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Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java
æ•°æ​®ç»“构与算法分æž​ Javaè¯​言æ​​è¿°
æ•°æ​®ç»“构与算法分æž​ Weiss Digital Instant
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Author(s): Weiss, Mark Allen
ISBN(s): 9787111412366, 7111412362
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Year: 2011
Language: english
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Authorized adaptation from the United States edition, entitled Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java, 3rd edition,
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To the love of my life, Jill.
This page intentionally left blank
 CONTENTS

Preface 17

Chapter 1 Introduction 21
1.1 What’s the Book About? 21
1.2 Mathematics Review 22
1.2.1 Exponents 23
1.2.2 Logarithms 23
1.2.3 Series 24
1.2.4 Modular Arithmetic 25
1.2.5 The P Word 26
1.3 A Brief Introduction to Recursion 28
1.4 Implementing Generic Components Pre-Java 5 32
1.4.1 Using Object for Genericity 33
1.4.2 Wrappers for Primitive Types 34
1.4.3 Using Interface Types for Genericity 34
1.4.4 Compatibility of Array Types 36
1.5 Implementing Generic Components Using Java 5 Generics 36
1.5.1 Simple Generic Classes and Interfaces 37
1.5.2 Autoboxing/Unboxing 38
1.5.3 The Diamond Operator 38
1.5.4 Wildcards with Bounds 39
1.5.5 Generic Static Methods 40
1.5.6 Type Bounds 41
1.5.7 Type Erasure 42
1.5.8 Restrictions on Generics 43

7
8 Contents

1.6 Function Objects 44

Summary 46
Exercises 46
References 48

Chapter 2 Algorithm Analysis 49

2.1 Mathematical Background 49
2.2 Model 52
2.3 What to Analyze 53
2.4 Running Time Calculations 55
2.4.1 A Simple Example 56
2.4.2 General Rules 56
2.4.3 Solutions for the Maximum Subsequence Sum Problem 59
2.4.4 Logarithms in the Running Time 65
2.4.5 A Grain of Salt 69
Summary 69
Exercises 70
References 75

Chapter 3 Lists, Stacks, and Queues 77

3.1 Abstract Data Types (ADTs) 77
3.2 The List ADT 78
3.2.1 Simple Array Implementation of Lists 78
3.2.2 Simple Linked Lists 79
3.3 Lists in the Java Collections API 81
3.3.1 Collection Interface 81
3.3.2 Iterator s 81
3.3.3 The List Interface, ArrayList, and LinkedList 83
3.3.4 Example: Using remove on a LinkedList 85
3.3.5 ListIterators 87
3.4 Implementation of ArrayList 87
3.4.1 The Basic Class 88
3.4.2 The Iterator and Java Nested and Inner Classes 91
3.5 Implementation of LinkedList 95
3.6 The Stack ADT 102
3.6.1 Stack Model 102
 Contents 9

3.6.2 Implementation of Stacks 103

3.6.3 Applications 104
3.7 The Queue ADT 112
3.7.1 Queue Model 112
3.7.2 Array Implementation of Queues 112
3.7.3 Applications of Queues 115
Summary 116
Exercises 116

Chapter 4 Trees 121

4.1 Preliminaries 121
4.1.1 Implementation of Trees 122
4.1.2 Tree Traversals with an Application 123
4.2 Binary Trees 127
4.2.1 Implementation 128
4.2.2 An Example: Expression Trees 129
4.3 The Search Tree ADT—Binary Search Trees 132
4.3.1 contains 133
4.3.2 findMin and findMax 135
4.3.3 insert 136
4.3.4 remove 138
4.3.5 Average-Case Analysis 140
4.4 AVL Trees 143
4.4.1 Single Rotation 145
4.4.2 Double Rotation 148
4.5 Splay Trees 157
4.5.1 A Simple Idea (That Does Not Work) 157
4.5.2 Splaying 159
4.6 Tree Traversals (Revisited) 165
4.7 B-Trees 167
4.8 Sets and Maps in the Standard Library 172
4.8.1 Sets 172
4.8.2 Maps 173
4.8.3 Implementation of TreeSet and TreeMap 173
4.8.4 An Example That Uses Several Maps 174
Summary 180
Exercises 180
References 187
10 Contents

Chapter 5 Hashing 191

5.1 General Idea 191
5.2 Hash Function 192
5.3 Separate Chaining 194
5.4 Hash Tables Without Linked Lists 199
5.4.1 Linear Probing 199
5.4.2 Quadratic Probing 201
5.4.3 Double Hashing 203
5.5 Rehashing 208
5.6 Hash Tables in the Standard Library 209
5.7 Hash Tables with Worst-Case O(1) Access 212
5.7.1 Perfect Hashing 213
5.7.2 Cuckoo Hashing 215
5.7.3 Hopscotch Hashing 225
5.8 Universal Hashing 231
5.9 Extendible Hashing 234
Summary 237
Exercises 238
References 242

Chapter 6 Priority Queues (Heaps) 245

6.1 Model 245
6.2 Simple Implementations 246
6.3 Binary Heap 246
6.3.1 Structure Property 247
6.3.2 Heap-Order Property 249
6.3.3 Basic Heap Operations 249
6.3.4 Other Heap Operations 254
6.4 Applications of Priority Queues 258
6.4.1 The Selection Problem 258
6.4.2 Event Simulation 259
6.5 d-Heaps 260
6.6 Leftist Heaps 261
6.6.1 Leftist Heap Property 261
6.6.2 Leftist Heap Operations 262
6.7 Skew Heaps 269
 Contents 11

6.8 Binomial Queues 272

6.8.1 Binomial Queue Structure 272
6.8.2 Binomial Queue Operations 273
6.8.3 Implementation of Binomial Queues 276
6.9 Priority Queues in the Standard Library 281
Summary 281
Exercises 283
References 287

Chapter 7 Sorting 291

7.1 Preliminaries 291
7.2 Insertion Sort 292
7.2.1 The Algorithm 292
7.2.2 Analysis of Insertion Sort 292
7.3 A Lower Bound for Simple Sorting Algorithms 293
7.4 Shellsort 294
7.4.1 Worst-Case Analysis of Shellsort 296
7.5 Heapsort 298
7.5.1 Analysis of Heapsort 299
7.6 Mergesort 302
7.6.1 Analysis of Mergesort 304
7.7 Quicksort 308
7.7.1 Picking the Pivot 310
7.7.2 Partitioning Strategy 312
7.7.3 Small Arrays 314
7.7.4 Actual Quicksort Routines 314
7.7.5 Analysis of Quicksort 317
7.7.6 A Linear-Expected-Time Algorithm for Selection 320
7.8 A General Lower Bound for Sorting 322
7.8.1 Decision Trees 322
7.9 Decision-Tree Lower Bounds for Selection Problems 324
7.10 Adversary Lower Bounds 327
7.11 Linear-Time Sorts: Bucket Sort and Radix Sort 330
7.12 External Sorting 335
7.12.1 Why We Need New Algorithms 336
7.12.2 Model for External Sorting 336
7.12.3 The Simple Algorithm 336
12 Contents

7.12.4 Multiway Merge 337

7.12.5 Polyphase Merge 338
7.12.6 Replacement Selection 339
Summary 341
Exercises 341
References 347

Chapter 8 The Disjoint Set Class 351

8.1 Equivalence Relations 351
8.2 The Dynamic Equivalence Problem 352
8.3 Basic Data Structure 353
8.4 Smart Union Algorithms 357
8.5 Path Compression 360
8.6 Worst Case for Union-by-Rank and Path Compression 361
8.6.1 Slowly Growing Functions 362
8.6.2 An Analysis By Recursive Decomposition 363
8.6.3 An O( M log * N ) Bound 370
8.6.4 An O( M α(M, N) ) Bound 370
8.7 An Application 372
Summary 375
Exercises 375
References 377

