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University  of  California. 

FROM    TflK   jjJI<ARY    OF 

DR.     FRANCIS     LIEBER, 

Professor  U  History  an/taw  in  Columbia  College,  New  York. 


THK    GIFT   OK 

HAEL     REESE, 

Of  San  Francisco. 
i  H  7 :  \ . 


^ 


JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND, 

AND 

TRAVELS   IN   SWEDEN   AND 
NORWAY. 

TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    GERMAN    OF 

IDA  PFEIFFEE, 

BY    CHARLOTTE    FE  VML  <;  TI  R    COOPER. 


N  E  W-Y  0  R  K : 

GEORGE   P.   PUTNAM,    155    BROADWAY. 
1852. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1852, 

BY  GEOPvGE  P.  PUTNAM, 
In  the  ClerkV  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New -York. 


TO   HER   DEAR   SONS 

ALFKED     AND      OSCAR, 

®f)ts  Book  is  JBtfrUateb 

BY 

IDA  PFEIFPEE. 


TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 


THE  translator  of  these  travels  has  been  anxious 
to  leave  the  text  as  much  as  possible  like  the 
original ;  and  to  avoid  making  any  change  in 
the  book  itself,  a  number  of  notes  have  been 
added,  for  the  benefit  of  the  American  reader, 
who  may  not  happen  to  be  familiar  with  the 
currency  or  distances,  and  a  few  other  terms 
used  by  Madame  Pfeiffer,  in  the  course  of  her 
narrative. 


PEEFACE. 


"  ANOTHER  journey,  and  that  to  regions  far  more  likely  to 
repel  than  attract  any  other  traveller !  This  woman 
could  have  had  no  object  in  visiting  such  a  country  but 
the  wish  to  excite  our  astonishment  and  curiosity." 

"  Her  first  journey,  although  it  was  a  tolerably  hazard- 
ous undertaking  for  a  woman  alone,  might  still  have  been 
overlooked,  for  it  was  possibly  prompted  by  her  religious 
feelings,  and  incredible  things,  as  every  one  knows,  are 
often  accomplished  from  such  an  impulse.  But  no  one 
can  suggest  a  reasonable  motive  for  the  present  expedi- 
tion." 

Thus,  and  perhaps  still  more  severely,  shall  I  be 
judged  by  the  crowd.  And  yet  it  does  me  great  injustice 
— I  am  a  simple  and  inoffensive  creature,  and  the  last 
thing  in  the  world  I  should  ever  dream  of,  would  be  to 


10  PREFACE. 

direct  the  observation  of  the  public  towards  myself.  Let 
me  briefly  reveal  my  character  and  circumstances,  when 
all  that  is  unaccountable  about  my  actions  will  disappear, 
and  they  will  be  seen  in  their  natural  light. 

From  my  earliest  childhood  I  have  had  an  intense 
longing  to  go  forth  into  the  wide  world.  I  could  never 
meet  a  travelling  carriage  without  stopping  to  watch  it  as 
•*it  passed  out  of  my  sight,  envying  the  very  postillion,  who 
had  accompanied  it,  as  I  thought,  during  the  whole  long 
journey. 

"When  I  was  a  little  girl  of  ten  or  twelve  years  old,  no 
reading  was  so  attractive  to  me  as  books  of  travels ;  and 
ceasing  to  envy  the  postillions,  I  could  not  but  repine  at 
the  happiness  of  every  great  navigator,  or  discoverer,  who 
could  explore  the  yet  unrevealed  secrets  of  the  natural 
world. 

Tears  often  rose  to  my  eyes  if,  after  climbing  a  hill,  I 
found  others  towering  up  beyond  my  reach,  and  I  could 
'not  see  what  lay  concealed  behind  them. 

I  travelled  a  great  deal  with  my  parents,  and  also  with 
my  husband,  after  I  was  married,  and  it  was  not  till  my 
two  boys  were  of  ari  age  to  be  sent  to  school  that  I  re- 
mained stationary  on  their  account. 

The  affairs  of  my  husband  required  his  presence  alter- 
nately in  Vienna  and  in  Lemberg.  He  made  over  to  me 
the  whole  charge  of  our  children,  and  relying  on  my  steadi- 
ness and  perseverance,  he  felt  assured  that  I  could  supply 
the  place  of  both  parents  to  them  at  once. 


PREFACE.  1 1 

When  the   education  of  my  sons  was  finished,  and  my 
life  was  spent  in  quiet  retirement,  the   dreams  and  fancies 
of  my  youth  revived  once  more  within  me ;  1  thought  of 
the  manners  and  customs  of  foreign  lands,  of  other  climes 
and  countries,  and    dwelt   so    long   on   the    inexpressible 
happiness  of  treading  the  soil  which  had  been  hallowed 
by  the  presence   of  the  Saviour,  that  at  last  my  resolution 
to  direct  my  steps  thither  became  confirmed.     In  vain  I 
pondered  on  every  drawback  to  such  an  expedition,  and 
looked  all  its  perils  in  the  face  ;  I  could  not  rid  myself  of 
the  idea.     Privations  were  of  little  consequence  to  me.     I 
was  hardy  and  strong,  I  had  no  dread  of  death,  and  born 
in  the  last  century,  I  need  not  fear  to  travel  alone.     Thus 
each  difficulty  was  set  aside;  every  thing  was  maturely 
considered  and  decided  upon ;  and  with  real  ecstasy  I  set 
forth  on  my  journey  to  Palestine, — and  lo  !  I  returned  in 
safety.     I  believed,  therefore,  that   I  was  not  presumptu- 
ously tempting  the  providence  of  God,  or  laying  myself 
open  to  the  charge  of  wishing  to  excite  the  admiration  of 
my  contemporaries,  if  I  followed  my  inward  impulse,  and 
went  forth  once  more  to  see  the  world.     Iceland  was  a 
country  where  I  hoped  to  behold  nature  under  an  aspect 
entirely  new  and  peculiar.     I  feel  so  supernaturally  happy, 
and  drawn  so  close  to  my  Maker,  while  gazing  upon  such 
scenes,  that  no  difficulties  or  fatigues  can  discourage  me 
from  seeking  so  great  a  reward. 

Should  death  surprise  me  in  any  of  my  wanderings,  I 
shall  meet  it  with  calmness,  thanking  God  from  my  inmost 


12  PREFACE. 

heart  for  the  blessed,  happy  hours  I  have  spent  in  admir- 
ing the  wonders  of  his  creation. 

And,  thou,  dear  reader,  chide  not  if  I  have  written  so 
much  about  myself,  but  let  these,  my  inborn  sentiments, 
plead  my  excuse  for  that  love  of  adventure,  which  in  the 
eyes  of  many  does  not  accord  with  what  is  becoming  in 
my  sex. 

Judge  me  not  too  harshly,  but  rather  freely  grant  me 
an  indulgence,  which  injures  no  one  and  makes  me  so 
truly  blessed. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 


Bqwrto  frnm  %r 

IN  the  year  1845  I  began  my  interesting  journey  to  the 
northward.  Iceland  was  one  of  those  spots  which  I 
have  longed  to  see  from  the  first  period  of  my  recollection. 
In  this  country,  peculiarly  unblessed  by  nature,  to  which 
nothing  similar  is  to  be  found  on  earth,  I  hoped  to  discover 
that  which  would  fill  me  with  new  and  unutterable  astonish- 
ment. Oh,  my  gracious  God  !  how  thankful  I  am  to  Thee, 
who  hast  allowed  my  favorite  dream  to  become  a  reality  ! 

On  this  occasion  I  took  leave  of  all  my  beloved  ones 
with  a  far  lighter  heart  than  before,  for  I  now  knew  by  ex- 
perience, that  a  woman,  with  a  strong  will,  can  go  forth  into 
the  world  as  well  as  a  man,  and  that  kindness  is  to  be  met 
with  every  where  among  our  fellow-beings.  Moreover,  the 
trials  of  this  journey  could  last  but  a  short  time,  and  in 
five  or  six  months  I  might  hope  to  see  my  friends  again. 

I  left  Vienna  on  the  10th  of  April,  at  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  As  even  the  railroad  had  not  escaped  the 
consequences  of  the  late  devastation  caused  by  the  overflow- 


1 4  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

ing  of  the  Danube,  I  was  obliged  to  accomplish  the  first 
mile*  to  Florisdorf  far  from  agreeably,  in  an  omnibus.  Our 
omnibuses  are  so  narrow  and  close  that  one  would  think 
they  were  merely  intended  for  the  consumptive,  and  not 
for  healthy  travellers,  moving  about  in  great  state  with  all 
their  superfluous  cloaks,  furs  and  overcoats. 

We  had  hardly  reached  the  barrier  when  a  new  impedi- 
ment occurred.  Each  passenger  was  requested  in  turn  at 
the  gates  to  present  his  passirschein  (or  custom-house  per- 
mit) ;  but  when  the  last  of  our  party,  a  young  man,  was 
applied  to,  he  seemed  entirely  taken  by  surprise  at  the  de- 
mand. He  had  nothing  with  him  but  his  pass  and  his  tes- 
timonials, and  had  yet  to  learn  that  a  passirschein  was 
more  powerful  than  either.  He  went  himself  to  the  omce 
and  represented  his  case,  but  in  vain ;  and  we  were  obliged 
to  move  on  without  him. 

We  then  learned  that  he  was  a  student  who  had  just 
gone  through  his  examination,  and  was  on  his  way  to  spend 
a  few  weeks'  vacation  with  his  parents  near  Prague.  Poor 
fellow !  he  had  studied  so  much,  and  yet  so  little  !  He  was 
not  aware  of  the  extraordinary  value  of  such  a  document, 
and  this  oversight  cost  him  his  expenses  to  Prague,  which 
were  paid  in  advance. 

But  to  proceed  with  my  journey. 

At  Florisdorf  I  was  agreeably  surprised  by  the  appear- 
ance of  my  brother  and  my  son,  who  had  driven  on  before 
me  without  my  being  aware  of  it.  We  took  the  cars  to- 
gether for  Stockerau  (three  miles),  but  we  were  obliged  to 
alight  half  way,  and  proceed  a  short  distance  on  foot,  over 
a  place  where  the  banks  of  the  road  had  caved  in.  Fortu- 
nately it  did  not  rain  although  it  blew  a  violent  gust,  other- 

*  A  German  mile  is  about  four  and  a  half  English  miles. — Trans. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  VIENNA.  15 

wise  we  could  hardly  have  escaped  being  wet  to  the  skin, 
and  should  have  sunk  ankle  deep  in  the  mud.  Having 
crossed  the  dangerous  spot,  we  were  compelled  to  wait  in 
the  open  air  till  the  train  from  Stockerau  had  arrived,  de- 
posited its  passengers,  and  taken  us  up  in  their  stead. 

At  Stockerau  I  took  a  second  leave  of  my  companions, 
and  was  safely  seated  in  the  stage  coach,  and  sent  forth  on 
my  way. 

This  was  the  fourth  conveyance  I  had  entered  in  that 
short  distance ;  a  great  inconvenience  when  one  has  nothing 
to  carry,  and  so  much  the  worse  when  one  has  all  one's  lug- 
gage to  dispose  of ;  the  only  advantage  in  the  arrangement 
that  I  could  see,  being  one  half  hour  gained  in  the  four 
miles,  while  at  the  same  time,  instead  of  paying  the  former 
price  of  nine  florins  and  thirty-six  kreuzers*  from  Vienna 
to  Prague,  it  cost  us  ten  florins  and  ten  kreuzers  from 
Stockerau  to  Prague,  without  including  the  omnibus  or  the 
railroad.  That  half  hour  was  rather  dearly  purchased  ! 

The  little  town  of  Znaim,  with  its  adjacent  convent, 
which  lay  on  our  road,  is  situated  in  a  wide  plain,  stretch- 
ing from  Vienna  towards  Budnitz.  four  miles  beyond 
Znaim,  the  uniformity  of  which  is  only  broken  by  an  occa- 
sional rise  in  the  ground.  The  country  improved  in  beauty 
as  we  approached  Schelletau,  where  the  eye  embraces  a 
range  of  high  hills  to  the  left,  and  a  ruined  castle  recalls 
those  tragic  romances  of  the  days  of  chivalry  so  much  in 
vogue  during  the  past  century ;  while  the  road  itself  is 
shaded  by  fir  trees  which  are  also  beautifully  scattered  over 
the  hills  and  throughout  the  valleys. 

April  \\th. — The  weather  was  by  no  means  pleasant 

*  An  Austrian  florin  is  worth  forty-eight  cents  American  money, 
and  there  are  sixty  kreuzers  to  a  florin. — Trans. 


16  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

yesterday  ;  we  found  the  valleys  about  Znaim  still  par- 
tially covered  with  snow,  and  were  often  enveloped  in  fogs 
so  thick  that  we  could  hardly  see  a  hundred  paces  before 
us.  But  it  was  even  worse  to-day  ;  for  the  mists  dissolved 
in  a  soft  rain,  which  lost  so  much  of  its  gentleness  as  we 
advanced  from  station  to  station,  that  every  thing  around 
us  was  soon  immersed  in  water  \  and  the  roof  of  our  coach 
being  a  perfect  sieve,  the  rain  poured  in  upon  us  in  tor 
rents  ;  had  the  space  permitted  it,  every  umbrella  would 
have  been  raised. 

On  such  occasions,  I  can  never  cease  to  admire  the  pa 
tience  of  my  worthy  countrymen,  who  submit  to  similar 
inconveniences  with  the  most  complete  indifference.  Were 
I  a  man,  I  should  take  a  different  course,  and  never  suffer 
any  carelessness  of  this  nature  to  pass  unpunished.  But 
being  a  woman,  I  am  silent, — a  remonstrance  from  one  of 
my  sex  would  only  be  received  with  contempt.  Moreover, 
I  felt  that  my  good  genius  had  prepared  these  annoyances 
for  me  as  a  forewarning  of  what  was  awaiting  me  in  the  far* 
North. 

After  touching  at  several  small  towns  and  villages,  we 
entered  upon  the  Bohemian  dominions  just  beyond  Iglau. 
Czaslau,  the  capital  of  the  first  Circle  through  which  we 
passed  in  this  kingdom,  has  a  large  square,  with  neat  houses, 
and  arbors  in  front  of  them,  by  means  of  which  one  can 
walk  dry-footed  round  the  whole  square  during  the  worst 
weather. 

"We  observed  a  fine  cathedral  at  Kuttenberg,  a  place 
once  celebrated  for  its  gold  and  silver  mines,  and  a  little 
beyond  it  the  great  tobacco  manufactory  of  Sedlitz.  The 
Elbe  appeared  in  sight  for  a  short  time,  but  soon  wound  off 
again  in  a  different  direction.  We  passed  the  market-town 
of  Collin,  and  drove  close  to  the  battle-field  where  the 


PRAGUE.  17 

great  Frederick  found  his  match  in  the  Austrians  in  the 
year  1757  ;  an  event  which  has  been  commemorated  within 
a  few  years  past  by  an  obelisk  erected  to  the  honor  of  Gen- 
eral Daun ;  the  valley  of  Klephorcz,  where  his  army  lay 
encamped,  was  pointed  out  to  the  left. 

At  eleven  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  reached 


It  was  my  intention  to  have  spent  but  two  days  in  this 
place  ;  and  my  first  steps  on  the  following  morning  were  to 
the  police  office,  to  obtain,  in  addition  to  my  passport,  that 
far  more  important  paper,  a  passirschein ;  and  my  next 
were  to  the  custom-house,  where  I  was  to  receive  a  trunk; 
which  I  had  dispatched  five  days  before  my  own  departure 
from  Vienna  by  the  express,  on  the  distinct  assurance  that 
I  should  find  it  here  when  I  arrived.*  But,  alas  for  the 
express  !  no  trunk  was  there.  Sunday  followed  Saturday  ; 
but  on  Sunday  the  custom-house  is  closed.  Thus  a  day 
was  lost,  a  whole  day,  when  I  could  have  gone  on  to  Dres- 
den, and  visited  the  opera  besides. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  I  hastened  to  the  custom- 
house, and  found  that  my  trunk  had  not  yet  arrived.  But 
as  several  loaded  wagons  were  waiting,  I  staid  to  see  them 
examined,  watching,  oh  how  anxiously  !  for  the  appearance 
of  my  treasure,  not  indeed  to  press  it  with  rapture  to  my 
heart,  but  to  throw  it  open  and — display  its  contents  before 
Jhe  custom-house  officer. 

I  took  but  a  hasty  survey  of  Prague,  having  been  long 


*  These  trifles  are  mentioned  as  a  warning  to  travellers  not  to  be 
Miarated  from  their  effects. 


1 8  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

familiar  with  every  object  worthy  of  notice  in  the  place.  I 
admired  its  beautiful  moat,  the  horse-market,  and  the  broad, 
well-built  streets  of  the  new  town.  The  old  stone  bridge, 
from  which  Saint  John  of  Nepomuk  was  thrown  into  the 
Moldau  for  having  refused  to  betray  the  secret  confession 
of  the  wife  of  King  Wenceslaus,  is  also  an  object  of  especial 
interest.  I  crossed  the  river,  ascended  the  Hradschin,  and 
visited  the  cathedral,  where  a  large  sarcophagus,  upheld 
by  angels  and  surmounted  by  a  canopy  of  dark  red  damask, 
is  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  this  saint.  The  monument 
is  of  silver,  and  the  value  of  the  metal  alone  is  estimated 
at  80,000  florins.  The  church  itself,  although  not  large,  is 
built  in  the  noble  gothic  style,  to  which  the  side  altars  pre- 
sent a  very  striking  contrast  with  their  numerous  figures 
and  decorations  of  gilded  wood.  The  chapels  contain 
many  monuments,  on  which  repose  stone  knights  and 
bishops,  but  in  such  a  damaged  condition,  that  hands  and 
feet  are  frequently  missing,  and  in  some  instances  even  the 
heads.  On  the  right,  as  you  enter  the  church,  is  the  cele- 
brated chapel  of  Saint  Wenceslaus,  the  walls  of  which  were 
once  adorned  with  frescoes  and  inlaid  with  precious  stones, 
though  the  drawings  and  colors  of  the  former  are  now 
nearly  effaced. 

Not  far  from  the  cathedral  is  the  remarkable  palace  of 
Count  Czernim,  numbering  as  many  windows  as  there  arc 
days  in  the  year.  I  saw  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  ;  but 
how  it  is  of  a  leap-year  I  am  not  able  to  tell.  There  is  a 
very  pleasing  view  from  the  belvedere  of  this  palace,  which 
overlooks  the  old  and  new  parts  of  the  town,  the  beautiful 
river  with  its  venerable  stone  bridge,  already  mentioned,  a 
more  modern  and  very  elegant  suspension  bridge,  six  hun- 
dred paces  long,  and  the  heights  around  covered  with  gar- 
dens and  handsome  country  houses. 


PRAGUE.  [g 

The  streets  of  the  Kleinseite  (or  Little  Prague)  are 
steep,  narrow,  and  crooked  ;  but  they  contain  many  fine 
palaces,  among  which  none  is  more  likely  to  attract  the  no- 
tice of  the  traveller  than  that  of  Wallenstein  Friedland. 

After  I  had  visited  the  church  of  Saint  Nicholas,  con- 
spicuous for  its  high  nave  and  handsome  cupola,  and  h?,i 
examined  the  Wimmerischen  buildings,  I  repaired  to  the 
Bastei,  the  fashionable  resort  of  the  public  in  Prague. 
Here  I  could  form  some  idea  of  the  desolation  caused  by 
the  late  flood.  In  overflowing  its  banks,  the  Moldau  had 
violently  swept  away  a  great  many  small  houses  and  one 
entire  hamlet  not  far  from  Prague  ;  every  dwelling  on  its 
shores,  indeed,  had  been  more  or  less  injured  ;  and  though 
the  waters  had  now  subsided,  the  traces  of  ruin  were  still 
to  be  seen  in  the  deserted  houses,  with  their  shattered  doors 
and  vacant  windows.  The  river  rose  on  this  occasion  two 
feet  higher  than  in  the  year  1784,  when  it  also  swelled  to 
an  unusual  height.  From  this  place  I  overlooked  the  large 
inclosure  lately  purchased  for  the  terminus  of  the  Vienna 
and  Dresden  railroad.  Several  houses  had  lately  been 
torn  down  on  the  spot,  and  the  foundations  of  the  new 
buildings  were  but  just  begun  ;  still  I  was  assured  that  the 
whole  would  be  completed  within  six  months. 

I  was  very  much  struck  with  the  number  of  dog-carts 
which  I  met  during  my  long  walk  this  morning.  They  are 
used  to  bring  milk,  vegetables,  and  other  provisions  into  the 
city  ;  and  I  almost  fancied  myself  transported  to  G-reenland 
or  Lapland  when  I  saw  so  many  of  these  animals  in  har- 
ness. Each  cart  is  drawn  by  three  or  four  dogs  ;  on  level 
ground  they  can  pull  a  weight  of  three  hundred  pounds, 
the  driver  lending  his  assistance  over  the  steep  places. 
The  dogs  have  the  additional  merit  of  being  very  faithful 
guardians,  and  I  would  not  advise  any  one  to  venture  too 


20  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

near  one  of  these  carts  when  they  are  standing  before  tke 
beer-house  where  their  owner  is  carousing  with  his  lately 
earned  gains. 

I  left  Prague  at  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  15th, 
and  drove  three  miles  in  the  post-coach  to  Obristwy  on  the 
Elbe,  where  I  embarked  for  Dresden  (twenty-two  miles)* 
in  the  steamer  Bohemia,  a  miserable  old  craft  of  fifty  horse 
power,  which  could  have  known  but  little  of  luxury  and 
comfort  in  its  best  days.  The  fare  for  this  short  trip  of 
eight  or  nine  hours  was  very  high ;  but  the  traveller  has 
the  prospect  of  being  soon  revenged  for  this  extortion  by 
the  new  railroad,  which  will  occasion  a  great  saving  of 
time  and  money,  although  the  journey  by  water  has  much 
the  advantage  in  point  of  beauty,  especially  as  you  approach 
the  Saxon  Switzerland.  The  sail  is  not  very  interesting  at 
first,  however,  as  there  is  nothing  attractive  about  the  bar- 
ren hills,  and  the  great  plains  lately  flooded  by  the  waters 
of  the  stream,  which  swept  over  the  roofs  of  the  huts  and 
buried  the  trees  to  their  summits.  Nothing  can  exceed 
this  sad  picture  of  desolation  and  ruin,  which  extends  as 
far  as  Melnick,  where  the  ground  is  higher,  and  little  clus- 
ters of  houses  are  again  seen  among  the  spreading  vine- 
yards. The  Moldau  flows  into  the  Elbe  opposite  this  town, 
and  the  renowned  Saint  G-eorgsberg  is  seen  in  the  distance, 
from  whence  tradition  relates  that  Czech  overran  the 
whole  of  Bohemia. 

The  hills  gradually  rise  into  mountains ;  and  two  fine 


*  Nearly  a  hundred  English  miles. 

|  Czech,  or  Zecko,  is  said  to  have  conquered  Bohemia  with  an 
army  of  Sclavonians  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  The  people 
of  the  country  still  call  themselves  Tschechen,  and  the  descendants  of 
those  warriors  are  to  be  found  in  the  land  to  this  day. — Trans. 


DRESDEN.  21 

ruins,  Hafenberg  and  Skalt,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Raud- 
nitz,  rejoice  those  romantic  eyes  which  can  see  no  charm 
in  a  prospect  unless  it  possess  some  such  vestige  of  the 
olden  time. 

Leitmeritz  has  a  noble  castle,  a  church  and  cloister,  and 
a  high-arched  wooden  bridge  which  unites  the  shores  of  the 
Elbe  to  those  of  its  tributary  the  Eger.  It  was  not  without 
great  difficulty  that  our  poor  sailors  managed  their  mast 
and  chimney  under  this  bridge. 

Gross  Czernoseck  is  rather  a  handsome  village,  princi- 
pally remarkable  for  its  enormous  cellar  hewn  out  of  the 
rock,  into  which  a  carriage  and  horses  can  drive  and  turn 
with  ease.  The  wine  vats  are  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
the  cave,  particularly  those  named  after  the  twelve  Apos- 
tles, each  one  of  which  contains  three  thousand  six 
hundred  gallons.  A  short  delay  would  have  been  agreeable 
here,  in  order  to  afford  each  worthy  votary  of  Bacchus  an 
opportunity  to  visit  this  palace  of  a  cellar  and  pour  out  a 
libation  to  the  "  Apos'tles  ;" — but  our  boat  glided  swiftly 
by,  and  we  were  obliged  to  content  ourselves  with  the  de- 
scriptions of  those  who  were  familiar  with  the  spot,  and  had 
doubtless  drawn  frequent  inspiration  from  its  depths. 

The  scenery  became  more  lovely  every  moment  as  we 
advanced.  The  hills  press  forward  and  narrow  the  channel 
of  the  river,  while  romantic  rocks  rise  up  between  them, 
crowned  by  still  more  romantic  ruins.  The  old  castle  of 
Schreckenstein,  which  is  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preservation, 
presents  a  very  striking  appearance  5  it  lies  stretched  over 
the  whole  summit  of  a  steep,  rocky  promontory,  and  is  ap- 
proached by  winding  paths  cut  in  the  stone.  The  borough 
of  Auffig  possesses  the  largest  stone  quarries  and  peat-mines 
in  Bohemia.  A  variety  of  the  grape  grows  in  the  little 


22  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

rocky  district  of  Paschkal,  in  this  neighborhood,  which  is 
said  to  produce  a  wine  not  unlike  champagne. 

The  hills  rose  higher  and  higher  till  we  reached  the 
gigantic  Jungfernsprung  ;  and  the  beauty  of  this  prospect 
is  only  surpassed  by  the  situation  of  the  town  and  castle  of 
Tetschen  ;  the  latter  stands  on  a  rock  rising  abruptly  from 
the  Elbe  to  the  height  of  twenty  or  thirty  feet.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  green-houses  and  beautiful  gardens,  which 
stretch  down  to  the  little  town,  nestling  with  its  small 
harbor  in  a  sweet  valley  apparently  completely  shut  in 
from  the  outer  world  by  the  high  chain  of  hills  which  en- 
circle it. 

The  left  bank  is  an  almost  unbroken  line  of  rocks  an'1 
precipices,  with  only  an  occasional  spot  occupied  by  a  farm- 
house or  a  solitary  hut.  In  one  place  the  eye  is  suddenly 
arrested  by  the  sight  of  tall  masts  rising  above  the  high 
cliffs  around  them  ;  this  apparition  is  explained  by  a  cleft 
in  the  rocks  forming  a  very  excellent  basin. 

On  reaching  Schandau.  a  little  hamlet  on  the  Saxon 
boundary,  we  received  the  usual  visit  from  the  custom-house 
officers,  who  came  on  board  our  steamer  and  rummaged 
every  thing  we  possessed.  The  Daguerreotype  apparatus 
in  one  of  my  trunks  appeared  rather  suspicious  to  them  at 
first ;  but  upon  my  assurance  that  I  merely  carried  it  for 
my  own  use,  I  was  very  civilly  permitted  to  retain  it. 

Proceeding  once  more  on^  our  way,  our  attention  was 
frequently  arrested  by  the  picturesque  cliffs,  whose  names 
generally  bore  an  allusion  to  their  peculiar  shape,  such  as 
the  Zirkelstein^  the  Liliemtein,  and  others.  The  borough 
of  Konigstein  lies  at  the  foot  of  a  jagged  mass  bearing 
the  same  name,  inclosing  a  fortress,  which  is  used  as  a 
prison  for  state  criminals.  A  little  farther  on  I  observed 


DRESDEN.  23 

two  huge  rocks  lying  one  above  the  other,  which  formed  a 
perfectly  natural  image  of  a  human  head.  At  Rathen 
we  were  already  within  the  confines  of  the  Saxon  Switzer- 
land. While  hurrying  through  the  Bastei  we  had  barely 
time  to  admire  the  wonderful  grouping  of  these  famous 
natural  ramparts,  for  our  steamer  moved  so  rapidly  that  we 
lost  one  lovely  scene  while  gazing  at  another  equally  at- 
tractive on  the  opposite  shore.  We  reached  Pirna,  at  the 
extremity  of  this  mountain  pass,  much  too  soon.  The 
ancient  gateway  of  this  little  town  is  conspicuous  above  all 
its  other  buildings.  Sonnenstein  is  a  large  castle  lying 
among  the  cliffs,  which  is  now  used  as  an  asylum  for 
lunatics. 

The  most  interesting  part  of  our  journey  was  now  over. 
The  royal  castle  of  Pilnitz,  with  its  pointed  Chinese  roofs, 
did  not  offer  a  very  favorable  contrast  to  the  magnificent 
natural  scenery  we  had  just  passed.  The  adjacent  chain  of 
hills,  covered  with  villas,  incloses  the  wide  plain  at  the  far 
end  of  which  glistened  the  capital  of  Saxony  ;  and  we  had 
hardly  time  to  collect  our  luggage,  before  our  anchor  was 
dropped  near  the  beautiful  bridge  at  Dresden. 

This  bridge  had  also  been  seriously  injured  by  the 
rising  of  the  waters ;  one  of  the  middle  pillars  gave  way, 
and  the  cross  and  sentry-box  were  thrown  into  the  river. 
At  first  the  extent  of  the  mischief  was  not  suspected,  and 
the  bridge  was  used  for  some  time  after  the  flood,  when  it 
was  ascertained  to  be  very  unsafe,  and  nothing  was  allowed 
to  cross  it  for  several  months. 

I  had  been  well  acquainted  with  all  the  sights  of  Dres- 
den for  several  years,  and  therefore  devoted  the  two  even- 
ings I  spent  there  to  the  fine  theatre,  the  only  remarkable 
edifice  in  the  place  which  was  new  to  me.  It  is  situated  in 
the  centre  of  the  handsome  Domplatz,  and  immediately  at- 


24  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

tracts  attention  by  its  elegant  structure  and  rotunda-shape. 
A  wide  corridor,  with  large  bay-windows  and  a  very  high 
ceiling,  surrounds  the  whole  building,  and  several  broad 
staircases  lead  from  the  different  entrances  to  the  galleries. 
The  interior  of  the  theatre  is  not  so  large  as  might  be  im- 
agined from  its  external  appearance,  but  the  architecture 
and  decorations  are  really  magnificent.  The  boxes  are  all 
open,  and  divided  by  a  low  partition,  the  seats  and  walls 
being  covered  with  heavy  silks,  while  a  less  expensive  ma- 
terial is  used  for  the  benches  of  the  third  and  fourth  gal- 
leries. I  was  only  disturbed  by  one  acoustic  drawback ; 
the  least  whisper  of  the  prompter  could  be  heard  as  dis- 
tinctly as  if  he  were  directly  behind  me.  The  curtain  had 
hardly  fallen  before  the  house  was  emptied,  without  the 
least  confusion,  and  I  was  then  particularly  impressed  with 
the  excellent  arrangement  of  the  numerous  and  convenient 
outlets. 

April  16th. — The  Dresden  omnibuses  may  be  cited  as 
models  of  comfort ;  there  is  ample  space  for  everybody,  and 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  exuberant  corpulency  or  supernu- 
merary cloaks  and  furs  of  our  fellow-passengers.  They 
are  are  also  provided  with  check-strings  to  communicate 
with  the  driver  when  any  one  wishes  to  alight.  These  om- 
nibuses drive  by  all  the  great  hotels,  and  pause  a  moment 
before  each  ;  but  if  th'e  traveller  is  not  on  the  spot,  he  will 
be  sure  to  be  left  behind.  One  of  them  stopped  at  the 
door  of  my  hotel  at  half-past  five  in  the  morning  ;  I  was 
already  waiting,  and  soon  rolled  along  very  pleasantly  to 
the  railway.  The  distance  between  Dresden  and  Leipsic 
is  called  twelve  miles,*  which  we  accomplished  in  three 
hours. 

*  Fifty-four  English  miles. — TV. 


LEIPSIC.  25 

The  first  few  miles  are  delightful ;  gardens,  fields,  and 
meadows,  fir-trees  scattered  over  the  plain  and  on  the 
heights,  with  villages,  farm-houses,  country-seats,  and  a  few 
solitary  chapels  between,  form  a  most  pleasing  landscape  ; 
but  it  is  soon  ended  ;  and  Meissen,  well  known  for  its 
porcelain  manufactories,  lying  on  the  left,  may  be  called 
the  key-stone  of  the  beautiful  scene. 

A  tiresome  and  monotonous  plain,  only  enlivened  by  an 
occasional  village  or  a  solitary  farm,  extends  the  rest  of  the 
way  to  Leipsic  ;  the  only  objects  of  interest  tha-t  we  saw 
were  a  great  tunnel  and  the  river  Pleisse,  the  latter,  or  to 
speak  more  correctly,  the  Bister,  being  celebrated  for  the 
death  of  Prince  Poniatowsky.  The  city  of  Leipsic  is  world-re- 
nowned for  its  book-trade  and  for  its  great  fair,  which 
draws  crowds  to  the  place  every  year.  I  found  the  streets, 
the  squares,  and  the  hotels  thronged  to  overflowing. 

Few  towns  are  so  much  disfigured  as  Leipsic  by  the 
innumerable  sign-boards  of  all  shapes  and  sizes  which  often 
project  from  the  houses  several  feet  into  the  street.  Among 
the  buildings,  those  which  pleased  me  most  were  the  Au- 
gusteum  and  the  Biirgerschule.  The  Book  Hall  is  inter- 
esting from  its  contents,  but  has  no  claims  to  architectural 
merit.  The  hall  itself  is  large,  covering  one  whole  floor ; 
there  are  a  few  rooms  beneath  it,  but  the  whole  building  is 
perfectly  plain.  The  Cloth  Hall  is  another  large  edifice, 
equally  unadorned,  which  contains  vast  stores  of  cloth  in  its 
wide  vaults.  The  theatre  is  on  a  very  large  square,  and  is 
not  remarkable  either  within  or  without.  The  arrangement 
of  the  reserved  seats,  in  front  of  the  boxes,  was  new  to  me. 
I  heard  the  orchestra ;  but  it  was  a  mystery  to  me  where 
it  happened  to  be  situated  ;  apparently  it  burst  from  behind 
the  scenes.  This  was  quite  an  unusual  circumstance,  as  I 
was  assured,  and  only  occurred  when  tha  seats-  of  the  or 
2 


26  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

chestra  were  reserved,  as  was  the  case  on  the  present  occa- 
sion. The  play  was  that  favorite  piece  of  G-utzkow's,  "  The 
original  Tartuffe,"  and  was  extremely  well  performed. 

I  had  an  opportunity  of  observing,  for  the  second  time, 
in  the  theatre  at  Leipsic,  that  the  worthy  Saxons  are  by  no 
means  behind  the  much  reviled  inhabitants  of  Vienna  in 
point  of  appetite.  In  the  Dresden  theatre  I  had  already 
noticed  some  ladies,  my  near  neighbors,  who  carried  a  sup- 
ply of  pastry  in  a  pretty  little  bag,  with  which  they  be- 
guiled the  time  between  the  acts.  But  at  Leipsic,  I  saw  a 
tender  mother  regaling  herself  and  her  young  son,  a  boy  of 
fifteen  or  sixteen,  with  a  more  substantial  repast — white 
bread  and  salami  !*  I  could  hardly  believe  my  eyes  at 
first,  and  thought  it  must  be  an  imitation  sausage,  from 
the  confectioner's.  But  my  nose  convinced  me  only  too 
soon  that  my  remaining  doubts  were  groundless. 

In  both  instances  this  did  not  happen  in  the  higher  re- 
gions of  the  temple  of  Thalia,  where  such  a  thing  might  be 
witnessed  occasionally  even  with  us — no,  it  was  in  the  re- 
served seats  of  the  second  tier. 

Leipsic  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  avenues.  I  took  a 
walk  to  the  Rosenthal,  which  also  boasts  of  its  fair  alleys 
and  grass-plots  ;  a  neat  coifee-house,  with  a  very  pretty 
kiosk  of  a  semi-oval  shape,  invites  the  weary  to  repose  and 
refreshment,  and  agreeable  music  gives  additional  life  and 
animation  to  the  scene. 

The  other  environs  of  Leipsic  present  nothing  to  the 
eye  but  one  monotonous  and  immeasurable  plain. 

April  \lth. — I  had  wished  to  pursue  my  journey  to 
Hamburgh  through  Berlin,  but  the  weather  proved  to  be  so 
cold  and  stormy,  and  the  rain  fell  in  such  torrents,  that  I 

*  An  Italian  sausage,  made  of  asses'  meat. — Tr. 


MAGDEBURGH.  27 

determined  to  take  the  shorter  route,  and  went  by  the  rail- 
way to  Magdeburgh.  We  flew  across  the  dreary  plain, 
through  Halle,  Kothen,  and  other  towns,  of  which  I  saw 
but  little,  hastily  saluting  the  Sale  and  the  Elbe  as  we 
passed.  Towards  ten  in  the  morning  we  were  at  Magde- 
burgh, having  run  over  these  fifteen  miles*  in  three  hours 
and  a  half. 

The  steamer  did  not  leave  for  Hamburgh  till  three 
o'clock  ;  I  had  therefore  ample  leisure  to  explore  the  town. 

Magdeburgh  resembles  a  pattern-card — with  its  different 
buildings  belonging  to  the  oldest,  the  middle,  and  the  latest 
ages.  The  main  street,  called  the  Broadway,  which  divides 
the  town,  is  peculiarly  striking  ;  houses  are  there  of  the 
most  ancient  date,  which  have  withstood  sieges  and  set  ruin 
at  defiance  ;  houses  of  every  form  and  color,  some  with 
pinnacles  and  stone  figures  still  standing  upon  them  ;  some 
are  covered  with  arabesques,  and  upon  one  I  even  dis- 
covered a  few  traces  of  fresco-painting.  Among  these  relics 
of  antiquity  are  seen  many  dwellings  of  the  newest  style 
and  taste.  No  other  street  ever  made  so  deep  an  impres- 
sion upon  me  ;  and  the  solemn  cathedral,  that  master-piece 
of  Grothic  architecture,  quite  took  me  by  surprise,  although 
I  had  visited  all  the  finest  churches  of  Italy.  The  monu- 
ment with  the  twelve  Apostles,  which  it  contains,  is  a 
worthy  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished  sculptor, 
Yischer.  It  cannot  be  seen  without  the  permission  of  the 
Commandant. 

