Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North

25

, I hoped to behold a very Eden, and rejoiced at the prospect of observing the recreations of the higher classes, and at the same time gaining many acquisitions in specimens of plants, butterflies, and beetles. I resolved also to

ace of rendezvous, when my hostess informed me I had plenty of time, for Herr von H--- was still at dinner. Instead of meeting at two o'clock, we did not assemble until three, and ev

councillor, Herr von B---, who had been sent from Copenhagen to attend the "Allthing" (political assembly); and a Danish baron, who had accompanie

s or glaciers, seeming to look proudly down upon the mountains, as though they asked, "Why would ye draw men's eyes upon you, where we glisten in our silver sheen?" In the season of the year at which I beheld them, the glaciers were still very beautiful; not only their summits, but thei

carried me securely over masses of stone and chasms in the rocks, but I cannot describe the suffering its trot caused me. It is said that riding is most beneficial to those who suffer from liver-complaints. This may be the case; but

ith a board for the back. The rider was obliged to sit crooked upon the horse, and it was impossible to keep a fir

did not dare to ask if this was the great lake Vatne, or if this was the delicious prospect I had been promised, for my question would have been taken for irony. I could not refrain from wonder when Herr von H--- began praising th

the meadow. While the preparations for a social meal

erwards learnt that he owned fifty sheep, eight cows, and five horses, and was looked upon as one of the richest farmers in the neighbourhood. The kitchen was situated at the extreme end of the building, and was furnished with

d make out enough to discover that they were chiefly on religious subjects. But the farmer seemed also to love poetry; among the works of this class in his library, I noticed

he year for them; my search for herbs was more successful, and I even found some wild clover. I saw neither beetles nor butterflies; but, to my

and wine. Neither chairs nor benches were to be had, for even wealthy peasants only possess planks nailed to the walls of their rooms; so we all sat down upon the grass, and did ample justice t

ained from availing myself of their acquirements, in order not to disturb the hilarity of the conversation. I sat silently among them, and was perfectly contented in listening to their merriment. But my behaviour was set down as proceeding from stu

Icelandic song. At a distance it resembled the humming of bees; o

oached, and shook each of us by the hand. This is the usual mode of saluting such high

e length of the day and of the twilight. Until eleven o'clock at night I could read ordinary print in my room. From eleven till one o'clock it was dusk, but never so dark as to

ION TO

8th of June, but was disappointed in my expectations. I certainly saw many of these birds on the declivities and in the chasms of the rocks, sitting quietly on

paces away from the nest, and there sitting quietly down until I had departed. But those which already had live young, beat out boldly with their wings when I approached, struck at me with their bills, and allowed themselves to be taken up bodily rather than leave the nest. They are about the size of our ducks; their eggs are of a greenish grey, rather larger than hen's eggs, and taste very well. Altogether they lay about eleven eggs. The finest down is that with which they line their nests at first; it is of a dark grey colour. The Iceland

rom unapproachable precipices, where people are let down, or to which they are drawn up, by ropes, at pe

N FIS

s of stone loosely piled to the height of some three feet; and the retreat of the fish to the sea is thus cut off. When the day arrives on which the salmon are to be caught, a net is spread behind each of these walls. Three or four such dams are erected at intervals, of from eighty to a hundred paces, so that even if the fishes escape one barrier, they are generally caught at the next. The water is now

is not done with great quickness and care, many of the fishes escape. It is wonderful how these creatures can struggle themselves free, and leap into the air. The fishermen are obliged to wear woollen mittens, or they would be quite unable to hol

, they only brought the share of the merchant to the harbour of Reikjavik, and were far too lazy to carry the salmon from the boat to the warehouse, a distance certainly not more than sixty or se

unanimously concluded by several merchants, that the day and the salmon-fishing should be celebrated by a déje?ner à la fourchette. Every one contributed something, and a plentiful and elegant breakfast was soon arranged, which quite resembled an entertainment of

ly the more important purpose of application, and a hut has been erected, in order to shield the poor people from wind and rain while they are at work. Formerly this hut was furnished with a good door and with glazed windows, and the key was kept at an appointed place in the town, whence any one might fetch it. But the servants and peasant girls were soon too lazy to go for the key; they burst open the lock, and smashed the windows, so that now the hut ha

at most perhaps by a few children and peasants. Its medic

S AND SULPHUR-MOUN

. I was alone with my guide, who, like the rest of his class, could not be considered as a very favourable specimen of humanity. He was very lazy, exceedingly self-interested, and singularly