Chapter 9 Graph Algorithms 379

9.1 Definitions 379
9.1.1 Representation of Graphs 380
9.2 Topological Sort 382
9.3 Shortest-Path Algorithms 386
9.3.1 Unweighted Shortest Paths 387
9.3.2 Dijkstra’s Algorithm 392
9.3.3 Graphs with Negative Edge Costs 400
9.3.4 Acyclic Graphs 400
9.3.5 All-Pairs Shortest Path 404
9.3.6 Shortest-Path Example 404
9.4 Network Flow Problems 406
9.4.1 A Simple Maximum-Flow Algorithm 408
 Contents 13

9.5 Minimum Spanning Tree 413

9.5.1 Prim’s Algorithm 414
9.5.2 Kruskal’s Algorithm 417
9.6 Applications of Depth-First Search 419
9.6.1 Undirected Graphs 420
9.6.2 Biconnectivity 422
9.6.3 Euler Circuits 425
9.6.4 Directed Graphs 429
9.6.5 Finding Strong Components 431
9.7 Introduction to NP-Completeness 432
9.7.1 Easy vs. Hard 433
9.7.2 The Class NP 434
9.7.3 NP-Complete Problems 435
Summary 437
Exercises 437
References 445

Chapter 10 Algorithm Design

Techniques 449
10.1 Greedy Algorithms 449
10.1.1 A Simple Scheduling Problem 450
10.1.2 Huffman Codes 453
10.1.3 Approximate Bin Packing 459
10.2 Divide and Conquer 468
10.2.1 Running Time of Divide-and-Conquer Algorithms 469
10.2.2 Closest-Points Problem 471
10.2.3 The Selection Problem 475
10.2.4 Theoretical Improvements for Arithmetic Problems 478
10.3 Dynamic Programming 482
10.3.1 Using a Table Instead of Recursion 483
10.3.2 Ordering Matrix Multiplications 486
10.3.3 Optimal Binary Search Tree 489
10.3.4 All-Pairs Shortest Path 492
10.4 Randomized Algorithms 494
10.4.1 Random Number Generators 496
10.4.2 Skip Lists 500
10.4.3 Primality Testing 503
14 Contents

10.5 Backtracking Algorithms 506

10.5.1 The Turnpike Reconstruction Problem 507
10.5.2 Games 510
Summary 519
Exercises 519
References 528

Chapter 11 Amortized Analysis 533

11.1 An Unrelated Puzzle 534
11.2 Binomial Queues 534
11.3 Skew Heaps 539
11.4 Fibonacci Heaps 542
11.4.1 Cutting Nodes in Leftist Heaps 542
11.4.2 Lazy Merging for Binomial Queues 545
11.4.3 The Fibonacci Heap Operations 548
11.4.4 Proof of the Time Bound 549
11.5 Splay Trees 551
Summary 556
Exercises 556
References 558