The  cathedral  square  is  large  and  regular ;  it  is  embel- 
lished by  two  avenues  of  trees,  and  is  used  for  military  ex- 
ercises. I  was  struck  with  the  number  of  soldiers  here  ; 
go  where  I  would  I  continually  met  men  and  officers,  and 

Sixty-seven  and  a  half  English  miles. 


28  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

frequently  passed  whole  lines  of  troops ;  it  could  not  have 
been  worse  in  time  of  war.  This  was  the  natural  conse- 
quence of  being  in  Prussia. 

The  place  is  very  much  disfigured  by  the  numerous 
open  canals  which  flow  from  the  houses  into  the  street. 

It  was  soon  three  o'clock,  and  I  went  on  board  the 
steamer  Magdeburgh,  of  sixty  horse-power,  to  proceed  to 
Hamburgh.  Of  this  part  of  my  journey  I  have  little  to 
say,  excepting  that  it  was  a  most  tiresome  trip,  through  a 
very  dull  country ;  the  weather  was  bad,  the  boat  was 
dirty,  and,  as  the  distance  was  twenty-three  miles,*  I  had 
the  agreeable  prospect  of  a  comfortless  night  on  board. 
The  number  of  passengers  was  so  great  that  we  were 
obliged  to  crowd  close  together — and  thus  we  sat,  with 
saint-like  patience,  gazing  in  each  other's  faces,  and  heaving 
deep  sighs  of  weariness.  Order  was  not  to  be  thought  of 
for  a  moment,  no  one  had  time  to  attend  to  it ;  the  whole 
day  and  all  the  night  were  devoted  to  smoking  and  cards. 
It  is  easy  to  imagine  that  the  scene  was  not  quite  so  tran- 
quil as  an  English  whist  party.  The  wind  and  rain  pre- 
vented my  leaving  the  cabin  for  an  instant,  and  the  only 
circumstance  which  made  me  any  amends  for  the  discom- 
forts of  this  passage,  was  the  opportunity  it  afforded  me  of 
making  the  acquaintance  of  that  amiable  composer,  Lorzing, 
which  gave  me  all  the  more  pleasure,  as  I  am  a  great  ad- 
mirer of  his  beautiful  and  original  music. 

April  18th. — Day  broke  at  last  and  we  soon  reached 
the  great  commercial  capital,  which  was  nearly  laid  in 
ashes  by  the  terrible  conflagration  of  1842,  but  has  since 
arisen  from  its  ruins  more  magnificent  and  imposing  than 

*  About  one  hundred  and  three  and  a  half  English  miles. — Trans. 


HAMBURGH.  29 

before.  I  alighted  at  the  house  of  my  cousin,  who  is  mar- 
ried to  the  royal  consul  from  Wirtemberg  a  merchant  of 
the  name  of  Schmidt,  where  I  passed  a  most  delightful 
week.  My  kinsman  was  so  kind  as  to  accompany  me  every 
where  himself,  and  be  my  guide  to  all  the  different  objects 
of  curiosity  in  Hamburgh. 

We  first  turned  our  steps  towards  the  Exchange,  which 
we  visited  between  the  hours  of  one  and  two,  when  it  is 
most  frequented,  that  I  might  have  the  best  opportunity  of 
judging  of  the  vast  commercial  importance  of  this  place. 
The  building  contains  a  very  large  hall,  with  arcades  and 
galleries,  and  several  good-sized  apartments,  which  are  used 
for  private  conferences  and  refreshment  rooms.  It  is  very 
amusing  to  sit  in  the  gallery  and  watch  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
the  eager  multitude  in  the  immense  hall,  the  covered  walks 
and  side-rooms,  and  listen  to  the  loud  buzz  of  a  thousand 
excited  voices  ; — at  half-past  two  the  uproar  reaches  its  high- 
est pitch,  and  the  noise  becomes  really  deafening  ; — the  rate 
of  exchange,  by  which  all  the  affairs  of  the  place  are  regu- 
lated, is  then  announced. 

From  the  Exchange  we  went  to  the  noble  port, 
which  we  crossed  and  re-crossed  in  every  direction,  in  a 
boat.  I  endeavored  to  count  the  ships  with  three  masts, 
but  soon  gave  up  the  attempt  in  despair,  without  even  try- 
ing to  number  the  crowd  of  magnificent  steamers,  the  brigs, 
the  sloops  and  other  craft.  In  short,  I  could  only  behold 
and  wonder,  for  no  less  than  nine  hundred  vessels  lay  before 
me,  stretched  in  rows  three  or  four  deep,  on  both  sides  of 
the  Elbe ;  add  to  these  the  innumerable  boats  carrying 
freight  backwards  and  forwards  among  the  ships ;  and  with 
the  shouting  of  the  sailors,  the  hauling  up  of  anchors,  the 
rushing  by  of  steamers,  a  scene  will  be  conceived  which 
London,  alone,  that  great  capital  of  the  world,  can  surpass. 


30  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

This  unusual  animation  in  the  harbor  was  owing  to  the 
severity  of  the  past  winter.  Such  a  season  had  not  been 
known  for  seventy  years.  The  Elbe  and  the  Baltic  were 
frozen,  putting  an  end  to  all  navigation  for  several  months, 
and  it  was  not  till  very  shortly  before  my  arrival  that  the 
path  had  again  been  free. 

I  had  expected  to  see  something  very  remarkable  in  the 
crowded  dwellings  around  the  port,  having  read  that  many 
of  the  houses  contained  whole  districts  within  themselves, 
intersected  by  lanes,  and  capable  of  accommodating  a  great 
number  of  families.  I  visited  several,  and  can  testify  that 
I  saw  nothing  extraordinary  about  them  ;  houses  with  two 
wings,  forming  an  alley  from  eighty  to  a  hundred  paces 
long,  are  to  be  found  in  every  large  town,  neither  is  it  at 
all  unusual  that  so  many  families  should  live  under  the 
same  roof,  when  it  is  remembered  that  they  ar"e  all  poor, 
and  each  occupies  but  a  single  room. 

The  favorite  walk  at  Hamburgh  is  the  Jungfernstieg, 
a  broad  avenue  which  sweeps  round  the  large  and  beautiful 
basin  of  the  Alster.  It  is  only  built  on  one  side,  and  here 
are  to  be  found  most  of  those  fine  hotels  so  numerous  in 
Hamburgh,  and  a  great  many  handsome  private  residences. 
The  ramparts  which  surround  the  town,  and  the  Botanical 
Gardens,  resembling  a  large  park,  are  also  agreeable  resorts. 

The  handsomest  edifice  in  the  place  is  the  Bazar,  which 
is  conspicuous  as  a  work  of  art  and  luxury,  as  well  as  for 
the  durability  and  elegance  of  its  structure  ;  it  is  a  gigantic 
work,  and  all  the  more  astonishing  as  it  was  not  built  at 
the  expense  of  the  public,  but  by  a  private  individual,  Mr. 
Charles  Sillem.  The  name  of  the  architect  is  Overdick. 
The  building  is  of  freestone ;  the  walls  of  the  principal 
saloon  and  the  hall  are  inlaid  with  marble,  and  both  are 
od  with  a  high  cupola  and  large  glass  domes 


HAMBURGH.  31 

Handsome  statues  adorn  the  upper  balustrade.  At  night 
the  whole  is  brilliantly  lighted  with  gas,  and  every  variety 
of  elegant  merchandise  from  all  parts  of  the  world  is 
spread  out  before  the  eye,  producing  the  effect  of  a  fairy 
temple. 

The  shops  of  Hamburgh  are  generally  very  handsome, 
their  goods  are  tastefully  displayed  behind  enormous  panes 
of  plate  glass,  often  eight  or  ten  feet  high  and  five  or  six 
wide,  a  single  window  being  not  unfrequently  worth  six 
hundred  florins,  C.  M.*  This  peculiar  kind  of  luxury  is  not 
entirely  confined  to  the  shops,  but  is  often  seen  in  the  pri- 
vate residences  in  Hamburgh,  and  also  in  Altona,  and  the 
beautiful  country  seats  of  the  neighborhood. .  Many  of  the 
panes  cost  eight  or  ten  florins  apiece,  and  they  are  insured 
against  breakage  in  the  same  way  that  houses  are  insured 
against  fire. 

This  extravagance  in  window  panes  entails  a  correspond- 
ing degree  of  expense  in  the  furniture  ;  nothing  but  mahog- 
any is  to  be  seen,  and  this  wood  is  so  common  here  that  it 
is  used  for  the  balusters  of  all  the  handsome  establishments, 
and  mahogany  furniture  is  often  found  even  in  the  houses 
of  the  pilots. 

The  handsomest  and  most  animated  street  in  Ham- 
burgh is  the  Neue  Wall  (or  New  Rampart).  I  was  particu- 
larly struck,  in  all  the  thoroughfares  of  this  town,  with  the 
vast  number  of  shops  and  dwellings  under  ground,  which 
are  approached  by  a  descent  of  six  or  eight  steps,  with  an 
iron  railing  to  protect  the  passers  by  from  a  fall.  The 
large  slaughter-house  where  all  the  animals  needed  for  the 

*  A  florin,  Conventions  Miinze,  or  conventional  value,  is  worth 
about  forty-eight  cents,  American  money,  according  to  a  standard 
agreed  upon  by  several  of  the  German  States. — Trans. 


32  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

consumption  of  the  city  are  slaughtered  at  once,  on  parti- 
cular days  of  the  week,  is  a  very  excellent  arrangement. 

The  city  of  Altona  is  merely  a  continuation  of  Ham- 
burgh, from  which  it  is  only  divided  by  a  simple  wooden 
gate.  A  wide  and  handsome  avenue,  or,  to  speak  more  pro- 
perly, an  extended  square,  with  a  double  row  of  thick  trees, 
is  the  most  remarkable  street  in  this  town,  which  is  owned 
by  Denmark,  and  is  the  most  important  place,  next  to  Co- 
penhagen, in  that  kingdom. 

The  drive  of  two  miles  to  the  village  of  Blankenese  is 
really  delightful,  owing  to  the  numerous  beautiful  country 
seats,  and  the  large  park-like  gardens  which  line  the  way. 
Blankenese  itself  lies  in  a  picturesque  situation  upon  the 
Siilberg,  which  being  the  only  elevation  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, presents  an  extensive  prospect  of  the  wide-stretching 
plains  around.  The  course  of  the  Elbe  can  be  traced,  as  it 
quietly  winds  its  way  towards  the  Baltic,  almost  as  far  as 
Cuxhaven  at  its  mouth.  This  river  is  more  than  half  a 
mile*  in  width  at  Blankenese. 

Another  very  agreeable  excursion  is  to  the  New  Mills, 
a  little  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Elbe,  at  not  more  than 
a  quarter  of  an  hour's  distance  from  AUona,  whose  entire 
population  consists  of  fishermen  and  pilots.  It  is  worth 
while  to  go  there  to  acquire  some  idea  of  the  Dutch  neat- 
ness and  daintiness,  than  which  it  is  impossible  to  imagine 
any  thing  more  attractive.  The  houses  are  prettily  built 
and  mostly  of  a  single  story,  the  door-handles  are  of 
shining  brass,  the  windows  bright  and  polished,  and  the 
white  curtains  hanging  before  them  are  draped  with  pic- 
turesque grace. 

I    had   seen    many  dwellings  among  the  peasantry  in 

*  About  two  and  a  quarter  English  miles. — Trans. 


V1ERLANDS.  33 

Saxony  that  presented  a  neat  and  orderly  appearance, 
and  showed  mor*e  marks  of  prosperity  than  are  usually 
found  in  that  class,  but  they  could  not  be  compared  with 
this  little  village. 

The  costume  of  the  Vierlander  women*  was  the  only 
one  which  pleased  me  here.  They  wear  short,  full  skirts 
of  black  stuff,  fine  white  chemises  with  long  and  very  wide 
sleeves,  and  colored  bodices  laced  with  silk  or  silver  cords. 
The  brims  of  their  straw  hats  are  much  higher  than  the 
crowns,  which  sink  in,  producing  a  curious  effect.  Many 
handsome  young  girls,  dressed  in  this  attire,  come  to  sell 
flowers  in  Hamburgh,  and  the  neighborhood  of  the  Ex- 
change is  their  favorite  resort. 

The  twenty-sixth  of  April  was  the  day  fixed  for  my 
departure.  Frequent  leave-takings  are  a  trial  from  which 
the  traveller  cannot  hope  to  escape,  although  at  times  it 
may  cost  him  less  pain  to  part  than  at  others.  On  this 
occasion,  I  need  hardly  say,  that  the  hour  of  separation 
was  a  heavy  one  for  me  ;  I  was  leaving  the  last  of  my  re- 
lations and  friends  behind  me  ;  I  was  going  forth  among 
perfect  strangers — alone. 

At  eight  in  the  morning  I  took  the  train  at  Altona  for 
Kiel.  I  observed  with  pleasure  on  this  road  that  even  the 
third  class  cars  were  excellent  conveyances,  with  glass  win- 
dows, and  merely  to  be  distinguished  from  the  others  by 
their  color,  and  the  difference  in  the  sjeats,  which  were  not 
cushioned. 

We  ran  over  the  whole  distance  of  fifteen  milesf  in 
three  hours — a  quick  journey,  but  one  which  had  nothing 

*  The  Vierlands  are  four  small  islands  in  the  Elbe,  under  the  juris- 
diction of  Hamburgh  and  Lubeck. — Trans. 

f  About  sixty -seven  English  miles. — Trans. 


34  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

but  speed  to  recommend  it.  The  whole  country  was  one 
vast  level  moor,  with  spots  of  sand  and  heath,  and  an  occa- 
sional field  or  meadow.  The  soil  was  so  dark  that  the 
water  in  the  bogs  and  ditches  was  as  black  as  ink.  A  few 
patches  of  stunted  wood  are  seen  near  Binneburg.  At 
Elmsdorf  a  branch  road  leads  to  Grluckstadt  and  another 
from  Neumunster,  a  large  village  with  important  cloth 
manufactories,  to  Rendsburg.  No  other  object  worthy  of 
note  is  seen,  but  a  monastery,  where  several  dukes  of  Hoi- 
stein  are  buried,  and  a  few  insignificant  lakes,  such  as  Bern- 
sholmer,  Einfelder  and  Schulhofer.  I  should  have  over- 
looke,d  entirely  a  little  stream,  called  the  Eider,  had  not 
some  of  my  fellow-passengers  laid  great  stress  upon  its 
beauties.  I  have  never  found  among  the  inhabitants  of  the 
most  celebrated  countries,  more  enthusiasm  for  w'hat  was 
truly  grand  and  wonderful,  than  this  people  appeared  to 
feel  for  nothing  at  all.  One  very  respectable  woman,  in 
particular,  my  neighbor  during  the  journey,  was  indefat- 
igable in  her  praises  of  her  Fatherland ;  to  her  the  dwarfish 
woods  seemed  a  magnificent  park,  and  the  vacant  flat  was  a 
boundless  prospect,  over  which  her  delighted  eyes  were 
never  tired  of  wandering.  I  silently  wished  her  joy  of 
this  powerful  imagination,  but  could  not  breathe  any  of  her 
animation  into  my  own  cold  feelings. 

The  plain  changed  into  a  low  undulating  country  as  we 
approached  Kiel,  which  lies  very  pleasantly  on  the  shores 
of  the  Baltic,  here  bearing  a  great  resemblance  to  a  large 
lake.  The  harbor  is  said  to  be  good,  but  it  did  not  contain 
much  shipping.  I  observed  the  steamer  which  was  to  con- 
vey me  to  Copenhagen,  and  little  thought  what  an  impression 
that  boat  was  destined  to  make  upon  me. 

By  the  kind  forethought  of  my  cousin  Schmidt,  I  was 
received  at  the  station  by  one  of  his  relations,  Mr.  Brauer. 


KIEL.  35 

who  conducted  me  at  once  into  his  family  circle,  where  the 
few  hours  I  parsed  at  Kiel  were  spent  most  pleasantly. 

This  place  has  a  fine  royal  castle,  which  is  occupied  at 
present  by  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  late  king.  The 
public  park  adjoining  it  has  few  advantages  besides  that  of 
lying  close  to  the  sea.  A  range  of  low  hills  surround  the 
town,  on  which  are  situated  the  country  residences  and  gar- 
dens of  the  inhabitants.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  villas 
is  owned  by  Mr.  Brauer.  The  highest  spots  are  furnished 
with  kiosks  or  arbors  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  sea 
and  the  opposite  shores.  Since  the  neighborhood  of  Dres- 
den I  had  seen  no  landscape  which  pleased  me  so  well. 

Kiel  does  not  rank  among  the  larger  towns  of  Denmark, 
but  it  is  a  neat  and  cheerful  place.  Many  of  the  houses 
have  rather  an  unfinished  appearance  in  consequence  of  not 
being  plastered  with  lime  and  sand ;  the  roofs  are  of  tiles, 
and  not  unfrequently  they  are  spread  over  with  a  coat  of 
varnish,  which  gives  them  a  high  polish  and  makes  them 
much  more  durable.  I  observed  here  occasionally  those 
expensive  Hamburgh  plate-glass  windows,  a  species  of 
luxury  which  seems  to  have  extended  far  and  wide. 

The  evening  drew  near  and  with  it  the  hour  of  embar- 
kation. The  amiable  Brauer  family  accompanied  me  on 
board,  where  I  bid  them  farewell  with  a  full  and  grateful 
heart. 

'The  steamer,  Christian  VIII,  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
horse-po'wer,  proved  to  be  the  dirtiest  and  most  uncomfor- 
table boat  I  had  ever  met  with  in  all  my  travels  by  water. 
Sweeping  and  scouring  had  evidently  never  been  in  vogue 
here ;  the  steps  which  led  to  the  cabin  were  so  steep,  that 
the  greatest  caution  was  necessary  not  to  reach  the  bottom 
by  rather  too  hasty  a  process.  There  was  no  separation 
between  the  accommodations  for  the  male  and  female  pas- 


36  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

sengers.  In  short,  every  arrangement  was  of  a  character 
to  impress  for  ever  upon  the  traveller  the  ftmembrance  of 
the  unhappy  hours  he  has  spent  on  board  this  boat. 

We  left  Kiel  at  nine  o'clock.  The  days  had  already 
sensibly  lengthened  as  I  advanced  so  far  towards  the  north, 
and  the  lingering  twilight  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of 
observing  the  faint  outline  of  the  fortress  of  Friedrichsort, 
which  we  passed  at  ten  o'clock,  amidst  the  shades  of  the 
falling  darkness. 

April  29^.  —  To-day  I  rose  with  the  sun,  which  it  will 
not  be  easy  to  do  much  longer,  however,  for  the  fair  god- 
dess of  light  is  now  requiting  these  northern  regions  for 
the  long  hours  during  which  they  are  deprived  of  her  pre- 
sence in  winter.  I  went  on  deck  and  overlooked  the  wide 
and  boundless  waters.  There  was  then  no  land  in  sight, 
but  a  coast  soon  appeared,  and  vanished  again  immediately, 
to  be  succeeded  by  another  rising  from  the  sea  in  the  dis- 
tance. Towards  noon  we  reached  the  island  of  Moen,  about 
forty  miles*  from  Copenhagen.  It  consists  of  a  small  but 
most  beautiful  group  of  rocks,  whose  sides,  white  as  chalk, 
smooth  and  shining,  rise  perpendicularly  out  of  the  waves. 
The  highest  of  the  cliffs  is  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea. 

Soon  afterwards  we  beheld  the  coast  of  Sweden,  then 
the  island  of  Malmoe,  and  finally  Copenhagen,  where  We 
landed  at  four  in  the  afternoon.  The  distance  from  Kiel 
to  Copenhagen  is  thirty-six  sea  miles. 

I  remained  here  seven  days,  and  should  have  had  ample 
leisure  to  have  visited  every  thing  worth  seeing  in  the 


*  At  sea  I  reckon  by  sea-miles,  of  -which  there  are  four  to  a  geo- 
mile. 


COPENHAGEN.  37 

place,  had  the  weather  been  more  favorable  to  my  wishes. 
But  the  incessant  storms  compelled  me  to  renounce  all 
idea  of  every  distant  excursion,  and  it  was  with  great  diffi- 
culty that  I  found  my  way  to  a  few  of  the  neighboring 
walks. 

The  very  first  street  which  is  seen  by  the  traveller  in 
Copenhagen,  on  his  way  from  the  steamer,  cannot  fail  to 
make  a  great  impression.  This  is  the  Broad  Street,  lead- 
ing from  the  port  through  a  large  part  of  the  town.  It  is 
very  wide,  long  and  regular,  and  wonderfully  well  built, 
with  its  double  row  of  magnificent  palaces  and  handsome 
houses. 

The  effect  of  a  ruin  which  suddenly  appears  in  the 
midst  of  this  proud  quarter  of  the  town,  is  very  singular ; 
it  is  the  remains  of  what  was  meant  to  be  a  very  handsome 
marble  church,  but  its  weight  having  proved  too  great  for 
the  soft  soil,  it  began  to  sink  before  the  edifice  could  be 
completed,  and  it  was  left  in  an  unfinished  state,  resting 
on  its  gigantic  pillars  already  partly  overgrown  with  grass 
and  moss. 

Besides  the  Broad  Street  there  are  many  others  equal- 
ly wide  and  elegant ;  among  them  may  be  named  the 
Amalienstrasse.  The  Oster  and  Gather  sir  asse  are  the 
most  crowded  thoroughfares,  though  by  no  means  the  finest 
streets ;  a  stranger  does  not  easily  acquire  the  art  of  mak- 
ing his  way  along  their  side-walks,  which  are  raised  about 
a  foot  above  the  street ;  there  is  constant  danger  of  stum- 
bling against  the  numerous  flights  of  steps,  on  one  side, 
leading  to  the  warehouses  above  or  to  the  shops  in  the 
depths  beneath,  the  latter  not  being  guarded  as  in  Ham- 
burgh, by  a  railing ;  on  the  other  hand  is  a  sober  little 
stream  called  by  the  unromantic  a  canal,  which  is  swelled 
by  other  rivulets  flowing  from  all  the  houses.  It  requires 


38  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

incessant  watchfulness  not  to  disappear  unexpectedly  into 
any  of  the  treacherous  abysses  to  the  right  or  left,  or  even 
directly  ahead,  or  to  escape  injury  by  running  violently 
against  one  of  the  projecting  staircases.  There  is  a  flag 
walk  next  to  the  street,  about  a  foot  and  a  half  wide,  of 
which  every  one  naturally  tries  to  get  possession,  as  it  is 
so  much  to  be  preferred  to  the  sharp  and  uneven  pavement. 
It  will  readily  be  believed,  that  with  all  these  disadvan- 
tages, and  the  throng  of  passengers,  no  one  would  be 
likely  to  select  these  streets  for  a  pleasant  stroll,  particu- 
larly as  the  shops  are  very  indifferent,  the  houses  are  not 
handsome  or  in  good  taste,  and  the  streets  themselves  are 
narrow  and  dirty. 

The  squares  are  all  large  and  regular.  One  of  the 
handsomest  is  the  King's  New-Market  (Kongensnytorf), 
which  is  embellished  by  several  beautiful  palaces,  the 
Guard-house,  the  Theatre,  the  principal  hotels  and  coffee- 
houses, the  Academy  of  Painting,  and  the  buildings  of  the 
Botanical  Gardens,  the  two  latter  better  known  under  the 
name  of  Charlottenburg ;  and  in  its  centre  is  a  fine  eques- 
trian statue  of  Christian  V.,  surrounded  by  several  other 
figures. 

Although  smaller  than  the  Kongensnytorf,  the  Ama- 
lienplatz  is  perhaps  still  more  elegant ;  it  contains  four 
royal  palaces  built  to  correspond,  and  is  intersected  by 
four  wide  streets  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  This  square  is 
also  adorned  by  a  monument  erected  to  the  nfemory  of 
Frederick  Y.  I  observed  a  fountain  in  another  handsome 
square,  the  New  Market  (Nytorf),  which  attracted  my  notice 
merely  because  it  was  the  only  one  I  saw  in  Copenhagen, 
for  the  waters  were  spouted  in  very  slender  streams  by 
the  little  figures  which  composed  it. 

It  is  impossible  to  behold,  without  astonishment,  the 


COPENHAGEN.  39 

splendid  palaces  which  are  so  numerous  in  this  place.  Co- 
penhagen will  compare  in  this  respect  with  the  capitals  of 
the  richest  kingdoms  in  Europe.  The  Christianensburg 
is  a  truly  imperial  pile,  which  was  entirely  destroyed  "by 
fire  in  1794,  but  has  since  been  rebuilt  with  great  magnifi- 
cence. Its  chapel  is  peculiar,  and  presents  more  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  concert-room  than  that  of  a  place  destined  for 
religious  purposes.  The  galleries  and  the  upper  part  of 
the  room  are  filled  with  tastefully  decorated  boxes,  resem- 
bling those  at  a  theatre,  the  royal  box  being  pre-eminent 
among  them,  while  the  lower  extremity  is  occupied  by 
benches  covered  with  red  velvet  and  silk.  The  chancel 
and  altar,  however,  are  so  completely  unadorned,  that  at 
our  first  entrance  they  were  entirely  overlooked. 

This  palace  also  contains  the  Northern  Museum,  valua- 
ble for  its  extensive  collection  of  ornaments,  wind-instru- 
ments, arms,  and  implements  of  various  kinds  once  in  use 
among  the  nations  of  the  North. 

The  winter  riding-school  is  a  large  and  regular  build- 
ing where  concerts  are  often  given.  The  stables  pleased 
me  very  well,  but  I  was  still  more  captivated  by  several  of 
the  noble  animals  they  contained  ;  genuine  Arabians,  or 
wild  horses  from  Norway,  with  fine,  glossy,  silky  manes  and 
tails  of  unusual  length  and  thickness.  No  connoisseur  could 
behold  them  with  indifference  ;  nay,  even  the  unskilled 
in  horse-flesh  must  have  been  struck  with  their  beauties. 

Adjoining  the  Christianensburg  is  the  Thorwaldsen 
Museum,  a  square  building  with  handsome  halls,  to  which 
the  light  is  admitted  from  above.  It  is  still  in  an  uncon> 
pleted  state,  and  several  distinguished  artists  are  at  present 
engaged  in  covering  the  walls  with  fresco-paintings.  The 
treasures  of  art  were  already  there,  but  unfortunately,  still 
packed  in  their  boxes.  The  monument  of  Thorwaldseii 


40  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

will  be  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  court,  where  his  remains 
will  repose,  watched  by  his  own  celebrated  work,  the  noble 
lion,  which  is  to  be  the  only  stone  upon  his  grave. 

The  largest  church  in  Copenhagen  is  the  Frue  Kirke. 
Its  structure  is  not  remarkable — pillars,  arches,  and  cupola 
being  of  wood,  covered  with  sand  and  gypsum  ;  but  all  that 
is  wanting  in  outward  splendor,  is  amply  compensated  by 
the  interior.  Here  are  to  be  found  the  masterpieces  of 
Thorwaldsen  ;  his  magnificent  Christ  is  on  the  high  altar, 
and  in  the  niches  of  the  walls  are  his  colossal  Apostles. 
The  frame  which  contains  these  chefs-d'reuvres  is  forgotten 
while  contemplating  them  ;  but  let  us  hope  that  this  church, 
which  is  half  wood,  may  never  be  exposed  by  an  unkind 
fate  to  the  dangers  of  a  fire. 

The  Catholic  church  is  small,  but  extremely  pretty. 
The  late  Emperor  of  Austria  presented  it  with  a  fine,  full- 
toned  organ,  and  two  oil-paintings,  one  by  Kuppelwieser, 
and  the  other  by  one  of  his  pupils. 

At  the  Museum  of  Art,  the  object  which  most  interested 
me  was  the  chair  once  used  by  Tycho  Brahe. 

The  Exchange  is  a  very  curious  old  building.  It  is 
narrow,  but  of  great  length,  decorated  with  arabesques,  and 
crowned  by  nine  pinnacles,  from  the  centre  of  which  arises 
a  singular  pointed  spire,  formed  by  the  tails  of  four  croco- 
diles entwined  together.  The  small  Hall  of  Exchange, 
which  is  low  and  dark,  contains  a  full-length  portrait  of 
Tycho  Brahe.  Almost  all  the  upper  part  of  the  building 
is  devoted  to  a  species  of  bazaar,  and  the  ground  floor  is  used 
for  small  and  very  dirty  shops. 

The  canals  which  flow  in  from  the  sea  lend  a  peculiar 
charm  to  this  town.  They  are  crowded  with  boats  and 
barges  filled  with  provisions  of  every  kind,  and  present  the 
appearance  of  s*  many  markets. 


COPENHAGEN.  41 

The  Matrosenstadt  (Sailor's  Town)  lies  adjoining  Co- 
penhagen, near  the  port,  and  is  very  neat  and  pretty.  The 
streets  are  wide  and  straight,  and  the  houses  all  built  so 
exactly  alike,  that  it  must  certainly  require  a  long  ac- 
quaintance to  enable  their  owners  to  distinguish  one  door 
from  another  on  a  foggy  night.  The  whole  street  seems 
composed  of  one  low,  endless  building,  interrupted  by  a 
single  house  of  rather  more  pretensions,  the  residence  of 
the  Commandant  and  the  Superintendent. 

The  lighting  of  the  streets  in  Copenhagen  is  managed 
very  much  as  it  is  in  our  small  country  towns.  If  the  al- 
manac says  there  is  a  moon,  it  is  enough  ;  no  lamps  can  be 

needed,  even  if  she  conceal  her  face  behind  a  dark  cloud, 

7  «. 

for  it  were  a  great  piece  of  arrogance  to  attempt  to  replace 
her  heavenly  light  by  that  of  a  feeble  lamp.  A  commend- 
able regulation ! 

I  found  the  garden  of  the  Rosenburg,  which  is  within 
the  town,  and  the  fine  avenue  of  handsome  trees  by  the 
sea-shore,  the  most  agreeable  among  the  public  walks  of  the 
neighborhood ;  the  latter  is  also  the  resort  of  those  who 
ride  or  drive,  and  is  much  frequented  during  the  pleasant 
season,  when  a  band  of  music  is  stationed  in  front  of  one  of 
the  coffee-houses.  But  the  loveliest  view  is  from  the  Kas- 
tell,  above  the  Long  Avenue,  where  you  overlook  the  whole 
town  spread  out  in  all  its  pride  at  your  feet,  the  harbor 
with  its  crowded  shipping,  and  the  blue,  glistening  Sound, 
stretching  out  of  sight  between  the  coasts  of  Denmark  and 
Sweden,  with  the  numerous  beautiful  groups  of  islands, 
claimed  by  these  two  countries,  which  lie  on  its  bosom. 
The  background  is  tame,  however,  for  there  is  no  range  of 
mountains  to  serve  as  a  boundary  to  the  prospect,  where 
the  eye  wanders  over  the  endless  flats  of  Denmark. 

I  saw  but  few  vessels  with  three  masts  in  the  harbor, 


42  JOURNEY  TO  WJSLAJUD. 

and  still  fewer  steamers.  The  ships  of  war  looked  rather 
strangely  ;  each  one  was  provided  with  a  weather  roof, 
above  which 'rose  the  masts,  and  as  they  lay  very  high  out 
of  the  water,  and  displayed  their  tiers  of  portholes  and 
cabin-windows,  they  appeared  like  large  houses  with  flag- 
staff's. 

An  excursion  to  the  royal  pleasure  castle  of  Fredericks- 
berg,  which  is  only  half  a  mile*  from  the  water-gate,  can 
be  accomplished  with  great  ease  in  a  very  comfortable  om- 
nibus. A  beautiful  avenue  of  trees  leads  to  this  spot, 
which  offers  every  inducement  to  tempt  the  citizens  into 
the  country.  There  is  a  Tivoli,  a  railway,  cabinets  and 
booths,  with  wax  figures,  and  many  other  sights,  cafes,  beer- 
houses, and  music.  The  gardens  contain  a  number  of  little 
arbors,  with  tables  and  benches,  where  you  can  sit  and  over- 
look the  whole  gay  crowd,  a  sight  well  worthy  of  observa- 
tion, particularly  of  a  Sunday  when  the  gardens  are  full. 

On  our  way  to  this  Prater  of  Copenhagen,  we  passed 
some  handsome  country  seats,  surrounded  by  beautiful 
flower-gardens. 

The  royal  castle  is  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  hillock 
at  the  end  of  the  avenue,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  very  ex- 
tensive park.  It  commands  a  good  view  of  the  town  and  of 
the  adjacent  land  and  sea  ;  but  I  give  the  preference  very 
decidedly  to  the  prospect  from  the  Kastell.  The  park 
contains  a  large  island  formed  by  an  arm  of  the  sea,  which 
I  found  at  this  season  of  the  year  very  full.  This  island  is 
reserved  exclusively  for  the  use  of  the  court,  but  the  rest 
of  the  park  is  thrown  open  to  the  public. 

Just  outside  of  the  water-gate  stands  an  obelisk,  by  no 
means  remarkable  for  its  beauty  or  as  a  work  of  art,  since 

*  About  two  and  a  quarter  English  miles. — Trans. 


COPENHAGEN.  43 

it  merely  consists  of  a  few  stones  united  together,  and  is  of 
an  inconsiderable  height ;  but  very  interesting  from  the 
occasion  on  which  it  was  erected.  His  grateful  subjects 
raised  it  to  the  honor  of  the  late  King  Christian  VI.,  as 
a  memorial  of  the  abolition  of  the  feudal  service  ;  a  monu- 
ment which  no  person  of  good  feeling  can  behold  without 
an  emotion  of  pleasure. 

Having  now  faithfully  related  all  that  I  saw  during  my 
short  stay  in  Copenhagen,  it  only  remains  for  me  to  describe 
a  few  peculiar  customs  which  fell  under  my  observation ; 
and  I  shall  first  mention  the  end  of  all  things — the  burial 
of  the  dead. 

In  Denmark,  as  well  as  in  all  the  Scandinavian  countries 
I  visited,  not  excepting  Iceland,  it  is  the  usual  practice  to 
defer  the  funeral  for  a  week  or  ten  days  after  a  death. 
In  winter  this  may  not  be  amiss  ;  but  in  summer  it  cannot 
be  pleasant  to  be  an  inmate  of  a  house  under  such  circum- 
stances. 

The  burial  of  one  of  the  royal  physicians,  Dr.  Brandis, 
took  place  while  I  was  in  Copenhagen.  The  hearse  was 
followed,  on  this  occasion,  by  two  royal  coaches  as  well  as 
many  Others,  both  the  former  being  empty,  as  well  as  a  num- 
ber of  the  latter  ;  the  servants  walked  beside  them.  Among 
the  mourners  I  did  not  observe  a  single  woman.  I  thought 
this  must  be  the  case  merely  at  the  interment  of  males,  but 
was  assured  that  it  is  the  same  when  a  woman  is  carried  to 
the  grave.  Yes,  this  care  for  our  tender  sex  extends  so  far, 
that  on  the  day  of  a  funeral  no  female  can  be  seen  in  the 
house  of  death.  The  mourners  assemble  at  the  residence 
of  the  deceased,  where  cold  refreshments  are  provided  and 
various  kinds  of  drink ;  these  hospitalities  being  again  re- 
newed after  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremonies. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  record  that  during  my  visit 


44  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

to  Copenhagen,  I  did  not  see  a  beggar,  or  even  a  single 
individual  poorly  clad,  such  as  are  unfortunately  too  often 
to  be  met  with  in  other  large  towns.  There  must  be 
poverty  here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  but  beggary  is  never 
seen.  While  on  this  subject,  I  cannot  forbear  to  mention 
an  arrangement  which  is  well  worthy  of  imitation.  A 
number  of  large  houses,  some  of  which  are  owned  by  the 
royal  family,  and  others  by  private  individuals,  or  by  dif- 
ferent societies,  are  devoted  to  the  accommodation  of  poor 
families,  who  are  permitted  to  occupy  them  at  a  much  lower 
rent  than  they  could  possibly  obtain  a  dwelling  elsewhere. 
The  costume  of  this  country  did  not  strike  me  as  partic- 
ularly pretty.  The  peasant  women  wear  woollen  skirts, 
either  green  or  black,  which  reach  to  their  ankles,  and  are 
trimmed  round  the  bottom  with  a  broad  colored  border 
of  worsted.  The  seams  of  their  spencers  and  the  arm- 
holes  are  also  trimmed  with  a  narrow  colored  border.  Their 
heads  are  covered  with  a  handkerchief,  which  is  made  to 
project  in  the  shape  of  a  hat.  On  Sundays  I  saw  several 
little  ornamental  caps,  worked  in  silk,  with  a  formal  row 
of  stiff,  even  points,  about  as  broad  as  the  hand,  in  front ; 
while  behind,  on  the  contrary,  hung  long  knots  of  hand- 
some ribbon,  the  ends  of  which  fell  halfway  down  their  back 
I  saw  nothing  remarkable  in  the  dress  of  the  men.  In  point 
of  strength  and  beauty  there  is  no  marked  difference  between 
the  peasantry  of  this  country  and  our  Austrians,  though  I 
am  inclined  to  give  a  decided  preference  to  the  good  looks 
of  my  own  countrywomen.  Light  hair  and  eyes  predomi- 
nate here. 

I  saw  few  soldiers  ;  their  uniform  is.very  handsome,  par- 
ticularly that  of  the  King's  body-guard. 

