NORWEGIAN HERRING BOATS 69 to prevent it roaching. The parrels round the mast from the yard are unusual, being alternately long and short, so that the short one revolves as the sail is hoisted or lowered, the long ones acting as guides. The tiller is very long, with a downward spring to press in and remain fixed between a line of pegs placed thwart ship. The row boats are the same type all up the coast, and similar to the one in Plate, where the two "pigers" are pulling their hardest to reach the bridal party. Ships from Christiana Fjord often carry a small boat called in this country a Norway punt, probably because the nose of the boat is cut off square. A great many timber ships come over to England, and are generally easily picked out by the small windmill going round abaft the mainmast, performing a duty very frequently imperative in these vessels, though timber laden—that of pumping on a large scale. This trade of larger barge sailing ships is giving way to steamers, which are frequently now seen coming out of the North Sea with a tremendous list, enough to frighten any landsman. DANISH COASTER. THERE is a strong family likeness running all through the coasters of Denmark, mostly of the sloop family; the sloop having one mast, standing bowsprit, and a jibboom for head sails; a long yard carries a flying square sail, whilst the yard for the topsail is generally sent up as occasion may require; a boom mainsail and gaff topsail completes the rig. These sloops are something between the Dutch and the Norwegian jaegt build, with plenty of sheer and beam, consequently good sea boats, and stand up well to their canvas in a hard wind. In size and appearance they much resemble the billy-boys of our east coast. They, like other local craft, are rapidly giving way to the steam "tramps," a modern name for cargo-carrying steamers. All over the Baltic these sloops are found, carrying goods to small places which have not yet developed to the steamboat pier stage. Although the Dogger bank is so near, very few Danish craft are seen there, the distance up round the Skaw or entrance to the Baltic being so far. Most of the "herringers" go to the island of Anholt, where the shoals favour the fishing, and fishing boats assemble there from all parts of the Sound, starting early in August for their season. Copenhagen has lately taken up yachting rather vehemently, stimulated by the presence of some resident Englishmen. There is a splendid cruising ground for them, and the city itself is very attractive to the archæologist, especially as the collection of Scandinavian antiquities, for which Professor Warsaae did such good work, is unrivalled. Thanks for this are due to the preserving qualities of the peat beds, in which have been found all the spoils of war buried to the honour of their gods, after their pagan manner. Even the wood work has been preserved in the form of chariot wheels, textiles also; and of course the bronze implements are in a perfect state of preservation. The twin-spired cathedral beyond our sloop is that of Roskilde, where the late Queen of Denmark was recently laid at rest. |