Chapter 12 Advanced Data Structures

and Implementation 561
12.1 Top-Down Splay Trees 561
12.2 Red-Black Trees 569
12.2.1 Bottom-Up Insertion 569
12.2.2 Top-Down Red-Black Trees 571
12.2.3 Top-Down Deletion 576
12.3 Treaps 578
12.4 Suffix Arrays and Suffix Trees 580
12.4.1 Suffix Arrays 581
12.4.2 Suffix Trees 584
12.4.3 Linear-Time Construction of Suffix Arrays and Suffix Trees 587
12.5 k-d Trees 598
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
1837.” The author’s name is given at the end of the preface where
we read: “Illinois, February 13, 1838, Ole Rynning.”
This little book of only thirty-nine pages is now exceedingly scarce. I
obtained a copy of it from Rev. B. J. Muus of Goodhue County,
Minnesota. In the nineties I reprinted it in Amerika and struck off
about two hundred copies which I had bound and placed in various
libraries. A copy of it may be found in the library of the Wisconsin
State Historical Society.
We began with Erik the Red and Leif Erikson and have now come to
the brothers, Ole and Ansten Nattestad. Ole K. Nattestad was born
December 24, 1807; died May 28, 1886. His wife died September
15, 1888. Ansten K. Nattestad was born August 20, 1813; died April
8, 1889.
The fourth Norwegian settlement in America and the first in
Wisconsin was founded by Ole Knudsen Nattestad (changed in
America to Natesta) who was accordingly the first Norwegian to set
foot on Wisconsin soil. He came to Clinton, Rock County, Wisconsin,
July 1, 1838, and this was the beginning of the so-called Jefferson
Prairie settlement, which occupies the southeast corner of Rock
County and extends into Boone County, Illinois. They came from
Vegli, Rolloug Parish in Numedal, Norway, by way of Gothenborg and
Fall River, Massachusetts.
When the Beaver Creek settlement was abandoned, Ansten
Nattestad, in the spring of 1838, returned to Norway, taking with
him the Ole Rynning manuscript and also the manuscript of a journal
kept by his brother, Ole Nattestad. Ansten stated that this
manuscript of his brother was published in Drammen, Norway, that
same year but in spite of the most diligent search I have never been
able to secure a copy of that edition. In Norway copies of all
publications are placed in the University Library. I had this library
searched for a copy of Nattestad’s book but none could be found. In
an interview published in Billed Magazin in Madison, Wisconsin, in
1869, Ansten Nattestad made the following statement:
 In the spring of 1838 I went from Beaver Creek, Illinois, by
way of New Orleans to Liverpool in England and thence to
Norway to visit friends and acquaintances in my native land. I
brought with me letters from nearly all the earlier Norwegian
emigrants whom I had met and in this way information was
scattered far and wide in Norway. My brother’s journal was
published in Drammen and Ole Rynning’s work on matters of
the new world appeared at the same time in Christiania. Of
Rynning’s book I brought the manuscript with me from
America. The Rev. Mr. Kragh in Eidsvold read the proofs and
left out the chapter about the Norwegian clergymen who
therein were accused of intolerance in religious matters and
inactivity in questions concerning the betterment of the
people in temporal affairs and in questions concerning the
advancement of education.
In 1869 Ole Nattestad gave the following account of himself in the
Billed Magazin referred to above:
As the next oldest of three brothers, I did not have the right
of primogeniture to my father’s farm which, according to law,
and custom, would go to the oldest son. My ambition was to
become a farmer, and I hoped some day to be able to buy a
farm in my own neighborhood. Then my brother entered the
military school in Christiania and I was to manage the farm
during his absence. I entered upon my task cheerfully,
worked with all my might and kept a careful account of
income and disbursements. To my great surprise, I soon
found that in spite of all my toil and prudence, I did not make
much headway. When the year was ended, I had little or
nothing left as a reward for my labor and it was clear to me
that it would not do to buy an expensive farm and run in debt
for it. Farming did not pay in the locality where I was born. I
then tried the occupation of an itinerant merchant. I could
earn a living in this way, but the laws were against me and I
did not like to carry on a business of such a nature that it was
necessary to keep my affairs secret from the lensmand
[undersheriff]. Then I worked awhile as a blacksmith. This
furnished me enough to do, but it was difficult to collect the
money I earned. The law did not permit me to work at my
trade in the city. Then [in 1836] my younger brother, Ansten,
and I went across the mountains to the western part of
Norway to buy sheep which we intended to sell again. While
we were stopping in the vicinity of Stavanger, we heard much
talk about a country which was called America. This was the
first time we heard this word. We saw letters written by
Norwegians who were living in America and we were told that
Knud Slogvig, who, many years before that had emigrated in
a sloop [Restaurationen] from Stavanger, had lately visited his
native land and had given so favorable a report about
America that about 150 [should be 200] emigrants from
Stavanger Amt and from Hardanger had gone back with him
and had sailed that very summer [1836] in two brigs from
Stavanger across the ocean. They had gone in spite of all
sorts of threats and warnings about slavery, death, and
disease. This was the first large exodus after the emigration
of the sloop party in 1825. All that we here saw was so new
and came to us so unexpectedly that we were not at once
able to arrange all the reports into a systematic whole and
thus get a correct idea of conditions in the new world. But
when I spent the following Christmas with Even Nubbru who
was a member of the Storthing from Sigdal we discussed the
hard times in my native valley and I suggested that I might
have better luck in some other part of the country. In replying
Even Nubbru remarked that wherever I went in the world, I
would nowhere find a people who had as good laws as the
Americans. He had accidentally just had the opportunity of
reading something about America in a German newspaper
and he described the free institutions of America. This
information had a magic effect on me as I looked upon it as
an injustice that the laws of Norway should forbid me to trade
and not allow me to get my living by honest work as a
mechanic wherever I desired to locate. I had confidence in
the judgment of the member of the Storthing and I compared
his remarks with what I had heard about America in the
vicinity of Stavanger. Gradually I got to thinking of emigration
and while considering the matter on my way home, the idea
matured into a resolution. My brother Ansten did not have to
be asked a second time. He was willing at once; he approved
of my plans and in April, 1837, we were ready for our journey.
When we left home, we had together about eight hundred
dollars, Norwegian money, but this sum gradually grew less
on account of our expenses on the way and besides we lost
considerable in changing our money into American coin.
Ansten also paid the passage for Halsten Halvorsen Braekke-
Eiet who now [1869] resides in Dodgeville [Wisconsin], and is
looked upon as an excellent blacksmith.
Our equipment consisted of the clothes we wore, a pair of
skis, and a knapsack. People looked at us with wonder and
intimated that we must have lost our senses. They suggested
that we had better hang ourselves in the first tree in order to
avoid a worse fate. We went on skis across the mountains
from Rolloug to Tin and thence in a direct line over hills and
through forests to Stavanger, where we expected to get
passage across the sea. We did not worry about the roads for
all three of us were experts on skis and our baggage caused
us no inconvenience. In Stavanger we told everybody that we
were going to America and wanted to secure passage across
the sea. This open-heartedness came near spoiling our plans.
The report of three mountaineers soon spread over the whole
city and high government officials came to see our passports.
We were now told that the bailiff’s passport only permitted us
to go to Stavanger while the certificate from the pastor
correctly stated that we intended to leave the country and
emigrate to America. We were not versed in such things and
thought our papers were in order, especially as the
documents we carried gave testimony that we were men of
good habits and Christian conduct. No suspicious remarks
were made but in the evening there came a man who was
angry on account of the wrong the officials were going to do
us and related that it had been resolved that we were to be
arrested the following day and then to be sent from lensmand
to lensmand to our native valley as we intended to leave the
country without permission being given in the passport from
the bailiff. The government here, he said, was in a bitter rage
against all emigrants and we could not count on any mercy.
On this man’s advice we departed secretly from Stavanger
under cover of night in order to avoid the danger that
threatened us and without attracting any attention we got to
Tananger. Here we met a skipper who, with his yacht loaded
with herring, was ready to sail to Gothenborg. He promised to
take us on board, but when we told him what had happened
to us in Stavanger, he became doubtful. He praised our
honesty, and on further assurance that we would assume all
responsibility if we got in trouble, he decided to accept us as
passengers. We acted discreetly while we were ashore and
we felt greatly relieved when we finally got to sea. In
Gothenborg we had no mishaps, and we secured passage in a
vessel loaded with Swedish iron and bound for Fall River,
Massachusetts. The journey lasted thirty-two days and we
paid fifty dollars each for transportation and board. From Fall
River we went to New York where we met a few Norwegians
who helped us to get to Rochester. Here we talked with some
of our countrymen who, twelve years ago, had come in the
sloop from Stavanger that brought the first Norwegian
immigrants to America. Rochester and vicinity did not meet
our expectations in regard to the new world. Many of the first
immigrants had left the first settlement in Kendall and had
gone west to find new lands, particularly to La Salle County,
Illinois, near Ottawa on the Fox River. The Fox River colony
received a very considerable increment by the great exodus
from Stavanger in 1836, that is, the year before I came to
America. The most of these immigrants had located in that
settlement. This we learned in Rochester, and there we heard
for the first time the name Chicago. We determined to go
west and see what we could find. When we had reached
Detroit, I was walking in the streets to look at the town.
There I accidentally met a man by whose clothes I could see
that he was from the western coast of Norway. I greeted the
man and he returned my greeting, and the meeting was like
that of two brothers who had not seen each other for years.
He informed me that he had left Bergen some months before,
together with about seventy [should be eighty-four]
passengers and that the whole company of which the
University secretary, Ole Rynning, was the leader, had been
waiting a week for transportation to Chicago. We were glad to
meet our countrymen and we joined the party, in which there
was at least one [Rynning] who could speak English. On
landing in Chicago we met Bjorn Anderson Kvelve [the father
of the present editor] from the Stavanger company. He had
come to America the year before [1836] and had travelled