At  the  sight  of  the  little  drummers,  mere  boys  of  ten 
or  twelve  years  old,  I  could  hardly  help  exclaiming  "  Druiw 


COPENHAGEN.  45 

what  are  you  doing  with  that  boy  ?"  For  it  seems  really 
cruel  to  make  those  children  march,  attend  the  fatiguing 
field  exercises,  carry  their  large  instruments,  and  industri- 
ously play  upon  them  all  the  while ;  such  a  practice  must 
have  many  a  broken  constitution  to  answer  for.  I  spent 
many  delightful  hours  during  my  visit  to  Copenhagen 
with  Professor  Mariboe  and  his  most  amiable  family,  and 
the  excellent  Embassy  Chaplain,  Mr  Zimmerman.  They 
received  me  with  the  utmost  cordiality  into  their  kind 
circle,  where  I  immediately  felt  perfectly  at  home.  I  shall 
never  forget  their  friendship,  and  shall  avail  myself  of 
every  opportunity  of  openly  expressing  my  grateful  sense  of 
so  much  kindness.  I  am  also  under  great  obligations  to  Mr. 
Edward  Gottschalk,  and  Mr.  Knudson ;  having  addressed 
myself  to  the  former  to  procure  a  passage  to  Iceland,  he 
was  so  good  as  to  apply  to  Mr.  Knudson  for  me  himself. 

Mr.  Knudson  is  the  head  of  one  o£  the  most  important 
commercial  houses  in  Copenhagen,  which  carries  on  an  ex- 
tensive trade  with  Iceland.  He  owns  a  great  many  ships, 
some  of  which  are  engaged  in  the  fisheries,  and  others 
supply  the  different  ports  of  this  island  with  the  various 
necessaries  and  luxuries  of  life,  though  he  has  somewhat 
contracted  the  scale  of  his  operations  of  late,  because  his 
frequent  voyages  were  becoming  too  severe  a  tax  upon  his 
health. 

He  himself  accompanies  his  ships  every  year,  and  always 
spends  several  months  in  Iceland  to  regulate  his  affairs  in 
that  island.  Upon  the  recommendation  of  Mr.  Gottschalk, 
Mr.  Knudson  was  so  obliging  as  to  offer  me  a  passage  in 
the  ship  he  was  about  to  sail  in  \  an  act  of  courtesy  which  I 
knew  how  to  appreciate,  for  it  was  no  slight  thing  to  en- 
cumber himself  with  a  female  passenger  during  such  a  jour- 
ney. I  was  perfectly  unknown  to  Mr.  Knudson ;  he  had 


46  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

no  means  of  judging  of  my  courage  or  my  powers  of  en 
durance.  He  could  not  tell  if  I  were  equal  to  the  hard- 
ships of  a  northern  voyage,  if  I  could  quietly  endure  the 
horrors  of  sea-sickness,  or  if  I  possessed  sufficient  self-com- 
mand to  refrain  from  annoying  his  seamen  with  my  cries 
and  fears  during  the  dangers  of  a  storm.  The  worthy 
man  was  not  withheld  by  any  of  these  considerations ;  I 
promised  not  to  be  troublesome,  and  he  trusted  to  my  word. 
He  took  me  with  him  ;  and  this  was  not  my  only  obligation, 
for  I  owed  to  him  every  facility  for  pursuing  my  travels  in 
Iceland,  and  all  the  comforts  I  enjoyed  during  my  residence 
in  that  island,  were  due  to  his  kind  exertions.  I  could  not 
have  undertaken  the  journey  under  more  favorable  aus- 
pices. 

Ships  bound  for  Iceland  always  sail  from  Copenhagen 
at  the  end  of  April,  or  by  the  middle  of  May,  at  the  latest, 
The  Danish  government  mail  packet  is  the  only  exception, 
which  leaves  Copenhagen  in  October,  remains  in  Iceland 
during  the  winter  months,  and  returns  in  March.  The  risk- 
of  this  expedition  is  undertaken  by  the  merchants  of  Copen- 
hagen on  shares.  % 

A  French  frigate  also  visits  Iceland  every  spring,  and 
cruises  about  in  the  different  harbors  till  the  middle  of 
August,  for  the  purpose  of  watching  over  the  interests  of 
the  French  ships  which  crowd  these  seas  in  summer,  at- 
tracted by  the  great  profits  of  the  fisheries. 

There  are  frequent  opportunities  for  the  return  passage 
from  Iceland  during  the  pleasant  months,  in  the  merchant 
ships,  which  often  sail  with  their  freight  for  Denmark,  Eng- 
land and  Spain,  as  late  as  the  month  of  September. 


VOYAGE,  &c.  47 


ftm  CflBttljara  tn 


On  Sunday  the  4th  of  May,  the  wind  was  at  last  favor- 
able, and  Mr.  Knudson  sent  me  word  to  be  ready  by  noon 
to  embark  on  btfard  the  fine  brig  "  Johannes." 

I  obeyed  the  summons  at  once.  The  anchor  was  raised 
and  the  sails  unfurled  like  magnificent  wings,  which  gently 
bore  us  out  of  the  harbor  of  Copenhagen.  No  heavy  part- 
ing from  my  children,  my  relations,  or  long-tried  friends, 
saddened  this  hour  ;  I  left  the  place  with  a  light  and  cheer- 
ful heart,  upheld  by  the  happy  hope  of  soon  reaching  that 
goal,  which  had  so  long  been  the  object  of  my  longing 
dreams. 

Bright  skies  smiled  upon  us,  and  the  very  wind  we 
wished  for  filled  our  sails.  I  sat  on  deck  to  enjoy  the 
prospect  of  the  new  scene's  in  store  for  me.  We  left 
the  noble  outstretched  town  behind  us,  and  advanced  into 
the  Sound,  a  beautiful  basin,  which  recalled  to  my  mind 
the  large  fine  lakes  of  Switzerland  ;  to  the  right  and  left 
the  coasts  of  Sweden  and  Denmark  press  towards  each  other, 
as  if  to  forbid  the  bold  mariner  from  seeking  an  outlet  be- 
tween their  shores. 

We  soon  sailed  by  the  little  Swedish  town  of  Carls- 
skrona,  and  the  desert  island  of  Hreen,  where  Tycho  Brahe 
passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  observing  and  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  stars;  and  rapidly  approached  the 
dangerous  passage  between  the  Sound  and  the  Cattegat, 
where  the  narrow  sea  and  the  strong  current  demand  the 
utmost  caution  from  the  sailor. 

The  two  countries  approach  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile* 

*  Rather  less  than  an  English  mile  and  a  quarter. 


48  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

of  each  other  at  this  place.  Helsingborg  is  a  pretty  little 
town  on  the  Swedish  coast ;  on  the  Danish  side  are  Elsi- 
nore  and  the  fortresss  of  Kronburg,  which  lies  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  a  projecting  point  of  land,  and  demands  a  toll 
from  every  ship  that  goes  by,  showing  a  long  line  of 
menacing  brazen  throats  in  case  of  a  r'efusal.  "We  had 
already  paid  our  tribute  in  Copenhagen,  and  after  an  ex- 
change of  signals  we  sailed  fearlessly  on. 

Having  passed  this  strait,  we  entered  the  Cattegat, 
where  the  receding  shores  soon  left  us  in  the  open  sea,  and 
most  of  the  ships  and  barques  which  pressed  around  us  in 
the  Sound,  bid  us  farewell ;  some  sailing  to  the  West  and 
some  to  the  East — while  we  alone,  in  our  deserted  path, 
steered  for  the  cold  and  rigid  North.  Twilight  did  not 
fall  till  after  nine  o'clock,  when  the  stars  began  to 
sparkle  most  gloriously  in  the  heavens,  and  the  fires  and 
light-houses  blazed  up  on  the  coast,  to  give  warning  against 
the  hidden  dangers  of  its  projecting  cliffs. 

I  now  returned  my  devout  thanks  to  God  for  his  former 
goodness,  and  after  praying  for  his  continued  protection,  I 
went  down  into  the  cabin,  where  a  convenient  state-room 
and  a  comfortable  berth  were  awaiting  me,  and  soon  sank 
into  a  deep,  refreshing  slumber. 

May  5th. — I  awoke  in  perfect  health,  but  it  was  not 
very  long  before  there  was  a  great  change  in  my  feelings. 
We  had  left  the  Cattegat  and  the  Skagerack  behind  us 
during  the  night,  and  were  now  tossing  upon  the  restless 
waves  of  the  North  Sea.  It  was  blowing  quite  a  gale,  and 
our  poor  ship  was  driven  about  at  such  a  rate  that  it  would 
have  puzzled  an  accomplished  dancing-master  to  keep  his 
footing  ;  I  was  never  very  devoted  to  the  Terpsichorean 
art,  even  in  my  young  days,  and  now ! — I  reeled  in  the 


SHETLAND  ISLANDS.  49 

grasp  of  the  pitiless  Naiads  of  these  stormy  seas  till  I  was 
completely  mastered  by  that  horror  of  horrors — in  my 
estimation,  thougfi  not  exactly  according  to  Schiller's 
meaning — sea-sickness. 

At  first  I  slighted  its  approaches,  and  tried  to  persuade 
myself  this  was  one  of  those  evils  to  which  well-trained 
travellers  can  inure  themselves  if  they  will  only  try  to  do 
so ;  but  the  struggle  was  vain.  I  grew  worse  every  moment, 
and  was  at  last  obliged  to  lie  down  in  my  berth,  where  my 
only  comfort  was  the  thought  that,  as  we  were  out  of  sight 
of  land,  there  was  nothing  in  the  way  of  scenery  for  me  to 
lose.  The  next  day,  however,  we  made  the  coast  of  Nor- 
way, and  I  dragged  myself,  half  dead,  on  deck,  to  behold  a 
fine  range  of  moderately  high  mountains,  whose  tops  still 
glistened  in  the  bright  snows  of  the  early  spring ;  and  then, 
nearly  stiffened  by  the  icy  wind,  I  hurried  back  to  my  good 
warm  feather  bed.  No  one  who  has  not  experienced  the 
cutting,  piercing  cold  of  a  northern  gale,  can  form  any  idea 
of  its  severity.  The  sun  was  shining  in  the  heavens,  the 
thermometer  only  3Q  (Reaumur)  ;*  and  yet,  although  I  had 
on  twice  as  much  clothing  as  I  should  have  worn  at  home 
if  it  were  6°  or  8°,f  I  was  chilled  through  and  through, 
and  felt  as  if  I  had  nothing  around  me. 

On  our  fourth  night  out  we  sailed  by  the  Shetland 
Islands,  and  towards  evening,  on  the  following  day,  we  were 
so  near  the  fine  rocky  group  of  the  Faroe  Islands,  that  we 
had  some  reason  to  fear  we  might  be  driven  upon  their 
shores  by  the  continued  violence  of  the  storm. 

Iceland  appeared  in  sight  on  the  seventh  day ;  an  ex- 
traordinarily quick  passage,  over  which  our  sailors  exulted 
not  a  little,  boasting  that  steam  itself  could  not  have  out- 

*  25i°  Fahrenheit.— Trans.       f  18*°  or  14°  Fahrenheit— Trans. 
3 


50  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

stripped  us.  But  I,  poor  soul !  cared  neither  for  wind  nor 
steam,  and  only  longed  for  a  few  moments  respite  from  my 
sufferings,  which  had  reached  such  a  pass,  that  on  the  fifth 
day  I  almost  thought  my  last  hour  had  come.  My  limbs 
were  covered  with  an  icy  sweat,  I  was  feeble  to  the  last 
degree,  my  mouth  was  parched,  and  the  distressing  nausea 
had  not  ceased  for  a  moment.  I  felt  it  was  time  to  take 
some  effectual  measures  for  my  relief,  and  rousing  myself,  I 
staggered  to  a  seat,  with  the  assistance  of  the  cabin-boy, 
and  promised  to  try  any  remedy  that  was  proposed  to  me. 
Grits  boiled  in  water,  and  flavored  with  sugar  and  wine, 
were  the  first  prescription  ;  I  was  to  continue  taking  them 
till  they  remained  on  my  stomach.  This  did  not  answer  at 
all,  and  I  was  then  advised  to  try  a  little  piece  of  raw  bacon, 
well  peppered,  and  a  few  drops  of  rum.  It  is  needless  to  say 
how  much  effort  it  required  to  swallow  such  a  dose ;  but  I 
had  no  choice — I  quietly  opened  my  mouth  for  morsel  after 
morsel,  till  af  last  my  poor  stomach  managed  to  retain  a 
small  piece,  and  not  till  then  did  I  begin  to  improve. 

I  mention  all  these  minute  particulars  of  my  illness 
and  its  cure,  for  the  benefit  of  my  numerous  fellow-sufferers, 
who  have  doubtless  as  much  difficulty  as  I  had  myself  in 
making  up  their  minds  to  take  any  nourishment ;  and  I 
advise  them  not  to  put  it  off  as  long  as  I  did,  but  to  begin 
to  eat  at  once,  and  continue  to  do  so  till  they  can  keep 
some  food  on  their  stomach. 

During  my  convalescence  I  endeavored  to  restore  the 
tone  of  my  mind,  scarcely  less  exhausted  than  my  body,  by 
a  diligent  study  of  the  life  and  manners  of  the  northern 
sailors.  My  companions  on  board  ship  were  Mr.  Knudson, 
Mr.  Briige,  a  merchant  we  were  to  land  at  the  Westmann 
Islands,  the  captain,  the  mate,  and  six  or  seven  seamen.  The 
mode  of  living  in  the  cabin  was  as  follows  :  at  seven  in  the 


DANISH  DIET.  5  \ 

morning  coffee  was  brought  in — and  what  coffee  ! — after 
drinking  it  for  eleven  days,  I  was  not  able  to  form  the  least 
conjecture  as  to  the  land  it  came  from.  Bread  and  butter, 
cheese,  with  cold  beef  or  pork,  were  served  up  at  ten ;  all 
excellent  dishes  for  people  in  sound  health.  This  meal 
was  washed  down  with  tea-water — as  the  beverage  is  always 
called  in  Scandinavia  and  Iceland — if  possible  even  worse 
than  its  predecessor,  the  inimitable  coffee,  and  thus  I  was 
disappointed  a  second  time,  for  the  food  was  too  strong 
and  the  drink  too — I  hardly  know  what  to  call  it — pro- 
bably spoilt  by  too  much  art.  My  hopes  now  rested  upon 
our  dinner,  but  alas  !  this  fair  dream  was  destined  to  vanish 
like  the  others.  When  I  took  my  seat  at  the  table,  for  the 
first  time  on  the  eighth  day  of  our  passage,  my  eye  was 
immediately  attracted  by  the  table  cloth,  which  had,  no 
doubt,  been  clean  when  we  sailed,  but  as  the  lurching  and 
pitching  of  the  ship  had  covered  it  with  the  traces  of  every 
thing  which  had  been  on  the  table  since  that  day,  it  was 
clean  no  longer.  The  plates  and  glasses  were  secured  in  a 
kind  of  wooden  net,  but  before  they  were  placed  there  by 
our  good  cabin-boy,  he  was  careful  to  wipe  them  on  a  towel, 
bearing  a  suspicious  resemblance  to  the  floor  in  color,  and 
which  was  actually  used  in  the  morning  as  a  wash-towel.  I 
always  turned  away  my  eyes  during  these  preliminary 
arrangements,  and  tried  to  think  my  own  plate  and  tumbler 
fared  rather  better  than  the  others,  and  perhaps  entirely 
escaped  the  unkind  usage ;  fixing,  at  the  same  time,  my 
whole  attention  on  our  expected  meal. 

We*  began  with  soup  ;  but  instead  of  a  good  meat  broth, 
it  was  nothing  but  rice,  boiled  with  prunes,  to  which  red 
wine  and  sugar  were  added  at  the  table ;  and  this  greatest 
of  all  treats  for.  a  Danish  palate  was  far  from  agreeable  to 
mine.  Our  second  and  last  dish  was  a  great  piece  of  roast 


52  JO  UENET  TO  ICELAND. 

beef,  of  which  I  have  nothing  to  say,  excepting  that  it  was 
altogether  too  substantial  for  my  weakened  digestion.  Our 
evening  meal  was  that  of  the  morning  over  again,  every  re- 
past being  closed  with  tea-water.  At  first  this  manner  of 
living  was  very  disagreeable  to  me,  but  after  a  few  days, 
when  I  began  to  feel  better,  I  became  more  accustomed 
to  it,  and  managed  to  do  as  much  credit  to  the  ship's  fare 
as  my  companions.*  The  rich  owner  being  on  board,  we 
were  amply  provided  with  the  best  of  wines,  and  a  bowl 
of  punch  made  its  appearance  almost  every  evening.  An 
excuse  was  always  at  hand ;  we  drank  to  the  wind  when  it 
was  fair,  and  when  contrary,  we  drank  to  a  change.  If  land 
were  in  sight,  we  toasted  it  with  a  bumper,  and  when  it  dis- 
appeared, it  was  but  civil  to  drink  a  farewell.  Doubtless 
many  other  opportunities  presented  themselves,  which  I 
was  too  sea-sick  to  note  ;  and  thus  it  went  on  from  day  to 
day  during  the  whole  passage. 

The  sailors  had  their  tea-water,  without  sugar,  every 
morning,  and  a  small  glass  of  brandy  ;  for  dinner  they  had 
vegetables,  grits,  or  potatoes,  with  codfish,  bacon,  and  other 
salted  meats  ;  and  they  could  help  themselves  to  very  ex- 
cellent ship's  biscuit  whenever  they  chose. 

This  indifferent  fare  is  by  no  means  the  worst  hardship 
these  poor  fellows  have  to  contend  with  ;  they  are  engaged 
in  a  continual  strife  with  the  elements  ;  they  must  brave 
the  most  fearful  storms,  and  neither  the  rain  nor  the  pierc- 
ing cold  can  ever  drive  them  from  the  deck.  I  could  not 

*  It  would  grieve  me  very  much  if  I  thought  my  description  of  our 
life  on  board  this  ship  had  wounded  the  feelings  of  worthy  Mr.  K. 
But  every  one  knows  that,  in  his  station,  living  at  sea  is  very  different 
from  living  on  shore ;  and  I  can  bear  witness  to  the  comforts  of  his 
household,  not  only  in  Copenhagen,  but  in  Iceland/ where  every  thing 
was  carried  on  exactly  as  it  is  in  the  large  cities  of  Europe. 


APPROACH  TO  ICELAND.  53 

but  admire  the  good  nature  and  the  untiring  cheerfulness 
with  which  they  fulfilled  their  hard  duties.  And  what  was 
their  reward  ?  Scanty  wages,  the  food  mentioned  above, 
and  for  a  sleeping-place  the  smallest  and  most  uncomforta- 
ble hole  in  the  ship,  dark  and  offensive  as  the  oil-colors, 
varnish,  tar  and  codfish  stowed  away  there,  could  make  it. 

Those  only  who  are  gifted  by  nature  with  a  contented 
disposition  could  be  satisfied  with  such  a  lot.  The  Danish 
sailors  possess  this  qualification  to  an  eminent  degree,  as  I 
had  many  opportunities  of  observing  during  my  travels, 
not  only  on  board  this  ship,  but  in  several  others. 

But  it  is  full  time  after  this  digression  to  return  to  my 
narrative.  Unfortunately  the  fair  winds  which  had  driven 
us  so  rapidly  towards  the  coast  of  Iceland,  suddenly  de- 
serted us  on  the  seventh  day,  and  a  contrary  wind  spring- 
ing up,  we  were  kept  beating  about  for  several  days  and 
nights,  during  which  our  decks  were  washed  by  a  great 
many  Spanish  waves.*  We  made  two  attempts  to  land  our 
fellow-passenger,  Mr.  Brtige,  at  the  Westmann  Islands  (be- 
longing to  Iceland),  but  found  it  impossible  to  do  so.  At 
last,  at  the  close  of  the  eleventh  day,  we  reached  Haven- 
fiord,  an  excellent  harbor,  two  miles  from  Reikjavick,  the 
capital  of  Iceland. 

In  spite  of  this  adverse  change  in  the  weather,  we  had 
made  an  unprecedented  passage.  The  distance  from  Co- 
penhagen to  Iceland  is  computed  at  three  hundred  geo- 
graphical miles,!  in  a  direct  line,  and  our  course  must  have 


*  The  large  waves  which  approach  from  the  westward  are  called  by 
the  sailors  Spanish  waves,  or  billows. 

f  The  geographical,  or  common  mile  of  Germany,  is  about  four  and 
a  half  English  miles,  making  the  distance  from  Copenhagen  to  Iceland 
thirteen  hundred  and  fifty  English  miles  in  a  direct  line. — Trans. 


54  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

been  from  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  four  hundred  at  the 
least.  If  we  had  not  been  put  back  thirty  or  forty  hours 
when  we  were  almost  in  port,  we  should  have  landed  on  the 
eighth  or  ninth  day  out,  and  that  is  more  than  could  have 
been  done  by  a  steamer. 

My  first  impressions  of  the  coast  of  Iceland  were  very 
different  from  the  descriptions  I  had  read  in  books.  I  had 
fancied  a  barren,  desolate  waste,  without  a  bush  or  a  tree  ; 
and  I  saw  grass-covered  hillocks,  copses,  and  even,  as  I 
thought,  patches  of  dwarfish  woods  ;  but  as  we  approached, 
and  I  could  distinguish  the  different  objects  more  plainly, 
the  hillocks  were  changed  into  human  habitations,  with 
small  doors  and  windows,  and  the  groups  of  trees  proved  to 
be  great  lava  masses,  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  high,  entirely 
overgrown  with  grass  and  moss.  Every  thing  was  new  and 
surprising  to  me ;  I  could  hardly  wait  to  land. 

At  last  we  were  at  anchor  ;  but  it  was  not  till  the  fol- 
lowing morning  that  the  hour  of  my  deliverance  arrived, 
and  we  could  go  on  shore. 

Another  night, — and  every  difficulty  being  adjusted,  I 
landed  in  Iceland,  a  country  I  had  so  ardently  wished  to 
see,  and  revelled  in  all  the  natural  wonders  of  that  extra- 
ordinary island. 

Before  I  proceed  any  farther  with  my  own  adventures, 
may  I  be  permitted  to  offer  a  few  observations  on  the  island 
of  Iceland,  taken  from  the  Travels  of  Sir  George  Macken- 
zie, a  work  whose  merit  is  universally  admitted. 

"  The  discovery  of  Iceland  is  attributed  to  the  enter- 
prise of  a  few  Swedish  and  Norwegian  pirates,  who  were 
wrecked  on  its  coasts  in  the  year  860,  while  on  their  way 
to  the  Faroe  Islands.  No  voluntary  emigrants  found  their 
way  there,  however,  till  874,  when  a  colony  led  by  Ingulf, 


EARLY  RECORD*.  55 

having  become  impatient  of  the  rule  of  Harold  the  Fair- 
haired,  removed  to  this  distant  country,  where  the  new- 
comers are  believed  to  have  found  no  traces  of  human 
life,  and  were  consequently  the  first  who  peopled  the  land. 

At  this  period  the  island  is  said  to  have  been  ^covered 
with  a  thicket,  which  was  cut  through  to  open  a  way  for  the 
settlers.  The  Norwegians  brought  with  them  their  lan- 
guage, their  religion,  their  manners,  and  their  historical  re- 
collections, and  they  also  introduced  a  kind  of  feudal 
system,  which  assumed  rather  an  aristocratic  character 
about  the  year  928,  although  they  were  professedly  repub- 
licans. The  island  was  divided  into  four  provinces,  each  of 
which  was  governed  by  an  hereditary  sheriff  or  judge. 

"  The  General  Assembly  of  the  island  (called  the 
Allthing)  met  once  a  year  on  the  shores  of  the  lake  of  the 
Thingvalla.  The  colonists  possessed  an  excellent  code, 
which  provided  for  every  emergency  in  their  society. 
This  union  lasted  more  than  three  hundred  years,  a  period 
which  may  be  called  the  golden  age  of  Iceland.  Education, 
literature,  and  even  poetry  flourished  among  its  inhabit- 
ants. They  took  part  in  the  commerce  of  the  Norwegians, 
and  shared  their  adventurous  sea  voyages  in  quest  of  new 
discoveries. 

"  The  Sagas,  or  histories  of  the  country,  contain  many 
relations  of  personal  bravery.  The  bards  and  historians 
visited  other  lands,  became  the  favorites  of  princes,  and  re- 
turned to  their  island  covered  with  honors  and  loaded  with 
gifts.  The  Edda  of  Samund  is  one  of  the  finest  poems  of 
the  earlier  days  of  Iceland  ;  the  second  part  of  the  Edda, 
called  the  Skalda,  is  attributed  by  many  persons  to  the 
celebrated  Snorri  Sturluson,  and  dates  from  a  later  period. 
Isleif,  the  first  bishop  of  Skalholt,  was  the  earliest  historian 
if  Iceland,  and  was  followed  by  Snorri  Sturluson,  born  in 


56  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

1178,  who  was  the  richest  and  most  influential  person  in 
the  island.  He  was  constantly  attended  at  the  General 
Assemblies  by  a  brilliant  retinue  of  eight  hundred  armed 
men.  He  was  a  great  historian  and  poet,  possessed  an  ac- 
curate knowledge  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages,  and 
was  an  admirable  orator.  Besides  the  Edda,  he  also  wrote 
the  Hairnskringla. 

"  A  school  was  established  at  Skalholt  about  the  middle 
of  the  llth  century  by  Isleif,  first  bishop  of  Iceland,  and 
was  followed  by  four  other  schools  and  several  monasteries. 
Poetry  and  music  appear  to  have  been  two  regular  branches 
of  the  education  imparted  at  these  schools. 

1  It  would  seem  that  the  climate  of  Iceland  was  once 
less  rigorous  than  it  is  at  present ;  formerly  corn  was  raised 
there,  and  the  trees  and  bushes  grew  to  a  greater  height 
than  they  do  now.  There  were  no  towns  or  villages,  how- 
ever, the  population  being  scattered  over  the  country,  and 
the  yearly  Assembly  was  held  in  the  open  air  at  Thing- 
ralla.  The  clothing  of  the  Icelanders  was  supplied  by  the 
wool  of  their  sheep  ;  the  fisheries  furnished  their  prin- 
cipal employment,  but  they  had  also  dealings  with  foreign 
countries,  which  afforded  more  distant  occupations. 

"  The  doctrines  of  Christianity  were  first  introduced  in 
the  year  981,  through  Frederick,  a  Saxon  bishop.  Many 
churches  were  then  erected,  and  tithes  established  for  the 
support  of  the  clergy.  Isleif,  bishop  of  Skalholt.  was  con- 
secrated in  the  year  1057.  After  the  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity, the  Icelanders  enjoyed  for  nearly  two  centuries  the 
undisturbed  exercise  of  their  religious  faith. 

"  Greenland,  and  the  most  northern  part  of  America, 
are  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  the  Icelanders. 

"  Towards  the  middle  of  the  13th  century,  Iceland 
passed  under  the  dominion  of  the  Norwegian  kings.  In 


EARLY  RECORDS.  57 

1380,  Norway  was  united  to  the  crown  of  Denmark,  and 
Iceland  was  made  over,  without  resistance,  to  that  country. 
After  its  submission  to  Norway  and  Denmark,  peace  and 
security  succeeded  the  frequent  troubles  which  had  dis- 
turbed the  prosperity  of  the  island  ;  but  apathy  and  indo- 
lence seem  to  have  crept  in  as  the  natural  consequence  of 
this  quiet  state  of  things.  The  maritime  enterprises  of  the 
Icelanders  were  restricted  by  their  new  rulers,  and  commerce 
gradually  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  subjects  of  other  realms. 
The  climate  seems  to  have  changed,  or  else  the  diminished 
industry  of  the  inhabitants  has  allowed  all  their  agricul- 
tural efforts  to  fall  to  decay. 

"  In  the  year  1402,  the  plague  broke  out  in  Iceland, 
and  swept  away  two-thirds  of  the  population. 

"  The  first  printing-press  was  brought  to  Hoolum  in 
1530,  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  John  Areson. 

"  The  reformation  in  the  church  of  Iceland  was  not  ef- 
fected without  much  disturbance,  but  the  reformed  religion 
was  definitively  established  in  the  year  1551. 

"  The  piratical  incursions  of  the  15th  century  occasioned 
much  suffering  among  the  Icelanders ;  the  French  and 
English  nations  shared  in  the  guilt  of  these  invasions  as 
late  as  the  year  1616.  A  large  band  of  Algerine  pirates 
made  a  descent  upon  the  island  in  1627,  and  after  murder- 
ing nearly  fifty  of  the  inhabitants,  carried  off  four  hundred 
of  them  into  captivity. 

"  The  18th  century  commenced  with  a  fearful  mortality 
from  small-pox;  more  than  16,000  of  the  inhabitants  fell 
victims  to  that  disease.  A  famine  carried  off  10,000  more 
in  the  year  1759. 

"  The  year  1793  was  remarkable  for  the  most  terrible 
volcanic  eruption  which  had  ever  taken  place  in  the  island. 
Enormous  streams  of  lava  swept  every  thing  before  them, 


58       •  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

and  large  rivers,  hemmed  within  their  banks,  were  changed 
into  lakes.  A  thick  cloud  of  smoke  and  volcanic  ashes 
hung  over  the  whole  island  for  more  than  a  year,  and  nearly 
obscured  the  light  of  day.  Cattle,  sheep,  and  horses  were 
destroyed  ;  famine,  with  sickness  in  its  train,  and  above  all, 
the  most  virulent  kind  of  small-pox,  diminished  the  sur- 
rounding population  by  more  than  11,000  souls,  within  a 
few  years. 

"  The  island  of  Iceland  lies  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  ;  its 
greatest  breadth  is  sixty,  and  its  length  thirty-five  geo- 
graphical miles.*  The  population  is  estimated  at  48,000, 
and  the  superficial  area  is  eighteen  hundred  square  miles." 


nt  limBnfinri:    uttfr  3nttmt  tn 


On  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  May,  I  disembarked  in 
the  harbor  of  Havenfiord,  and  found  myself  at  last  on  the 
soil  of  Iceland.  I  was  still  dizzy  from  my  long  attack  of 
sea-sickness,  and  the  motion  of  the  ship  ;  every  thing 
seemed  to  dance  around  me,  and  I  could  hardly  take  a 
steady  step  ;  but  yet  I  could  not  remain  quietly  in  the 
house  of  Mr.  Knudson,  where  I  had  been  invited  to  stay 
on  my  first  landing,  and  I  went  out  at  once  to  see  and  ex- 
amine every  thing  in  the  place,  which  I  found  to  consist 
merely  of  three  dwellings  built  of  wood,  a  few  warehouses 
of  the  same  material,  and  several  huts  inhabited  by  the 
peasantry, 

The  wooden  houses,  occupied  by  the  merchants  or  their 

*  Two  hundred  and  seventy  English  miles  in  breadth,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  and  a  half  in  length.  —  TV. 


HA  VENFIORD.  59 

factors,  are  of  a  single  story,  with  five  or  six  windows  m 
front ;  a  low  flight  of  steps  leads  to  an  entrance,  in  the 
centre  of  the  building,  which  opens  into  a  vestibule,  with 
two  doors  communicating  with  the  rooms  to  the  right  and 
left.  In  the  rear  is  the  kitchen,  and  the  courtyard  is  be- 
yond. Such  a  house  contains  four  or  five  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor,  and  a  few  small  chambers  under  the  roof. 

The  arrangements  are  entirely  European  ;  the  furni- 
ture, a  great  deal  of  which  is  mahogany,  is  all  brought 
from  Copenhagen,  as  well  as  the  mirrors,  and  the  cast-iron 
stoves.  Handsome  rugs  are  spread  in  front  of  the  sofas, 
neat  curtains  hang  before  the  windows ;  the  whitewashed 
walls  are  ornamented  with  English  engravings,  and  china, 
silver,  cut-glass,  &c.,  are  displayed  upon  the.  chests  or 
corner-tables.  The  rooms  are  scented  with  roses,  migno- 
nette, and  pinks,  and  I  even  saw  one  piano-forte  here.  Any 
person  who  should  suddenly  be  set  down  in  a  house  like 
this,  without  having  made  the  journey,  would  be  sure  to 
imagine  himself  in  some  town  on  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  not  in  that  distant  region  of  poverty  and  barrenness, 
the  island  of  Iceland.  I  found  the  habitations  of  the  easy 
classes  in  Reikjavick,  and  the  other  places  I  visited  in  this 
country,  exactly  similar  to  those  in  Havenfiord.  I  next 
entered  some  of  the  huts,  which  I  found  to  be  decidedly 
more  Icelandic.  They  are  small  and  low,  built  of  lava 
blocks,  filled  in  with  earth,  the  whole  sodded  over  with 
grass,  and  they  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  natural  ele- 
vations in  the  ground,  if  the  wooden  chimneys,  the  low 
doors,  and  almost  imperceptible  windows,  did  not  betray 
that  they  were  tenanted  by  human  beings.  A  dark  and 
narrow  passage,  not  more  than  four  feet  high,  leads  on  one 
hand  to  the  dwelling-room,  and  on  the  other  to  the  store- 
room, where  the  provisions  are  kept,  which  is  also  used  in 


60  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

winter  to  stable  the  cows  and  sheep.  The  fireplace  is  gen- 
erally at  the  end  of  this  passage,  which  is  purposely  built 
so  low  in  order  to  exclude  the  cold.  The  walls  and  floors 
of  these  huts  are  not  boarded;  the  dwelling-rooms  are 
barely  large  enough  to  sleep  in,  and  perhaps  to  turn  round : 
the  whole  furniture  consists  of  the  bedsteads,  with  a  very 
scanty  supply  of  bedding,  a  small  table,  and  a  few  chests ; 
the  latter  are  used  for  seats  as  well  as  the  beds.  Poles  are 
fastened  in  the  walls  to  which  clothes,  shoes  and  stockings, 
and  other  things  of  that  kind  are  suspended ;  and  a  little 
shelf,  with  a  few  books  on  it,  is  generally  found  in  each 
hut.  No  stoves  are  needed  in  these  crowded  rooms,  which 
are  sufficiently  heated  by  the  warmth  of  their  numerous 
inmates. 

There  are  also  poles  in  the  fireplaces  to  hang  up  the 
wet  clothing  and  dry  the  fish.  The  smoke  often  spreads 
itself  over  the  room  and  finds  its  way  very  slowly  out  of  the 
air-holes.  There  is  no  wood  for  fuel  in  the  whole  island. 
The  rich  import  it  from  Norway  and  Denmark,  and  the 
poor  burn  turf,  to  which  they  often  add  fish-bones  or  fat, 
and  a  most  offensive  smoke  proceeds  from  this  disgusting 
offal. 

On  entering  one  of  these  hovels,  it  is  impossible  to  say 
which  is  the  worst,  the  suffocating  smoke  of  the  passage,  or 
the  stifling  air  of  the  inner  room,  poisoned  with  the  perspi- 
ration and  uncleanliness  of  so  many  persons.  I  am  persuaded 
that  the  horrible  eruptions,  which  are  so  common  among 
the  Icelanders,  are  more  to  be  attributed  to  their  unparal- 
leled filthiness  than  to  the  climate  or  their  peculiar  food. 

In  my  distant  travels  throughout  the  country,  I  found 
the  huts  of  the  peasantry  every  where  equally  dirty  and 
miserable.  Of  course  I  do  not  mean  to  say  there  were  no 
exceptions,  for  even  here  a  few  rich  peasants  can  well  afford 


LAVA  FIELD.  61 

to  live  in  greater  comfort,  according  to  their  means  and  in* 
clinations.  But  to  my  notion,  we  should  judge  of  the 
habits  of  a  people  by  the  mass,  and  not  by  the  few,  as  many 
travellers  are  in  the  habit  of  doing ;  and  very  rare  indeed 
were  the  examples  of  cleanliness  which  I  saw. 

Havenfiord  is  surrounded  by  a  most  beautiful  and  pic- 
turesque field  of  lava,  which  at  first  swells  to  a  gentle  emi- 
nence, then  sinks  again,  and  finally  stretches  in  one  wide 
plain  to  the  neighboring  hills.  The  different  masses,  black 
and  bare,  arise  in  the  most  varied  shapes,  to  the  height  of 
ten  or  fifteen  feet,  and  assume  the  figures  of  walls,  pillars, 
grottoes  and  excavations,  over  which  large  level  pieces  will 
often  make  a  natural  bridge ;  the  whole  formed  by  blocks 
of  congealed  lava,  which  in  some  places  are  covered  to  their 
summits  with  grass  and  moss,  presenting  that  delusive  ap- 
pearance of  stunted  trees  which  I  saw  from  the  ship.  The 
horses,  sheep,  and  cows  scramble  about  in  these  fields,  in- 
dustriously seeking  out  every  small  green  spot ;  and  I  my- 
self was  never  weary  with  scrambling  ;  I  could  not  suffi- 
ciently admire  and  wonder  at  this  fearfully  beautiful  pic- 
ture of  desolation. 

