing what pleasurable sensation cuuld he derived from this strange trick.

TRONVEM.*

SideR the cathedral, there are three other churches, all of them plain struc- tures. The other public buildings are—an hospital for the aged or infirm ; a workhouse, or house of industry ; a public library and museum ; and a public grain:oar sehool : there are, besides, ether schoois on the Lancasterian plan ; nor can it be sail that literature is neglected, particularly that which relates to the history and antiquities of Norway. Most of the lower class can read and Write, and a Bible and psalter may be found in every house. But we were not prepared to meet in this northern city, in the latitude of Ciff‘' N., so many of the more respectable part of the inhabitants well acquainted with, anti conversant in, the English language; and still less could we have expected to find how well-infortned they were in regard to passing events in England, in which they appeared to take a more than common interest they knew perfectly seen who had spoken on such and such a question in the House of Cummins, and which side he took in the debate. Both here and in Bergen, every thing ti at relates to England seemed to create a deep interest. We are told by certain travel- writers, that Englishmen are hated in foreign countries. I urn prowl to say I never experienced it, and I ant inclined to think the discovery must have been made by some of those who had brought on themselves, by their conduct, that feeling.

MANNERS AND CUARAC"fER OF THE NORWEGIANS, WITH TORY REFLECTIONS.

We were more and more' delighted as we proceeded. With the honest and simple minded peasantry of Norway, and deeply regretted our inability to con- verse with them, except through an interpreter. Purely as they appear to live, they arc in no way depressed, but are active sprightly, and have every appear- ance of !wing blessed with sound and healthy constitutions, gifted with much intelligenee, and frequently disposed to be witty. We understood that, although they struggled hard for their indliendence, and at last submitted to the yoke of Sweden, on compulsion, they are much more happy than they were under the dominion of Denmark ; less annoyed with petty demands upon them for cer- tain services ; less taxed, which always seems a great boon ; the conscription is abolished ; and the idAVi are more favourable to the liberty of the subject. Two points they were most anxious to obtain—the application of the surplus revenue to the wants and improvemeots of Norway, and the abolition of the aristocracy. The fir at, I believe, is yet in disetiss:ee ; the latter they have even- Nally obtained!, much against the wish of Sweden, where noble re "as plenty as blackbd rries." The Norwegians hold in great veneration the memory of their ancient kings, and what they now wish furls a monarchical democracy—a king and the people, without the intervention of a third estate. The peasantry are said to be somewhat superstitious, as, indeed, all snountaineets, are, more or less. They are not much given to roam ; they are attached to their mountains, their rivers, and their fiords, which are made the burden of their songs. They have several national airs or hymns in celebration of their heroes, their beauties, and

their mountains, set to simple and melodious airs. • The few of what may be called the upper class with whom we had any inter- course in the towns were of kind and affable manners, and clever, well-informed men ; they were generally perfect masters of our language, and entered willingly into conversation. But we saw only a few of them. In Bergen and in Tron- yem all the gentry were absent at their little villas; and some of them this year at the Storthing. To become thoroughly acquainted with the state of society would requite a winter's residence ; to see the country in all its beauty aud grandeur, the only favourable time is in the summer months. We invariably found the lower class simple and open-hearted, inclined to be very friendly, and always cheerful. Even those whom we saw in parts where their livelihood was earned most hardily, and who in winter most be reduced to al. most absolute starvation, were nevertheless happy and contented!. Black bread of barley or rye, with milk and butter, and sometimes a little dried or salted fish, constitute their daily fare. Butchers meat is out of the question ; thou- sands know not what it is, and the majority very rarely taste it. In the whole of our tour, excepting at Christiania, Bergen, and Tronyens we never met with a single morsel of it. The happy and contented disposition of these single- minded people, under all their privations, might afford an instructive lesson to thoss who have been pampered in cities, and surrounded by all the luxuries they could desire, and yet are discontented, and far from enjoying that degree of hap- piness which falls to the lot of these poor Norwegian mountaineers. " • Farewell, then to Norway !—a long farewell to her snow-capped mountains, her fir-clad hills, her lovely rallies, her clear and limpid streams, her clearer lakes and unfathomable fiords ! Farewell, ye free and happy and contented sons of the mountains! May no intruder disturb your peaceful cottages with wild and pernicious theories, that lead only to confusion and ruin ! listen rather to those Found precepts delivered from the mouths of your venerable pastors, your best instructors and truest ft iends !

We formerly mentioned the clever plates by which the Excur- sions are illustrated. They are also accompanied by two very clear maps of the countries passed over : considering the quarter whence they emanate, we have no doubt of their accuracy.

In glancing over Dr. Clarke's Pieface to his " Scandinavia," Sze. I find the follow- lug passage: " This word (Tronyem), if accurately pronounced in our language. would, with its be Trunmern, which is the real name of the place. It was the wish of many of Its literary inhabitants. that this should be duly stated to the English nation. wiih a view, if it be possible. to abolish the nicknames of Dronth,ins and Dronton, bestowed upon this city by the Irish, who, from their intercourse with Norway, first gave rise to these appellations. It is not a more low and vulgar barbarism to write Lunnum instead of Logdon, than it is to substitute Dronthebn or Drunton in lieu of Tronycm."