through various parts of Illinois but all that he had heard and
seen had only served to make him dissatisfied with this side
of the ocean. Broken down in soul and body, he stood before
us as a victim of misery and produced a scene so terrible that
it never will be blotted from my memory. “God bless and
comfort you!” said he. “There is neither work nor land nor
food to be had and by all means do not go to Fox River; there
you will all die from malarial fever.” These words had a
terrible effect on our little flock, many of whom had already
lost all courage. Like demons from the lower world, all the evil
warnings about the terrors that awaited the emigrants to
America were now called to mind and even the bravest were
as by magic stricken by a panic which bordered on insanity.
The women wrung their hands in despair and uttered terrible
shrieks of woe. Some of the men stood immovable like
statues with all the marks of frightful despair on their faces,
while others made threats against those whom they regarded
as the promoters of emigration and the leaders of the party.
 But in this critical situation Ole Rynning’s greatness appeared.
He stood in the midst of the people who were ready for
mutiny; he comforted those in despair and gave advice to
those who doubted and hesitated and reproved those who
were obstinate. He was not in doubt for a moment and his
equanimity, courage, and noble self-sacrifice for the weal of
others had acquired him influence in the minds of all. The
storm abated and the dissatisfaction gave place to a
unanimous confidence. A couple of Americans with whom
Rynning talked advised him to take the immigrants to Beaver
Creek, directly south of Chicago in Iroquois County.
It seems to me that the story told about my father must, to say the
least, be overdrawn. The facts as I have them from my mother, from
Mons Aadland, and even from Ole Nattestad himself, do not warrant
the painting of so weird a picture. All the prose there is in the
romance is that my father met these people in Chicago and was
unwilling to recommend the Fox River settlement with which he was
not pleased, and as he had never seen Iroquois County, he had no
share in recommending the immigrants to go to Beaver Creek. His
dissatisfaction with the Fox River settlement is further confirmed by
the fact that in 1840 he found a new home in Albion, Dane County,
Wisconsin. In support of my view, I may here quote the words of
Prof. Svein Nilsson in Billed Magazin (1869) where, in alluding to the
Beaver Creek settlement he states:
Ole Rynning’s company met Bjorn Anderson Kvelve in
Chicago. The unfavorable description he gave of the land
both west and north frightened the immigrants from locating
in any of the existing Norwegian colonies and this resulted in
the founding of the Beaver Creek Settlement whose sad story
is well known to the Scandinavian population in the
northwest. In this connection bitter reproaches have been
directed against Bjorn Anderson Kvelve as being in a great
measure to blame for the fatalities of Beaver Creek. But it is
usually the case that people like to seek in others the cause
 of their misfortune. This is true of the individual as well as of
corporations and societies and perhaps a little more so in the
case of the immigrants visited by adversity. At all events, it is
our opinion that we do a justice to the man when we say that
the criticism of Bjorn Anderson Kvelve has been too severe, if
not utterly unfounded.
Ole Nattestad continues:
In the spring of 1838 my brother, Ansten, went to Norway
and I worked by the day in the northern part of Illinois.
The first of July, 1838, I came to my present home in about
the middle of the town of Clinton, Rock County, Wisconsin,
where I bought land and I am consequently the first
Norwegian to settle in this state. So far as known, no other
Norwegian had planted his feet on Wisconsin soil before me.
For a whole year I saw no countryman but lived alone without
friend, family, or companion. Eight Americans had settled in
the town before me but they lived about as isolated as I did. I
found the soil very fertile and the monotony of the prairie was
relieved by small bunches of trees. Deer and other game
were abundant. The horrid howl of the prairie wolf disturbed
my sleep until habit armed my ears against annoyances of
this sort. The following summer [1839] I built a little log hut
and in this residence I received in September a number of
people from my own parish in Norway. They had come as
immigrants with my brother, Ansten. The most of these
settled on Jefferson Prairie and in this way the settlement got
a large population in a comparatively short time.
In 1840 Ole Nattestad married Lena Hiser who died September 15,
1888. She left seven children, all well educated and in good
circumstances. Henry, the youngest son, now occupies the old
homestead.
We now pass to Ansten Nattestad, the brother of Ole, and will let
him tell the story as published in the Billed Magazin:
In the spring of 1838 I went by way of New Orleans to
Liverpool and thence to Norway to visit friends and
acquaintances in my native land…. [What he tells about
Rynning’s and his brother Ole’s manuscripts has already been
stated.] I spent the winter in Numedal. The report of my
return spread like wildfire through the land and an incredible
number of people came to see me and to get news from
America. Many came as far as twenty Norwegian [140
English] miles to have a talk with me. It was impossible to
answer all the letters I received asking questions about the
condition of things on the other side of the ocean. In the
spring of 1839 about 100 persons from Numedal stood ready
to go with me across the sea. Among these were many
farmers and heads of families, all, excepting the children,
able-bodied persons in their best years. Besides these there
were a number from Thelemarken and from Numedal who
were unable to join me as our ship was full. We went from
Drammen direct to New York. It was the first time the
inhabitants of Drammen saw an emigrant ship. [The name of
the ship was Emelia and the Captain’s name was Ankerson].
Each person paid $33.50 for his passage. We were nine
weeks on the sea; the passage was a successful one and
there was no death on board. From New York we took the
common route up the country. In Milwaukee we met those
from Tin and Thelemarken and the others who were unable
to come in our ship across the sea. [They had come by way
of Gothenborg, Sweden, to Boston.] They came on board to
us and wanted us to go with them to Muskego, Wisconsin.
Men had been out there to inspect the country and they
reported that the grass was so high that it reached up to their
shoulders and told of many other glorious things. The
Americans, too, used every argument to persuade us to stop
in Milwaukee. I objected and we continued our journey. In
 Chicago I learned that my brother, Ole, had settled in
Wisconsin during my absence in Norway. Some of the party
went to the Fox River settlement where they had
acquaintances, while some unmarried persons found
employment in Chicago and vicinity. The rest of them, that is
to say, the majority, accompanied me to Jefferson Prairie.
Among these were a few who settled in the town of Rock
Run, Stevenson County, in the northern part of Illinois about
fifty miles southwest from Jefferson Prairie, and there they
formed the nucelus of the Norwegian settlement. Others of
my company went to Rock Prairie, a few miles west of
Jefferson Prairie. I and the rest came at once to Jefferson
Prairie where we bought land and began to cultivate it.
In 1840 a few came here from Numedal and from that time
the number of settlers steadily increased, chiefly by new
arrivals from Norway. The most of those from Numedal
settled in the northern part of the colony, for we who came
after my brother, who was here before any of us, bought land
in the place where he had built his cabin and those from the
same part of Norway who came later as immigrants and who
sought us out in the far west settled as our neighbors. I and
the first Numedalians chose this tract as our home and our
choice was made immediately after our arrival. The same
autumn, 1839, a company from Voss in Norway came to the
settlement. These Vossings went farther south and as “birds
of a feather flock together” so their friends from Voss
gradually settled with them. Hence the Jefferson Prairie
settlement, as to population, may be divided into two
districts, of which the northern consists chiefly of
Numedalians while the Vossings predominate in the southern
part.
In searching for the Nattestad book I learned that Ole Nattestad had
preserved a manuscript copy of it and that sometime in the eighties
he had handed this to Prof. Peter Hendrickson, then editor-in-chief of
Skandinaven in Chicago, with the view of having the manuscript
revised and reprinted; but before Professor Hendrickson found time
to do this work, his home in Evanston, Illinois, was burned to the
ground and in this fire the Nattestad manuscript was lost. Not long
since, however, it was shown that the Nattestad book was not a
myth. Mr. H. L. Skavlem of Janesville, Wisconsin, is a most patient
and thorough student of Norwegian pioneer life in America, and
especially of everything pertaining to the people who have
emigrated from Numedal. In 1915 he published an account of the
“Skavlem and Odegaarden Families in this Country” which is a
masterpiece of genealogical records and pioneer history. Mr.
Skavlem, beside being an authority on Indian relics and on
Wisconsin bird life, has done much to preserve the history of the
Norwegians in America. It was he who secured a printed copy of the
Nattestad book for preservation in the library of the State Historical
Society, so far as known the only copy in existence.
 TITLE PAGE OF OLE NATTESTAD’S “JOURNEY TO NORTH
AMERICA”
Photographed from the copy in the Wisconsin Historical
Library
Of this copy, which is now being printed in an English translation, Mr.
Skavlem gives the following account:
 In the summer of the year 1900 James and Henry Natesta,
the sons of Ole K. Nattestad, the author of the pamphlet,
took a short trip to Norway to visit the home of their
forefathers, located in Vegli, Numedal. They made diligent
inquiries for a pamphlet said to have been published from a
manuscript sent to Norway in 1838 by their father. An old
gentleman living close by the old homestead told them he
had a copy, which they secured and brought back with them
to this country. This copy has been in the possession of the
Natesta brothers until last January (1916) when it was turned
over to me and I handed it over to the State Historical
Society.
In regard to the book, or pamphlet, it is to be stated that while Ole
Nattestad had learned to write, he was entirely ignorant of
Norwegian grammar. Both his orthography and his syntax are very
faulty. There are many subordinate clauses with the principal clause
left out. The surprising thing is that the printers in Drammen did not
make the necessary corrections. I was requested to follow the
original as closely as possible, so as to convey to the reader of the
translation as complete a presentation of the original as possible.
The mistakes in orthography could only be reproduced in the
translation where they concerned proper names. The faults in syntax
I have generally reproduced. The reader will have to be the judge of
how well I have succeeded. The book is of more than ordinary
interest from the fact that it contains a description of an emigrant’s
journey from Norway to Chicago in 1837, the only description we
have of that kind, and also from the fact that it is written by the first
immigrant from Norway who set foot on Wisconsin soil.