In  a  few  hours  I  had  already  so  far  forgotten  my  trou- 
bles at  sea,  and  felt  so  much  refreshed,  that  I  determined 
to  continue  my  journey  to  Reikjavick  that  very  evening. 
Mr.  Knudson  appeared  to  feel  much  concerned  about  me, 
and  gave  repeated  warnings  of  the  bad  roads  and  the  dan- 
gerous abysses  I  was  to  pass  on  my  way ;  but  I  quieted 
him  with  the  assurance  that  I  was  a  skilful  horsewoman 
and  could  hardly  meet  with  worse  roads  than  I  had  for- 
merly seen  in  Syria.  Taking  leave  of  this  worthy  man, 
who  was  to  remain  a  few  weeks  longer  in  Havenfiord,  I 
mounted  my  pony  and  set  off  boldly  with  my  female  guide, 
who  proved  to  be  'one  of  the  most  remarkable  antiquities  of 
3* 


62  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Iceland,  and  well  deserving  of  a  few  words'  notice.  She 
was  more  than  seventy  years  old,  though  she  hardly  looked 
fifty  ;  her  hair  was  of  a  rich  light  brown,  and  still  curled 
on  her  head ;  she  was  dressed  in  men's  clothes,  and  would 
undertake  the  most  difficult  errands — steer  a  boat  with  as 
much  strength  and  skill  as  an  expert  fisherman,  manage 
every  thing  better  than  any  man,  and  was  more  to  be  relied 
upon,  because  she  never  cultivated  that  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  brandy  bottle  so  common  among  her  country- 
men. She  strode  off  before  me  at  such  a  pace  that  I  was 
fain  to  urge  on  my  pony  as  much  as  I  could  with  my  whip. 
Our  route  lay  at  first  among  the  heaps  of  lava,  and  it 
was  certainly  rather  a  rough  road  to  follow ;  we  afterwards 
crossed  several  plains  and  slight  elevations,  from  whence  we 
overlooked  the  whole  wide  valley  in  which  lie  scattered 
the  villages  of  Havenfiord,  Bassestadt,  Keikjavick,  and  other 
places.  Bassestadt  is  situated  on  a  point  of  land  which 
stretches  out  into  the  sea,  and  is  constantly  in  sight  from 
the  road ;  it  contains  an  academy,  a  stone  church,  and  a 
few  huts.  The  little  town  of  Keikjavick  is  concealed  by  a 
hill,  and  is  not  visible  till  you  are  close  upon  it,  which  is 
the  case  with  the  other  hamlets  'scattered  about  this  plain. 
The  view  is  bounded  on  one  side  by  several  ranges  of  high 
mountains,  among  which  the  jokuls  (glaciers)  were  con- 
spicuous, still  covered  far  down  their  sides  with  the  winter's 
snows ;  and  on  the  other  it  is  open  to  the  sea.  At  a  little 
distance,  I  was  impressed  with  the  belief  that  many  of  the 
valleys  and  hillocks  were  covered  with  verdure,  and  I 
thought  I  saw  several  beautiful  meadows  ;  but  upon  a  closer 
investigation,  I  ascertained  that  they  were  marshes,  con- 
taining hundreds  and  hundreds  of  little  eminences  not  un- 
like mole-hills,  or  small  grave  mounds,  overgrown  with  grass 
and  moss. 


RIDE  TO  REIKJAVIGK.  53 

From  one  spot  I  could  overlook  a  wide  circuit  of  eight 
or  ten  miles*  without  being  able  to  perceive  a  single  tree 
or  bush,  a  field  or  a  village.  All  was  lifeless.  "We  passed 
a  few  scattered  cottages  ;  but  we  rarely  heard  the  chirp  of 
a  bird,  and  still  more  rarely  a  friendly  salutation  from  a 
human  voice.  We  were  completely  surrounded  with  the 
streams  of  lava,  or  bogs  and  swamps ;  not  a  spot  was  to  be 
seen  in  that  whole  space  which  could  have  been  turnect  up 
by  the  plough. 

At  the  end  of  a  long  mile,  I  reached  a  height  from 
which  I  could  discover  Reikjavick.  the  only  place  of  any 
size  in  the  island,  and  its  capital.  I  was  very  much  disap- 
pointed in  its  appearance,  however,  for  I  saw  nothing  but 
an  insignificant  village. 

The  distance  from  Havenfiord  to  Reikjavick  is  only  two 
miles  (German),  but  to  avoid  tiring  my  old  companion  too 
much,  I  was  three  hours  on  the  way.  The  road  is  gen- 
erally very  good,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  places  where 
it  leads  through  the  streams  of  lava.  I  saw  nothing  of  the 
dizzy  precipices  I  had  been  led  to  expect,  unless  a  few  low 
declivities  stretching  towards  the  sea,  or  an  occasional  hole 
fifteen  or  sixteen  feet  deep  in  the  lava  fields,  were  the  seat 
of  these  hidden  dangers. 

About  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  arrived  at  Reik- 
javick  in  perfect  safety.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  • 
Knudson  a  nice  little  room  was  already  prepared  for  me  in 
one  of  his  own  houses,  occupied  by  the  family  of  the  worthy 
baker,  Bernhoft,  and  I  could  not  possibly  have  met  with 
a  better  reception  any  where. 

This  whole  family  showed  a  rare  degree  of  cordiality 
and  affection  during  my  long  residence  with  them.  Mr. 

*  Thirty-six  to  forty-five  English  miles. 


64  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Bernhoft  gave  up  his  usual  occupations  for  hours  at  a  time' 
to  devote  himself  to  me,  and  accompany  me  on  my  excur- 
sions. He  spared  no  pains  to  collect  specimens  of  flowers 
beetles,  or  shells,  and  was  overjoyed  when  he  had  the  good 
luck  to  find^any  that  were  new  to  me.  His  excellent  wife 
and  dear  children  were  equally  kind  and  attentive.  I  can 
say  no  more  :  may  God  requite  them  a  thousandfold  for 
their  friendly  conduct  ! 

I  had  the  happiness  o£  hearing  my  dear  mother-tongue 
spoken  here,  for  Mr.  Bernhoft  was  a  Holsteiner  by  birth, 
and  although  he  had  spent  many  years  of  his  life  in  Den- 
mark and  Iceland,  he  had  not  entirely  forgotten  our  beloved 
German. 

I  was  now  in  the  capital  ofr  Iceland,  where  what  are 
called  the  better  classes  are  assembled,  and  I  shall  endeavor 
to  sketch  their  life  and  manners  for  the  benefit  of  my  in- 
dulgent reader. 

Nothing  struck  me  so  much  as  the  great  dignity  ol 
carriage  at  which  the  ladies  here  all  aim,  and  which  is  so 
apt  to  degenerate  into  stiffness  where  it  is  not  perfectly 
natural,  or  has  not  become  a  second  nature  by  habit.  They 
incline  their  head  very  coolly  when  you  meet  them,  with 
less  civility  than  we  should  use  towards  an  inferior  or  a 
stranger.  The  lady  of  the  house  never  accompanies  her 
guests  beyond  the  door  of  the  room,  after  a  call ;  if  the 
husband  is  present  he  goes  a  little  farther,  but  when  this 
is  not  the  case  you  are  often  at  a  loss  which  way  to  turn, 
as  there  is  no  servant  on  the  spot  to  open  the  street  door 
for  you,  unless  it  may  happen  to  be  in  the  house  of  the 
Stiftsamtmann,  the  first  dignitary  of  the  island.  I  had 
already  observed  traces  of  this  formality  in  Hamburgh, 
and  the  farther  I  advanced  towards  the  north,  the  more  it 
increased,  till  in  Iceland  it  reached  its  greatest  height. 


UNGRACIOUS  MANNERS.  65 

Valuable  letters  of  introduction  will  not  always  avail  a 
stranger  to  thaw  the  ice  of  these  northern  circles.  I  will 
relate  the  following  incident  as  an  example. 

Among  many  other  warm  letters  of  introduction,  I  had 
one  for  the  Stiftsamtmann  or  governor  of  Iceland,  Mr.  Yon 

H .  When  I  arrived  in  Copenhagen  I  was  informed 

that  he  was  also  in  that  city,  and  upon  calling  to  pay  my 
respects  to  him,  I  was  shown  into  a  room  where  I  found 
two  young  women  and  three  children.  I  presented  my  let- 
ter, and  after  waiting  for  a  few  minutes,  without  being  re- 
quested to  take  a  chair,  I  quietly  seated  myself,  certainly 
far  from  suspecting  that  I  was  in  the  presence  of  the  lady 
of  the  house,  and  that  it  was  she  who  had  neglected  this 
common  act  of  civility  towards  a  stranger.  After  a  long 

delay,  Mr.  Yon  H- himself  made  his  appearance  ;  he 

stated  that  his  time  was  wholly  taken  up  with  the  neces- 
sary arrangements  for  removing  to  Iceland  with  his  family, 
and  with  many  important  affairs  which  were  still  unattend- 
ed to ;  regretting  that  it  would  be  in  his  power  to  bestow 
so  little  of  it  upon  me,  and  ended  with  the  well-meant  ad- 
vice to  give  up  my  projected  journey,  as  the  difficulties  I 
should  encounter  in  travelling  through  that  country  were 
almost  insurmountable.  But  my  resolution  was  not  to  be 
shaken,  and  he  promised  me  a  letter,  in  case  I  should  reach 
Reikjavick  before  him.  I  then  took  leave,  fully  determined 
never  to  return  to  ask  for  it.  Upon  reflection,  however,  I 
changed  my  mind,  and  tried  to  excuse  my  unfriendly  recep- 
tion by  the  press  of  important  and  perhaps  annoying  busi- 
ness ;  I  called  for  my  letter  at  the  end  of  two  days,  when 
it  was  handed  to  me  by  a  female  servant,  as  it  would  have 
been  too  great  a  piece  of  condescension  forthe  high  dignitary, 
whom  I  could  see  very  plainly  in  the  next  room,  to  deliver 
it  himself. 


66  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

When  I  paid  my  visit  to  this  worthy  family  at  Reik 

javick,  I  was  astonished  to  recognize  in  Mrs.  Yon  H 

one  of  the  very  ladies  who  had  not  done  me  the  honor  to 

offer  me  a  chair  in  Copenhagen.     Mr.  Von  H returned 

my  call  after  five  or  six  days,  and  invited  me  at  the  same 
time  to  accompany  him  on  a  ride  to  Vatne.  I  eagerly 
availed  myself  of  his  politeness  and  felt  ashamed  of  having 
judged  him  so  hastily  ;  his  good  wife  however  did  not  find 
her  way  to  me  till  I  had  been  four  weeks  in  Reikjavick, 
although  we  were  opposite  neighbors ;  as  she  did  not  ask 
me  to  come  and  see  her  again,  of  course  I  never  went ;  and 
thus  our  acquaintance  came  to  a  close  forever.  The  minor 
functionaries  all  trod  dutifully  in  the  steps  of  their  super- 
ior, and  I  did  not  receive  any  visits  or  invitations,  although 
I  frequently  heard  of  the  parties  of  pleasure,  dinners,  and 
evening  entertainments  which  were  going  on  in  the  place. 
If  I  had  not  known  how  to  occupy  myself  more  profitably, 
time  would  have  hung  very  heavily  upon  my  hands.  It 
never  seemed  to  occur  to  any  of  these  ladies  that  I  was  a 
stranger,  alone,  and  entirely  debarred  from  all  educated 
society.  Of  course,  being  no  longer  young,  I  felt  I  had  no 
claims  to  the  attentions  of  the  gentlemen,  and  the  privation 
did  not  cost  me  much  regret.  If  the  women  were  wanting 
in  consideration,  I  could  not  expect  to  find  it  in  the  men. 

I  pondered  on  the  cause  of  this  behavior,  till  I  dis- 
covered its  social  spring  in  the  selfishness,  which  is  a  strik- 
ing characteristic  of  the  people.  As  soon  as  I  arrived  in 
Eeikjavick,  diligent  inquiries  were  made  from  all  quarters, 
if  I  were  rich,  if  I  should  entertain  much  company,  and  if 
there  were  any  thing  to  be  gained  by  waiting  upon  me. 
Persons  of  large  fortune,  or  great  naturalists,  are  the  only  tra- 
vellers who  have  a  chance  of  being  well  received  in  Iceland. 
The  last  being  generally  sent  by  some  of  the  European 


FESTIVITIES.  (37 

courts,  are  in  the  habit  of  making  extensive  collections  of 
minerals,  birds,  &c.  ;  and  they  come  well  provided  with 
presents,  some  of  them  very  valuable,  for  the  officials  who 
lend  them  any  assistance.  They  give  balls  and  entertain- 
ments, buy  every  thing  which  is  offered,  and  always  travel 
in  large  companies,  with  a  great  deal  of  baggage,  requiring 
a  vast  number  of  horses,  which  animals  are  not  to  be  bor- 
rowed in  Iceland  ;  they  must  always  be  bought.  On  such 
occasions  every  man  in  the  island  is  a  dealer  in  horses  or 
specimens. 

The  French  frigate  which  pays  a  yearly  visit  to  Iceland 
is  the  most  welcome  of  all  guests  ;  a  great  many  break- 
fasts, dinners,  evening  parties,  and  even  balls  are  given  on 
board,  and  handsome  presents  are  freely  distributed,  the 
Stiftsamtmann,  alone,  receiving  six  hundred  florins  every 
year  from  the  French  government,  as  a  compensation  for  a 
few  return  civilities  to  the  naval  officers.  But  with  me  the 
case  was  entirely  different ;  I  brought  no  presents,  and  gave 
no  parties ;  there  was  nothing  to  expect  from  me,  and  con- 
sequently every  one  drew  back. 

I  am  decidedly  of  opinion,  however,  that  there  is  no 
better  method  of  judging  our  fellow-beings,  than  to  step  in 
among  them  in  this  unpretending  manner,  without  holding 
out  any  prospect  of  reward  for  their  attentions.  On  such 
occasions  they  are  seen  in  their  natural  light,  as  they  do 
not  take  the  trouble  to  assume  the  mask  of  dissimulation, 
Painful  discoveries  will  doubtless  be  the  result  of  this 
course  ;  but  the  traveller  who  meets  with  the  good  and 
virtuous  under  such  circumstances  can  feel  sure  that  he  is 
not  deceived.  And  my  readers  will  consider  it  pardonable 
if  I  make  mention  of  every  act  of  kindness  which  was  paid 
to  an  unassuming  stranger  like  myself,  for  I  have  no  other 


68  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND, 

means  of  testifying  my  gratitude  to  those  worthy  persons 
from  whom  they  were  received. 

Having  so  little  intercourse  with  my  neighbors  at 
Reikjavick,  I  had  ample  leisure  for  my  solitary  walks,  in 
which  I  noted  with  great  accuracy  every  object  which  at- 
tracted my  attention.  This  little  town  can  hardly  boast  of 
five  hundred  inhabitants,  and  consists  of  a  single  broad 
street,  where  the  isolated  houses  and  cottages  are  scattered 
about. 

The  dwellings  of  the  rich  are  of  wood,  and  built  entirely 
on  the  ground-floor,  with  the  exception  of  a  single  edifice, 
to  which  the  high  school  now  kept  at  Bassestadt  is  to  be  re- 
moved next  year  ;  this  has  an  upper  story.  The  Stiftsamt- 
mann  occupies  a  stone  house,  which  was  originally  intended 
for  a  prison ;  but  crimes  are  of  such  rare  occurrence  in 
Iceland,  that  it  was  converted  many  years  ago  into  a  resi- 
dence for  this  officer  of  the  crown.  Another  stone  house 
can  be  seen  from  Reikjavick ;  it  is  the  seat  of  the  bishop, 
which  lies  surrounded  by  meadows,  near  the  sea,  at  Lau- 
garnes,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town. 

The  church  is  barely  large  enough  to  hold  a  hundred 
or  a  hundred  and  fifty  persons  ;  it  is  of  stone,  with  a  wood- 
en roof,  under  which  is  kept  a  library  containing  several 
thousand  volumes.  This  church  possesses  a  treasure  which 
might  well  be  envied  by  others  of  greater  size  and  preten- 
sions ;  a  font  by  Thorwaldsen,  whose  parents  were  natives 
of  Iceland ;  and  although  born  himself  in  Denmark,  he 
seems  to  have  been  desirous  to  honor  the  land  of  his  fore- 
fathers. 

Some  of  the  houses  in  Reikjavick  have  gardens  attached 
to  them  ;  by  which  is  to  be  understood  a  small  spot,  where, 
with  incredible  pains  and  expense,  potatoes,  parsley,  spi- 


PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  ICELANDERS.       69 

nach,  salad,  and  several  varieties  of  turnip  are  raised.  Be- 
tween the  beds  are  grass  walks,  about  a  foot  wide,  where  a 
few  wild  flowers  are  sometimes  made  to  grow. 

The  natives  of  Iceland  are  of  medium  height  and 
strength.  Their  hair  is  light,  and  not  unfrequently  of  a 
reddish  shade,  and  their  eyes  are  blue.  The  men  are 
generally  ugly,  the  women  rather  less  so,  and  among  the 
young  girls  I  occasionally  saw  quite  a  pleasing  face.  It 
is  a  very  uncommon  thing  for  either  sex  to  attain  the  age 
of  seventy  or  eighty  years.  The  peasants  have  a  great 
many  children,  but  the  proportion  of  those  who  live  to  grow 
up  is  very  small ;  of  the  numbers  who  are  born  to  them  few 
survive  the  first  year  ;  which  is  not  surprising  when  it  is 
considered  that  the  mothers  do  not  nurse  their  infants, 
who  are  brought  up  on  the  most  unwholesome  kind  of  food. 
After  their  first  year  they  seem  to  be  strong  and  healthy, 
though  their  cheeks  are  apt  to  be  of  a  singularly  bright 
red,  as  if  they  were  always  covered  with  a  rash.  Whether 
this  be  owing  to  the  effect  of  the  keen  air  upon  their  tender 
skins,  or  in  consequence  of  their  wretched  diet,  I  am  not 
able  to  decide. 

In  many  places  on  the  sea-coast,  during  the  winter  sea- 
son, when  the  storms  prevent  the  fishermen  from  venturing 
out  to  sea  for  weeks  at  a  time,  they  live  almost  exclusively 
on  the  dried  heads  of  fish  ;  all  the  other  parts  of  the  animal 
having  been  salted  and  sold-,  and  the  money  devoted  to  pay- 
ing taxes  and  other  debts  ;  among  which  those  for  snuff  and 
brandy  always  make  a  very  great  figure.  The  frequent  acci- 
dents in  the  fisheries  will  account  in  some  measure  for  the 
diminishing  population.  Among  the  number  of  those  who 
go  forth  with  songs  and  merriment,  fair  skies,  and  a  smooth 
sea,  auguring  good  luck  to  their  enterprise,  how  many  are 
overtaken  by  the  violent  gusts  and  snow-storms,  and  swept 


70  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

down  into  the  deep  with  their  skiffs,  without  leaving  a  trace 
behind  !  It  is  not  usual  for  all  the  men  of  a  family  to  go 
out  in  the  same  boat ;  fathers  and  sons  are  generally  sepa- 
rated, and  thus  if  one  boat  is  lost,  the  family  is  not  bereft 
of  its  whole  support  at  once. 

I  found  the  habitations  of  the  peasants  in  Reikjavick 
even  smaller  and  more  wretched  than  those  at  Havenfiord ; 
though  this  must  have  been  owing  to  their  own  want  of 
energy,  for  stone  is  everywhere  to  be  found,  and  in  this 
country  each  man  is  his  own  mason.  The  cows  and  sheep 
are  wintered  in  a  miserable  kennel  in  the  hut  itself,  or 
near  it ;  the  horses  are  left  out  during  the  year  round,  and 
are  obliged  to  provide  for  themselves.  Their  owners  will 
sometimes  shovel  away  the  snow  from  a  little  patch  of 
ground,  to  assist  the  poor  animals  in  finding  their  way  to 
the  grass  and  moss  underneath,  after  which  they  enlarge 
the  places  with  their  own  feet.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  how 
much  this  life  must  harden  them ;  but  it  is  really  surpris- 
ing that  they  should  survive  the  winters  on  such  food,  and 
keep  their  strength  and  powers  of  endurance  through  the 
spring  and  summer  months.  They  will  not  touch  oats  when 
they  are  offered  to  them,  and  care  very  little  for  hay. 

Arriving  in  Iceland  in  the  early  spring  I  found  the 
sheep  and  horses  still  in  their  winter  clothing ;  the  latter 
were  covered  with  a  thick  woolly  coat,  and  their  tails  and 
manes  were  of  unusual  length  and  fulness ;  these  are 
thinned  about  the  end  of  May  or  the  beginning  of  June, 
when  the  winter  wool  falls  off  of  itself,  and  the  animals  pre- 
sent a  tolerably  smooth  appearance  for  a  few  months.  The 
sheep  have  also  a  very  heavy  coat  in  winter.  It  is  not 
customary  to  shear  them,  but  in  June  the  wool  is  plucked 
from  their  bodies  by  handfuls,  and  when  this  is  done  in 
rather  an  irregular  manner,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  they 


ESTIRON8  OF  REIKJAVWK,  71 

look  very  oddly ;  one  side,  for  instance,  being  nearly  bare, 
while  the  other  still  carries  its  full  weight  of  wool. 

The  cows  and  horses  are  certainly  smaller  than  ours, 
though  a  race  of  animals  is  found  among  the  peasants  of 
Gallicia  quite  as  dwarfish  as  those  of  the  Icelanders.  The 
cows  of  this  island  are  remarkable  for  the  small  size  of  their 
horns.  The  sheep  are  also  rather  more  diminutive  than 
our  own. 

Every  peasant  owns  several  horses;  the  expense  of 
keeping  them  is  next  to  nothing,  and  in  a  country  where 
the  distances  are  so  great,  the  roads  so  bad,  and  rivers, 
bogs,  and  moors  abound,  men,  women  and  children  must 
necessarily  ride.  There  is  not  a  carriage  of  any  descrip- 
tion on  the  island,  where  the  use  of  such  a  vehicle  is  as 
little  known  as  it  is  in  Syria. 

The  immediate  environs  of  Reikjavick  are  tolerably 
pleasant.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  have  spared  no  pains 
to  collect  the  stone  and  blast  the  rodks  around  their  dwell- 
ings, and  by  mixing  the  thin  soil  with  turf,  manure  and 
ashes,  a  small  spot  of  fruitful  ground  is  obtained.  But  it 
is  an  enterprise  of  such  a  gigantic  nature,  that  it  excites 
little  wonder  to  find  the  cultivation  of  this  sterile  region  so 
generally  neglected.  Mr.  Bernhoft  took  me  to  see  a  small 
meadow,  which  he  has  leased  for  twenty  years  at  an  annual 
rent  of  thirty  kreuzers,  to  convert  it  into  pasture  land, 
which  only  supplies  the  winter  fodder  for  a  single  cow ;  he 
has  expended  upon  it  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  florins, 
without  taking  his  own  toil  and  fatigue  into  the  account. 
The  wages  for  labor  are  very  high  here ;  no  man  will  work 
for  less  than  thirty  or  forty  kreuzers*  a  day,  and  at  the  hay 
harvest  they  expect  a  florin. \ 

*  Thirty  kreuzers  are  twenty-four  cents,  and  forty  kreuzers  thirty- 
two  cents. — Tr.  f  Forty-eight  cents. — Tr. 


72  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

The  soil  around  this  little  town  is  all  rock,  turf  or  bog ; 
but  the  marshy  spots  contain  so  many  hard  stepping  places, 
formed  by  hundreds  of  elevations  of  greater  or  less  extent, 
that  it  is  easy,  by  springing  from  one  to  the  other,  to  cross 
the  whole  morass  without  the  least  danger,  not  even  that 
of  wetting  one's  feet. 

Nevertheless,  I  got  into  quite  a  serious  difficulty  by 
being  over  confident  in  one  of  my  solitary  rambles  among 
these  bogs.  While  I  was  walking  along  very  comfortably, 
a  little  butterfly  suddenly  flew  by  me,  and  as  it  was  the 
first  I  had  seen  in  the  country,  my  anxiety  to  capture  it 
was  proportionably  great ;  I  forgot  the  danger,  and  fol- 
lowed it,  not  remarking,  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase, 
that  the  hard  spots  were  getting  more  and  more  rare,  and 
farther  apart,  tilll  found  myself  at  last  in  the  middle  of  the 
swamp,  where  I  could  neither  advance  nor  retreat.  Not  a 
living  creature  was  to  be  seen,  and  the  very  animals  were 
at  a  distance,  which  ought  to  have  warned  me  of  the  risk 
I  was  running.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  make 
a  bold  spring  for  the  nearest  firm  resting-place,  which  I 
found  it  impossible  to  reach  without  taking  two  or  three 
steps  in  the  soft  earth ;  there  I  paused  in  triumph  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  looked  round  for  another  ;  as  long 
as  I  could  see  the  traces  of  a  horse's  hoof  I  was  quite  easy ; 
but  when  even  these  disappeared  a  feeling  of  desolation 
came  over  me.  However,  I  was  resolved  to  extricate  my- 
self from  my  perilous  situation  at  all  hazards,  though  I 
must  confess  that  when  I  found  the  soft  turf  yielding  be- 
neath my  feet,  I  could  not  defend  myself  from  a  sensation 
of  terror.  But  I  soon  observed  that  I  did  not  sink  above 
my  ankles,  and  gaining  courage  as  I  advanced,  I  succeeded 
at  last  in  escaping  from  the  bog,  thoroughly  frightened, 
but  without  suffering  any  other  inconvenience  than  that  of 
getting  my  feet  very  wet. 


SALARIED  OFFICERS.  73 

The  most  laborious  among  the  salaried  offices  in  this 
country  are  those  of  the  physicians  and  the  clergy.  Their 
circuits  are  very  extensive,  particularly  the  physicians,  who 
are  often  sent  for  from  a  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  Ger- 
man miles.  And  when  it  is  taken  into  consideration  how 
often  they  are  exposed  to  the  fearful  tempests  of  an  Iceland 
winter,  which  lasts  six  or  eight  months  of  the  year,  it  must 
be  confessed  that  their  lot  is  not  an  enviable  one,  and  it  is 
only  wonderful  that  any  one  should  be  willing  to  accept  the 
post. 

When  the  doctor  is  called  for  in  winter,  the  country 
people  present  themselves  with  shovels  and  pickaxes  to 
clear  the  road  before  him,  and  always  come  provided  with 
several  horses,  as  he  is  frequently  obliged  to  change  from 
one  exhausted  animal  to  another,  during  his  long  rides 
through  the  fog  and  darkness,  the  snow-drifts  and  storms ; 
life  and  death  often  hanging  on  his  speed  the  while.  Some- 
times he  returns  to  his  own  fire-side  quite  worn  out  with 
the  cold  and  exposure,  and  has  barely  time  to  recruit  from 
his  fatigues  before  another  summons  arrives,  and  he  must 
tear  himself  again  from  his  family  to  face  new  dangers,  be- 
fore he  has  had  time  to  relate  the  perils  of  his  former  ex- 
pedition. When  he  is  sent  for  by  sea  the  risk  is  still 
greater  on  that  stormy  element. 

The  salary  of  the  physicians  is  by  no  means  in  propor- 
tion to  their  services,  but  that  of  the  priests  is  still  less  so. 
Some  of  the  benefices  are  only  worth  from  two  to  eight  florins 
a  year,*  and  the  richest  of  them  does  not  produce  more  than 
two  hundred  florins,  f  The  government  provides  a  house 

*  Two  florins  are  ninety-six  cents,  and  eight  florins  three  dollars 
and  eighty-four  cents. — Tr. 
\  Ninety-six  dollars.— TV. 


74  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

for  the  priests,  often  no  better  than  a  peasant's  hut,  a  small 
pasture-ground,  and  a  few  heads  of  cattle ;  and  they  are 
also  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  hay,  sheep's  wool,  fish,  &c.,  of 
their  parishioners.  But  most  of  the  clergy  are  so  poor 
that  they  and  their  families  are  dressed  in  the  usual  garb 
of  the  peasantry,  from  which  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 
them.  The  wife  attends  to  the  cattle,  and  milks  the  cows  and 
sheep,  assisted  by  her  maid,  while  the  priest  goes  into  the 
field  and  mows  with  the  aid  of  his  man.  His  whole  inter- 
course is  naturally  confined  to  the  poorer  classes,  and  there- 
in consists  that  patriarchal  simplicity  of  life  and  manners 
which  has  been  lauded  by  so  many  travellers.  I  should 
like  to  know  if  any  of  them  would  be  willing  to  try  it  ? 

Besides  all  his  other  labors,  the  same  priest  has  often 
three  or  four  districts  under  his  charge,  which  are  some- 
times at  a  distance  of  several  miles  from  his  residence.  He 
is  expected  to  visit  them  all  in  turn,  so  as  to  hold  divine 
service  in  each  district  once  in  every  few  weeks.  The 
priest,  however,  is  not  compelled  to  brave  all  weathers  like 
the  physician,  and  whenever  Sunday  proves  a  very  stormy 
day  he  dispenses  with  his  visitations,  as  it  would  be  impos- 
sible for  his  scattered  congregations  to  assemble. 

The  post  of  Sysselmann  (answering  to  our  bailiff  of  a 
circle),  is  the  most  desirable  of  all,  for  this  officer  has  a  good 
salary  and  very  little  to  do  ;  in  many  places  he  has  a  right 
to  all  the  waifs,  which  is  a  privilege  of  some  importance 
on  account  of  the  wood  drifted  from  the  American  con- 
tinent. 

The  fisheries  and  the  chase  are  free,  with  the  exception 
of  the  salmon  fisheries  in  the  rivers,  which  are  reserved  for 
the  crown,  who  leases  them  ;  it"  is  forbidden  by  law  to  shoot 
the  eider-ducks,  and  the  offence  is  punishable  by  a  fine. 
There  is  no  military  duty.  Soldiers  are  not  needed  in  any 


EXPORTS  AND  IMPORTS.  75 

part  of  Iceland,  and  in  Reikjavick,  its  capital,  there  are  but 
two  constables  to  be  found. 

Trade  is  also  free  ;  but  the  Icelanders  possess  so  little 
of  the  spirit  of  speculation,  that  even  if  they  had  the  means 
they  would  never  embark  in  any  commercial  enterprise. 
The  whole  trade  of  the  island  lies  in  the  hands  of  the 
Danish  merchants,  who  send  their  ships  to  Iceland  every  year, 
and  the  imported  goods  are  retailed  at  their  factories  in  the 
different  harbors.  These  ships  bring  every  thing  to  the 
Icelanders;  corn,  wood,. wines,  colonial  and  manufactured 
articles.  There  are  no  duties,  as  the  insignificant  commerce 
of  this  island  would  not  repay  the  government  for  main- 
taining the  necessary  officers  to  collect  the  customs.  Arti- 
cles from  the  colonies,  such  as  wines,  are  much  cheaper,  in 
consequence,  than  they  can  be  obtained  elsewhere.  The 
return  freight  consists  of  fish,  particularly  codfish,  roe,  tal- 
low, train-oil,  eider  down,  or  the  plumage  of  other  birds 
nearly  approaching  that  of  the  eider-fowl  in  quality,  sheep's 
wool,  and  salted  or  smoked  lamb.  These  are  absolutely 
the  only  exports  which  Iceland  can  produce.  When  Mr. 
Knudson  wished  to  erect  a  bakery,*  about  thirteen  years 
ago,  he  was  obliged  to  send  to  Copenhagen,  not  only  for  a 
mason,  but  for  all  the  necessary  building  materials,  such  as 
stone  and  lime,  for  although  the  whole  island  is  covered 
with  stone,  none  of  it  could  be  used  in  the  construction  of 
an  oven,  or  to  burn  lime,  as  it  is  all  lava. 

Every  little  cluster  of  two  or  three  huts  is  called  a 
village  ;  the  solitary  cottages,  as  well  as  these  villages,  are 
generally  built  on  rising  ground,  and  surrounded  by  mea- 
dows which  are  inclosed  in  a  wall  of  stone  or  earth  to 

*  This  bakery  is  the  only  one  in  the  island,  and  no  better  bread 
or  biscuit  can  be  found  in  Denmark  than  is  made  here. 


76  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

prevent  the  incursions  of  the  cattle.     The  grass  is  cut  for 
hay  and  kept  to  fodder  the  cows  in  winter. 

I  heard  few  complaints  of  the  extreme  cold ;  it  does 
not  often  reach  20°  (Reaumur)*  and  the  sea  is  rarely  frozen 
more  than  a  few  feet  from  the  shore.  But  the  storms  and 
snow-drifts,  on  the  other  hand,  are  said  to  be  really  fearful, 
and  it  is  often  impossible  to  step  a  foot  from  the  door. 
Daylight  does  not  last  more  than  five  or  six  hours,  and  the 
northern  lights,  which  are  uncommonly  brilliant  here,  are 
the  only  compensation  the  poor  Icelanders  enjoy  for  their 
long  night.  This  summer  was  one  of  the  finest  which  had 
been  known  here  for  years.  During  the  month  of  June 
the  thermometer  was  several  times  at  20°  of  heatf  at  noon. 
This  weather  was  very  oppressive  to  the  inhabitants,  who 
considered  it  impossible  to  labor,  or  walk  any  distance 
during  the  day.  On  such  occasions  they  did  not  begin  to 
make  hay  till  late  in  the  evening,  and  worked  half  the 
night.  The  variations  in  the  temperature  are  very  trying. 
One  day  we  had  20°  of  heat,  the  next  it  rained  and  the 
thermometer  fell  to  5°,J  and  on  the  fifth  of  June  it  showed 
1°  of  cold.§  It  is  remarkable  that  thunder-storms,  which 
are  said  to  be  very  common  here  during  the  winter  season, 
never  occur  in  summer. 

From  the  sixteenth  or  eighteenth  of  June,  till  the  end 
of  the  month,  there  is  no  night.  The  sun  disappears  for  a 
short  time  behind  the  hills,  but  twilight  and  dawn  are 
blended  together,  and  the  last  rays  of  evening  have  not 
faded  from  the  sky  befojre  the  morning  light  breaks  forth 
with  renewed  brilliancy.  I  was  in  Iceland  from  the  15th 
of  May  till  the  29th  of  July,  and  although  I  never  went  to 

*  13°  below  zero  of  Fahrenheit. — Tr. 
f  77°  Fahrenheit,— TV.  $  43i°  Fahrenheit.— TV. 

§  29f°  Fahrenheit.— TV. 


LONG-  DATS1  COOKERY.  77 

bed  before  eleven  o'clock,  I  did  not  once  require  the  light  of 
a  candle.  In  May,  as  well  as  towards  the  end  of  July,  the 
twilight  lasted  about  two  hours,  but  it  was  never  dark. 
Even  at  the  time  of  my  departure  I  could  see  to  read  till 
half-past  eleven.  At  first  it  seemed  very  strange  to  go  to 
bed  at  broad  day-light ;  but  I  soon  got  used  to  it,  and  no 
sunshine  was  bright  enough  to  keep  me  awake  after  eleven 
o'clock.  It  often  struck  me  as  very  ridiculous,  however,  to 
go  out  for  an  evening  stroll,  about  ten.  and  find  myself  in 
the  full  light  of  day,  instead  of  the  soft  glimmering  of  the 
moon  and  stars. 

I  wish  I  could  have  accustomed  myself  to  the  peculiar 
fare  of  Iceland  as  easily  as  to  the  long  days.  The  wife  of 
my  friend  the  baker  was  an  excellent  cook,  after  the 
fashion  of  her  country  ;  but  unfortunately  it  was  a  style 
entirely  different  from  any  I  had  ever  tried  before ;  and  the 
only  thing  she  set  before  me  which  I  could  really  enjoy 
was  her  delightful  coffee  and  cream  in  the  morning,  with 
which  the  greatest  epicure  could  not  have  found  a  fault. 
I  have  not  seen  such  coifee  since  I  left  Iceland,  and  I 
should  have  been  glad  if  some  of  the  good  house-keepers  in 
Vienna  could  have  tasted  it  with  me.  The  cream  was  so 
thick  that  I  thought  at  first  it  must  be  sour.  The  butter 
churned  from  the  milk  of  the  Iceland  cows  and  sheep,  is 
not  quite  so  tempting ;  it  is  as  white  as  lard,  though  it  is 
generally  sweet  and  good.  The  common  people,  not  finding 
the  flavor  sufficiently  piquant  for  their  palate,  are  very  apt 
to  mix  it  with  train-oil,  which  forms  an  essential  article  in 
Iceland  cookery ;  it  is  considered  a  great  luxury  by  the 
peasants,  and  is  often  eaten  in  large  quantities  alone. 

The  dinners  were  by  no  means  to  my  taste  ;  they  always 
consisted  of  two  dishes,  boiled  codfish,  or  haddock,  dressed 
with  vinegar  and  melted  butter,  in  the  place  of  oil,  and 


78  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

potatoes.  It  is  my  misfortune  not  to  be  fond  of  fish,  and 
there  was  nothing  else  for  me  to  eat  here.  In  vain  I 
sighed  for  a  good  soup,  -a  morsel  of  meat,  or  some  vegeta- 
bles. It  was  only  in  imagination  that  I  could  feast  on  the 
commonest  dishes  of  my  native  land. 

In  course  of  time,  however,  I  became  more  resigned  to 
the  fish  and  potatoes ;  but  the  sweet  dishes  I  never  could 
endure.  My  excellent  Mrs.  Bernh&ft,  who  meant  nothing 
but  kindness  by  me,  was  certainly  not  to  blame  if  her  taste 
differed  so  widely  from  mine  ;  but  her  desserts  ! — whether 
they  consisted  of  hashed  fish,  hard-boiled  eggs  and  potatoes? 
with  a  thick  brown  sauce  thrown  over  them,  sweet,  sour,  and 
peppered,  at  once, — or  of  potatoes  roasted  in  sugar  and  but- 
ter,— or  cabbage  chopped  fine,  diluted  with  water,  sweetened 
and  served  with  a  piece  of  very  strongly  flavored  dried 
lamb, — they  we're  all  equally  intolerable  to  me. 

On  Sundays  we  sometimes  had  red  grits,  another  Scan- 
dinavian dish,  made  of  sago,  cooked  to  a  jelly  in  wine  or 
currant  juice,  and  eaten  with  sugar  and  cream.  A  species 
of  curds,  or  soft  cheese,  is  also  eaten  with  cream  and  sugar. 

The  table  improved  a  little  during  the  months  of  June 
and  July,  when  we  had  abundance  of  excellent  salmon,  an 
occasional  piece  of  roast  lamb,  and  once  in  a  while  a  bird  ; 
the  snipe  are  particularly  fine.  For  supper  we  had  butter? 
cheese,  cold  fish,  smoked  lamb,  or  eggs  of  the  eider-duck, 
which  are  rather  less  delicate  than  common  hen's  eggs, — 
and  after  a  while,  as  I  found  this  mode  of  living  agreed 
with  me  perfectly  well,  I  became  quite  reconciled  to  it.  I 
drank  nothing  but  pure,  fresh  water  ;  the  men  take  a  small 
glass  of  brandy  when  they  begin  their  meals,  but  beer  is 
the  universal  drink,  and  that  brewed  by  Mr.  Bernhoft  him- 
self is  excellent.  A  bottle  of  Bordeaux  or  Port  was  often 
put  on  the  table  on  Sundays.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the 


ORDINATION.  79 

place  who  are  in  easy  circumstances  lived  precisely  as  we 
did. 