of lava, together with beautiful ferns eight or ten inches high. In spite of the trifling distance, I noticed, as a rule, that vegetation was here more luxuriant than at Reikjavik; for at the latter place I had found no strawberry-plants, and the violets were not yet in blossom. This difference in the

two or three feet in height, also some bilberry-plants. A number of little butterflies, all of

s are amply sufficient for the trip to Krisuvik,-it presents innumerable features for contemplation. I could only gaze and wonder. I forgot every thing

plain, seemed to have been called into existence by magic, as there was no mountain to be seen in the neighbourhood from which it could have emerged. It appeared to be the covering of an

k mountain, contrasting beautifully with the surrounding masses of light-grey lava. At first I supposed the lava must have streamed forth from this mountain, but soon found that the latter

e were obliged sometimes to climb the mountains by fearfully dizzy paths; at others to scramble downwards, almost clinging to the face of the rock. At some points we were even compelled to dismount from our horses, and scrambl

ys in Iceland, and this information quite reconciled me to the roads in this country. For the rest, the

uds of smoke, both small and great, were soon discovered rising from the surrounding heig

which separated us from Krisuvik. A few small lakes were still to be crosse

ingency rendered any thing but agreeable by the neighbourhood of the boiling springs. At length I gained the summit, and saw around me numerous basins filled with boiling water, while on all sides, from hill and valley, columns of vapour rose out of numberless clefts in the rocks. From a cleft in one rock in particular a mighty column of vapour whirled into the air. On the windward side I could approach this place very closely. The ground was only lukewarm in some places, and I could hold my hand for several moments to the gaps from which steam

had seen every thing worthy of notice; but much that was remarkable still remained. I particularly noticed a basin some five or six fe

f stunned, and could have fancied the vault of heaven would burst. This basin is situated in a corner of the valley, closely shut in on three sides by hills

autions, I frequently sank in above the ankles, and would then draw back with a start, and find my foot covered

se men are, however, so much accustomed to contingencies of this kind that they take little account of them. My guide would quietly repair

ided with a few boards, five or six feet in lengt

n, we arrived at Krisuvik. I now took time to look at this place, w

y small aperture. I found in this hut a few persons who were suffering from the eruption called "lepra," a disease but too commonly met with in Iceland. Thei

secration could be met with even among the most uncivilised nations. I was assured, indeed, that these abuses were about to be remedied. A reform of this kind ought to have been carried out long ago; and even

and some nice soft pillows soon appeared, and a very tolerable bed was prepared for me on a large chest in which the vestments of the priest, the coverings of the altar, &c., were deposited. I would willingly have locked myself in, eaten my frugal sup

struck by my mode of preparing coffee, and followed every one of my movements with eager eyes. My frugal meal dispatched, I resolved to try the patience of my audience, and, taking out my journal, began to write. For a few minutes they remained quiet, then they began to whisper one to another, "She writes, she writes," and t

ides this, on the night in question such a dreadful storm arose that the wooden walls creaked and groaned as though their foundations were giving way. The cold was also r

e 5

e before seven o'clock in the morning a thing not to be thought of. This is, how

kjavik by way of Grundivik and Keblevik, I chose this route in ord

green spot remained. I here met with masses of lava which presented an appearance of singular beauty. They were black mounds, ten or twelve feet in height, piled upon each other in the most varied forms, their bases covere

few wretched cottages, lies lik

night, and that it would be impossible for our horses, exhausted as they were with yesterday's march, to carry us t

distances with tolerable accuracy; it was also my custom before starting on a j

wending our way through fields of lava towards Stad, a

it closely resembled iron; its sides were perfectly smooth and shining,

a visit, and conducted me, not, as I anticipated, into his house, but into the church. Chairs and stools were quickly brought there, and my host introduced his wife and children to me, after wh

m on various subjects. On hearing that I had already been in Palestine, he put a number of questions to me, from which I could plainly see that he was ali

traces of vegetation, and covered throughout their extreme area by masses of lava-gloomy monuments of volcanic agency. And yet here, at the very heart of the subterranean fire, I saw only a single mountain, the summit of whi

of lava have poured forth, or how many hundred

at ships remain here at anchor only so long as is absolutely neces

s, are the only buildings in this little village. I was hospitably received, and res

long ride to Reikjavik, thirty-six goo

undivik almost to Havenfiord is ca

in the evening at Reikjavik, with no other wi

old, storms, and rain. To my great surprise, the roads had generally bee

at were they in comparison to the unutterably beautiful and marvellous phenomena of the no

Krisuvik, 37 miles; from Krisuvik to Keblevik, 39 miles;