DESCRIPTION OF A JOURNEY TO NORTH AMERICA

By Ole Knudsen Nattestad
In the year 1837, the 8th of April, we started from our homestead,
the farm Nattestad, in Weglie-Parish, Rolloug Parson’s District, in
Nummedal in Norway, for the purpose of trying our fortune in
another part of the world, namely in the free states in North
America. We journeyed with an agreeable weather till in the evening
of the 11th of the same month. That day we came to the farm
Flotyl, at the foot of Storfjeldet (Big Mountain). In the morning the
weather was tolerably clear. We began to climb the mountain. When
we had gone some distance there began a strong storm with snow
and wind and it became so dark that we could not see the least from
us. As luck would have it, we found a path which had been used
with marsh shoes on the horses’ feet over the mountain, and this
path we stuck to for the most part, so that we, thanks be to God,
made our way safely. We rested a while at Jordbraek, then we went
to Roarquam, where we expected to stop over night. As soon as we
entered the house there came a man with a boat whose home was
1¾ miles [the Norwegian mile is about seven English miles] farther
out on a farm by name Quildal. We were allowed to follow him home
without pay. There we stayed one day because Ansteen became so
weak in his eyes that he could not see to walk, but after we left this
place we, for the most part got transportation to Stavanger. There
we got trace of a man by name Elias Tastad, with whom all who
wanted to go to America inscribed their names. To the above named
E. Tastad we arrived the 17th of April. The man named said that
“they who desire to sail to America from Stavanger will not get a
ship before after St. Johnstide, and still it was not certain what time
it would be. But go to Tenager which lies one mile west from here.
There lie herring boats which go to Gothenborg and see that you get
passage with one of them,—that is the best.” As we were informed
we went to the place mentioned and at once met a man from
Kobbervigen, by name Engebret Rise, from whom we got terms and
whom we were to go with. It was said that the above named
person, E. Tastad, was a Quaker, and he was a particularly kind-
hearted man and he gave us advice in many things. The 18th of the
same month we went on board and sailed to the harbor Rekfjord;
there we lay for 8 days, weather-bound. It is 8 miles north of
Lindesnaes. From there we sailed the 28th of the same month.
When we came some distance out they had neglected to take water
on board. They, therefore, sailed in to Kirkehavn to get water. In the
evening when we came out upon the sea again it was perfectly calm
and the fog lay so thick that we could not see a single thing. The
calm continued until in the afternoon, then we got a little breeze
which increased and came from the southeast until it grew into a
perfect storm so the waves washed entirely over the ship. That night
the storm drove us back to Kirkehavn again. There we lay till the 3rd
of May, then we sailed from there with a pleasant wind and clear
weather. That day all ships that were there left the harbor, that
before had to lie still. Then there were swarms of ships as far as we
could see out upon the ocean. Oh, how delightful it was to look into
this beautiful weather. The same day we called in Mandal, 3 miles
southeast from Lindesnaes; after a few hours we sailed out from
there with the same wind and the next morning we got sight of land
at Skagen in Jylland (Scaw in Jutland) which is 30 miles from
Mandal. The 5th of May we came to Gothenborg. From New
Elfsborg’s Fort ½ mile outside of the city came first an officer on
board who countersigned our passports and when we came to the
custom house wharf the captain went ashore to exhibit our
passports there. Afterwards there came officials on board who
sealed the cargo of the ship and who also talked with us about our
proposed long journey. The next day the captain went about in the
city with us and went to the office of Consul Vestberg, who procured
passage for passengers and who has information as to whither all
ships sail from there. Now, there lay a large ship ready to sail which
was loaded with iron which should go to America, and one by name
Vigen was the owner of it and one by name Captain Ronneberg was
to take it across. Vestberg went at the same time with us to Vigen
and talked with him for us. He demanded 200 dollars Rigsgjelds
[Swedish money]. That made about 54 speciedaler [Norwegian
money]. Now, we were in distress because it was so awfully dear,
but our former carrier, named Engebret Rise, persuaded us that we
should not refuse it. “Consider,” said he, “that you might lie here a
whole month and still perhaps have to pay almost the same.”—We
went to Vestberg again and asked if he could not do it cheaper. “I
will go with you up there,” said he, “so you get to talk with him.” He
went up and said that we asked if he could do it cheaper. He stood a
little while. “For 50 speciedaler I will do it and that is the very
cheapest. Then you will get on board what you need for
sustenance.” We accepted this and Engebret Rise said that we
should accept. Now, we had gotten transportation. We then went on
board after our baggage and E. Rise accompanied us ashore again
to a shoemaker of whom we bought a pair of boots and shoes for
each of us, and to one by name Fru Bokkom who had all kinds of
clothes for sale. There we bought clothes. She asked if we had
gotten lodgings. We answered, “No.” “From me you can get a room
alone without pay when you provide yourselves with food and wood
and fuel you shall have what you want to cook it with,” said she. We
accepted this offer with gratitude and there were very comfortable.
On Sunday we went into town and into the Cathedral and heard
sermons or mass and there were to be seen many strange things
besides the other things which we saw in the city.—On Monday we
went on the market to buy us something of this and that. There
stood one and beckoned to us. He asked if we were from Norway.
“Perhaps you are going over to America,” said he, (and asked)
whether we had gotten transportation. We said, “Yes! We have
gotten and we are to go with the ship belonging to Vigen”; “how
much are you then to pay?” When he got to know this he became
violently angry and denounced us as big fools who had paid so
much. Had we come to him he would have saved us 20 speciedaler
for each of us—this was a Jew who stood and changed money and
an awfully ugly person to look at with black hair and beard and
indescribably thick and fat. Then he asked us if we had more money
to change than what we paid in transportation. Then we must come
to him. “You cannot get your money changed anywhere else than
with me,” said he, and told us how high the rate was; we would
come to him the next day, we said. He said we should go to Vigen
and offer him 20 spd each if we could get our money back; “but you
will still not get it back for he well knows what he has done.”
We went to Vigen and said that we might have gotten transportation
almost 20 spd cheaper if we had waited a little while. “Yes!” said he,
“if it is so that you regret what you have done you shall get your
money back again, that is the kind of man I am and will not cheat
you if you would rather have the money back again”; and then we
thought the matter over and let it be just as it had been done. We
noticed something, that the Jew wanted to talk to his own
advantage. Tuesday morning we were to come to Vestberg to get
some money changed. We came at the time appointed, he counted
the money and kept it. When he had done this he said we should
come back in the afternoon, he did not yet have the kind of money,
he first wanted to go out; we were very much astonished at this, I
went in again and told what I thought of this, that we had delivered
the money and gotten nothing in return. “You must not believe that
we are that kind of people,” and then he went away again—we went
on the market and there we discovered Vestberg talking with the
Jew. We stood looking at this and wondering if it was about our
money they were talking, which it also was. When Vestberg went the
Jew discovered us and came to us but it was the brother of the one
heretofore named. He then told us that Vestberg asked him after the
rate of exchange. “Vestberg would get you a note from Vigen that
you are to get your money in America, but this you must not do. Go
with me and you shall get your money changed.” We answered that
we did not have the money in our pockets, but we could come back
in a little while. At the time appointed we came into Vestberg again
and then the Jew stood inside and argued with the clerk about the
changing of our money and that amused us. Then we plainly heard
who was our friend, the Jew or Vestberg. The Jew wanted us to
exchange our money and Vestberg did not want to give as high a
rate as demanded; he said, “if it is no more than a skilling [a penny]
they are to have it and now they will make 10½ skillings on every
spd when they get their money in America, for on the ocean you
need no money,” said Vestberg.
The Jew in his way with a well-nigh matchless eloquence and who
thereon was thundering mad at Vestberg because he did not get his
way, but it was of no help to him when we learned of the Jew’s
speculation for which he fought with us. When the Jew did not
succeed he had to go but he stood in the door and scolded them as
he also had done before. We got a note each which was printed in
the English language which stated how much money we had and
how high the exchange rate was and how many piasters we were to
have in return; this note was from Vigen, the owner of the ship to
the Swedish Consul in America, from whom we were to get the
money and we got one (note) which was written and which we were
to retain when we delivered the others.
Wednesday morning we went aboard and after that we lived there;
Thursday, the 11th we sailed out of the harbor; then there was on
board the owner of the ship together with many distinguished men
who accompanied it a short distance; when these had gone into the
boat and gotten a little distance from the ship there were fired 4
salvos with the big cannons. Afterwards there was shouting of
hurrahs, first by those in the boats, afterwards by the ship’s crew.
Off New Elfsborg’s Fort, a half mile from the city 4 salvos were also
fired and 2 in response by the fort; then we took our leave from the
city.
A little story about the ship by name Hilda, on which we were
passengers, the most beautiful ship in all Gothenborg, and almost in
all Sweden, it was said; it had made a single journey to America
before, otherwise it was new and with copper bottom and it was