While  I  was  at  Reikjavick,  I  witnessed  a  great  solemnity 
in  the  church,  on  which  occasion  three  candidates  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  priesthood.  Although  the  Lutheran  religion 
is  universally  established  here,  I  believe  the  ritual  varies  a 
little  from  that  in  use  on  the  European  continent,  and  shall 
therefore  describe  the  ceremonies  which  took  place  at  the 
ordination.  The  services  began  at  noon,  and  lasted  till 
four  o'clock.  The  men  concealed  their  faces  in  their  hats 
for  a  few  moments  when  they  entered  the  church,  and  the 
women  in  their  handkerchiefs,  and  this  practice  was  re- 
peated before  they  went  out.  Most  of  the  congregation 
were  seated  with  their  faces  towards  the  altar,  but  a  few 
were  turned  away  from  it.  The  priests  were  dressed  very 
much  like  our  own,  and  a  kind  of  mass  was  begun,  which 
was  not  unlike  ours  as  far  as  the  first  gospel.  The  bishop 
and  his  clergy  then  advanced  to  the  altar,  and  performed 
several  ceremonies  which  were  new  to  me  ;  after  which,  one 
of  the  officiating  priests  entered  the  chancel,  where  he  read 
a  discourse  and'  sang  a  psalm,  while  the  others  remained 
seated  in  a  listening  attitude.  A  second  then  followed  him 
to  the  chancel,  and  a  third ;  sermons  were  read  and  psalms 
chanted  alternately,  and  finally  a  discourse  was  pronounced 
at  the  chancel,  while  a  variety  of  ceremonies  were  going  on 
at  the  altar.  The  robes  were  put  on  and  off  repeatedly, 
and  loud  amens  were  frequently  pronounced.  This  was 
continued  without  intermission  till  four  o'clock.  The  in- 
cessant changes  of  place  and  posture  surprised  me  very 
much,  as  the  usages  of  the  Lutheran  church  are  generally 
so  simple  and  uniform. 

There  were  a  sufficient  number  of  country  people  present 
to  afford  me  a  very  good  opportunity  of  examining  their 


80  JOURSEY  TO  ICELAND. 

costume.  The  females  all  wore  long  skirts  of  coarse,  black 
woollen-stuff,  with  spencers  and  colored  aprons.  Their  heads 
were  covered  with  a  man's  cap  of  the  same  material  as  their 
petticoats,  ending  in  a  drooping  point,  to  which  was  at- 
tached a  tassel  of  silk  or  wool,  falling  as  low  as  their  sh'oul- 
ders.  This  simple  head-dress  is  very  becoming,  as  they  all 
have  an  abundance  of  light  hair  hanging  in  a  picturesque 
manner  about  their  face  and  neck ;  they  wear  it  loose  and 
short,  and  it  is  sometimes  slightly  curled.  I  could  not 
help  thinking  of  some  of  the  poetical  ravings  about  golden- 
haired  angels,  and  I  have  no  doubt  our  poets  have  drawn 
their  inspiration  in  part  from  the  ancient  Skalds,  though 
they  may  safely  lay  claim  to  the  credit  of  having  imagined 
the  beautiful,  languishing  faces,  which  smiled  from  the 
midst  of  those  lovely  tresses. 

Very  few  ornaments  are  worn  here.  In  this  whole  as- 
semblage, I  only  observed  four  women  who  were  dressed 
with  any  more  pretension  than  the  rest ;  the  spencers  and 
belts  of  these  were  worked  with  a  silver  wreath  about  two 
inches  wide,  and  round  the  bottom  of  their  petticoats,  which 
were  of  fine  black  cloth,  there  was  a  colored  silk  border 
about  as  wide  as  the  hand.  On  their  necks  they  had  a 
stiff,  black  velvet  collar,  several  inches  in  width,  worked 
with  a  silver  wreath.  Their  head-dress  was  very  peculiar 
and  difficult  to  describe ;  besides  a  black  silk  handkerchief 
bound  around  their  heads,  they  had  a  covering,  shaped  like 
a  half  bow,  fastened  to  the  back  of  the  head,  and  hanging 
loosely  above  their  foreheads ;  it  was  covered  with  white 
muslin  laid  in  plaits,  and  might  have  been  an  inch  and  a 
half  behind,  spreading  in  front  to  the  width  of  five  or  six 
inches. 

The  men  appeared  to  be  dressed  very  much  like  our 
peasants.  They  wore  pantaloons,  jackets,  and  vests  of  dark 


g  i 

cloth,  a  felt  hat  or  a  fur  cap,  and  instead  of  boots  they  had 
a  piece  of  skin,  either  sheep,  calf,  or  seal,  cut  in  the  shape 
of  a  shoe,  and  fastened  to  the  foot  by  means  of  a  strap. 
This  kind  of  covering  for  the  feet  is  also  worn  by  the 
women,  and  even  by  the  children  of  the  rich.  I  did  not 
see  an  individual  in  Iceland  who  had  not  good  warm  stock- 
ings and  shoes ;  and  very  few  who  were  ragged  or  poorly 
clothed. 

The  better  classes — merchants  and  government  func- 
tionaries— closely  follow  the  French  fashions  in  their 
dress.  Silks  and  other  expensive  materials  are  by  no 
means  rare ;  some  being  brought  from  England,  but  the 
greater  part  from  Denmark.  The  king's  birthday  is  cele- 
brated every  year  with  great  splendor  by  the  Stiftsamt- 
mann,  and  the  women  have  then  an  opportunity  of  appearing 
in  their  fine  silks  and  the  young  girls  in  their  white  linens. 
The  government  house  is  brilliantly  lighted  up  with  wax 
candles  on  this  occasion. 

Some  speculative  head  has  established  a  club-house 
here ;  by  which  is  to  be  understood  a  couple  of  rooms 
where  the  citizens  assemble  in  the  evening  and  regale  them- 
selves with  tea-water,  bread  and  butter,  and  a  glass  of  wine 
or  a  bowl  of  punch.  In  winter,  these  same  rooms  are  used 
for  the  public  assemblies,  to  which  the  admittance  is  twenty 
kreuzers.*  All  ranks  meet  there,  and  every  thing  is  said 
to  be  on  a  very  republican  footing.  The  shoemaker  invites 
the  wife  of  the  Stiftsamtmann  to  dance,  and  that  great  per- 
sonage himself  leads  out  the  wife  or  daughter  of  the  shoe- 
maker and  baker.  The  refreshments  consist  of  tea  and 
bread  and  butter,  and  the  ball-room  is  lighted  with  tal- 
low candles.  The  worst  .part  of  the  entertainment  is  the 

*  Sixteen  cents. — Tr. 


82  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

music,  which  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  violin  with  three  strings, 
and  a  fife. 

Riding  parties  are  a  common  amusement  in  summer, 
and  on  these  occasions  there  is  no  want  of  provisions  ;  each 
of  the  invited  guests  brings  something,  one  providing  the 
wine,  one  the  coffee,  another  cake,  and  so  on.  The  ladies 
ride  on  handsome  English  saddles,  and  wear  becoming 
habits,  with  very  neat  men's  hats  and  green  veils.  These 
entertainments,  however,  are  entirely  confined  to  Reikjavick, 
for  out  of  this  little  town,  as  I  have  already  mentioned, 
there  is  not  a  place  which  contains  more  than  a  few  huts 
and  two  or  three  shops. 

To  my  great  astonishment,  I  found  six  pianofortes  in 
Reikjavick,  and  heard  the  waltzes  of  our  favorite  composers 
played,  as  well  as  variations  by  Herz,  and  even  some  by 
Listz,  Wilmers  and  Thalberg  ;  but, — I  think  it  very  doubt- 
ful if  either  of  these  gentlemen  would  have  known  his  own 
compositions  again. 

In  conclusion,  I  must  make  a  few  observations  on  the 
manner  of  travelling  in  this  country.  The  best  season  for 
a  journey  is  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  end  of  August, 
at  the  latest ;  before  that  period,  the  streams  are  still  so 
much  swollen  by  the  melted  snows  that  it  is  very  dangerous 
to  ford  them ;  and  many  patches  of  deep  snow,  still  un- 
touched by  the  sun,  and  covering  deep  pits  and  heaps  of 
lava,  lie  in  the  travellers  way.  Here  the  danger  is  equally 
great ;  the  horses  sink  in  at  every  step,  and  there  is  reason 
to  be  thankful  if  the  whole  soft  covering  does  not  give  way 
at  once.  On  the  other  hand,  the  heavy  storms  and  rains 
often  begin  again  in  September,  and  flurries  of  snow  are  to 
be  expected  at  any  time  during  that  month. 

The  traveller  should  carry  his  own  provisions,  and  should 
have  in  addition  a  tent,  a  cooking  apparatus,  a  pillow,  some 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  TRAVELLING.  83 

blankets  and  warm  clothing,  all  of  which  are  indispensable  to 
his  comfort.  Most  of  these  articles  were  too  expensive  in  my 
case,  and  I  was  not  provided  with  any  of  them  ;  but  I  was  ex- 
posed, in  consequence,  to  terrible  privations  and  fatigues,  and 
was  often  obliged  to  ride  an  incredible  distance  before  I  could 
reach  a  night's  shelter  in  some  little  church  or  hut.  I  lived 
for  eight  or  ten  days  at  a  time  on  bread  and  cheese  alone, 
and  slept  on  hard, benches  or  chests,  where  I  was  often  un- 
able to  close  my  eyes  all  night  from  the  cold. 

To  guard  against  the  violent  rains,  it  is  desirable  to 
have  a  water-proof  cloak,  and  a  glazed  broad-brimmed  hat, 
such  as  sailors  wear ;  an  umbrella  is  perfectly  useless,  for 
the  rains  are  generally  accompanied  by  a  great  deal  of 
wind,  and  as  one  is  often  obliged  to  ride  at  a  very  quick 
pace,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that  it  is  quite  out  of  the  ques- 
tion to  hold  one  up. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  found  the  difficulties  and  discomforts 
of  travelling  in  this  country  much  greater  than  any  I  had 
encountered  in  the  East.  I  suffered  more  from  the  violent 
tempests,  the  sharp  air,  the  drenching  rain,  and  the  cold? 
than  I  had  ever  done  from  the  heats  of  Palestine.  The 
latter  did  not  cause  my  face  and  lips  to  chap  ;  but  on  the 
fifth  day  of  my  journey  here,  my  lips  were  bleeding,  and 
iny  face  was  all  in  scales,  as  if  I  had  had  "the  measles.  My 
long  dresses  were  another  great  drawback  to  my  comfort ; 
it  was  necessary  to  be  warmly  clad,  and  the  weight  of  my 
clothes,  often  increased  by  the  wet,  made  me  at  times  quite 
helpless  when  I  was  to  get  on  or  oif  my  horse.  But  the 
greatest  annoyance  of  all,  was  to  stop  to  rest  in  a  meadow 
during  a  violent  shower,  when  my  long  skirts  would  soak 
up  all  the  water  from  the  wet  grass ;  and  at  such  times  I 
often  had  not  a  dry  thread  about  me. 

Strangers  appear  to  suffer  equally  from  the  heat  and 


84  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

cold  in  this  climate.  I  thought  the  cold  was  more  pene- 
trating, and  the  heat  more  oppressive  than  I  had  ever  felt 
either  to  be  at  the  same  temperature  in  my  own  country. 

The  roads  are  wonderfully  good  in  summer  ;  I  generally 
rode  over  them  very  fast.  They  are  not  suitable  for  any 
conveyance  on  wheels,  however,  being  too  narrow,  and  in 
spots  too  rough.  There  is  not  a  single  carriage  in  the 
island.  The  most  dangerous  parts  of  the  roads  are  in  the 
morasses  and  in  the  lava  fields,  particularly  when  the  lat- 
ter are  covered  with  white  moss,  that  often  serves  to  con- 
ceal the  fearful  pits,  into  which  the  horses  frequently  tread 
unawares  ;  there  are  also  many  treacherous  places  in  going 
up  and  down  the  hills.  All  trace  of  the  road  is  sometimes 
lost  in  the  swamps,  and  I  was  often  amazed  at  the  facility 
with  which  the  guides  would  track  it  out  ;  they  seemed,  as 
well  as  their  horses,  to  be  endowed  with  a  peculiar  instinct 
on  such  occasions. 

Journeys  in  Iceland  are  more  expensive  than  elesewhere, 
because,  in  the  first  place,  the  traveller  is  generally  alone, 
and  the  whole  cost  of  the  guide,  the  baggage,  the  ferriage, 
&c..  falls  on  a  single  person.  Every  horse  which  is  needed 
must  be  bought,  as  it  is  impossible  to  hire  them  ;  they  are 
cheap,  however,  the  price  of  a  pack-horse  being  from 
eighteen  to  twenty  florins,*  and  a  saddle-horse  forty  to 
fifty.  The  horses  cannot  carry  a  heavy  weight,  and  there- 
fore those  who  wish  to  travel  with  any  degree  of  comfort 
must  have  several  pack-horses,  as  well  as  an  additional 
groom  to  attend  to  them,  as  the  guide  will  only  undertake 
the  charge  of  the  saddle-horses  and  a  couple  of  pack-horses  at 
the  most.  If  you  wish  to  sell  your  horses  at  the  end  of  a 

*  From  eight  to  twelve  dollars  for  a  pack-horse,  and  from  nineteen 
to  twenty-four  for  a  saddle-hoi'se. — Tr. 


ICELAND  HORSES.  85 

journey,  you  must  almost  give  them  away,  as  no  one  will 
offer  any  but  the  lowest  price  for  them,  which  proves  that 
men  know  how  to  look  after  their  own  interests  all  over  the 
world.  The  people  are  aware  that  the  animals  must  be 
left  behind,  and  therefore  they  are  careful  not  to  bid  too 
high  for  them.  I  must  confess  that  in  this  respect  I  found 
the  character  of  the  Icelanders  far  below  my  expectations, 
and  still  farther  below  the  account  of  them  I  had  read  in 
books. 

The  Iceland  horses,  notwithstanding  their  scanty  fare, 
can  endure  a  wonderful  degree  of  fatigue  ;  they  will  accom- 
plish eight  or  ten  miles*  for  several  days  in  succession. 
But  it  is  rather  difficult  to  keep  up  their  speed,  owing  to  a 
bad  trick  they  have  of  stopping,  unless  they  receive  frequent 
blows  in  the  side ;  their  owners  are  in  the  habit  of  giving 
them  an  occasional  kick  there,  and  they  are  so  used  to  it, 
they  will  hardly  move  without.  They  are  very  apt  to 
stumble  also,  and  it  is  necessary  to  hold  a  very  tight  rein 
at  the  dangerous  places  in  the  road.  Both  these  qualities 
add  a  great  deal  to  the  fatigue  of  riding. 

There  are  certainly  many  difficulties  to  overcome  in 
order  to  bring  a  journey  in  these  distant  regions  to  a  happy 
end  ;  but  I  was  not  to  be  daunted,  and  in  the  midst  of  my 
greatest  dangers  and  troubles,  I  did  not  repent  for  a  mo- 
ment of  my  enterprise,  and  would  not  have  abandoned  it 
On  any  account. 

I  made  excursions  to  every  part  of  Iceland,  and  am 
therefore  able  to  afford  my  readers  a  description  of  its  most 
interesting  sites.  I  begin  at  once  with  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  Reikjavick. 

*  From  thirty-six  to  forty-five  English  miles. — Tr. 
4* 


86  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 


tn  Unto,  \\i  §  skull  nf 
at 


RIDE    TO    VATNE. 
Two  (German)  miles  from  Reikjavick. 

25th.  —  Stiftsamtmann  Yon  H.  was  so  kind  as  to 
call  and  invite  me  to  attend  a  party  of  pleasure  which  was 
to  take  place  this  afternoon  at  the  great  lake  of  Yatne.  I 
was  only  too  happy  to  accept  his  invitation,  as  I  expected, 
from  his  descriptions,  to  see  a  perfect  Eden,  besides  enjoy- 
ing an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  better 
classes  of  society  in  this  country,  as  well  as  of  increasing 
my  collection  of  plants,  butterflies,  and  insects.  I  was  also 
anxious  to  examine  more  closely  into  the  peculiar  qualifi- 
cations of  the  Iceland  horses  than  I  had  been  able  to  do  on 
my  ride  from  Havenfiord,  when  I  was  obliged  to  accommo- 
date my  pace  to  that  of  my  aged  companion. 

The  hour  appointed  for  the  excursion  was  two  o'clock  ; 
I,  who  am  punctuality  itself,  was  ready  long  before  that 
hour,  and  should  have  hastened  to  the  place  of  meeting  pre- 
cisely at  two,  if  my  hostess  had  not  assured  me  it  was  too 
early  to  think  of  going,  as  Mr.  Yon  H.  was  still  at  the  din- 
ner table.  In  short,  it  was  three  o'clock  before  we  were  all 
assembled,  and  even  then  we  waited  on  horseback  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  before  the  procession  was  ready  to  move.  Oh 
Syrian  promptitude  and  punctuality  !  In  vain  I  called 
upon  you  in  this  opposite  quarter  of  the  globe. 

Our  party  included  all  the  nobility  and  persons  of  rank 
in  the  place.  Among  the  former  were  the  Stiftsamtmann 
(or  supreme  governor  of  the  island)  and  his  wife.  Councillor 


PARTY  OF  PLEASURE.  87 

Von  B.,  who  had  lately  been  sent  from  Copenhagen  to  at- 
tend the  Althing,  or  political  assembly,  and  a  Danish  baron, 
who  had  accompanied  him.  Among  the  gentry  were  the 
merchants'  daughters,  and  the  wife  of  the  apothecary.  A 
domestic  closed  the  procession. 

Our  road  led  through  lava  fields,  morasses,  and  patches 
of  scanty  verdure,  to  a  wide  and  desolate  valley,  traversed 
by  a  range  of  gentle  eminences,  and  inclosed  on  three  sides 
by  several  mountain  ridges,  rising  to  different  heights  in 
the  most  varied  and  striking  forms.  A  few  jokuls,  or  gla- 
ciers, raised  their  proud  heads  in  the  distance,  and  looked 
down  scornfully  on  the  hills  at  their  feet ;  and  they  might 
well  boast  of  their  superior  grandeur  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  when  not  only  their  summits,  but  their  sides  as  far 
down  as  the  eye  could  see,  were  still  glistening  in  the  sil- 
very snows  of  winter.  On  the  fourth  side,  the  valley  was 
open  to  the  sea,  mingling  in  the  distance  with  the  horizon ; 
and  the  coast  was  indented  by  a  number  of  creeks  and  bays, 
which  presented  the  appearance  of  so  many  lakes. 

The  path  was  good,  and  we  were  generally  able  to  ride  at 
a  quick  pace,  as  we  passed  few  spots  where  the  sagacity  of 
our  animals  was  put  to  the  proof.  I  had  a  good-tempered 
horse,  which  bore  me  in  perfect  safety  over  stones  and 
clefts,  but  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  what  I  suffered 
from  its  gait.  Riding  is  said  to  be  a  certain  cure  for  the 
liver-complaint ;  but  I  am  quite  certain  that  any  one  who 
should  take  a  journey  of  four  weeks  on  such  a  pony  and  an 
Iceland  side-saddle,  would  have  no  liver  left  at  all ;  it  would 
be  shaken  to  a  jelly  by  that  time. 

All  the  rest  of  the  company  had  good  English  saddles, 
and  mine  was  the  only  one  made  in  the  country.  It  re- 
sembled a  seat  with  a  back ;  I  was  obliged  to  sit  square  on 
the  horse,  without  having  any  good  hold  ;  and  it  was  not 


88  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

without  great  difficulty  that  I  trotted  after  the  others,  for 
my  horse  was  not  to  be  spurred  on  to  a  gallop  by  any  means 
of  persuasion. 

In  half  an  hour  we  reached  a  valley,  in  the  centre  of 
which  lay  rather  a  pleasant  meadow,  with  what  might  be 
considered  in  Iceland  a  very  respectable  farm-house,*  near 
a  little  lake.  I  did  not  venture  to  ask  if  this  were  the 
celebrated  Yatne.  and  the  romantic  prospect  I  had  been 
led  to  expect,  for  my  inquiry  would  have  sounded  rather 
too  ironical ;  and  notwithstanding  my  astonishment  when 

Mr.  Von  H insisted  on  all  the  charms  of  the  scene, 

I  enthusiastically  agreed  with  him,  and  declared  I  had 
never  seen  a  lovelier  view  or  a  larger  lake.  We  halted  at 
this  spot,  and  while  the  rest  of  the  party  spread  themselves 
over  the  meadow,  and  preparations  were  going  on  for  our 
sociable  meal,  I  employed  the  time  by  endeavoring  to  satisfy 
my  spirit  of  inquiry.  The  farm-house  first  arrested  my  at- 
tention ;  I  found  it  to  contain  one  large  and  two  small  cham- 
bers, a  store-room,  and  extensive  stables,  by  which  I  could 
form  some  idea  of  the  proprietor's  flocks.  I  was  after- 
wards informed  that  he  owned  fifteen  sheep,  eight  cows,  and 
five  horses,  and  was  considered  the  most  comfortable  far- 
mer in  the  neighborhood.  The  kitchen  was  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  building ;  its  chimney  seemed  to  be  of  no  use 
excepting  as  a  protection  against  the  rain  and  snow,  for 
the  smoke  was  spread  all  over  the  room,  drying  the  fish 
which  hung  from  the  ceiling  and  very  slowly  finding  its 
way  out  of  the  air-hole. 

In  the  large  apartment  stood  a  wooden  book-case  con- 
taining nearly  forty  books.  I  turned  them  over  and  ascer- 
tained, in  spite  of  my  limited  knowledge  of  the  Danish 

*  Something  like  a  dwelling  on  a  free  farm  with  us. 


PARTY  OF  PLEASURE.  89 

language,  that  they  were  mostly  of  a  religious  character, 
though  their  owner  must  also  have  possessed  some  taste  for 
poetry,  as  I  saw  the  names  of  Kleist  and  Miiller,  and  even 
Homer's  Odyssey  in  his  library.  I  could  understand  no- 
thing of  the  Iceland  books,  but  when  I  made  some  inquiries 
on  the  subject,  I  was  told  that  they  were  all  religious  works. 

After  this  survey  in-doors  I  went  to  collect  herbs  and 
flowers  in  the  field ;  I  found  but  few  of  the  latter,  but 
rather  more  of  the  first,  including  a  few  specimens  of  wild 
clover.  I  saw  neither  butterfly  nor  beetle  ;  but  to  my  great 
surprise  I  heard  the  hum  of  two  wild  bees,  and  was  so  for- 
tunate as  to  secure  one  of  them,  which  I  took  to  the  house 
and  preserved  in  spirits. 

I  now  returned  to  my  companions  who  were  still  gayly 
lingering  around  the  table,  which  had  been  spread  in  the 
meanwhile  with  an  abundant  supply  of  bread  and  butter, 
cheese,  cakes,  roast  lamb,  raisins,  almonds,  wine,  and  a  few 
oranges.  There  were  no  seats,  for  even  the  most  thriving 
peasants  never  own  any  thing  of  the  kind,  excepting  the 
benches  which  are  nailed  to  the  spot  in  their  rooms  ;  we  all 
sat  on  the  turf,  and  helped  ourselves  to  the  excellent  cofiee 
with  which  the  meal  began.  There  was  a  great  deal  of 
laughing  and  jesting  ;  and  judging  from  the  animation  which 
prevailed,  I  might  have  imagined  myself  in  a  circle  of 
lively  Italians  instead  of  a  party  of  cold  Northerners. 

A  great  many  witticisms  were  made,  and  I  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  be  the  object  which  inspired  most  of  them,  for 
this  reason  :  the  conversation  was  carried  on  in  Danish,  and 
though  some  of  the  company  spoke  French  or  German,  I 
was  unwilling  to  interfere  with  their  enjoyment  by  drawing 
their  attention  to  myself,  and  I  sat  perfectly  quiet,  finding 
quite  sufficient  amusement  in  watching  their  merriment. 
But  I  soon  discovered  that  this  conduct  was  laid  to  my  stu- 


90  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

pidity,  and  I  understood  enough  of  the  conversation  to  hear 
myself  compared  to  the  marble  guest  in  Don  Juan.  If  they 
had  suspected  the  true  cause  of  my  silence,  I  am  sure  my 
companions  would  at  least  have  given  me  credit  for  my 
good  intentions. 

During  our  repast  I  overheard  an  Iceland  song  from  the 
farm-house.  At  a  distance  it  sounded  like  the  humming  of 
bees,  and  on  a  nearer  approach  it  was  monotonous,  drawling 
and  melancholy. 

When  we  took  our  leave,  the  farmer  and  his  wife,  as 
well  as  his  men,  all  offered  us  their  hands,  which  is  the 
customary  salutation  for  such  high  personages  as  we  were ; 
on  ordinary  occasions  the  usual  greeting  is  a  hearty  kiss. 

When  I  returned  home.  I  began  to  feel  the  effects  of 
the  strong  coffee  I  had  taken,  and  finding  it  impossible  to 
sleep,  I  amused  myself  with  making  close  observations  on 
the  length  of  the  day  and  the  duration  of  twilight.  Com- 
mon print  could  be  read  with  ease  in  my  little  room  till 
eleven  o'clock ;  from  eleven  to  one  it  was  not  so  dark  but  I 
could  have  seen  to  read  out  of  doors ;  and  every  object  in 
my  room  was  distinctly  visible,  even  the  figures  on  my 
watch  ;  and  at  one  I  could  read  again  in  my  own  room. 

TO  VIDOE. 

The  little  Island  of  Yidoe,  about  a  mile  from  Reikja- 
vick,  is  generally  mentioned  by  travellers  as  the  principal 
resort  of  the  eider-ducks.  On  the  eighth  of  June  I  visited 
the  place,  and  found  myself  greatly  disappointed  in  the 
number  of  birds  assembled  there ;  for  although  I  saw  many 
sitting  quietly  on  their  nests  on  the  slopes  of  the  meadows 
and  between  the  rocks,  so  far  from  being  in  thousands,  I 
doubt  if  there  were  in  all  more  than  a  hundred,  or  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  nests. 


EIDER-DUCKS.  91 

The  tameness  of  the  eider-ducks,  while  brooding,  is  very 
extraordinary.  I  had  always  looked  upon  the  wonderful 
stories  I  had  heard  on  this  subject  as  fables,  and  should  do 
so  yet  if  I  had  not  been  an  eye-witness  to  the  fact  myself. 
I  approached  and  laid  my  hands  on  the  birds  while  they 
were  sitting ;  yes,  I  could  even  caress  them  without  their 
attempting  to  move  from  their  nests ;  or,  if  they  left  them 
for  a  moment,  it  was  only  to  walk  off  for  a  few  steps  and 
remain  quietly  waiting  till  I  withdrew,  when  they  imme- 
diately returned  to  their  station.  Those  whose  young  were 
already  hatched,  however,  would  beat  their  wings  with  vio- 
lence, and  snap  at  me  with  their  bills  when  I  came  near 
them,  rather  allowing  themselves  to  be  seized  than  to  desert 
their  broods.  In  size  they  resemble  our  common  duck ; 
their  eggs  are  of  a  greenish-gray,  rather  larger  than  hens' 
eggs,  and  of  an  excellent  flavor.  Each  bird  lays  about 
eleven  eggs.  The  finest  down  is  that  with  which  they  line 
their  nests  at  first ;  it  is  of  a  dark  gray,  and  is  regularly 
carried  off  by  the  Icelanders  with  the  first  eggs.  The  poor 
bird  then  robs  itself  of  a  second  portion  of  its  down,  and 
lays  a  few  more  eggs,  which  are  also  seized,  and  it  is  not 
till  the  nest  has  been  filled  for  the  third  time,  that  the 
ducks  are  left  unmolested  to  raise  their  young  brood.  The 
down  of  the  second,  and  particularly  that  of  the  third 
hatching,  is  much  lighter  than  the  first,  and  of  an  inferior 
quality.  I  was  so  cruel  as  to  appropriate  some  of  the  down 
and  a  few  eggs  myself. 

I  had  no  opportunity  of  seeing  the  down  and  eggs  col- 
lected from  between  the  inaccessible  rocks  and  cliffs,  where 
they  are  only  reached  by  the  peasants  by  means  of  ropes, 
and  at  the  peril  of  their  lives  ;  as  no  such  break-neck  places 
happen  to  be  found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Reikjavick. 


JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 


SALMON-FISHING . 

June  IQth. — In  company  with  Mr.  Bernhoft  and  his 
daughter,  I  made  a  second  excursion  of  half  a  mile  to  see 
the  salmon-fishery  at  the  Larselv  (salmon  stream),  which 
takes  place  every  year  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  mid- 
dle of  August.  It  is  conducted  in  a  very  simple  manner. 
After  the  fish  have  repaired  to  the  stream  at  the  spawning 
time,  their  way  back  to  the  sea  is  cut  off  by  a  wall  of  stones 
lightly  piled  together,  about  three  feet  high.  A  net  is 
raised  in  front  of  this  wall,  and  several  other  barriers  of 
the  same  kind  are  erected  at  a  distance  of  eighty  to  a  hun- 
dred paces  from  each  other,  in  order  to  prevent  the  fish 
who  have  slipped  over  one  of  them  from  escaping  altogether. 
On  the  day  when  they  are  to  be  caught,  the  water  is  let  off 
as  much  as  ^possible,  and  the  poor  fish,  feeling  it  diminish 
around  them,  dart  about  in  great  confusion,  pressing  in 
throngs  against  the  wall,  where  they  often  bruise  and  injure 
themselves  on  the  stones ;  the  water  is  deepest  at  this  spot, 
and  it  is  soon  so  crowded  with  salmon,  that  the  fishermen 
who  are  already  stationed  there  can  catch  them  with  ease 
in  their  hands. 

The  salmon  are  gifted  with  an  extraordinary  animation, 
and  an  equal  degree  of  strength  and  swiftness.  The  fisher- 
men seize  them  nimbly  by  the  head  and  tail,  and  throw 
them  immediately  on  the  shore,  where  they  are  caught  up 
by  others  and  cast  still  further  from  the  stream  ;  without 
these  precautions,  and  with  the  least  delay,  many  of  them 
would  make  their  escape.  It  is  wonderful  how  they  will 
turn  round  in  the  hands  of  their  captors  and  spring  into  the 
air.  The  fishermen  are  provided  with  woollen  mittens, 
otherwise  they  could  not  keep  their  hold  of  the  slippery 


SALMON-FISHING.  93 

animals  at  all.  From  five  hundred  to  a  thousand  fish  are 
generally  taken  at  a  time,  each  one  weighing  from  five  to 
fifteen  pounds.  On  the  occasion  when  I  was  present,  eight 
hundred  were  caught.  This  fishery  is  rented  by  a  merchant 
in  Reikjavick. 

The  fishermen  receive  one  half  the  salmon  as  a  reward 
for  th'eir  services,  and  yet  they  are  often  dissatisfied  with 
this  large  proportion,  and  so  little  thankful  that  their  work 
is  rarely  thoroughly  performed.  For  instance,  the  mer- 
chant's share  was  brought  as  far  as  the  harbor  of  Reik- 
javick, but  the  fishermen  were  altogether  too  lazy  to  carry 
it  from  the  boats  to  his  warehouse,  which  was  certainly  not 
more  than  sixty  or  seventy  paces  farther,  and  sent  word  to 
their  employer  that  some  one  else  must  attend  to  that  part 
of  the  business  as  they  were  already  too  tired  to  do  so.  Of 
course  remonstrances  are  of  no  avail  on  such  occasions. 

It  is  the  fashion  in  Iceland,  as  well  as  all  over  the 
world,  to  improve  every  such  opportunity  for  a  feast  or 
some  kind  of  an  entertainment.  It  was  a  beautiful  sum- 
mer's day  when  we  attended  the  salmon-fishery,  and  the 
merchants  of  Reikjavick  immediately  determined  that  it 
should  be  celebrated  by  a  great  dejeuner  a  la  fourchette. 
Each  one  contributed  something  towards  the  meal,  and  the  re- 
sult was  an  elegant,  plentiful  breakfast,  conducted  exactly 
as  it  would  have  been  at  home,  with  the  single  exception, 
that  for  the  want  of  tables  and  benches  our  repast  was 
spread  on  the  ground. 

Our  sliced  bread  and  butter,  with  cold  lamb  or  cheese 
between,  was  prepared  at  the  house  before  we  set  off,  in  a 
manner  that  was  new  to  me  ;  the  slices  were  covered  with 
the  lamb  and  cheese,  and  laid  two  by  two  in  piles  ;  when 
packed  in  this  manner,  they  can  be  carried  anywhere  un- 
injured. 


94  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

My  third  excursion  was  a  still  shorter  one,  to  a  hot 
spring  only  a  third  of  a  mile  from  Reikjavick,  which  is 
slightly  impregnated  with  sulphur,  and  empties  itself  into  a 
cold  stream,  by  which  happy  union  every  variety  of  tem- 
perature is  produced,  from  the  boiling  point  to  the  greatest 
degree  of 'cold.  The  inhabitants  of  the  town  avail  them- 
selves of  this  fortunate  coincidence  for  the  double  purpose 
of  washing  and  bathing,  more  particularly  the  former  ;  and 
for  the  accommodation  of  those  who  wash  at  this  spot,  a 
wooden  hut  has  been  built  here  as  a  protection  from  the 
wind  and  rain.  In  former  times,  the  hut  had  a  good  door 
and  glass  windows,  and  the  key,  which  was  kept  at  a  speci- 
fied place  in  the  town,  could  be  had  by  any  one  who  would 
take  the  trouble  to  go  for  it.  But  this  was  far  too  great 
an  exertion  for  the  servants  and  peasant  women  who  wash 
at  the  spring ;  the  doors  and  windows  were  soon  broken  in, 
and  nothing  now  remains  but  the  ruins  of  the  hut,  which 
can  afford  in  its  present  state  but  very  little  shelter  against 
the  weather.  Human  nature  is  very  much  alike  every 
where,  and  men  are  apt  to  be  good  only  when  no  impedi- 
ment stands  in  their  way ;  and  even  then  half  the  merit  is 
due  to  the  circumstances,  and  not  to  themselves. 

Fish  and  potatoes  are  often  cooked  by  the  poor  people 
in  this  spring.  It  is  only  necessary  to  lay  them  in  the 
boiling  water,  when  they  are  done  at  once.  The  spring  is 
very  little  used  for  bathing  ;  a  few  children  are  sometimes 
brought  for  that  purpose,  and  once  in  a  while  a  peasant  will 
take  a  bath.  As  a  medicine  the  waters  are  not  known  at  all. 

THE    SULPHUR    SPRINGS    AND    MOUNTAINS    OF    KRISUVICK. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  the  day  fixed  for  my  departure,  our 
>tore  of  bread,  cheese,  coffee,  and  sugar,  being  carefully 


S111.PIWR  SPRING^  ETC.  95 

packed,  we  were  in  the  saddle  and  on  our  way  by  seven 
o'clock.  I  was  alone  with  my  guide,  who,  like  most  of  his 
class  in  Iceland,  was  by  no  means  an  agreeable  companion. 
He  was  very  lazy,  very  covetous,  and  much  less  inclined  to 
trouble  himself  about  me  and  my  horse,  than  to  indulge  his 
own  fondness  for  brandy,  which  can  unhappily  be  procured 
all  over  the  country. 

The  scenery  between  Reikjavick  and  Havenfiord  was 
already  familiar  to  me,  but  I  found  it  had  somewhat  im- 
proved with  the  advancing  season ;  strawberry  plants, 
though  without  blossoms,  had  sprung  up  between  the  blocks 
of  lava,  as  well  as  scentless  blue  violets,  and  handsome 
ferns,  sometimes  eight  or  ten  inches  in  height.  The  vege- 
tation was  more  forward  here  than  at  Reikjavick,  notwith- 
standing the  short  distance,  for  I  had  seen  no  strawberry 
plants  or  violets  near  that  place.  I  believe  the  difference 
may  be  owing  to  the  mighty  lava  walls,  so  abundant  around 
Havenfiord,  which  afford  a  protection  to  the  tender  plants 
and  herbs  against  the  rough  winds ;  as  I  observed  that  they 
flourished  best  in  the  little  clefts  sheltered  by  the  huge 
masses  of  rock. 

About  a  mile  beyond  Havenfiord  I  saw,  for  the  first 
time,  some  birches,  which  were  not  more  than  two  feet,  or 
two  feet  and  a  half  high,  however ;  I  also  remarked  some 
whortleberry  bushes,  and  a  number  of  little  butterflies,  all 
of  the  same  size,  and  apparently  of  the  same  species,  were 
fluttering  around  the  plants  and  shrubs.  The  manifold 
shapes  and  figures  into  which  the  lava  was  thrown,  con- 
stantly struck  me  with  renewed  astonishment ;  and  short  as 
this  journey  was, — for  I  reached  Krisuvick  with  ease  in  ten 
hours, — I  found  the  scenery  indescribably  beautiful,  and 
could  never  tire  of  gazing  and  admiring,  as  I  slowly  rode 
along,  unmindful  of  the  rain  and  cold,  suffering  my  horse 


96  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

to  pick  his  way  at  his  own  pace,  and  frequently  losing  sight 
of  my  guide  altogether  in  consequence.  One  of  the  most 
remarkable  currents  of  lava  lay  in  a  wide  and  long  valley  ? 
where  it  appeared  as  if  by  enchantment,  covering  the  whole 
centre  with  a  broad  stream  half  a  mile  in  length ;  as  there 
was  no  mountain  in  the  neighborhood  from  whence  it  could 
possibly  have  flowed,  it  must  have  concealed  some  immeas- 
urable crater  ;  the  stream  did  not  merely  consist  of  isolated 
blocks,  and  stones,  but  of  large  masses  of  porous  rock,  ten 
or  twelve  feet  high,  frequently  riven  in  places  a  foot  wide. 

In  another  valley  of  still  greater  dimensions,  being 
several  miles  in  circumference,  I  saw  a  wavy  stream,  which 
could  only  be  compared  to  a  sea  of  stone  ;  from  its  centre 
arose  a  high  black  hill,  presenting  a  fine  contrast  to  the 
light  gray  masses  around  it ;  and  here  I  concluded,  of 
course,  that  the  lava  had  originated.  But  upon  examina- 
tion, I  found  that  it  was  smooth  and  clean  on  all  its  sides, 
and  its  summit,  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar-loaf,  was  completely 
closed,  as  was  also  the  case  with  the  other  mountains  about 
this  valley,  so  that  I  looked  in  vain  for  any  trace  of  a 
crater. 

We  next  came  to  a  little  lake,  and  soon  afterwards  to  a 
larger  one  named  Kleinfarvatne  ;  both  were  shut  in  by 
high  hills,  which  often  rose  so  abruptly  from  the  water's 
edge  as  to  allow  no  foothold  for  the  horses  on  their  shores. 
We  were  obliged  to  climb  several  heights  over  fearful  roads, 
and  the  descent,  or  the  winding  paths  along  the  declivities, 
were  equally  perilous  ;  in  some  places,  the  only  safe  way  to 
proceed  was  to  get  ofl7  our  horses  and  crawl  through  the 
crevices  on  our  hands  and  knees  ;  in  short,  these  passes, 
which  were  sometimes  half  a  mile  (German)  in  length,  were 
quite  as  bad  as  any  in  Syria,  indeed  they  were  occasionally 
worefc.  I  was  assured,  however,  that  in  all  my  travels 


APPROACH  TO  KRISUVICK.  97 

through  Iceland  I  should  not  find  any  other  road  so  danger- 
ous as  this  one  ;  which  proved  to  be  true  ;  and  even  here 
the  path  was  good,  excepting  in  a  few  of  the  places  described 
above. 

At  the  end  of  six  miles  we  entered  at  last  a  pleasant 
valley,  where  I  soon  perceived  the  numerous  columns  of 
smoke  of  various  sizes,  rising  from  the  sulphur-springs  and 
hills.  Krisuvick  was  still  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile,  and 
several  small  lakes  lay  between  us  and  our  place  of  desti- 
nation, which  I  was  very  impatient  to  reach.  It  was  even- 
ing when  we  arrived  there,  and  although  I  had  eaten 
nothing  all  day  but  a  little  bread  and  cheese,  I  could  not 
wait  till  my  coffee  was  ready,  but  jumping  from  my  horse, 
I  immediately  turned 'my  steps,  with  my  guide,  towards  the 
smoking  hills. 

Our  road  led  at  first  through  marshes  and  meadow 
lands ;  but  we  soon  reached  the  hills,  where  the  soft  and 
yielding  soil  made  the  ascent  very  laborious.  A  deep  im- 
pression was  made  by  every  footprint ;  and  it  was  necessary 
to  be  very  careful  not  to  break  through  entirely,  which 
would  have  been  by  no  means  agreeable  in  this  region  of 
boiling  springs.  At  last  we  arrived  at  the  summit,  where 
I  saw  a  number  of  basins  filled  with  the  bubbling  waters, 
and  many  columns  of  vapor  rising  from  countless  fissures  in 
the  hills  and  the  plain  ;  from  one  of  which  in  particular,  a 
mighty  pillar  of  steam  was  seen  to  ascend.  I  could  ap- 
proach very  near  to  these  spots  by  keeping  on  the  side  of 
the  wind ;  the  ground  was  lukewarm  in  a  few  places,  and  I 
could  hold  my  hand  for  several  minutes  at  a  time  over  the 
cracks  from  whence  the  vapor  escaped.  There  was  no 
crater  to  be  seen.  The  roaring  and  hissing  of  the  steam, 
and  the  violence  of  the  wind  together,  made  such  a  deafen- 
ing noise  that  I  was  glad  to  escape  from  the  place  and  feel 
5 


98  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

a  safer  soil  beneath  my  feet.  The  whole  mountain  seemed 
to  be  boiling  and  seething. 

There  was  a  fine  view  from  this  height,  which  overlooked 
several  valleys  and  ranges  of  lulls,  and  far  in  the  distance  I 
could  distinguish  the  isolated  black  peak  in  the  midst  of 
the  sea  of  lava  through  which  I  had  ridden  six  hours 
before. 

The  tumult  of  sounds  ceased  as  I  descended  into  the 
plain,  where  I  also  found  much  that  was  interesting ;  one 
of  the  basins  was  filled  with  boiling  mud,  which  resembled 
nothing  so  much  as  fine  clay  of  a  light  gray  color,  mixed 
with  water.  A  column  of  steam  burst  forth  with  so  much 
violence  from  another  basin,  not  more  than  two  feet  in 
diameter,  lying  among  the  hills  in  one  corner  of  the  valley, 
that  I  sprang  back  in  alarm  as  I  approached  it,  expecting 
at  every  moment  to  see  the  earth  split  open  at  my  feet. 
Several  hot  springs  were  bubbling  around,  but  I  saw  no  jet 
of  water,  and  was  assured  by  my  conductor  that  such  a 
thing  had  never  been  known  here. 

These  spots  are  far  more  dangerous  than  any  on  the 
hills ;  in  spite  of  the  utmost  caution  we  often  sank  in  to 
our  ankles  and  drew  back  our  feet  in  affright,  covered  with 
the  damp  exhalations  which  immediately  streamed  from  the 
opening,  from  whence  steam  or  boiling  water  also  escaped. 
I  allowed  my  guide  to  feel  his  way  in  front  of  me  with  a 
stick,  but  notwithstanding  his  precautions,  he  went  through 
in  one  place  half  way  to  his  knee,  though  he  was  so  used  to 
the  danger  that  he  made  very  light  of  it,  and  stopped  quite 
phlegmatically  at  the  next  spring  to  rid  himself  of  the 
mud,  while  I  followed  his  example,  being  also  covered  with 
it  above  my  ankles.  It  would  be  very  desirable  to  be  pro- 
vided with  boards  five  or  six  feet  long,  on  such  occasions 
to  lay  over  the  most  dangerous  places. 


i 
KRISUV1CK.  99 

It  was  still  broad  daylight  when  I  returned  to  Krisu- 
vick  at  nine  in  the  evening.  I  now  allowed  myself  to  look 
about  the  little  village  more  attentively,  and  found  that  it 
only  contained  a  small  church  and  a  few  wretched  hovels, 
into  one  of  which  I  crawled ;  but  the  light  being  admitted 
by  a  single  narrow  aperture,  all  was  so  dark  within  that  it 
was  some  time  before  I  could  distinguish  any  thing  around 
me.  "When  I  was  able  to  see,  my  eyes  fell  upon  several  of 
those  most  miserable  objects  so  common  in  Iceland,  victims 
of  a  complaint  resembling  leprosy ;  their  heads  and  hands 
were  covered  with  the  eruption,  which  is  always  fatal  when 
it  spreads  over  the  whole  body,  when  the  sufferer  gradually 
and  hopelessly  wastes  away  from  its  effects. 

The  churches  in  this  country  are  not  merely  reserved 
for  religious  purposes ;  they  are  also  used  to  store  away 
the  provisions,  tools,  and  clothing ;  and  are  generally  ap- 
propriated as  night-quarters  for  the  traveller.  I  doubt  if 
so  great  a  desecration  of  a  sacred  building  would  be  per- 
mitted even  among  the  most  uncivilized  nations.  It  is 
true  that  I  was  assured  the  practice  was  about  to  be  for- 
bidden ;  but  it  ought  never  to  have  been  allowed,  and  I 
am  by  no  means  certain  that  it  will  be  discontinued  in 
future,  for  wherever  I  went  the  church  was  always  at  my 
service  at  night,  and  I  was  sure  to  find  it  half  full  of  fish, 
tallow,  and  every  other  ill-savored  thing. 

The  church  at  Krisuvick  is  twenty-two  feet  long,  and 
ten  feet  wide  ;  and  it  was  very  far  from  being  in  a  condi- 
tion to  accommodate  me  on  my  arrival ;  but  saddles,  stock- 
ings, dresses,  hats,  and  implements  of  every  description 
were  hastily  thrown  into  a  corner;  blankets  were  pro- 
duced, with  two  or  three  beautiful  soft  pillows,  and  my  bed 
was  made  on  the  chest  which  contained  the  priestly  gar- 
ments and  altar  cloths. 


100  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

When  this  was  done,  I  would  gladly  have  shut  my- 
self in  to  prepare  my  evening  meal,  and  write  a  few 
lines  in  my  journal  before  I  lay  down  to  rest ;  but 
such  a  thing  was  not  to  be  thought  of;  all  the  inhabit 
ants  of  the  place  came  in  a  body  to  look  at  me,  and  I 
was  soon  surrounded  by  young  and  old,  who  streamed  into 
the  church  and  hemmed  me  in  on  all  sides.  Unpleasant 
as  was  their  staring,  I  was  obliged  to  submit  to  it,  for 
it  would  have  been  impossible  to  drive  away  the  crowd 
without  giving  great  offence  ;  I  therefore  unpacked  my 
little  valise  and  prepared  to  boil  my  coffee  in  public.  Upon 
this  my  spectators  all  put  their  heads  together  and  seemed 
lost  in  astonishment  when  I  lighted  the  spirits  of  wine,  fol- 
lowing my  every  movement  with  their  eyes.  My  frugal 
supper  ended,  I  found  their  perseverance  had  not  flagged 
in  the  least,  and  being  determined  to  put  it  to  the  proof,  I 
took  out  my  journal  and  began  to  write...-  For  a  few  mo- 
ments they  watched  me  in  silence,  when  they  all  suddenly 
exclaimed  :  "  She  is  writing,  she  is  writing  !"  But  still 
they  made  no  sign  towards  leaving  me,  and  remained  per- 
fectly motionless,  every  eye  fixed  upon  me  for  a  full  hour ; 
yes,  I  believe  I  might  be  sitting  there  still,  without  having 
been  able  to  write  them  out  of  my  presence,  if  it  had  not 
been  too  much  to  endure  at  last,  and  I  managed  to  dis- 
miss my  audience  by  giving  them  to  understand  that  I 
wished  to  go  to  sleep. 

My  night's  rest  was  not  very  refreshing,  for  besides 
that  there  is  something  rather  dismal  in  the  idea  of  finding 
one's  self  entirely  alone  in  a  church,  in  the  midst  of  a  bury- 
ing-ground,  at  midnight ;  there  also  arose  a  terrific  storm 
about  that  hour,  which  shook  the  wooden  walls  around  me, 
till  they  creaked  as  if  they  were  about  to  be  torn  from 
their  fastenings.  The  cold,  too,  was  enough  to  keep  me 


EIDE  TO  GR  UND1 VIGK.  \  Q 1 

awake ;  the  thermometer  only  showing  2°  of  heat*  inside 
of  the  church.  In  short,  I  was  heartily  thankful  when  it 
was  morning,  and  the  hour  had  arrived  for  continuing  my 
journey. 

June  5th. — Earlier  than  seven  o'clock  it  is  a  moral  im- 
possibility to  start  a  drowsy,  indolent,  Iceland  guide  ;  the 
hour  of  departure,  however,  is  of  less  consequence  here  than 
elsewhere,  as  it  is  never  dark  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

On  my  return  to  Reikjavick.  I  took  the  road  by  Grrun- 
divick  and  Keblevick,  in  spite  of  the  lengthened  distance, 
because  I  wished  to  become  acquainted  with  the  most 
dreary  of  the  habitable  regions  in  the  island. 

The  ride  to  Grundivick  (three  miles)  was  entirely 
through  fields  of  lava,  formed  by  little  blocks  and  rolling 
waves  which  choked  up  the  whole  plain,  where  there  was 
not  a  single  green  spot  to  be  seen.  I  observed  here  a  new 
variety  of  lava-streams,  the  effect  of  which  was  remarkably 
fine.  They  were  composed  of  black  masses  eight  or  ten  feet 
high,  whose  bases  were  covered  with  whitish  moss,  which  sur- 
rounded them  in  thick  circles,  while  the  bare  summits  were 
broken  into  numberless  sharp  points,  presenting  the  most 
fanciful  and  varied  outline.  The  whole  stream  had  that 
glossy,  vitrified  appearance,  characterizing  those  which  date 
from  a  late  period. 

Grundivick  is  a  small  green  patch,  lying  like  an  oasis 
in  the  midst  of  this  waste  of  cinders ;  and  here  my  guide 
was  anxious  to  tarry,  for  he  maintained  that  there  was  no 
place  between  this  and  Keblevick,  where  I  could  find  a 
night's  lodging,  and  to  ride  the  whole  distance  would  be  too 
much  for  our  horses,  already  over-fatigued  by  the  bad  roads 

*  36i°  Fahrenheit.— TV. 


102  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

of  yesterday.      His  real  object,  however,  was  to  prolong 
our  journey  a  day. 

Fortunately,  I  carried  an  excellent  map  with  me,  by 
means  of  which  I  could  judge  of  the  distances  with  toler 
able  accuracy ;  and  I  always  made  it  a  point  to  inquire  where 
the  best  stopping-places  would  be  before  I  set  off  on  a 
tour.  I  insisted,  therefore,  on  the  present  occasion  upon 
going  forward,  and  we  were  soon  on  our  way  through  the 
lava-fields  for  Stad,  a  little  hamle^  ajout  three  hours  from 
Grundivick ;  passing  a  very  remarkable  mountain  as  we 
rode  along,  which  was  exactly  the  color  of  iron,  smooth  and 
almost  shining  on  all  its  sides,  and  only  streaked  in  spots 
with  a  shade  of  yellowish  brown,  resembling  ochre. 

Stad  is  the  residence  of  a  priest ;  and  notwithstanding 
the  assertions  of  my  guide,  I  found  it  a  much  prettier  and 
more  attractive  place  than  Grundivick.  While  our  horses 
were  resting,  I  received  a  visit  from  the  priest,  who  con- 
ducted me,  not  as  I  had  expected,  to  his  own  house,  but  to 
the  church,  where,  stools  and  chairs  having  been  provided, 
he  introduced  me  to  his  wife  and  children,  and  regaled  me 
with  coffee,  butter,  cheese,  &c.  The  wardrobe  of  himself 
and  family  was  thrown  across  the  chancel-rails,  and  was  in 
no  ways  to  be  distinguished  from  that  of  the  surrounding 
peasantry.  My  new  acquaintance  proved  to  be  a  very  well- 
informed  and  well-read  man,  and  as  I  had  now  made  suffi- 
cient progress  in  the  Danish  language  to  be  able  to  carry 
on  a  conversation  with  tolerable  ease,  we  talked  on  a  great 
many  subjects  ;  when  he  learnt  that  I  had  been  in  Pales- 
tine, he  made  a  multitude  of  questions,  from  which  I 
gathered  that  he  was  quite  familiar  with  the  geography, 
the  natural  history,  and  customs  of  that  country.  He  ac- 
companied me  for  two  hours  on  my  way,  and  we  chatted 
very  pleasantly  as  we  rode  along. 


KEBLEVICK.  103 

The  distance  from  Krisuvick  to  Keblevick  is  about  nine 
miles  (German),  and  the  whole  road  lies  through  a  barren 
country,  and  wide,  uncultivated  plains,  often  five  or  six 
miles  in  circumference,  without  a  sign  of  vegetation  upon 
them,  and  covered  through  their  whole  extent  by  currents 
of  lava — a  gloomy  picture  of  volcanic  revolutions !  And 
I  only  saw  here,  where  so  many  traces  of  fire  abounded,  a 
single  mountain  whose  top  was  sunken  in,  and  might  once 
have  been  a  crater.  The  others  all  ended  in  a  handsome 
cone,  a  sharp  point,  or  formed  long  and  narrow  ridges. 

Who  can  tell  from  whence  these  desolating  streams  have 
flowed,  and  how  long  they  have  lain  in  stony  masses  upon 
the  plain  ! 

Keblevick  lies  on  the  sea-shore,  but  its  harbor  is  un- 
safe, and  little  used.  The  ships  which  visit  the  place  re- 
main as  short  a  time  as  possible,  and  more  than  two  or 
three  are  never  seen  here  at  once.  A  few  wooden  houses, 
two  of  which  are  owned  by  Mr.  Knudson,  and  an  equal 
number  of  huts,  compose  the  whole  of  the  little  hamlet.  I 
met  with  a  kind  reception  from  Mr.  Siverson,  the  factor  of 
Mr.  Knudson,  and  found  myself  very  comfortably  enter- 
tained after  all  my  fatigues. 

On  the  next  day,  June  6th,  I  had  a  long  ride  of  at  least 
eight  miles*  to  Reikjavick,  the  greater  part  of  the  distance 
being  through  fields  of  lava.  The  whole  region  between 
Grundivick  and  Havenfiord  goes  by  the  name  of  the  Lava 
Fields  of  Reikanes. 

Tired  and  stiff,  I  arrived  in  the  evening  at  Reikjavick, 
with  hardly  a  wish  but  to  go  at  once  to  my  rest.  I  had 
ridden  twenty-five  milesf  in  the  last  three  days,  and  had 


*  Thirty-six  English  miles. — Tr. 

f  A  hundred  and  twelve  and  a  half  English  miles. — Tn 


104  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

endured  a  great  deal  from  the  cold,  the  rain,  and  the  wind 
To  my  surprise  I  had  found  the  roads  generally  very  good, 
though  in  some  places  they  had  been  difficult  and  laborious 
to  the  highest  degree. 

But  all  these  troubles  and  hardships  were  forgotten 
after  the  first  good  night's  rest,  whereas  the  magnificent 
scenes  I  had  beheld  remained  indelibly  impressed  upon  my 
mind,  never,  I  trust,  to  be  effaced  frQm  my  recollection 
while  I  live  ! 

From  Reikjavick  to  Krisuvick,     8  miles.* 
From  Krisuvick  to  Keblevick,       8£     "f 
From  Keblevick  to  Reikjavick,      81     "J 


to  Erikhnlt  (Erikinhl)  nni  tte  Cte  nf 


The  weather  continuing  favorable,  I  determined  to  ac- 
complish the  rest  of  my  tour  without  loss  of  time.  The 
distance  was  nearly  a  hundred  and  thirty  German  miles,§ 
and  it  became  necessary  to  provide  myself  with  another 
horse  as  a  relay,  partly  on  account  of  the  supplies  I  was 
obliged  to  take  with  me,  consisting  of  rye-bread,  cheese, 
coffee,  sugar,  and  a  pillow,  but  principally  for  the  sake  of 
changing  daily  from  one  animal  to  the  other,  as  a  single 
horse  would  not  be  equal  to  the  fatigue  of  such  a  journey. 

My  former  guide  was  not  able  to  accompany  me  on  this 

*  Thirty  -six  English  miles.  —  Tr. 
\  Thirty  -eight  and  a  quarter  English  miles.  —  Tr. 
\  Thirty-seven  and  a  half  English  miles.  —  Tr. 
§  Five  hundred  and  twenty  English  miles.  —  Tr. 


PREPARATIONS,  &C.  1C5 

occasion,  being  unacquainted  with  most  of  the  road,  but  my 
kind  friends,  Mr.  Knudson  and  Mr.  Bernholt,  were  so  oblig- 
ing as  to  look  up  another  for  me  ;  which  was  no  slight  un- 
dertaking, as  it  is  not  easy  to  find  a  sober  man,  possessing 
the  requisite  qualifications,  who  is  master  of  the  Danish 
language.  At  last  a  suitable  peasant  was  selected,  who 
was  willing  to  escort  me  for  two  florins,  C.  M.,*  and  a 
zwanzigerf  a  day,  it  being  also  part  of  the  bargain  that  he 
should  have  a  second  horse  at  his  command  to  change  from 
day  to  day,  as  well  as  myself. 

On  the  16th  of  June  we  were  to  begin  our  journey. 
My  new  conductor  did  not  show  himself  in  the  best  light 
from  the  very  first  hour  of  our  acquaintance.  His  saddle 
had  to  be  patched  together  on  the  morning  of  our  depart- 
ure, and  he  made  his  appearance  with  one  horse  instead  of 
the  two  he  had  engaged  to  provide ;  though  he  assured  me 
that  he  meant  to  purchase  another  as  soon  as  we  were  at 
a  little  distance  from  the  capital,  where  he  could  buy  one 
cheaper.  I  suspected  this  was  a  pretence  to  escape  the 
trouble  of  taking  care  of  it,  and  so  it  proved  to  be  ;  for  a 
suitable  horse  was  never  to  be  found,  and  one  poor  animal 
had  to  carry  not  only  himself  but  his  bundle  during  the 
whole  journey. 

The  manner  of  loading  the  horses  in  Iceland  is  exceed- 
ingly awkward  ;  a  few  large  pieces  of  dried  turf  are  laid  on 
the  back  of  the  animal,  without  being  secured  in  any  way, 
and  a  piece  of  wood,  slightly  bent  in  the  shape  of  a  bow 
and  provided  with  two  or  three  wooden  pegs,  is  buckled 
over  them ;  the  trunks  and  bundles  are  suspended  to  the 
pegs,  but  if  the  burden  be  not  exactly  balanced  it  is  per- 

*  Ninety-six  cents. — Tr. 

f  Twenty  kreutzers,  or  sixteen  cents. — Tr. 


106  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

petually  slipping  out  of  place,  and  it  is  necessary  to  stop 
and  adjust  it  all  over  again. 

The  trunks  of  this  country  are  of  massive  wood,  covered 
with  a  rough  hide  and  secured  with  iron  as  if  they  were  in- 
tended to  last  for  ever.  These  trunks  are  in  themselves  a 
heavy  load,  and  very  little  additional  weight  can  be  laid  on 
the  poor  beasts  who  carry  them  ;  the  utmost  amount  which 
a  horse  can  bear  on  a  long  journey  being  a  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds. 

How  many  times  a  day  we  were  compelled  to  stop  and 
alter  the  whole  arrangement  of  our  luggage,  I  should  never 
be  able  to  tell.  The  pieces  of  turf  would  not  of  course 
stay  very  long  in  their  places,  and  then  the  whole  thing 
would  be  awry  again.  But  no  power  on  earth  can  divert 
an  Icelander  from  his  accustomed  ways  ;  thus  his  ancestors 
packed  their  horses,  and  thus  he  will  continue  to  pack  his 
for  ever. 

We  had  ten  miles  before  us  the  first  day,  but  owing  to 
the  damaged  saddle,  we  were  not  able  to  get  off  earlier  than 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  first  three  miles  were 
over  the  great  plain  which  surrounds  Reikjavick  and  across 
some  of  the  low  hillocks  scattered  about  it.  We  passed 
several  streams,  among  which  the  Lachselv  was  the  most 
remarkable,  which  opposed  some  difliculties  to  our  progress, 
though  they  are  by  no  means  dangerous  to  ford  at  this  sea- 
son of  the  year.  The  valleys  through  which  we  rode  to-day 
were  mostly  strewn  with  lava,  but  still  they  presented  many 
pleasing  prospects  to  the  eye.  A  few  of  the  hills  had  the 
appearance  of  extinguished  volcanoes,  being  covered  with 
colossal  sheets  of  lava,  beneath  which  the  crater  probably 
lay.  The  lava  scattered  around  them  was  in  smaller  pieces, 
but  of  the  same  variety  and  shade. 

We  had  a  good  view  of  the  sea  from  every  height  for 


THINGVALLA.  107 

some  distance  as  we  rode  along;  and  this  part  of  the 
country  is  also  tolerably  populous  ;  but  as  we  advanced  we 
passed  through  a  tract  of  more  than  six  miles,*  without 
seeing  a  human  habitation.  One  wide  plain  succeeded 
another,  and  in  the  centre  of  each  desolate  waste,  inclosed 
by  hills  of  moderate  height,  there  was  generally  a  solitary 
hut,  erected  as  a  shelter  for  the  traveller  during  the  winter 
nights ;  but  he  must  not  natter  himself  that  he  will  find 
any  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  host  there,  he  must  come  pro- 
vided with  all  that  is  requisite  to  make  himself  comfortable 
under  the  little  roof,  which  only  covers  a  single  room,  with 
four  naked  walls. 

The  lava  I  saw  to-day  was  all  of  the  same  variety  ;  it 
was  generally  broken  into  small  stones,  not  very  porous,  of 
a  light  gray  color,  and  in  some  places  mixed  with  sand  and 
earth. 

A  few  miles  from  Thingvalla  we  passed  a  valley  where 
the  soil  was  excellent,  although  it  was  but  scantily  covered 
with  verdure  for  want  of  cultivation  ;  moss  grew  there  in 
abundance,  and  I  believe  the  inhabitants  might  improve 
this,  as  well  as  many  other  patches  of  earth,  to  much 
greater  advantage,  if  they  would  only  take  the  trouble  to  do 
so.  The  soil  around  Reikjavick  is  of  the  most  unpromis- 
ing character,  and  yet  with  pains  and  labor  many  a  garden 
spot  and  good  pasture  ground  has  been  obtained.  And  why 
should  not  as  much  be  accomplished  here,  where  nature  has 
already  done  her  share  ? 

We  were  to  sleep  to-night  at  Thingvalla,  which  lies  on 
the  shores  of  a  lake  of  the  same  name,  but  only  appears  in 
sight  on  a  very  near  approach.  The  lake  is  more  than 
half  a  mile  long,f  and  at  least  as  wide  in  some  places,  and 

*  Twenty-seven  English  miles. — Tr. 

f  Two  and  a  quarter  English  mile& — Tr. 


108  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

contains  two  small  rocky  islands,  known  by  the  name  of 
Sandey  and  Resey. 

My  attention  was  still  riveted  on  the  lake  and  the  dark 
barren  hills  which  inclose  it,  when  suddenly,  and  as  if  by 
enchantment,  a  chasm  opened  at  my  feet,  into  whose  depths 
it  was  impossible  to  look  without  a  shudder.  Weber's 
"  Freischiitz  "  involuntary  occurred  to  my  mind.  To  add  to 
the  wonders  of  this  prospect,  you  approach  the  abyss  from 
this  side,  without  the  least  suspicion  that  such  a  gulf  exists 
between  the  valleys  beyond  and  yourself.  The  chasm, 
which  is  not  more  than  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  width,  is 
several  hundred  feet  deep ;  and  we  were  compelled  to  de- 
scend its  steep  and  dangerous  sides  by  a  narrow  path  lead- 
ing over  the  fragments  of  lava.  My  uneasiness  increased 
as  we  went  down  and  could  see  the  colossal  masses,  in  the 
shape  of  pillars  or  columns,  tottering  loosely  on  the  brink 
of  the  precipice  above  our  heads,  threatening  death  and 
annihilation  at  any  moment.  Mute  and  anxious  we  crept 
along  in  breathless  haste,  scarcely  venturing  to  raise  our 
eyes,  much  less  to  give  vent  to  the  least  expression  of 
alarm,  for  fear  of  starting  the  avalanche  of  stone,  of  whose 
impetuous  force  we  could  form  some  idea  by  the  shattered 
rocks  around  us.  The  echo  is  very  remarkable,  and  gives 
back  the  faintest  whisper  with  perfect  distinctness.  Our 
horses  scrambled  down  the  sides  of  the  precipice  after  we 
had  safely  reached  the  bottom,  and  from  thence  they 
looked  as  if  they  were  hanging  to  a  straight  wall. 

The  name  of  this  pass  is  Almanagiau.  It  is  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile*  in  length,  but  is  impassable  for  part  of 
the  distance,  being  choked  by  enormous  blocks  of  lava. 
The  rocks  are  parted  towards  the  right,  and  form  an  outlet 

*  A  little  more  than  one  English  mile. — Tr. 


THING- VILLA.  109 

leading  over  a  rough  road  to  the  beautiful  broad  valley  of 
Thingvalla.  It  struck  me  while  wandering  through  the 
chasm,  that  it  must  be  the  depths  of  a  crater,  whose  own 
boundless  fury  had  raised  the  high  walls  around  it,  which 
must  have  been  the  work  of  ages. 

The  vale  of  Thingvalla  passes  for  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  Iceland.  It  contains  some  fine  meadows,  which 
furnish  the  means  of  support  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place,  and  supply  the  necessary  forage  for  their  cattle.  The 
Icelander  considers  this  small  green  valley  as  the  loveliest 
spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  little  hamlet  is  not  far 
from  the  outlet  of  the  chasm ;  it  is  situated  near  the  lake 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  Oxer,  and  merely  consists 
of  a  cluster  of  huts  and  a  small  church.  A  few  solitary 
farm-houses  and  cottages  are  scattered  about  the  plain. 

Thingvalla  was  once  the  most  important  place  in  Ice- 
land ;  and  a  field  near  the  village  is  still  pointed  out  to  the 
traveller  as  the  spot  where  the  yearly  meeting  of  the 
Althing,  or  General  Assembly,  was  held.  The  people  and 
their  leaders  gathered  together  and  struck  their  tents  like 
the  Nomadic  tribes ;  here,  many  a  right  and  many  a  ques- 
tion was  settled  by  an  appeal  to  arms.  The  chiefs  assem- 
bled quietly  at  the  head  of  their  retainers,  but  not  a  few 
among  them  never  returned  to  their  homes,  having  been 
sent  by  the  stroke  of  their  opponents  to  that  rest,  which  no 
one  seeks  though  all  must  find. 

One  side  of  the  valley  is  bounded  by  the  sea,  and  the 
other  by  a  range  of  fine  mountains,  some  of  which  I  ob- 
served to  be  still  partially  covered  with  snow.  The  river 
Oxer  falls  prettily  over  some  rocks  of  tolerable  height  near 
the  ravine. 

It  was  still  daylight  when  I  reached  Thingvalla ;  the 
clear  blue  heavens  shone  down  upon  the  landscape ;  and 


1 10  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

yet  a  few  clouds  were  hovering  about  the  sides  of  the  hills, 
which  at  times  would  spread  over  them  like  a  thin  veil,  or 
else  form  themselves  in  a  crown  around  their  summits,  soon 
dissolving  to  appear  again  in  another  spot.  This  is 
a  phenomenon  which  is  seen  in  Iceland  during  the 
clearest  weather,  and  one  I  had  often  observed  near  Reik- 
javick.  At  times,  when  the  sky  was  bright  and  cloudless, 
a  little  speck  would  suddenly  show  itself  on  the  edge  of  a 
hill,  where  it  would  increase  to  a  cloud,  and  remain  hang- 
ing over  the  spot  for  a  while  and  then  dissolve  or  float 
away  ;  an  effect  which,  however  common,  can  never  be  wit- 
nessed without  delight. 

The  pastor  of  Thingvalla,  Mr.  Bech,  invited  me  to  pass 
the  night  under  his  own  roof;  but  as  it  was  not  better  in 
any  respect  than  the  huts  around,  I  preferred  to  take  pos- 
session of  my  old  quarters  at  the  church,  having  only  too 
easily  obtained  his  permission  to  do  so.  This  little  church 
is  not  much  larger  than  that  at  Krisuvick,  but  being  at 
some  distance  from  the  village  I  escaped  the  troublesome 
inroad  of  visitors  which  had  annoyed  me  so  much  before. 

With  my  cold  neighbors  in  the  burying-ground  I  had 
by  this  time  become  quite  familiar,  and  therefore  spent  a 
very  quiet  night  on  one  of  the  wooden  chests  which  I  found 
in  the  church.  The  first  step  is  the  great  difficulty  on  such 
occasions ;  and  a  very  little  practice  will  put  to  flight  all 
the  gloomy  thoughts  which  would  be  apt  to  suggest  them- 
selves in  such  a  situation. 

June  I7tk. — Our  destination  to-day  was  Reikholt,  or 
Reikiadal,  which  I  was  told  was  a  distance  of  at  least  eleven 
miles.*  It  is  not  always  possible  to  form  a  perfectly  correct 

*  Forty-nine  and  a  half  English  miles. — Tr. 


THING  VALLA.  \  \  \ 

idea  of  the  distances  from  the  map,  for  it  sometimes  happens, 
as  was  the  case  in  this  instance,  that  impassable  places  inter- 
vene, compelling  the  traveller  to  make  a  long  circuit  to 
avoid  them.  From  the  map  one  would  have  imagined 
Thingvalla  to  be  much  nearer  Reikholt  than  Reikjavick ; 
and  yet  we  were  fourteen  hours  in  accomplishing  the  ride, 
which  made  us  two  hours  later  than  we  were  yesterday. 

As  long  as  the  road  lay  through  the  valley  of  Thing- 
valla,  there  was  a  constant  variety  in  the  scenery.  "We 
first  crossed  an  arm  of  the  river  Oxer,  then  saw  a  fine 
meadow,  and  soon  came  to  a  small  clump  of  what  would  be 
called  trees  in  Iceland,  though  with  us  they  would  be  root- 
ed up  as  useless  brush,  as  they  run  along  the  ground  and 
rarely  rise  more  than  two  or  three  feet  above  it.  A  sap- 
ling that  rears  its  head  as  high  as  four  feet  is  considered  a 
lofty  giant  of  the  woods.  The  greater  part  of  this  ima- 
"ginary  forest  grows  among  the  lava  that  covers  the  plain. 

I  observed  the  conformation  of  the  lava  here  to  be  some- 
what different  from  any  I  had  yet  seen.  It  was  not  in 
streams,  large  stony  masses,  or  rolling  waves;  but  it 
covered  most  of  the  soil  with  enormous  sheets  of  rock,  often 
split  to  the  depth  of  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  and  the  width  of 
eight  or  ten.  In  these  crevices  the  flowers  bloom  rather 
earlier,  and  the  ferns  grow  taller  and  more  luxuriantly,  than 
in  the  rough  world  above. 

The  country  beyond  the  valley  of  Thingvalla  is  monoto- 
nous and  entirely  uninhabited  ;  we  rode  mile  after  mile 
without  seeing  a  single  cottage  ;  each  barren  plain  through 
which  we  passed  being  clothed  in  light  gray  or  yellowish 
lava,  mixed  in  spots  with  a  beautiful  fine  sand,  into  which 
the  horses  sank  at  every  step  above  their  hoofs.  These 
valleys  are  surrounded  with  low  hills,  and  a  jokul  (glacier) 
is  rarely  seen  among  them.  The  hills  have  a  polished  ap- 


112  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND, 

pearance,  their  sides  being  perfectly  smooth  and  shining ; 
but  on  some  of  the  heights  the  lava  blocks  form  magnificent 
groups,  resembling  shattered  columns,  and  the  ruins  of 
ancient  buildings  projecting  in  a  peculiar  manner  from  the 
straight  and  even  walls.  The  hills  vary  in  color,  some 
being  black,  some  brown,  gray,  or  light  yellow  ;  and  the 
gradual  shading  of  these  tints  produces  a  wonderfully  fine 
effect  in  the  brilliant  light  of  the  sun. 

After  an  uninterrupted  ride  of  nine  miles,  we  came  to  a 
very  large  moor,  partially  overgrown  with  thin  herbage, 
where  we  stopped  and  rested,  while  our  horses  browsed  on 
the  scattered  blades  of  grass ;  this  being  the  only  pasture- 
ground  we  had  seen  since  we  left  Thingvalla.  Here  we 
were  assailed  by  swarms  of  little  gnats,  which  found  their 
way  into  our  eyes,  mouth  and  nose,  and  made  this  delay  a 
season  of  perfect  torment. 

I  saw  a  flock  of  swans  alight  on  a  small  sheet  of  water 
in  the  moor,  and  as  they  were  the  first  of  these  birds  I  had 
yet  observed,  I  watched  them  with  great  interest,  though  I 
was  obliged  to  remain  at  some  distance  from  them,  as  they 
are  unfortunately  so  shy  that  they  will  dart  off  into  the  air 
with  the  speed  of  lightning  on  the  nearest  approach  of  a 
human  being.  They  appeared  to  move  in  pairs,  and  the 
largest  flock  I  saw  consisted  of  four  pairs. 

I  had  considered  the  Icelanders  as  the  laziest  people  in 
existence,  from  the  first  moment  of  my  arrival  in  the 
country  ;  and  this  opinion  was  confirmed  by  a  trifling  cir- 
cumstance which  occurred  to-day.  The  moor  where  we 
stopped  to  rest  was  separated  from  the  lava  fields  by  a 
ditch,  over  which  a  bridge  was  formed  by  a  few  stones 
heaped  together,  but  so  carelessly  that  the  horses  could 
hardly  advance  without  stepping  into  some  of  the  holes ; 
and  they  resisted  so  long  before  they  could  be  made  to  ven- 


INSTINCT  OF  HORSES.  \  \  3 

ture  across,  that  we  were  obliged  to  alight  and  lead  them 
over. 

We  had  just  passed  this  place,  and  established  ourselves 
in  the  meadow,  when  a  caravan  of  fifteen  horses  loaded  with 
boards  and  dried  fish  came  along.  These  animals  remarked 
the  danger  of  the  bridge,  and  could  only  be  driven  over  it 
by  repeated  blows  of  the  whip.  There  was  abundance  of 
stone  not  twenty  paces  from  the  spot,  but  sooner  than  turn 
out  of  their  way,  even  for  that  short  distance,  these  indolent 
creatures  would  rather  cudgel  their  horses  and  let  them 
run  the  risk  of  breaking  their  ankles.  I  felt  so  much  com- 
passion for  the  poor  animals  who  would  have  to  cross  this 
bridge  in  future,  that  as  soon  as  the  other  party  was  out  of 
sight,  I  devoted  part  of  my  hours  of  repose  to  collecting 
some  large  stones,  with  which  I  filled  up  the  holes  ;  a  labor 
which  was  easily  accomplished  in  fifteen  minutes. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  how  the  horses  will  find  out  by 
instinct  every  dangerous  spot  in  the  stones,  the  moors,  or 
marshes.  They  drop  their  noses  to  the  ground  and  scent 
around  till  they  find  a  sure  footing  \  but  if  there  is  any  risk 
in  advancing,  nothing  but  blows  can  drive  them  forward  a 
step. 