upon the whole as if it were cast (in a mold), it was furnished with 2
decks, a lower deck 3 ells high to the ceiling which (the deck) was
painted blue on the sides and up under the upper deck yellow and
likewise above the deck and quarter deck 2½ ells high and very
tight and strongly made and blue painted; the upper part was upon
the whole constructed like a door of glass and painted with yellow
brass and the panels blue. Astern stood a cabin on the deck which
was polished both externally and internally and also on the lower
deck and in both of them as beautiful furniture as can be made. In
the front was placed works of sculpture all gilt, likewise in the stern
and a maiden carved in wood in the most beautiful draperies and
fineries that could be found and as if she were a living being. From
Elfsborg, as heretofore mentioned, we sailed with a fair wind to the
day of Pentecost, then it became calm and we had reached the
Faröe Islands, which lie north of Scotland. The second day of
Pentecost there came one from Jutland and wanted to go to the
Faröes with 12 men and these came on board and got some water;
then we first heard English talked. From there we sailed mostly with
good wind but awhile before we came to the New Foundland banks;
we saw 5 icebergs (it was pieces or lumps which drift south from the
polar ocean), the one was like a large building to look at. Sunday
morning, the 4th of June, came we to the banks, this morning there
were caught 62 pounds and 10 mkr of codfish. The above named
banks are a shallow 80 fathoms deep and a few hundred miles in
circumference, which lie about 300 miles from America. There
always lie ships which only fish. From there we sailed with a
favorable wind; the 11th of June in the morning, 9 o’clock, we first
saw land in America and were therefore not more than 32 days from
leaving until we came to land. In the evening there came a pilot on
board and at 12 o’clock we came into the city Nyport, where we lay
at anchor a little while. In the morning when I arose and came upon
the deck I saw something new; for the city and also the country
around about was delightful for me to see. At 12 o’clock we sailed
from there up to Falreva [Fall River] which lies 18 miles northeast
from here. Here the ship stopped and the cargo was here sold. On
the journey from Nyport to there was many agreeable things to see;
the land on both sides was so splendid and particularly the beautiful
trees which there here grows a multitude of. As soon as we came to
the above named Falreva there came a Norwegian watchmaker
apprentice on board who had gotten knowledge of the fact that a
Swedish boat had entered and he was from Christiania; it was
agreeable to get to talk with our fellow countryman. He informed us
concerning many things which were useful to us.—Here in the city
we have now gone about and looked at many beautiful curiosities;
especially in machine shops and factories of which there here are a
great number; among other things we first inspected an iron factory,
very strange. What here was used as material was nothing but burnt
and rusty iron such as machine scraps, boilers, stove pipes, and
other scraps. This was first cut up by a large iron knife which cut it
into threads even if it was 2 inches thick. Afterwards it was smelted
and cut into strings. These strings were heated one time and with
this it went through some rollers 10 to 11 times and became hoop-
iron between 1 and 2 inches wide and 15 to 16 ells long and over.
These stringers were delivered to another building in which there
were 50 work benches. There was made nails of these stringers. The
nail was cut from the end of the stringer and this went so fast
almost as corn running from a mill and was done by one man. These
machines were very strange and many things which I here on
account of time and space cannot describe.—The first mate on board
told us that he had never seen the equal although he had been in
many lands in Europe and in many cities in America.
He said we ought to go there and see, it would be interesting for us;
we did not dare to go because we did not know the language and
none of the ship’s crew had time to go with us; but the first mate
said we might go. “I think you will be allowed to anyway,” and he
told us what we should say when we came there.—We went there
and asked in English if we could look over the factory; it was
permitted. One went with us from one room to another; it lasted
fully 2 hours and we did not see anything but new things wherever
we came so that for want of space am not able to describe how it
was. From the weaving factory the goods came there and the first
work there was to bleach it and that went fast, afterwards it was
made ready with flowers and colors as it was to be. Yes, here were
some ship-loads of cotton cloths with many other things which were
here which I cannot describe.—The 17th of May we went from
Falreva on a steamboat to Provedens, which is 30 miles. The captain
went with us to Provedens and got transportation to New York for
us. The steamboat we went from Provedens to New York on was
very large. It was certainly 100 ells long, with 2 engines and so
many strange appliances which I had never been able to imagine
before. There were 10 to 12 black negroes which prepared the food
and some carried it to and from the tables. Ah! here was much to
see for us. The room which we were best able to examine was
certainly of 30 ells length and two dining tables which were loaded
with dishes and drinking cups as close together as possible and all of
porcelain stoneware and the glasses looked like crystal; but all who
ate there I have not the number of; on both sides in this room was
bed after bed [sofas]; curtains and sheets which we saw there were
of the choicest calico and some looked like silk. The carpets looked
like the finest camel’s hair cloth and many other things which I
cannot here describe.—This journey from Provedens to New York
was 230 miles and we were 12 hours on the way; now we were
among foreign nations and did not understand their language the
least. When we came to New York it became worse as we had to go
ashore; there came many who talked to us but we didn’t understand
them and no more they us; but I suppose they asked us where we
were going; at last there came one on board who talked to us; when
he heard that we did not understand he said that we should go with
him. I went with him, he went into a little store; there was a French
man who was to talk to me and asked if I was from France; I said I
was Norwegian. He went away from me. Then there came one that
so far as I could understand was from the region near France. He
asked me where I was from, I answered from Norwegian, this he
understood and said, “that is far away”; then I was to stop there
while one went out on the street; he soon came back again and had
with him a person who could talk a little Norwegian and would come
with me on board; when we got on the way he told me that he was
Swedish and Norwegian Consul. From the boat we took our baggage
and went with this man to a basement which was a boarding house
and there this consul had his home and there we should stay and he
should advise us and get transportation to Rochester. When we
came into the city we saw a Norwegian flag on a ship and some
Swedish (flags); now my comrades went to see if they could find
these ships; they met first a Swede and afterwards a Norwegian who
was from Arendal and had come from England with 140 passengers;
when they had talked with these they came to me again who was
sitting inside and keeping watch over the baggage, now went I and
my brother out for I had letters from our first mate which were
addressed to a Swedish ship which lay in the harbor there and was
the same one which they had been aboard and so I got the letters
properly presented. When we came to the Norwegian ship again
there came on board a shoemaker from Bergen who had come to
America a year before and had come with one from Christiansand by
name Jansen who was married and who was a merchant; when we
came to talk with them the merchant said we should get lodgings at
his home. We first went with him to his house. He immediately went
to the place where we had our baggage; when we got there the
house was so full of people that we hardly could get in.
Jansen who was with us asked the host whether our baggage might
remain there until in the morning for it was so near the river and this
was permitted. In the morning, namely Monday, Jansen went with
us to secure transportation to Rochester. A lieutenant from
Gothenborg told me that the year before he had talked with many
Norwegians nor did Jansen know where the Norwegians had located
up through the country, but he knew they had gone that way. Now
we went to the office and Jansen secured transportation for us to
the above Rochester, he then went with us to the house where the
baggage was and got it brought to the office about 5 o’clock in the
afternoon, when the steamer was to leave; afterwards he went with
us to some money changers to get our money changed into silver
for the Swedish Consul from whom we were to have our money in
Falreva as above stated, he cheated us a little; we should have had
silver and got nothing else than paper money and these we had to
have changed again for they would not be accepted up in the
country. I will state that there are many difficulties with money here;
there is an innumerable number of banks and the money isn’t
passed more than in the bank’s district; some of these (banks) are
weak so that it is difficult to receive money with which one is not
acquainted; all paper passes for the same as silver but people very
much prefer silver. Jansen and the other Norwegians we met
frightened us very much and said we must not go farther before we
changed our money to silver and so said Jansen went with us to get
our money changed. We came in to one and Jansen asked him how
much he took in percentage. He wanted 18 per cent and Jansen said
we should take silver. He changed 40 spd in silver and the rest in
pamper which I had to give 2 per cent for and when we considered
the matter all this was to no use for there would be banks and
exchange houses wherever we happened to stop; but this I could
not think of until it was too late but Ansteen didn’t change his
money but it was Jansen’s fault that I gave this money in exchange.
We went to another broker and asked him how much he wanted in
exchange. He said 12 per cent; then I found out how I had
exchanged my money, and for paper money he didn’t take any per
cent. Ansteen exchanged his money for paper but didn’t take any
silver.
Now I must write something about New York City, but which is