After  a  halt  of  two  nours,  we  continued  our  ride  through 
the  lava  fields  till  nine  o'clock,  when  we  reached  a  table- 
land, from  the  farther  end  of  which  we  could  see  Reikholt, 
or  Reikiadal,  lying  at  our  feet  in  a  broad  valley  three  or 
four  miles  long,  shut  in  by  a  range  of  hills,  among  which 
glistened  several  jokuls  (glaciers)  in  their  icy  covering. 
yS  The  wild  and  sublime  scenery  of  Iceland  never  appears 
to  greater  advantage  than  at  the  hour  of  sunset,  when  a 
peculiar  magic  light  is  shed  over  the  wide  valleys  strewn 
with  lava,  without  a  tree  or  a  bush,  and  hemmed  in  by  dark 
mountains,  whose  summits  glitter  in  the  last  rays  of  the 


114  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

departing  sun ;  the  jokuls  are  veiled  by  a  shade  of  delicate 
rose,  while  the  deepest  shadows  gather  around  the  lower 
part  of  the  hills,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  plains,  over 
which  floats  a  purple  haze,  imparting .  to  them  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  dark  sheet  of  water.  The  silence,  the  perfect 
solitude,  are  still  more  impressive.  Not  a  sound  is  heard, 
not  a  living  creature  is  in  sight,  nor  a  village,  a  single  cot- 
tage, a  tree,  or  a  shrub.  The  whole  landscape  is  absolutely 
devoid  of  every  sign  of  life  ;  and  as  the  eye  wanders  over 
the  boundless  and  monotonous  scene,  it  seeks  in  vain  for 
any  object  of  familiar  interest  on  which  to  rest. 

As  we  reached  the  extremity  of  the  table-land  this 
evening  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  saw  a  sunset  which  I  can 
never  forget.  The  hills,  the  valleys,  and  the  glaciers  were 
lighted  up  by  a  brilliant  red  ;  I  could  not  remove  my  eyes 
from  the  glowing  mountains,  although  the  view  at  my  feet 
had  many  claims  to  my  attention  and  admiration. 

The  whole  long  valley  was  almost  entirely  covered  with 
meadows,  and  at  its  extreme  end  columns  of  smoke  were 
seen  to  arise  from  the  boiling  springs.  The  atmosphere 
was  so  clear  and  pure,  so  much  more  transparent  than  I 
have  ever  seen  it  in  any  other  country,  that  the  light  seemed 
to  be  very  little  diminished  by  the  disappearance  of  the 
sun,  and  I  observed  that  the  smallest  objects  were  distinctly 
visible  on  the  plain,  a  circumstance  which  was  very  favora- 
ble to  our  progress,  for  the  road  was  full  of  danger,  leading 
as  it  did  abruptly  down  over  the  stones  and  rocks  into  the 
valley  below.  A  small  stream  on  one  side  of  us  formed 
several  pretty  falls,  some  of  which  were  thirty  feet  high. 

In  vain  I  strained  my  eyes  to  find  a  little  church  where 
I  might  pass  the  night ;  for  those  who  have  never  expe- 
rienced it,  may  rest  assured  that  it  is  a  serious  thing  to  ride 
fourteen  hours,  with  nothing  to  eat  but  bread  and  cheese, 


A  HALT.  H5 

and  not  be  able  to  alight  after  all  at  the  door  of  sonic  hotel, 
a  la  mile  de  Londres  or  de  Paris.  I  was  not  so  unreason- 
able as  to  expect  a  porter  to  announce  my  arrival,  or  a 
butler  and  chambermaid  to  attend  to  my  wants  ;  I  merely 
sighed  for  a  hard  bench  in  the  neighborhood  of  my  dear  de- 
parted Icelanders,  within  some  sacred  edifice,  where  I  might 
at  least  be  sheltered  from  the  cold  night  wind.  I  was  sud- 
denly aroused  from  these  blessed  contemplations  by  the 
voice  of  my  guide,  who  exclaimed,  "  Here  we  are,  at  last  j" 
and  looking  up,  I  saw  a  few  of  those  low  huts,  whose  grass- 
covered  walls  and  roofs  are  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  fields  around.  We  halted,  and  turned  our  horses 
loose  to  graze  in  the  neighboring  pastures,  while  we  our- 
selves were  obliged  to  put  up  with  much  worse  accommoda- 
tions and  fare.  The  inmates  of  the  huts  had  long  been 
buried  in  the  deepest  sleep,  and  were  not  even  aroused  by 
"the  loud  barking  of  dogs  which  greeted  our  arrival.  A  cup 
of  coffee  would  certainly  have  been  very  acceptable,  but  I 
could  not  think  of  waking  any  one  up  to  prepare  it ;  so  I 
quieted  my  hunger  with  a  piece  of  bread,  and  seeking  out 
a  sheltered  spot  by  the  side  of  one  of  the  huts,  I  wrapped 
myself  in  my  cloak  and  lay  down  on  the  ground,  wishing 
with  all  my  heart  that  I  could  fall  asleep  at  once  in  the 
open  air,  and  dream  by  broad  daylight.*  I  was  just  sink- 
ing into  a  doze  when  it  began  to  rain ;  and  I  could  then  no 
longer  avoid  the  necessity  of  disturbing  some  of  my  neigh- 
bors. 

I  was  put  in  possession  of  a  store-room,  the  best  apart- 
ment in  the  place,  and  a  wooden  chest  was  offered  me  for  a 
bed.  Fortunately,  such  a  place  is  to  be  found  in  every  lit- 
tle village  ;  and  although  it  is  generally  far  from  inviting 

*  Let  it  be  remembered  that  at  this  season  there  was  hardly  any 
•twilight,  much  less  any  night 


116  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

being  filled  with  dried  fish,  blubber,  tallow,  and  every  other 
abominable  compound  to  poison  the  air,  it  is  still  infinitely 
to  be  preferred  to  the  sleeping-rooms  of  the  peasants,  which 
are  without  exception  the  most  disgusting  holes  that  can  be 
imagined.  Besides  the  overpowering  effluvia  resulting 
from  a  degree  of  uncleanliness  which  it  is  impossible  to  de- 
scribe in  words,  such  multitudes  of  vermin  are  engendered 
by  the  prevailing  filth  as  could  hardly  be  equalled  among 
the  Greenlanders  and  Laplanders. 

I  established  myself  in  the  store-room,  and  endeavored 
to  wait  with  patience  and  resignation  for  the  hour  of 
leaving  it. 

June  I  Ith. — Yesterday  we  made  a  forced  march  of 
eleven  miles,*  the  last  nine  of  which  were  through  a  barren 
and  uninhabited  region,  where  we  did  not  see  a  single 
dwelling  of  any  kind  which  could  offer  us  a  night's  shelter  ; 
but  our  ride  to-day  was  all  the  more  easy  for  the  horses,  as 
we  only  had  to  accomplish  the  short  distance  of  half  a  mile 
to  Reikiadal,  where  I  stopped  to  visit  the  celebrated  springs 
The  little  village  of  Reikiadal  contains  a  church  and  a  few 
houses,  and  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  meadows  ;  the  whole 
valley,  indeed,  is  covered  with  rich  pasture-grounds,  sprin- 
kled with  cottages  and  farm-houses,  and  abounding  in  fine 
flocks  of  sheep ;  the  horses  and  cows  being  somewhat  less 
numerous,  especially  the  latter. 

The  church  at  Reikiadal  is  one  of  the  largest  and  neat- 
est I  had  yet  seen ;  and  the  small  parsonage,  although 
covered  as  usual  with  turf,  is  quite  a  comfortable  and  con- 
venient dwelling.  This  parish  is  an  extensive  one,  and  more 
populous  than  some  of  the  others. 

*  Forty-nine  and  a  half  English  miles. — Tr. 


HOT  SPRINGS.  H7 

My  first  care  on  arriving  was  to  seek  out  the  priest,  Mr. 
Jonas  Jonason,  in  order  to  procure  fresh  horses  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  a  guide  to  conduct  me  to  the  hot  springs.  He 
promised  to  provide  me  with  both  in  half  an  hour  ;  but  it 
was  full  three  hours  before  I  was  able  to  obtain  what  I 
wanted,  and  it  was  not  accomplished  in  that  time  without  a 
vast  deal  of  trouble.  The  apathy  and  perfect  listlessness 
of  all  the  people  with  whom  I  had  to  deal  while  I  was  in 
Iceland  was  a  constant  source  of  annoyance  to  me  ;  I  was 
always  obliged  to  make  up  my  mind  to  wait  for  every  thing 
I  wanted  ten  times  as  long  as  was  necessary  ;  and  even  on 
the  present  occasion,  I  doubt  if  I  should  have  succeeded  in 
pursuing  my  journey  to-day,  if  I  had  left  the  good  pastor's 
side  for  a  moment.  But  at  last  every  difficulty  was  con- 
quered, and  Mr.  Jonason  was  so  kind  as  to  accompany  me 
to  the  springs  himself. 

We  rode  for  three  quarters  of  a  mile  over  this  fine  val- 
ley, crossing  the  river  Sidumule  at  least  half  a  dozen  times, 
as  it  wound  through  the  fields,  before  we  reached  the  first 
hot  spring,  which  gushes  from  a  rock  about  six  feet  high, 
lying  in  the  midst  of  a  marsh.  The  diameter  of  the  upper 
opening  of  the  caldron,  where  the  water  boils  and  bubbles 
without  ceasing,  may  be  perhaps  from  two  to  three  feet. 
This  spring  flows  perpetually  ;  the  stream  rises  to  the  height 
of  two  or  three  feet  into  the  air,  sometimes  even  as  high  as 
four  feet,  and  is  about  a  foot  and  a  half  in  bulk.  Its  size 
can  be  increased  by  throwing  a  large  stone  or  a  clod  of 
earth  into  the  pool,  when  the  spring  is  aroused  in  a  moment 
and  casts  back  the  stone  with  violence,  dissolving  the  earth 
by  which  its  waters  are  discolored. 

These  springs  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  those  at 
Carlsbad  in  Bohemia,  and  a  perfectly  correct  idea  of  them 
can  be  formed  by  any  one  who  has  visited  that  place. 


118  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Near  this  first  fountain  there  is  a  crevice  where  the 
waters  are  always  boiling,  though  they  are  never  thrown  up 
in  a  jet.  Other  springs  are  to  be  seen  on  a  rock  at  a  little 
distance,  immediately  on  the  bank  of  the  river  Sidumule  ; 
three  distinct  sources,  not  more  than  a  few  feet  apart,  oc- 
cupy the  whole  level  surface  of  the  rock ;  at  its  base  there 
are  several  other  hot  springs,  with  a  caldron  of  boiling 
water  lying  a  little  above  them,  which  are  only  remarkable 
from  the  fact  of  their  gushing  out  of  the  ground  so  near  the 
cold  river. 

But  a  large  rock,  called  Tunga-Huer,  which  rises  from 
the  centre  of  a  morass,  and  is  about  twenty  feet  high  and 
fifteen  feet  long,  contains  the  most  wonderful  group  of 
springs,  sixteen  of  which  are  seen  to  flow  from  its  sides  and 
base  ;  on  the  level  summit  of  the  rock  there  is  not  one. 

The  size  of  the  caldron  and  the  dimensions  of  the  jets 
correspond  with  those  I  have  already  described.  The  six- 
teen streams  are  all  within  the  compass  of  two  sides  of 
the  rock  ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  any  thing  more  sin- 
gular and  impressive  than  the  spectacle  they  present  to 
those  who  have  the  courage  to  climb  the  rock,  which  is  not 
difficult  of  access,  though  somewhat  dangerous.  Its  upper 
stratum  is  soft  and  warm,  of  the  consistency  of  mud,  mixed 
with  sand  and  pebbles ;  I  could  not  but  feel  a  little 
afraid  of  breaking  through  into  the  boiling  caldron  under- 
neath this  slight  covering,  where  every  footstep  left  its 
mark.  The  good  priest  went  ahead,  and  sounded  the  dan- 
gerous footing  with  a  stick ;  I  did  not  remain  far  behind 
him,  and  we  soon  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  rock,  where  I 
could  overlook  all  the  fountains  at  once.  Here  the  view 
was  even  more  interesting  and  extraordinary  than  from  be- 
low. It  seemed  like  the  effect  of  magic  to  look  down  upon 
these  crowded  water-spouts,  and  their  different  basins  vary- 


KOILIXG  SPRINGS  H9 

ing  in  shape  and  figure ;  I  forgot  my  fears,  and  stood  for  a 
long  time  lost  in  admiration  of  this  wonderful  prospect, 
silently  acknowledging  the  greatness  of  that  Creator,  at 
whose  bidding  they  had  burst  forth  from  their  dark  prison 
to  foam  and  rage  awhile  in  their  frothy  basins,  and  then 
quietly  flow  away  to  swell  the  neighboring  stream.  My 
companion  was  obliged  to  remind  me  more  than  once  of  the 
perils  of  our  position ;  I  had  ceased  to  think  of  its  inse- 
curity, and  lingered  there  till  the  mighty  columns  of  steam 
spread  themselves  around  us,  threatening  almost  instant 
suffocation,  when  we  turned  away  our  dampened  faces  and 
left  the  spot,  where  we  could  not  have  remained  so  long  if 
the  waters  had  been  more  strongly  tainted  with  sulphur. 
The  rock  which  contains  these  springs  is  a  reddish  mass,  and 
the  bed  of  the  stream  into  which  they  flow  is  covered  with 
red  pebbles. 

On  our  return,  we  saw  another  curious  phenomenon 
near  a  cottage  which  we  passed ;  it  was  a  caldron  where 
the  waters  were  constantly  boiling  and  seething,  and  in 
its  neighborhood  were  two  irregular  cavities,  from  whence 
periodical  columns  of  steam  escaped  with  a  loud  and  rush- 
ing noise ;  whenever  the  steam  appeared  the  waters  in- 
creased in  the  basin,  though  never  so  much  as  to  overflow 
its  brink  or  rise  into  the  air ;  and  when  it  vanished,  and  the 
uproar  in  both  cavities  had  ceased,  they  sank  again  for 
several  feet.  These  alternations  lasted  about  a  minute, 
and  were  renewed  so  punctually,  that  it  would  have  been 
safe  to  risk  a  wager  on  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  waters  and 
the  bursting  forth  of  the  steam,  which  occurred  without  the 
least  variation  about  sixty-five  times  in  an  hour.  In  con- 
nection with  this  caldron  there  is  another  one  lying  in  a 
little  crevice  a  few  paces  off.  When  the  waters  subside  in 
the  upper  basin,  they  begin  to  roar  and  rise  in  the  lower 


120  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

one,  and  are  spouted  into  the  air  to  the  height  of  two  or 
three  feet  .They  sink  again  when  the  upper  caldron  is  filled  ; 
and  this  play  continues  without  intermission  and  with  the 
most  perfect  regularity. 

The  first-mentioned  spring  is  provided  with  a  vapor  bath, 
formed  by  a  little  chamber,  close  to  the  caldron,  built  of  stone 
and  covered  with  turf ;  the  entrance  is  so  low  that  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  crawl  in  on  one's  hands  and  knees.  The  floor  is  of 
flat  stones,  which  are  very  much  heated  and  probably  lie  above 
some  hot  springs.  Whoever  wishes  to  use  the  bath  shuts 
himself  in  this  room,  where  he  is  soon  enveloped  in  a 
stifling  heat,  which  covers  the  whole  body  with  a  dripping 
perspiration.  It  is  very  little  frequented,  however,  by  the 
peasants  of  the  neighborhood. 

I  was  also  directed  to  visit  a  caldron  and  spring  in  a 
fine  meadow  near  the  church,  entirely  surrounded  by  a  low 
stone  wall  to  prevent  the  cattle  from  scalding  themselves 
in  their  eagerness  to  reach  the  grass.  About  eighty  paces 
from  this  spring  is  the  bath  of  Snorri  Sturluson,  which  is 
a  round  basin  three  or  four  feet  deep,  and  about  twenty  in 
diameter ;  a  few  steps  lead  to  the  bottom,  and  a  low  stone 
seat  surrounds  the  whole  bath,  where  the  waters,  led  from 
an  adjacent  spring,  are  too  hot  to  be  used  without  being 
cooled.  There  is  no  trace  of  a  covering  to  this  pool,  which 
serves  at  present  for  the  purpose  of  washing  linen  or  wool. 

I  had  now  seen  all  the  remarkable  sources  in  this  part 
of  the  valley ;  the  pillars  of  smoke  and  steam  on  the  op- 
posite side  arise  from  those  which  present  nothing  worthy 
of  notice  but  their  heat. 

On  our  way  back  I  was  conducted  by  the  priest  to  the 
churchyard,  which  lay  at  a  little  distance  from  his  house, 
where  Jie  pointed  out  to  me  the  most  distinguished  graves. 
This  was  a  very  edifying  spectacle,  no  doubt,  but  one  which 


TOMB  OF  SNOEEI STURLUSQN.  \%\ 

was  far  from  consolatory  to  me,  when  I  remembered  the 
coming  night  which  I  was  to  spend  in  the  little  church  in 
their  midst. 

The  grave-mounds  are  very  high,  and  are  generally 
covered  by  a  wooden  box  resembling  a  coffin,  which  encloses 
the  tomb-stone  as  a  protection  against  the  weather  ;  though 
I  could  not  defend  myself  from  the  idea  that  they  also  held 
the  dead  ;  and  to  assure  myself  of  my  mistake,  I  even 
begged  the  good  pastor  to  remove  the  lid  from  one  of  them, 
when  I  saw, — not  as  I  had  half  expected,  the  corpse,  which 
was  in  fact  lying  many  feet  under  ground, — but  a  stone 
such  as  he  had  already  described  to  me,  with  the  usual  in- 
scriptions upon  it. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  entrance  to  the  church  is  the 
tomb  where  repose  the  ashes  of  the  celebrated  Snorri  Stur- 
luson;*  a  narrow  Runic  stone,  of  the  same  length  as  the 
grave,  lies  above  it,  and  is  said  to  have  once  been  covered 
by  a  Runic  inscription,  though  every  trace  of  it  has  long 
been  effaced  by  the  storms  of  five  centuries,  as  this  tomb 
was  not  sheltered,  like  many  of  the  others,  by  a  wooden 
covering.  The  stone  is  severed  in  two  pieces  throughout 
its  length.  The  mound  is  often  renewed,  and  has  all  the 
appearance  of  a  fresh  grave.  I  plucked  every  buttercup 
that  grew  around  it,  a-nd  preserved  them  carefully  in  a  book, 
by  which  means  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  gratify  any  of  my 

*  History  relates  that  the  great  historian  of  Iceland  was  the  means 
of  betraying  his  country,  which  till  then  had  been  free,  into  the 
power  of  Norway ;  and  in  consequence  of  this  unpopular  act  he  only 
ventured  to  appear  in  public  surrounded  by  a  numerous  retinue,  and 
never  attended  the  Althing  at  Thingvalla,  unless  accompanied  by  an 
army  of  five  or  six  hundred  men.  But  in  spite  of  these  precautions  he 
was  surprised  by  his  enemies  in  his  own  house  at  Reikiadal,  where  he 
was  massacred  after  a  short  resistance, 
6 


122  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

friends  who  may  wish  to  own  a  flower  from  the  grave  of  the 
great  scholar  and  poet  of  Iceland. 

June  19th. — I  hired  fresh  horses  to-day,  and  allowed 
my  own,  which  were  still  somewhat  fatigued,  to  accompany 
us  unloaded,  on  our  excursion  to  the  cave  of  Surthellix, 
which  is  about  seven  miles  from  this  place.  The  worthy 
priest  was  so  kind  as  to  attend  to  all  my  wants,  and  acted 
once  more  as  my  Mentor  on  this  occasion. 

The  seven  horses,  my  guide,  the  priest,  and  myself, 
rode  forth  together,  and  retraced  our  steps  for  two  miles 
towards  Reikholt,  when  we  turned  to  the  left,  and  crossed 
the  hills  to  a  valley,  traversed  by  beautiful  lava  streams, 
and  overgrown  in  places  by  a  magnificent  Iceland  forest, 
where  some  of  the  bushes  even  attained  a  greater  height 
than  those  in  the  valley  of  Thingvalla. 

At  Kalmannstunga  we  left  all  the  horses  we  were  not 
using,  and  hired  a  man  to  conduct  us  to  the  cave,  which  was 
still  at  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half.  It  lies  in  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  plains  in  Iceland,  which  is  covered 
with  lava  of  every  form  and  color,  and  offers  a  pre-eminent 
picture  of  volcanic  disturbances.  The  lava  is  sometimes 
crisp  and  glassy,  and  forms  very  handsome  designs  and  ara- 
besques ;  in  other  places  it  is  in  enormous  sheets,  either 
single  or  stretched  over  each  other  in  layers,  with  mighty 
streams  rushing  in  between  them,  which  have  been  congeal- 
ed on  their  way.  The  different  eruptions  can  be  traced  by 
the  shades  of  the  currents,  which  vary  from  a  light  gray  to 
black.  The  hills  around  this  valley  are  generally  dark,  and 
stand  out  in  bold  relief  against  the  neighboring  jokuls, 
stretching  into  the  distance  like  a  sea  of  ice.  One  of 
these  glaciers  is  unusually  high ;  its  summit  is  lost  in  the 
oloiids,  while  its  brilliant  covering  reaches  far  down  into 


a  A  VE  OF  SURTHELL1X.  123 

the  valley.  The  hills  are  smooth  and  perfectly  regular, 
and  I  saw  but  one  in  the  foreground  whose  surface  was 
roughened  by  singular  groups  and  excrescences  of  congealed 
lava.  The  whole  scene  was  wrapped  in  the  silence  of 
death ;  and  it  presented  that  barren,  bald,  and  lifeless 
aspect,  so  peculiar  to  this  great  desert  of  the  North. 

Instead  of  penetrating  into  the  hills,  as  one  would 
naturally  expect,  the  grotto  of  Surthellix  is  situated  in  the 
midst  of  this  extensive  level  tract,  and  I  was  quite  startled 
when  the  wide  round  basin  which  forms  its  mouth  sud- 
denly appeared  before  us ;  it  is  about  six  fathoms  deep,  and 
fifteen  in  diameter ;  and  there  is  something  fearful  in  look- 
ing down  upon  the  innumerable  heaps  of  rock,  which  are 
piled  above  each  other  to  the  margin  of  the  opening,  and 
form  the  only  means  of  access  to  the  cave. 

We  found  our  way  down  on  our  hands  and  knees  till 
we  came  to  a  broad,  long  alley,  which  at  first  has  a  slight 
inclination  downwards  and  then  stretches  for  a  long  dis- 
tance under  the  plain,  which  formed  a  rocky  roof  over 
our  heads.  I  estimated  the  height  of  this  cavern  to  be 
about  eighteen  feet  in  the  lowest  part,  and  in  a  few  places 
to  reach  the  elevation  of  sixty  feet.  The  roof  and  walls 
were  roughened  by  the  continual  dripping,  but  there  were 
no  figures  or  indentations. 

Several  side-paths  branch  out  from  the  principal  alley, 
but  they  are  not  connected  with  each  other,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  return  to  the  main  road  from  every  one  we 
entered ;  many  were  short,  narrow,  and  low ;  but  there 
were  a  few  of  more  respectable  length  and  height. 

In  one  of  the  most  remote  of  these  side-alleys  a  large 
heap  of  bones  was  pointed  out  to  me,  said  to  be  the  remains 
of  slaughtered  sheep  and  other  animals ;  and  as  far  as  I 


1 24  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

could  understand  the  priest,  the  story  runs  that  this  cave 
was  once  the  resort  of  a  mighty  band  of  robbers ;  though 
it  must  be  a  very  long  time  since  they  frequented  it,  for 
nothing  remains  of  their  history  but  traditions  and  fables. 

I  was  not  aware  that  any  robbers  had  ever  existed  in 
Iceland ;  pirates,  indeed,  had  often  resorted  to  its  shores, 
but  this  place  was  too  far  from  the  coast  to  have  been 
known  to  them.  Neither  could  it  have  been  the  refuge 
of  beasts  of  prey,  who  would  have  found  nothing  to  sub- 
sist upon  in  a  region  so  perfectly  desolate  and  uninhabited. 
In  short,  I  tried  in  vain  to  think  of  any  satisfactory  expla- 
nation of  an  apparition  .which  struck  me  as  so  very  singular  ; 
the  bones  were  numerous,  and  still  fresh,  as  if  the  animals 
had  lately  been  devoured.  Unfortunately,  I  was  never  able 
to  ascertain  with  any  degree  of  certainty  how  they  could 
possibly  have  been  collected  in  that  spot. 

The  difficulties  we  experienced  in  exploring  this  cavern 
were  almost  enough  to  discourage  a  traveller  less  persever- 
ing than  myself.  The  path  was  obstructed  by  numerous 
loose  fragments  of  rock,  over  which  it  was  a  very  toilsome 
effort  to  find  our  way.  I  could  receive  no  assistance  from 
nay  companions,  who  were  fully  engaged  in  taking  care  of 
themselves,  as  there  was  scarcely  a  spot  to  rest  our  feet 
where  we  were  not  obliged  to  hold  on  by  our  hands  at  the 
same  time.  In  some  places  we  were  compelled  to  slide 
down  the  sides  of  the  rocks,  or  gather  ourselves  up  and 
slip  sideways  over  the  higher  blocks. 

We  came  to  several  enormous  basins  or  craters,  which 
opened  from  the  plain  above,  though  their  walls  were  too 
steep  for  us  to  climb.  The  light  falling  from  these 
openings  was  insufficient  for  the  main  entrance,  much  more 
for  the  other  passages.  I  had  not  been  able  to  procure  any 


GAVE  OF SURTHELLIX.  125 

torches  in  Kalmannstunga,  as  they  are  only  to  be  found  at 
Reikjavick,  but  was  obliged  to  content  myself  with  a  few 
candles. 

Beneath  these  gaps  there  still  lay  a  great  deal  of  snow, 
which  added  to  the  dangers  of  the  road  ;  it  frequently  gave 
way  as  we  stepped  upon  it,  causing  us  to  jam  our  feet  be- 
tween the  stones  underneath,  and  it  was  not  without  great 
difficulty  that  we  could  extricate  ourselves.  A  crust  of 
ice  covered  with  water  was  seen  in  all  the  side  alleys  near 
these  craters ;  which  disappeared  as  we  advanced  into  the 
cavities,  where  we  usually  found  a  great  deal  of  dirt,  formed 
by  a  mixture  of  sand  and  water.  The  large  blocks  of  lava 
only  abounded  in  the  main  road  ;  that  in  the  other  paths 
was  generally  broken  up  into  small  pebbles. 

The  rays  of  the  sun  falling  perpendicularly  through 
these  craters  were  reflected  back  with  dazzling  brilliancy 
from  the  snow,  and  spread  a  soft-colored  light  round  our 
heads  when  we  stood  within  the  basins.  These  bright 
points  also  produced  a  very  singular  effect  as  we  advanced 
towards  them  from  the  dark  abysses  of  the  cave,  or  left  them 
to  plunge  again  into  its  gloomy  alleys. 

This  subterranean  labyrinth  is  said  to  extend  for  several 
miles  beneath  the  plain  ;  we  only  examined  the  main  road 
and  a  few  of  the  paths  which  diverge  from  it,  and  when  we 
returned  to  the  upper  world  at  the  end  of  two  hours  we 
were  very  tired,  though  we  only  allowed  ourselves  to  rest 
for  half  an  hour  before  we  rode  back  to  Kalmannstunga,  at 
a  quick  trot. 

Unfortunately  I  am  no  geologist,  and  cannot  take  it 
upon  myself  to  decide  whether  this  cave  be  the  seat  of  an 
exhausted  volcano  or  not.  But  in  a  country  where  every 
hill  and  mountain  is  lava,  even  an  unlearned  traveller  will 
naturally  look  about  for  the  source  where  it  must  once  have 


126  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

originated  ;  and  it  is  quite  a  relief  to  be  able  to  trace  some 
of  the  streams  which  have  formed  the  wonderful  masses 
scattered  around  in  every  direction,  to  this  spot.  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  I  was  exploring  what  was  once  a 
burning  crater,  for  every  thing  which  I  saw,  the  rocks,  the 
roof,  the  sides  of  the  different  basins,  the  whole  cave,  in 
short,  was  lava. 

IVas  obliged  to  spend  the  night  in  one  of  the  three  huts 
which  compose  the  whole  village  of  Kalmannstunga,  where 
there  is  no  church.  Fortunately  it  was  rather  cleaner  than 
usual,  and  somewhat  larger,  being  almost  worthy  of  the 
name  of  a  farmhouse.  The  inmates  were  so  attentive  as 
to  prepare* the  best  apartment  for  me,  where  every  thing  was 
put  in  order  for  my  reception  when  I  returned  from  the 
cave.  My  little  room  was  about  eleven  feet  by  seven,  and 
contained  a  single  window,  so  small  and  dirty  that  I  could 
hardly  see  to  write  although  the  sun  was  shining  in  full 
splendor.  The  walls  and  floor  were  of  wood,  which  is  a 
very  uncommon  degree  of  luxury  in  this  country ;  the  fur- 
niture consisted  of  a  wide  bed,  two  chests,  and  a  little 
table.  There  were  no  chairs  or  benches,  of  course,  any 
thing  of  the  kind  being  entirely  unknown  to  the  Icelanders, 
who  always  seat  themselves  on  their  beds  and  chests  ;  and 
I  am  sure  I  do  not  know  where  a  chair  could  be  placed  in 
their  crowded  rooms. 

My  hostess,  who  was  the  widow  of  a  wealthy  peasant, 
presented  to  me  her  four  children,  who  were  very  good 
looking  and  neatly  dressed.  I  begged  the  mother  to  tell 
me  what  she  called  her  little  ones,  that  I  might  be  able  to 
mention  some  Iceland  names  when  I  returned  to  my  own 
country.  She  was  very  much  pleased  with  my  request, 
and  named  them  to  me  as  follows  :  Sigridur,  Gudrun,  Inge- 
bor  and  Lars. 


UJV  WELCOME  VISITORS.  127 

I  could  have  made  myself  very  comfortable  here,  as  I 
always  endeavor  to  do,  whatever  my  accommodations  may 
happen  to  be,  if  I  could  only  have  been  left  alone  ;  but  to 
my  great  annoyance,  every  inhabitant,  not  only  of  this  hut, 
but  of  all  the  others  in  the  place,  gathered  round  me  one 
by  one ;  and  stationing  themselves,  some  in  my  own  room 
and  some  in  the  adjoining  one,  I  found  myself  besieged 
even  more  closely  than  I  had  been  at  Krisuvick.  There 
was  something  about  my  appearance  entirely  new  to  the 
people,  who  stared  at  me  with  untiring  earnestness.  The 
women  soon  became  sufficiently  familiar  to  touch  my  dress 
and  feel  every  article  I  had  on ;  while  the  children  laid 
their  dirty  faces  in  my  lap.  The  horrible  uncleanliness 
of  this  crowd  of  people,  their  offensive  perspiration,  their 
perpetual  snuff-taking  (without  pocket-handkerchiefs),  their 
continual  spitting — ah !  it  was  truly  fearful !  I  suffered 
more  from  these  visits  than  from  the  longest  fast ;  though 
that  was  a  kind  of  penance  to  which  I  was  often  obliged  to 
submit,  for  I  could  never  taste  any  thing  that  was  set  be- 
fore me  during  my  travels  throughout  the  whole  country  ; 
and  in  fact  the  Iceland  peasant  has  little  to  offer  in  the 
way  of  cookery  but  dried  fish  and  sour  milk,  the  latter  often 
several  months  old ;  on  very  rare  occasions  they  have 
grits,  or  unraised  bread  made  of  powdered  Iceland  moss. 

I  found  that  most  of  these  people  supposed  me  to  pos- 
sess a  degree  of  information  which  is  generally  to  be  found 
only  among  men;  apparently  they  thought  the  women  of 
foreign  countries  must  necessarily  be  as  learned  as  the 
other  sex.  The  priests  always  inquired  if  I  spoke  Latin, 
and  seemed  struck  with  astonishment  when  I  replied  in  the 
negative.  The  common  people  consulted  me  for  all  mannei 
of  troubles ;  and  once  when  I  went  into  a  hut  during  one 
of  my  solitary  rambles  near  Reikjavick,  I  was  led  to  an  ob- 


128  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

ject  which  I  should  hardly  have  known  for  a  human  being ; 
it  was  one  of  those  wretched  sufferers  from  the  leprous 
eruption,  whose  whole  body,  as  well  as  his  head  and  face, 
was  covered  with  sores  and  boils,  and  almost  wasted  to  a 
skeleton  from  the  effects  of  the  disease.  Such  a  spectacle 
might  have  been  interesting  to  a  physician,  but  I  turned 
from  it  with  horror. 

Enough  of  this  revolting  picture !  Let  me  rather  de- 
scribe an  angel's  head  I  saw  at  Kalmannstunga — a  child  of 
ten  or  twelve  years  old — so  inexpressibly  sweet  and  lovely 
that  I  could  not  but  wish  myself  a  painter  to  carry  back 
to  my  native  country,  at  least  on  canvas,  that  soft  counte- 
nance, with  its  expressive  eyes  and  beautiful  dimples.  But 
perhaps  it  is  best  as  it  is ;  a  malicious  fate  might  have 
thrown  the  portrait  into  the  hands  of  some  susceptible 
youth,  whose  too  tender  feelings  would  perhaps  have 
prompted  him  to  undertake  a  pilgrimage  through  the 
world — like  Don  Sylvio  de  Rosalba,  in  Wieland's  Comic 
Novel — in  search  of  the  enchanting  original.  It  is  not 
probable  that  he  would  ever  have  turned  his  steps  towards 
Iceland,  for  who  would  expect  to  find  so  perfect  an  object 
in  that  remote  quarter  of  the  globe  ?  and  thus  the  unhappy 
lover  would  have  been  doomed  to  wander  forever,  and  be 
forever  disappointed. 

June  ZQtk.  —  The  distance  from  Kalmannstunga  to 
Thingvalla  is  eleven  miles,  and  it  is  one  of  the  worst  and 
most  fatiguing  roads  in  Iceland,  through  dreary  plains, 
shut  in  by  high  hills  and  jokuls.  Wherever  the  traveller 
turns  his  eye  it  is  met  by  a  chilled  and  lifeless  nature  ;  he 
hastens  anxiously  through  the  barren  wilderness,  and 
eagerly  climbs  one  eminence  after  another,  in  the  hope  of 
seeing  some  improvement  in  the  scene,  but  in  vain  ;  he  be- 


DANGER  0  US  RIDE.  \  39 

holds  the  same  waste — the  same  desolation — the  same 
hills. 

We  found  many  places  on  the  table-lands  still  covered 
with  snow,  which  we  were  obliged  to  cross  although  we 
heard  the  waters  rushing  beneath  ;  and  the  icy  crusts  over 
which  we  rode  were  often  thin  and  soft  under  the  horses' 
feet,  and  of  that  light  blue  shade  which  is  a  symptom  of 
danger.  The  horses  frequently  resisted  with  all  their 
might  before  they  could  be  driven  across  by  hard  blows. 
The  pack-horse  was  cudgelled  till  he  led  the  way ;  my 
guide  followed,  and  I  was  the  last.  The  poor  animals 
often  sank  to  their  knees  in  the  snow,  and  twice  they  went 
in  above  their  saddle-girths.  This  was  the  most  dangerous 
road  I  had  ever  travelled  ;  my  constant  thought  was  what 
I  should  do  if  my  guide  were  to  sink  in  so  deep  that  he 
could  not  extricate  himself ;  I  was  not  strong  enough  to  offer 
him  any  assistance,  and  where  should  I  turn  for  help  in 
this  desert  ?  I  might  wander  about  in  search  of  a  human 
habitation,  or  in  the  hope  of  meeting  with  a  fellow-being, 
till  I  perished  with  hunger,  or  was  lost  in  the  wilderness 
without  a  chance  of  escape.  I  approached  every  snow-field 
we  were  obliged  to  cross  with  feelings  of  intense  anxiety, 
of  which  those  only  who  have  been  placed  in  a  similar  situ- 
ation can  form  any  idea.  If  I  had  been  in  a  large  company 
my  alarm  would  not  have  been  so  great ;  for,  relying  on 
the  assistance  of  my  companions,  the  peril  would  doubtless 
have  appeared  much  less  imminent. 

This  road  should  only  be  used  when  the  snow  affords  a 
secure  footing.  We  did  not  see  a  track  of  man  or  beast ; 
and  we  were  the  only  living  creatures  who  traversed  this 
region.  I  found  great  fault  with  my  guide  for  having  led 
me  into  so  much  danger ;  but  it  was  then  too  late,  for  it 
was  equally  hazardous  to  advance  or  retreat 


130  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

To  increase  iny  troubles  there  was  a  change  m  the 
weather,  which  till  to-day  had  been  very  pleasant.  The 
heavens  were  clouded  when  we  left  Kalmannstunga,  and 
we  only  caught  an  occasional  glimpse  of  the  sun  5  but  when 
we  reached  the  heights  we  were  completely  enveloped  in 
the  mists  and  clouds,  and  an  icy  wind  from  the  neighboring 
glaciers  was  soon  accompanied  by  torrents  of  rain.  We 
had  already  ridden  thirteen  hours,  and  as  we  were  nearly 
stiffened  by  the  wet  and  the  cold,  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
stop  at  the  first  hovel  we  came  to ;  we  found  one,  at  last, 
about  half  a  mile  from  Thingvalla ;  where  I  was  under 
cover,  it  is  true,  though  in  other  respects  my  situation  was 
very  little  improved.  The  hut  contained  but  a  single  room, 
with  four  large  beds  in  it,  which  must  have  been  occupied 
by  the  seven  grown  persons  and  three  children  who  seemed 
to  compose  the  household. 

Unfortunately,  a  kind  of  influenza,  called  the  Kvef,  pre- 
vailed all  over  the  country  this  season,  and  I  found  every 
inmate  of  this  hut  suffering  from  its  effects  ;  there  was  a 
constant  hacking  and  coughing,  and  the  floor  was  actually 
slippery  from  the  incessant  expectorations. 