almost indescribable. Jansen went with us in many streets to show
us some of the splendid things in the city. All the streets in which we
walked were nothing but stores right through the buildings, yes, so
large that we could not see the end of them and was packed as
closely as possible with all kinds of goods. Yes, likewise on the
streets and buildings were all kinds of clothing, besides drawings
and pictures of men, horses, and all kinds of animals in their full
shape so we did not know but that they were alive; and the
buildings were 5 and 6 stories high. But navigation was still more to
be looked at with all the ships that lay here which I guarantee were
in the thousands and an immense number so large that the largest I
have seen in Norway were almost like yachts in comparison with
these and they looked as if they were cast in a mold. Likewise were
steamboats of which there surely were hundreds here and many
which went only across the river with passengers so that one could
go to the wharf whenever he pleased and there stood passage
ready. In the city was also a street which stood full the whole day
with horses and wagons only to be hired by anybody that wanted
them. I will also tell how it was with passage on the steamboat.
Here there is no question about getting passage but who ever wants
to can get his baggage and go on board and not speak to anybody.
This one can do no matter what country he is from; for there is
never a question about passports and the pay is collected on board
and tickets given until one goes ashore which are then to be
returned. Monday, the 19th of June, 5 o’clock in the afternoon, we
went on board the steamboat in New York for Albany which is 161
miles and arrived there in the morning; there we did not understand
a single person nor did we meet anybody that we could talk with.
When we were to go ashore there we did not know where we were
to go; but we had a ticket from the office in New York that we were
to have free passage to Rochester, this we exhibited and were
instructed accordingly. There came a man with horse and cart on
which we were to place our baggage; he drove us to an office and
said we should stop until the office was opened and then we should
show our tickets, that we understood. Soon the office was open and
we went in with our tickets which they took and kept and wrote one
for us instead. I asked the office man what time the boat would go
again; but although each one of us spoke his own tongue, I could
understand that it was not to go before in the afternoon. Now we
walked about in the city to see the sights and there we saw many
strange things; among other things we saw a great tower which
looked as if it were made of pure gold and we saw the glitter of this
tower out on the river before we came to the city. We went to this
tower to look at it; when we came near to it we could see that it was
plated with brass but this must have been gilt otherwise it would
fade. A somewhat smaller tower glittered like silver plated with tin;
likewise I have in America in several cities seen many houses with
roofs of tin. Here we also were permitted to examine the house
where the steam cars are kept. From there we saw that they drove
the cars with horses and 2 cars for each horse until they came some
distance from the city where the engine itself received them and
which hauled 20 cars at a time, even if all were filled with freight.
This railroad went over the Philadelphia but the length of it I do not
know.—Now I am going to report something that I have neglected,
namely: when we had come on board the steamboat in Provedens,
and just as we left the shore we saw an engine go from the
carhouse and draw 10 cars with it and all were filled with people;
this we stood on the deck and saw; it went to the city of Boston.
In the afternoon we went on board on the canal boat here in Albany.
These boats are all the same size. They are about 30 ells long and 5
ells wide with room for freight in the center and a cabin in each end
with costly curtains in the windows and painted floor with carpets
on; the other furniture in the rooms were for the most part polished.
At the first start of the canal boat they pushed this forward with
poles a little ways up the locks, that is, a dam which the boat went
up; above the lock there was built a large dam in which the boat
was turned around and under a house. Now one of the locks was
closed and the water tapped off so that the boat stood dry on some
beams; there was an arrangement whereby the boat was weighed
with the cargo in, excepting the people that went ashore; when this
was done the lock was opened and the boat floated and went back.
From there it was taken with 2 horses and hauled all the way to
Buffalo. With wonderment we looked at the works on this canal
especially the locks which were 85 in number and between 5 and 6
ells high and all of cut marble, and a large part of the finest white
marble. Along the canal there is an immense number of cities which
are lately founded; but I do not know the name of them because I
did not understand English. With wonderment we saw near a little
town a large steep hill which was covered with railroads for steam
cars. Yes, there went one railroad which could not escape this hill
and there for the first time we saw many cars hooked together
which came down the hill without both horses and engines, that we
could see; when they came down they were taken with horses;
likewise when the horses came to the hill from below with the car
many were hooked together and went up the hill of their own
accord.
Erik Hougen, from Thiin, stated that he took a ride on a steam car
from Albany, a distance upward which hauled 18 cars full of people;
but when they came to such a hill he said, the engine let go of them
and the other cars went down the hill by themselves; in the middle
of the hill they met a car with an awfully large load of stones which
went up on the other track. I did not see any engine that pulled but
by the side of the load was a big iron beam which went on cushions.
This was probably the machine. Perhaps this was in the same hill on
which we saw the cars go.
In Rochester we had heard it said that there were Norwegians there;
thither we came one morning early and went ashore and looked
about in the city. Ansteen now met a man that had arrived a year
before; this man was going to work so he did not get to talk much
with him; he directed us to where we might meet one who had been
there a few years but him we did not meet. While we went there
and waited we met a man by a bridge who was from Faaloino in
Stavanger County and had come over the year before. He told us
where the Norwegians had located in the west, namely, in the State
of Illinois, which was over 1000 miles from Buffalo. He told us that
the Norwegians who had come to Illinois had written to them how it
was there, that a plain laborer could get from 1 to 1½ dollars per
day and afterwards about the tradesmen, how much they could get
according to their kind; he said, “if you have so much money that
you can get there, you should not stop before you get there; if I had
so much money I would go tomorrow,” said he. He went with us into
a merchant he was acquainted with and asked if our money was
good enough; but he said that it did not pass in Illinois and if they
desired would exchange it without any per cent. That was very good
for there we got Illinois money; yes, we got some silver too in place
of paper.—The above mentioned man told us that the canal was
damaged and that we must not make contract with the captain
farther than there for the time being. Now, we parted with pleasure
from this man and betook us on the journey to Buffalo, which is 100
miles from Rochester.
When we came to the break in the canal referred to above we got
on to another boat; a lot of people came on board which were from
Bavaria in Germany, and some French; there was certainly 100 of
them and all were peasants; and all their male persons had blue
linen shirts outside of their clothes with large pockets on them which
hung outside and many wore caps which fitted close to the head.—
These people all had to be in the freight room; but we were allowed
to be in the front room with some Scotchmen with whom we were in
company from Albany; these were mostly young people of both
sexes but very good-natured and jolly with singing and other
entertainment; we got so acquainted with these as if we were the
best friends at home, but we did not understand each others’ talk.
When we came to Buffalo, which is the end of the canal, we had to
go from there on steamboat to Detroit; from Buffalo the Scotchmen
secured passage for us just as for themselves but some of them
parted with us there.—In Buffalo we first saw Indians; that is, the
original Americans who live about like the Lapps in Norway and
subsist on hunting and without houses; but have tents which they
move from one place to another. Those we saw there we could
notice were women; we came first into a merchant where one stood
and talked with him; when she went out we asked him what kind of
a person that was; he answered it was an Indian; but we did not yet
understand what that meant.—Their clothes consist of trousers on
each hip which extend from the upper part of the hip with a belt
around the waist and a strap from the trouser hips up to it besides a
shirt above which extends down to the hip, that is the underwear;
outside they have a sort of blanket which consists of white, blue,
and colored stripes which they hang over the head and which
reaches down on the legs and this they hold around themselves with
their hands; on their feet they have shoes of skin which are fitted
tight to the feet and no socks but the women have the most
beautiful etchings outside of their trousers and some of them wear
much of gold and silver ornaments.
Now we went on the steamboat in company with these Scotchmen
in Buffalo which went to Detroit over the Erie Lake which is a fresh
water and which is so large that we could not see land only on one
side; but when we came to Detroit we did not know where to go;
but 2 carpenters of these Scotchmen said that they were going to
Schicago, the same place as we were going to. We went with them
to the boarding house; I at once went out and down on the wharf to
look around; on the street I met one of the Norwegians who had
gone out from Bergen the 7th of April this year. When I came to talk
with him he related that there were about 80 persons in the
company who were bound for Schicago and they had been staying
here for 5 days and had not got passage but after 2 days they were
to get passage. Now we took leave of these Scotchmen and went to
our fellow countrymen with whom we have kept company from that
time on. In Detroit we had to pay 10 dollars apiece to Schicago,
which is 700 miles, which also was fresh water. On this steamboat
were such a great number of passengers that we could hardly sit
down. The sailors and others were so thievish that we could scarcely
keep our baggage; yes, a part of it they took from us.
They went into a city to take wood (fuel), the name of it I do not
remember but there was a fort. Here we got to see plenty of
Indians; when we got ashore there was on the pier a whole lot of
Indians. Among them was one who was said to be captain who was
very grand in clothes and a big silver ring in the nose, which was
fastened to the middle wing of the nose. In the ears there was a
sheaf of silver blocks and they had silk bands in the ears in which
these ornaments were hung; yes, many more had such things. One
had 3 tassels in the ear and 30 of the above blocks in each tassel
but there was only one with a ring in the nose. At the knees they
had wound pretty bands that were embroidered with small beads
and were very pretty and a whole tassel that hung down to the foot
which was embroidered with beads; that is the costume of the
menfolks. Some of the women had gold rings on the fingers almost
as many as they had room for. On one we counted them and she
had 44 gold rings on her hands. Another had covered the breasts
and over the shoulder with smooth silver brooches as closely as
possible. Their complexion is for the most part soot-brown or brown-
black with broad faces, without beard and long black hair. Some of
them had painted themselves with red, blue, and black stripes
across the faces, which was to mean that they would be manly in
strife if anybody attacked them. These people are very curious to
look at, still they look fierce; but they are said to be very good-
natured and a separate language they have. After we entered the
city called Gronbay (Green Bay), there were also some Indians.
There lay a garrison of warriors, which they said was to be for the
Indians if they should break in and make an attack. In this garrison
they wanted more men which they enlisted for 3 years and would
give 50 dollars in enlistment money and then 6 dollars a month and
free board and clothing and not much drill but good learning do they
get there. On a Sunday we came to Schicago; when we came ashore
there came Norwegians to talk with us but the most of them talked
unfavorably of the condition there. Some of the Norwegians,
especially the women, let themselves be frightened; but when we
had made some investigation it was not true. Many got into great
distress when they heard that there was not free land to be had.
Yes, a Norwegian from Stavanger County had lately been up in the
country but could not hear of any, he said and insisted that it was
much worse than in Norway, but he was a big talker and probably
also a big liar.
When we had remained here in the city a couple of days we learned
that 50 miles south from here there was free land. Now, it was
resolved that some men should go there and examine and the
others should remain in the city and that everyone that wanted land
should help pay for this journey, whereupon one was hired to take
them with team. Those that were chosen to go was Candidate
Rynning, from Sneaasen, near Tronhjem, 2 men from Bergen’s Stift
and I. When we came there we found that the land was poor but it
was resolved that we should remain there. Now, 2 men were to stay
to build a shanty to live in when the people got there and the lot fell
to me and one from Etne Sogn.—When the people got there we got
much abuse because the land was not good but when we had
hunted a few days all were satisfied except those who never can be
satisfied. The most of us located near a creek which is called
Baeverkrek (Beaver Creek) and there we took a piece of land each
and are now very well contented therewith if we are able to keep it
and pay for it. Here the land is so free that whatever nation that
comes can locate without asking anybody’s leave until the land
becomes sold and that is determined by the government; but here
there is much trading among people with free land. Here we have
now been 2 months and built a fine house with rooms in and now
we are going away to learn the language and to get some work
whereby we can earn money. Halsteen Flose separated from us in
Schicago and went in company with several westward in Illinois to
get work; we soon got the report from them that they all got work
and earned 1½ dollars a day besides free keep.—On our journey we
have been in intercourse with people almost from all European
lands, yes, original Americans and negroes. I have heard that these
people have many different religious sects but one cannot see any
great difference in their manner of living for they are polite and
friendly toward each other. But among the people which I have seen
that from the first I saw them seemed to be so horrible; they are the
black negroes with wool-curly hair and I had no desire to look at
them. But when I now for some time had been in intercourse with
them I thought they were the most lovable and jolly people I ever
have seen; wherever I see them they are all equally jolly, good-
natured and polite, so that I do not think anybody equal to them in
manners. The Indians on the other hand are the most horrible
people I have seen.
Among other stories I will also report that first mate Malgren from
Gothenborg told me of some curious things which he had seen in
Philadelphia. There was namely a fountain which was built and taken
out 6 English miles above the city and there it was pumped 600 feet
high from the river which was done with an engine so light that one
man could operate it up to 2 large dams which contained an
immense quantity of water. From there it went in iron pipes down to
the city where it was distributed in all streets so that they had spring
water nearly in every house; yes, it went up in the 4th and 5th
stories in the houses. At all corners and single streets there were
large fountains and hydrants where they put on the water hose
when fire breaks out in the city. There are certainly 60 of that kind
of hose which were of bright brass as well polished that one could
hardly look at them on account of the brilliancy. He said they were
indescribably good and that they never could burn more than one
house, no matter how fierce the fire had broke out for these hose
struck nearly through the houses, such force had they.
The above mentioned canal, namely from Albany to Buffalo, I have
now gotten knowledge of that it was first planned and begun to be
worked on in the year 1817 and in 1827 it was ready to be traveled
on in a distance of 60 Norwegian miles and cost 9 millions.
In the year 1836 work was begun on a canal which is to go from
Schicago to the Mississippi River and which will be 150 miles, that is
26 Norwegian miles. When this is finished one will be able to go by
water from New York to New Orleans which is 3500 English miles,
whereby one passes, rivers, canals, and fresh water. Likewise there
are built tracks for steam cars from Philadelphia nearly to Schicago.
Next summer there is to be built a railroad which is to go from the
one that comes from Philadelphia to Vaabais [Wabash], a river which
empties into the Mississippi and of this railway it is said that it shall
go across the Mississippi and clear across America even to the Pacific
Ocean. Here we may see there are good institutions and as land
becomes settled it becomes supplied with canals and railroads
everywhere, so that like a bird one can travel both by land and by
water.
In regard to religious sects there are great diversity and I have as
yet but little understanding of their teachings; but so far as I
understand they nearly all believe in one single, true God, and it
looks as if the government took much interest in a good religion. I
have examined many school books and so far as I understand, the
principles are the same as in Norway. There have been inserted in
the newspapers many examples as warnings for the people that they
ought to live righteously and pleasing to God. Yes, also in the
almanac these things are inserted, yes, and everywhere are many
warnings in regard to drunkenness and it is the greatest foolishness
that a man does to drink liquor, which it certainly also is. In Norway
people are urged and forced to drink liquor but so it is not here, for
here the people are induced by warnings to moderation; and when a
man accepts these warnings and reports it to his friends who also
will be the same, namely never either drink or treat liquor, and
thereby can many and large societies be freed from this vice.
A short story of the formation of the country.
When one goes from New York up through the country, it is a
perfectly dry, stony field, but quite well wooded and the soil
becomes better and better and everywhere fruitful. In the State of
New York it is quite mountainous in some places but in the State of
Michigan it is flat and level, besides wooded everywhere until one
reaches the State of Illinois. Here the land looks like the ocean after
a storm when the huge billows are rolling. Here there is timber
enough some places, as along rivers and other places; other places
timber stands in thick groves where people have settled. For the rest
there are only rolling plains which are called prairies and these are
everywhere overgrown with grass and are for the most part as the
best cultivated farms in Norway. These prairies one can plow and
seed with what you please which there grows abundantly without
being fertilized. Here the best timber land has been taken, but it
pays well to till the soil here, that I can see. The man that I now
have been with and worked for, has 160 acres land fenced in and
from this piece certainly has a crop for over 3000 dollars, although
certainly 40 acres are not seeded; they have little work with
planting. 160 acres costs 200 dollars to buy but it costs more to get
it fenced in. The size of one acre is 208 feet on each side.
Mr. Bekvald, the man I have been with this winter, told me that if
one goes from east to west one always has the best land before
him. Hitherto the people have moved east, namely to here; but now
they are moving from here more and more to the west where it is
also said to be better, although here it looks like being the best land
that anyone can desire; but I also have in my mind to go more to
the west to look for land.
I will also relate that I have been with a man and worked this winter
from the 14th of October to the present day and I have earned 50
dollars in a period of 4 months, in spite of the fact that I did not
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