These  poor  people  were  so  good  as  to  offer  me  immedi- 
ately one  of  their  beds ;  but  rather  than  spend  the  night 
in  the  midst  of  so  much  filth,  I  would  have  remained  seated 
on  the  door-sill  till  morning.  I  preferred  to  convert  the 
narrow  passage  leading  from  the  kitchen  to  the  dwelling- 
room  into  a  sleeping  apartment j  it  contained  a  rude  shelf 
where  the  milk-pans  were  kept ;  and  borrowing  a  blanket 
from  the  invalids  in  the  next  room  (my  own  cloak  being 
too  wet  to  be  of  any  service  to  me),  I  stretched  myself  upon 
it  and  feigned  to  compose  myself  to  rest,  in  hopes  of  get- 
ting rid  of  the  company  of  my  curious  hosts.  After  a  while 
they  left  me  alone,  but  I  could  not  sleep ;  I  was  still  damp 


RETURN  TO  RE1KJA  VIGK.  \  3  \ 

and  chilled  from  my  long  exposure  to  the  storm,  and  the 
cold  wind  poured  down  upon  me  from  the  air-holes  in  the 
roof ;  for  this  little  passage,  among  the  many  purposes  to 
which  it  was  applied,  was  also  used  as  a  smoke-house  ;  and 
I  suffered  the  greatest  annoyance  from  a  long  pole  directly 
over  my  head,  where  the  fish  were  hung  up  to  dry,  and 
which  I  was  apt  to  forget,  till  I  had  fully  satisfied  myself 
of  its  existence  by  at  least  half  a  dozen  hard  knocks  when- 
ever I  attempted  to  sit  up  in  my  comfortless  bed. 

June  21  st. — At  last  the  long  wished  for  morning  hour 
arrived ;  it  had  stopped  raining,  but  the  clouds  still  hung 
about  the  hills  and  threatened  another  deluge.  Neverthe- 
less, I  determined  to  brave  all  their  fury  rather  than  tarry 
any  longer  in  my  present  shelter,  and  I  gave  orders  that 
the  horses  should  be  saddled. 

Before  we  set  off  my  hosts  offered  me  some  roast  lamb 
and  butter ;  I  thanked  them,  but  declined  eating  any 
thing,  excusing  myself  on  the  plea  of  want  of  appetite, 
which  was  the  truth  ;  for  it  was  enough  to  see  these  dirty 
creatures  to  take  away  all  inclination  to  taste  their  food. 
As  long  as  I  had  bread  and  cheese  I  confined  myself  to 
that,  and  never  eat  any  thing  else  that  was  set  before  me. 

We  took  our  leave,  therefore,  without  attempting  to 
make  a  breakfast,  and  returned  to  Reikjavick  by  the  same 
route  I  had  come,  although  my  original  plan  was  different, 
for  I  had  wished  to  strike  the  road  to  the  Greiser  and 
Hecla  from  Thingvalla.  But  the  horses  were  already  ex- 
hausted, the  weather  was  horrible,  without  promising  any 
improvement,  and  I  resolved  to  go  back,  for  the  present,  to 
my  cheerful  little  room  in  the  house  of  the  worthy  baker, 
and  wait  for  better  days. 

We   rode  on  steadily  through  the  showers  and  gusts  ; 


132  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND, 

and  what  was  worse,  we  were  obliged  to  stop  to  rest  in  an 
open  field,  as  the  only  hut  we  passed  to-day  was  one  in  the 
lava  desert,  which  serves  as  a  refuge  for  travellers  in  win- 
ter. We  halted  at  a  meagre  pasture-ground,  where  I  had 
no  choice  but  to  walk  about  for  two  hours  or  seat  myself  on 
the  damp  ground.  By  way  of  amusement,  I  turned  my 
back  to  the  storm  and  watched  the  shifting  clouds.  More 
from  ennui  than  hunger  I  eat  my  frugal  meal ;  and  when  I 
was  thirsty  I  had  but  to  throw  back  my  head  and  open  my 
mouth. 

I  think  I  may  natter  myself  that  I  was  born  to  be  a 
traveller  ;  I  never  take  cold  from  any  degree  of  exposure  ; 
on  this  whole  tour  I  had  not  a  single  warm  meal,  nor  any 
substantial  food  ^  I  slept  every  night  on  chests  or  benches, 
and  rode  fifty-five  miles*  in  six  days,  besides  scrambling 
about  in  the  grotto  of  Surthellix  ;  and  in  spite  of  all  these 
privations  and  hardships  I  returned  to  Reikjavick  in  per- 
fect health  and  spirits. 


First  day:     From  Reikjayick  to  Thingvalla,         10  miles  (German.  )f 

Second  day  :  From  Thingvalla  to  Reikholt,           11     «  " 
Third  day  :   From  Reikholt  to  the  hot  springs 

and  back  to  that  place,                    4     "  " 
Fourth  day  :  From  Reikholt  to  Surthellix,  and 

back  to  Kalmannstunga,      -           8^  "  " 
Fifth  day  :     From    Kalmannstunga   to  Thing- 

valla,                                               11     "  « 

Sixth  day:     From  Thingvalla  to  Reikjavick,      10     "  " 


*  About  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  English  miles.  —  Tr. 
f  Each  of  which  is  four  and  a  half  English  miles.  —  Tr. 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  GEISEJR.  133 


In  ijE  &i\m  mft  3Hmnrt  Iteln. 


The  weather  soon  improved  so  much,  that  on  the  24th 
of  June  I  was  enabled  to  set  off  for  the  Geiser  and  Hecla, 
riding  the  first  day  as  far  as  Thingvalla,  through  a  part  of 
the  country  with  which  I  was  already  well  acquainted. 

As  we  approached  the  lake  of  Thingvalla,  I  was  so  for- 
tunate as  to  witness  a  most  beautiful  atmospherical  phe- 
nomenon. A  soft  mist  was  hanging  over  the  waters  and  the 
shores,  with  all  the  appearance  of  an  approaching  shower, 
and  it  was  illuminated  by  a  few  straggling  sunbeams  which 
found  their  way  through  the  dark  clouds  spread  over  one 
half  the  heavens,  while  the  other  was  shining  in  the  clearest 
blue.  Every  shade  of  the  rainbow  was  distinctly  visible 
within  that  vapory  circle,  which  presented  one  of  the  most 
lovely  apparitions  I  have  ever  beheld.  It  lasted  for  about 
half  an  hour,  when  it  gradually  became  fainter,  and  vanished 
at  last,  to  be  replaced  by  the  usual  atmosphere. 

June  25th.  —  A  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Thingvalla  we 
came  to  a  fork  in  the  road,  which  branches  off  towards  the 
left  to  Reikholt,  and  towards  the  right  to  the  Geiser.  The 
latter  route  we  followed,  riding  for  a  long  distance  by  the 
side  of  the  lake  ;  at  the  extremity  of  the  valley  we  found 
a  terrible  pass  in  the  rocks,  similar  to  the  great  chasm  at 
Almannagiau,  which  we  were  compelled  to  cross  over  a 
very  bad  road. 

The  first  valley  beyond  this  ravine  bears  a  strong  re- 
semblance to  that  at  Thingvalla,  but  the  third  was  desolate 
and  gloomy  ;  it  was  covered  with  low  heaps  of  lava  entirely 
overgrown  by  whitish  moss,  the  effect  of  which  is  very  fine 


134  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

when  it  only  encircles  the  lower  part  of  the  rocks,  leaving 
their  sharp  black  summits  bare  ;  but  in  this  instance  it  pre- 
sented a  monotonous  and  barren  aspect. 

We  passed  two  grottoes  which  lay  in  our  path ;  at  the 
entrance  to  one  of  them  there  was  a  pillar  of  rock  supporting 
a  huge  sheet  of  lava,  which  formed  a  dangerous  looking 
portal.  Unfortunately,  I  knew  nothing  of  these  caves,  and 
had  made  no  preparations  to  visit  them,  which  I  could  not 
venture  to  do  without  torches  ;  but  from  what  I  afterwards 
learned,  they  were  not  very  extensive,  and  presented  nothing 
worthy  of  interest  to  the  traveller. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  we  crossed  several  valleys  far 
superior  in  beauty  and  cultivation  to  any  I  had  yet  seen 
in  Iceland.  The  meadows  were  free  from  those  little  emi- 
nences so  common  throughout  the  island,  and  often  extend- 
ed over  a  distance  of  several  miles.  These  rich  pastures 
were  of  course  more  populous  than  usual,  and  we  frequently 
rode  by  little  clusters  of  huts,  and  saw  numbers  of  cows, 
horses,  and  sheep,  grazing  in  the  fields.  On  the  left  of  the 
plains  was  a  range  of  hills,  which  struck  me  as  containing  a 
great  deal  of  loam ;  although  with  my  limited  mineralogical 
knowledge,  I  ought  hardly  to  pass  a  judgment  on  such  sub- 
jects ;  in  color  they  were  brown,  black,  or  blue,  like  the 
others ;  and  some  of  them  supported  a  colossal,  isolated 
block  of  lava,  which  was  a  mysterious  weight  for  their  soft 
strata  to  sustain. 

In  one  of  the  valleys  we  observed  a  lake  of  respectable 
dimensions,  with  a  few  clouds  of  vapor  hovering  over  it, 
which  proceeded  from  some  insignificant  springs  on  its 
shores. 

At  the  end  of  five  or  six  miles,  we  came  to  a  stream 
with  the  most  extraordinary  channel  I  have  ever  beheld  ; 
it  was  broad  and  shelving,  formed  by  layers  of  lava,  and 


REMARKABLE  STREAM.  [ 3 5 

cleft  through  its  centre  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  or  twenty 
feet,  by  a  chasm,  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  wide,  into 
which  the  waters  rushed  impetuously  with  a  noise  which 
was  heard  from  a  great  distance.  A  wooden  bridge  in  the 
middle  of  the  river  leads  over  this  abyss,  and  the  stranger 
who  reaches  the  banks  is  at  a  %  loss  to  account  for  its  ap- 
pearance among  the  foam,  which  entirely  conceals  the  rift 
in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and  he  would  be  likely  to  mistake 
it  for  the  ruins  of  a  larger  bridge.  It  is  impossible  to  see 
the  guide  ride  into  this  boisterous  flood  without  feeling 
some  alarm  and  a  great  repugnance  to  follow  him.  The 
priest  at  Thingvalla,  who  had  prepared  me  for  the  scene, 
advised  me  to  walk  over  the  bridge ;  but  the  waters  were 
swollen  at  least  two  feet  above  it,  and  I  was  therefore 
obliged  to  ride  across. 

The  passage  of  this  river  is  so  very  peculiar,  that  it  is 
difficult  to  describe  in  words.  The  waters  rave  with  the 
utmost  violence,  and  dashing  wildly  into  the  cavity  they 
form  falls  on  both  sides  of  it,  or  shiver  themselves  to  spray 
against  the  projecting  cliffs  ;  at  the  extremity  of  the  chasm, 
which  is  not  far  from  the  bridge,  the  stream  is  precipitated 
in  its  whole  breadth  over  rocks  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in 
height.  Our  horses  began  to  tremble,  and  struggled  to 
escape  when  we  approached  the  most  agitated  part  of  the 
torrent,  where  the  noise  was  really  deafening  ;  and  it  was 
not  without  the  greatest  difficulty  that  we  succeeded  in 
making  them  obey  the  reins,  and  bear  us  through  the  foam- 
ing waves  by  which  the  bridge  was  washed. 

The  valley  of  this  river  is  narrow  and  entirely  shut  in 
by  a  low  range  of  lava-hills,  and  presents  that  silent,  death- 
like appearance,  well  fitted  to  impress  this  extraordinary 
scene  on  the  mind  of  the  traveller. 

This  was  the  last  obstacle  in  my  way,  and  I  now  rode 


136  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

on  to  the  G-eiser  without  meeting  any  further  impediment ; 
though  this  great  object  of  my  eager  curiosity  was  concealed 
from  my  eyes  by  a  prominent  hill,  till  I  was  within  half  a 
mile  of  the  spot  where  it  lay.  At  last  the  mighty  columns  of 
steam  were  in  sight,  and  approaching  to  about  eighty  paces 
from  the  principal  caldron,  we  halted,  not  venturing  to  ad- 
vance any  farther  without  a  guide.  A  peasant,  who  had 
followed  us  from  one  of  the  neighboring  huts,  now  stepped 
forward,  and  perceiving  my  hesitation,  he  took  me  by  the 
hand  and  constituted  himself  at  once  my  cicerone.  Un- 
fortunately it  was  Sunday,  and  he  had  indulged  himself  so 
freely  in  his  fondness  for  the  brandy-bottle,  that  his  gait 
was  far  from  steady  ;  but  I  could  not  pause  to  consider  the 
risk,  and  without  waiting  to  ascertain  that  he  was  suffi- 
ciently conscious  to  remember  the  dangers  of  the  place,  I 
confided  myself  to  his  directions ;  my  Reikjavic  guide 
being  of  opinion  that  I  might  trust  him,  and  promising 
to  accompany  us  to  interpret  his  Iceland  gibberish  into 
Danish. 

He  led  me  to  the  edge  of  the  basin,  which  lies  on  a 
gentle  elevation  of  about  ten  feet.  The  diameter  of  the 
basin  is  about  thirty  feet,  and  that  of  the  caldron  six  or 
seven.  Both  were  full  to  the  brim  with  water  as  clear  as 
crystal,  which  was  slightly  boiling.  In  this  state  the  neigh- 
borhood is  very  dangerous,  as  they  might  overflow  and 
empty  themselves  at  any  moment,  and  we  therefore  left  the 
spot  at  once  and  visited  the  different  springs. 

My  new  friend  pointed  out  to  me  those  which  I  might 
approach  withaut  fear,  and  warned  me  against  the  others. 
We  then  returned  to  the  Greiser,  where  he  left  me  in  order 
to  make  some  preparations  for  my  accommodation ;  having 
first  furnished  me  with  some  rules,  to  enable  me  to  know 


ARRIVAL  AT  THE  G-EISER.  137 

when  an  explosion  might  be  expected,  which  I  repeat  for 
the  benefit  of  iny  reader. 

The  column  of  water  always  rises  perpendicularly  into 
the  air,  and  the  waters  invariably  overflow  on  the  same 
side  of  the  basin,  which  it  is  best  to  avoid  at  all  times ; 
they  run  over  the  other  side,  it  is  true,  but  in  irregular 
streams,  of  slender  volume,  which  are  so  little  dangerous 
that  one  can  stand  at  forty  paces  from  them  in  perfect 
safety  during  the  most  violent  eruptions.  The  explosions 
are  always  preceded  by  a  low  rumbling,  which  is  no  sooner 
heard  than  one  must  hasten  to  the  appointed  spot  at  once, 
as  the  eruption  follows  immediately.  The  waters  do  not 
always  spout  into  the  air,  and  to  witness  a  fine  explosion, 
the  traveller  must  sometimes  wait  for  several  days. 

A  French  savant^  M.  P.  Geimard,  has  generously  pro- 
vided a  shelter  for  those  who  came  after  him,  in  two  large 
tents  which  he  left  behind,  one  here  and  the  other  at  Thing- 
valla  ;  a  piece  of  thoughtfulness  for  which  all  who  are  de- 
tained for  any  length  of  time  at  this  place  must  be  par- 
ticularly thankful.  The  peasant  who  points  out  the  won- 
ders of  the  Geiser  has  this  tent  under  his  care,  and  receives 
a  compensation  of  a  few  florins  for  attending  to  it. 

It  was  put  in  order  for  me  by  eleven  o'clock,  when  all 
took  their  leave  and  I  was  left  alone. 

For  fear  of  missing  an  explosion,  it  is  customary  to 
watch  during  the  whole  night.  An  occasional  vigil  would 
present  no  great  difficulty  to  many  travellers,  but  for  me  it 
was  a  serious  undertaking.  However,  there  was  no  remedy, 
for  an  Iceland  peasant  is  not  to  be  depended  upon,  and  few 
of  them  would  be  roused  by  an  outbreak  of  Hecla  itself. 

I  sat  either  beneath  my  tent,  or  in  front  of  it,  listening 
with  stretched  attention  for  the  signs  T  had  been  told  to 


138  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

expect.  Towards  midnight — the  hour  for  spirits — I  heard 
a  few  dull  sounds,  like  those  of  a  distant  cannon,  and  rush- 
ing from  the  tent,  I  waited  for  the  subterranean  rumblings 
and  the  trembling  and  splitting  of  the  earth,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  books  I  had  read,  were  the  forerunners  of  an 
eruption.  I  could  hardly  defend  myself  from  a  paroxysm 
of  fear  ;  it  is  no  slight  thing  to  be  alone,  at  midnight,  in 
such  a  scene.  And  many  of  my  friends  will  perhaps  re- 
member how  often  I  told  them  before  my  departure,  that  if 
my  courage  failed  me  any  where  during  my  travels  in  Ice- 
land, it  would  be  when  I  spent  a  solitary  night  at  the 
Geiser. 

The  low  rumblings  were  repeated  thirteen  times  at  very 
short  intervals,  the  basin  overflowed  after  each  noise,  and 
nearly  emptied  itself  of  its  waters,  the  sounds  appearing  to 
proceed  from  their  violent  ebullition  rather  than  from  any 
subterranean  commotion.  In  a  minute  and  a  half  the  whole 
was  over.  The  waters  no  longer  overflowed  the  basin  and 
caldron,  which  remained  nearly  full ;  and,  disappointed  in 
every  respect,  I  returned  to  my  tent.  This  phenomenon 
was  repeated  every  two  or  three  hours ;  but  I  heard  nothing 
further  during  my  first  watch,  nor  all  the  next  day  and 
night.  . 

As  soon  as  I  had  become  familiar  with  these  periodical 
outbreaks,  I  allowed  myself  to  fall  into  a  light  slumber 
during  the  period  which  elapsed  between  them,  or  else 
amused  myself  by  visiting  the  different  springs,  in  hopes  of 
discovering  the  boiling  mud  or  the  colored  sources  which 
have  been  described  by  travellers. 

All  the  hot  springs  lie  within  a  circle  of  eight  or  nine 
hundred  paces  ;  a  few  are  well  worthy  of  notice,  but  most 
of  them  presented  nothing  very  remarkable  to  my  observa- 
tion. They  are  situated  in  the  corner  of  an  extensive 


THE  STROKKER.  .  139 

plain  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  behind  which  arises  a  chain  of 
mountains.  The  valley  is  well  grown  with  grass,  excepting 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  springs,  where  the  vegeta- 
tion is  somewhat  thinner.  Huts  are  plentifully  scattered 
about,  and  the  nearest  could  not  have  been  more  than  seven 
or  eight  hundred  paces  from  the  springs. 

Of  the  larger  basins  and  caldrons  I  counted  twelve  ; 
and  the  number  of  small  ones  was  still  greater. 

Among  these  fountains,  the  most  remarkable  is  one 
called  the  Strokker.  which  boils  and  bubbles  with  extra- 
ordinary violence  in  a  basin  about  twenty  feet  deep  ;  it 
frequently  starts  up  and  throws  a  spout  into  the  air,  some- 
times as  high  as  forty  feet,  the  outbreaks  lasting  occasion- 
ally more  than  half  an  hour.  I  was  not  so  fortunate  as  to 
behold  one  of  the  finest  eruptions,  although  I  witnessed 
many,  for  the  highest  I  saw  did  not  rise  above  thirty  feet, 
and  none  lasted  more  than  fifteen  minutes.  The  Strokker 
is  the  only  spring  besides  the  Greiser  which  must  be  ap- 
proached with  caution.  The  eruptions  often  succeed  each 
other  with  great  rapidity,  although  an  interval  of  several 
hours  will  sometimes  occur  between  them  ;  they  are  not 
preceded  by  any  noise.  There  is  another  spring  which 
leaps  perpetually,  but  only  to  the  height  of  three  or  four 
feet ;  and  one,  which  lies  in  a  caldron  of  moderate  width, 
presents  in  general  a  deceptive  appearance  of  perfect  tran- 
quillity, which  is  sometimes  interrupted  by  a  loud  roar, 
when  it  boils  and  bubbles,  throwing  up  at  the  same  time  a 
number  of  little  jets,  which  do  not  rise  above  the  caldron. 
In  some  of  the  basins  I  heard  a  rumbling,  not  unlike  a  low 
bellowing,  but  saw  no  water  and  little  steam. 

Two  of  the  most  remarkable  springs  which  are  perhaps 
to  be  seen  in  the  world,  lie  directly  above  the  Geiser,  in 
two  openings  separated  by  a  wall  of  rock,  which  does  not 


140  JOURNEY  TV  ICELAND. 

rise  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  however,  but  merely 
penetrates  beneath  the  surface.  The  water  boils  very 
gently,  and  has  an  even,  measured  flow.  The  extraordinary 
beauty  of  these  springs  consists  in  their  wonderful  trans- 
parency and  clearness.  All  the  prominent  points  and 
corners,  the  varied  outline  of  the  cavities,  and  the  different 
holes,  can  be  distinguished  far  within  the  depths,  till  the 
eye  is  lost  in  the  darkness  of  the  abyss  ;  and  the  singular 
play  of  light  upon  the  rocks  lends  an  additional  charm  to 
the  spot,  which  bears  a  resemblance  to  fairy-land.  It  is  il- 
lumined by  a  shade  of  soft,  pale  green  and  blue,  like  a 
Greek  fire,  which  only  reaches  a  few  inches  from  the  wall, 
leaving  the  waters  beyond  as  transparent  as  ever,  but  perfect- 
ly colorless.  The  light  has  the  appearance  of  being  reflected 
from  the  rock  ;  but  as  I  did  not  believe  this  to  be  the  case. 
I  took  the  trouble  to  visit  the  spring  at  all  hours,  when  the 
sun  was  shining  brightly,  and  when  it  was  obscured  by 
clouds,  and  even  after  it  had  set ;  but  the  illumination  re- 
mained constantly  the  same,  and  this  supernatural  play  of 
colors  was  always  to  be  seen. 

The  spring  is  covered  by  a  thin  sheet  of  rock,  sufficiently 
strong  to  permit  a  very  near  approach  to  its  margin,  where 
the  peculiar  beauty  of  its  transparent  waters,  and  the  magic 
effect  of  the  light,  is  seen  to  the  greatest  advantage.  I 
thought  of  Schiller's  Diver  when  I  stood  on  this  spot,  and 
fancied  I  could  see  the  goblet  on  one  of  the  jagged  points, 
and  behold  the  monster  arise  from  the  depths  of  the  cavity. 
No  better  place  could  be  selected  to  read  that  fine  poem. 

I  did  not  see,  as  I  had  expected,  a  number  of  caldrons 
containing  boiling  mud  or  colored  matter  ;  but  merely 
found  one  small  basin  in  which  there  was  a  substance  of  a 

-"wish  red,  rather  thicker  than  water,  and  a  little  spring 
.irty  brown,  which  I  should  have  overlooked  entirely. 


ERUPTION  OF  THE  GE1SES.  141 

if  I  had  not  been  so  diligently  on  the  look-out  for  every 
thing  of  the  kind. 

At  last,  after  waiting  till  the  second  day  of  my  sojourn 
at  the  G-eiser.  the  long-desired  explosion  took  place  on  the 
27th  of  June,  at  half-past  nine  in  the  morning.  The  peas- 
ant, who  came  twice  a  day  to  inquire  if  I  had  yet  seen  an 
eruption,  was  with  me  when  the  first  dull  sounds  which  an- 
nounced the  event  were  heard.  We  hurried  to  the  spot, 
and  as  the  waters  boiled  over  as  usual,  and  the  noise  died 
away,  I  thought  I  was  doomed  to  disappointment  again ; 
but  the  last  tones  were  just  expiring  when  the  explosion 
suddenly  took  place.  I  have  really  no  words  to  do  justice 
to  this  magnificent  spectacle,  which  once  to  behold  in  a 
lifetime  is  enough. 

It  infinitely  surpassed  all  my  expectations.  The  waters 
were  spouted  with  great  power  and  volume  ;  column  rising 
above  column,  as  if  each  were  bent  on  outstripping  the 
others.  After  I  had  recovered  in  some  degree  from  my 
first  astonishment,  I  looked  round  at  the  tent — how  small, 
how  diminutive  it  seemed,  compared  to  those  pillars  of 
water !  And  yet  it  was  nearly  twenty  feet  high  ;  it  was 
lying  rather  lower,  it  is  true,  than  the  basin  of  the  Geiser ; 
but  tent  might  have  been  piled  on  tent, — yes,  by  my  reck- 
oning, which  may  not  have  been  perfectly  accurate,  how- 
ever,— five  or  six,  one  above  the  other,  would  not  have 
reached  the  elevation  of  these  jets,  the  largest  of  which  I 
think  I  can  affirm,  without  any  exaggeration,  to  have  risen 
at  least  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet,  and  to  have  been 
three  or  four  feet  in  diameter. 

Fortunately,  I  had  looked  at  my  watch  when  the  first 
rumbling  was  heard,  for  I  should  certainly  have  forgotten 
to  do  so  during  the  explosion,  and  by  the  calculation  I 
made  when  it  was  over.  I  found  that  it  lasted  nearly  four 


142  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

minutes — the  actual  outbreak  occupying  more  than  half 
that  time. 

When  this  wonderful  scene  was  ended,  the  peasant  went 
with  me  to  examine  the  basin  and  caldron  ;  we  could  ap- 
proach very  near  them  without  the  least  danger ;  but  there 
was  nothing  farther  to  be  seen.  The  waters  had  entirely 
disappeared  from  the  basin,  into  which  we  entered,  and  ; 
walked  close  up  to  the  caldron,  where  they  had  also  sunk 
to  the  depth  of  seven  or  eight  feet,,  though  they  were  still 
boiling  and  bubbling  with  great  violence. 

I  broke  off  a  few  pieces  of  crust  from  the  interior  of 
the  basin  and  caldron  with  a  hammer ;  those  from  the  first 
were  white,  and  the  others  brown.  I  tasted  the  water, 
which  had  no  unpleasant  flavor  and  can  contain  but  little 
sulphur ;  the  steam  is  also  free  from  any  sulphurous  smell. 

In  order  to  ascertain  how  long  it  would  be  before  the 
basin  and  caldron  were  full  again,  I  returned  to  the  spot 
every  thirty  minutes,  and  found  that  for  the  first  hour  I 
could  still  stand  within  the  basin  ;  but  at  my  next  visit, 
the  caldron  was  completely  filled  and  on  the  point  of  run- 
ning over.  As  long  as  the  water  remained  in  the  caldron 
it  boiled  furiously,  but  the  ebullition  subsided  as  it  flowed 
into  the  basin,  and  when  the  latter  was  full  there  was  only 
an  occasional  bubble  to  be  seen. 

After  the  expiration  of  two  hours, — it  was  precisely 
twelve  o'clock, — the  basin  was  nearly  full  to  the  brim,  and 
I  was  standing  near  it,  when  the  waters  became  violently 
agitated  again,  and  the  distant  rumblings  were  once  more 
heard.  I  had  barely  time  to  spring  back,  when  the  jets 
burst  forth ;  they  continued  to  play  as  long  as  the  sounds 
lasted,  and  were  fuller  than  those  of  the  former  explosion, 
which  was  perhaps  in  consequence  of  their  height  being 
rather  less — it  was  hardly  more  than  forty  or  fifty  feet. 


THE  GE1SEK.  143 

After  the  eruption,  the  basin  and  caldron  were  about  as  full 
as  they  were  before. 

I  had  now  witnessed  two  explosions  of  the  Geiser,  and 
felt  amply  compensated  for  all  my  watchfulness.  But  I 
was  so  fortunate  as  to  see  two  other  outbreaks,  which  varied 
a  little  from  the  former  ones.  At  seven  in  the  evening, 
the  jets  rose  again  to  a  greater  height  than  at  noon,  throw- 
ing up  some  stones,  which  looked  like  black  specks  in  the 
frothy  waters  ;  and  on  the  third  night  the  basin  was  filled 
with  waves,  which  tossed  wildly  over  each  other,  but  did 
not  spout  up  any  streams  into  the  air.  The  waters  over- 
flowed the  margin,  and  an  immense  mass  of  steam  arose, 
which  was  driven  by  the  wind  towards  the  spot  where  I 
stood,  and  wrapped  me  in  a  thick  cloud,  which  prevented 
my  seeing  more  than  a  few  feet  before  me.  I  could  per- 
ceive no  odor,  and  felt  no  other  inconvenience  than  a  slight 
degree  of  heat  from  the  steam. 

June,  %8tb. — This  morning  I  was  informed  that  one  of 
the  princes  of  Holland,  who  had  lately  arrived  at  Reik- 
javick  with  a  large  suite,  in  a  fine  frigate  of  war,  was  about 
to  visit  the  Geiser,  and  I  determined  to  hasten  from  the 
place  at  once. 

My  horses  were  ordered  at  nine  o'clock ;  but  half  an 
hour  before  my  departure  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  behold 
another  eruption,  which  was  almost  as  fine  as  the  first.  I 
went  down  into  the  basin,  which  was  again  entirely  emptied, 
and  took  leave  of  the  Geiser  at  the  very  brink  of  its  caldron, 
which  had  sunk,  as  on  the  former  occasion,  to  the  depth  of 
six  or  seven  feet. 

During  the  three  nights  and  two  days  which  I  spent  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  these  wonderful  springs,  I  watched 
with  the  closest  attention  for  every  minute  particular  of 


144  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

their  outbreaks,  of  which  I  saw  five  in  all ;  and  I  must  de 
clare,  that  the  descriptions  of  the  G-eiser  which  I  had  read 
in  various  books  are  by  no  means  correct ;  as  I  never,  foi 
instance,  heard  any  greater  uproar  than  what  I  have  already 
mentioned  in  the  course  of  my  narrative,  and  never  felt  the 
least  symptom  of  an  earthquake,  although  during  one  of 
the  explosions  I  even  put  my  ear  to  the  ground.  9 

It  is  really  singular  how  blindly  some  people  will  re- 
peat what  they  hear ;  and  how  others  again  will  permit 
their  excited  fancies  to  see  and  hear  what  does  not  actually 
occur  ;  while  not  a  few  travellers  will  not  scruple  to  add 
even  a  downright  falsehood  to  the  tale.  I  met  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Moller,  the  apothecary  at  Reikjavick,  an  officer  of 
the  French  frigate,  who  asserted,  as  an  instance  of  what  I 
mean,  that  "  he  had  ridden  directly  into  the  crater  of  Mount 
Vesuvius."  Doubtless  he  was  far  from  suspecting  there  was 
any  one  in  the  company  who  was  likely  to  contradict  him, 
But  nothing  provokes  me  so  much  as  a  deliberate  invention 
of  this  nature,  and  I  could  not  help  asking  him  how  he 
could  possibly  have  accomplished  such  a  feat ;  for  I  had 
also  been  to  Vesuvius,  and  was  probably  as  reckless  of 
danger  as  he  was,  but  I  had  been  compelled  to  leave  my 
donkey  when  I  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  ad- 
vance into  the  crater  on  foot."  At  this  he  was  a  little  em- 
barrassed, and  explained  himself,  saying  he  ':  only  meant 
us  to  understand  he  had  ridden  nearly  into  the  crater  ;" 
and  yet  I  would  wager  that  he  has  told  the  same  story 
many  a  time,  and  ended  by  believing  it  himself. 

Before  I  take  my  departure  from  the  G-eiser,  I  must 
beg  the  indulgence  of  my  reader  while  I  relate  a  few  little 
incidents  which  happened  to  me  while  I  was  there  j  for  such 
trifles  are  sometimes  of  interest  when  they  relate  to  a 
country  so  little  known,  and  the  most  correct  opinion  can 


DISGUSTING-  HABITS  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  145 

often  be  formed  of  the  peculiar  habits  of  a  people  from  very 
insignificant  occurrences  of  this  nature. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  my  drunken  cicerone ;  it  is 
still  a  mystery -to  me  how  he  managed  to  conduct  me  in 
safety  over  so  many  dangerous  places ;  and  if  he  had  not 
been  the  only  guide  to  be  procured.  I  should  have  hesitated 
a  great  while  before  I  trusted  myself  to  his  care.  After  he 
had  put  my  tent  in  order,  he  brought  a  pillow  and  blanket 
to  make  a  bed  for  me  on  the  moist  ground ;  but,  good  luck 
to  him  !  they  added  very  little  to  my  comfort.  A  small 
worm  crawled  out  of  the  pillow,  which  I  seized  at  first  as  a 
valuable  addition  to  my  collection  of  specimens ;  but  to  my 
horror,  I  suddenly  discovered,  on  a  closer  investigation, 
that  it  was  a  maggot ;  and  as  it  was  soon  followed  by  a 
number  of  others,  of  course  I  threw  the  pillow  and  blanket 
immediately  out  of  the  tent. 

Cleanliness  is  a  virtue  which  is  absolutely  unknown  to 
the  Icelanders  ;  their  habits  are  all  nasty  to  an  incredible 
degree.  A  little  girl  of  twelve  years  old,  who  brought  my 
supply  of  cream  and  fresh  water  while  I  was  here,  once 
took  the  stopper  from  the  decanter  in  my  presence,  and 
after  wiping  the  cream  from  it  with  her  tongue,  was  on 
the  point  of  returning  it  to  the  decanter,  when  I  prevented 
her. 

She  would  often  sit  for  hours  at  a  time  by  my  side,  and 
it  sometimes  happened  that  the  vermin  in  her  head  were 
rather  troublesome,  when  she  would  coolly  hunt  them  out, 
and  after  looking  at  them  quite  composedly,  very  likely 
throw  them  alive  on  the  floor.  On  this  point,  the  Green- 
landers  have  a  decided  advantage,  for  they  devour  the  lit- 
tle creatures,  and  put  a  stop  at  once  to  all  danger  of  inheriting 
them.  The  Icelanders  are  also  entirely  devoid  of  every 
idea  and  feeling  of  propriety.  It  is  perfectly  impossible  to 
7 


1 45  JO  UENET  TO  ICELAND. 

relate  many  of  the  disgusting  practices  to  which  I  was  a 
witness. 

I  cannot  believe  that  this  people  was  once  renowned  for 
its  civilization,  its  opulence,  and  its  valor.  The  Arabs  and 
Bedouins  are  far  superior  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  islandj 
in  my  opinion,  in  a  sense  of  decency  and  refinement. 

We  rode  to-day  to  Skalholt,  which  is  six  miles  from  the 
G-eiser ;  for  the  first  mile  we  retraced  our  steps  over  the 
road  by  which  we  came,  and  then  turning  to  the  left,  we 
crossed  the  whole  beautiful  long  valley  which  contains  the 
springs,  whose  columns  of  steam  were  visible  from  this  side 
at  a  distance  of  several  miles.  The  road  was  only  good 
when  it  ran  along  the  sides  of  the  hills  and  hillocks ;  in  the 
plain  it  was  generally  swampy  and  full  of  water,  and  every 
trace  of  a  path  was  often  lost  in  the  soft  soil  where  we  rode, 
in  fear  of  sinking  in  at  every  step. 

No  excuse  can  be  made  for  the  indolence  of  the  Ice- 
land peasantry;  if  they  would  but  unite  and  take  the 
trouble  to  drain  the  marshes  through  which  we  passed  to- 
day, they  would  be  well  rewarded  for  their  pains,  as  even  in 
their  present  state  the  swamps  are  well  covered  with  grass, 
which  grows  luxuriantly  on  the  declivities  wherever  the 
waters  can  run  off;  and  meadow-flowers,  herbs  and  clover, 
are  also  found  there.  On  these  slopes  there  are  generally 
a  few  cottages. 

Before  we  reached  the  little  hamlet  of  Thorfastadir, 
Hecla  was  already  visible  in  the  distance,  surrounded  by 
fine  jokuls.  Here  I  witnessed  a  funeral.  When  I  entered 
the  church,  I  found  the  mourners  in  the  act  of  comforting 
themselves  with  a  drink  of  brandy ;  which  is  against  the 
regulations,  it  is  true,  but  if  nobody  ever  broke  the  laws, 
where  would  be  the  use  of  a  judge  ?  Doubtless  the  Ice- 


A  FUNERAL.  147 

landers  reason  thus,  or  they  would  not  be  guilty  of  such  a 
misdemeanor.  When  the  priest  arrived,  a  psalm  or  prayer 
was  screamed,  under  his  direction,  by  a  chosen  number  of 
the  congregation  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  till  the  perform- 
ers became  very  much  heated  and  completely  out  of  breath; 
but  as  the  chant  was  in  the  Icelandic  tongue,  I  could  not 
understand  a  word  of  its  meaning.  The  priest  next  stood 
by  the  coffin,  which  for  want  of  room  was  resting  on  the 
back  of  the  seats,  and  read  in  a  loud  tone  a  prayer  which 
lasted  more  than  half  an  hour.  This  terminated  the  ser- 
vices at  the  church,  and  the  body  was  then  borne  to  the 
grave,  which  was  the  deepest  I  have  ever  seen.  When  the 
coffin  was  lowered,  earth  was  thrown  upon  it  three  times  by 
the  priest,  while  the  mourners  looked  on  without  taking 
any  further  part  in  the  ceremonies.  I  observed  four  skulls, 
several  bones,  and  a  piece  of  a  decayed  coffin  among  the 
earth,  all  of  which  were  shovelled  into  the  new  grave  and 
trodden  down  by  the  assistants,  when  a  mound  was  raised 
and  sodded  at  once  with  turf  prepared  for  the  purpose,  the 
whole  being  accomplished  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of 
time. 

The  little  village  of  Skalholt,  which  was  our  destination 
to-day,  once  claimed  the  same  station  in  a  religious  point  of 
view  which  Thingvalla  held  in  the  political  world.  Here 
was  established  the  first  bishoprick,  after  the  introduction 
of  Christianity,  in  the  year  1098;  and  the  former  church 
in  this  village  is  said  to  have  been  not  only  large  but  hand- 
some. Skalholt  is  now  a  wretched  hamlet,  with  a  wooden 
church,  which  could  not  accommodate  more  than  a  hundred 
people,  and  two  or  three  huts.  It  does  not  even  possess  a 
priest  of  its  own,  but  is  under  the  spiritual  care  of  the 
pastor  of  Thorfastadir. 


1 48  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Immediately  after  my  arrival  I  was  invited  to  examine 
all  that  is  left  of  the  past  greatness  of  the  place ;  and  I 
was  first  shown  an  oil  painting  which  hangs  in  the  church, 
and  is  said  to  be  a  likeness  of  Thorlakur,  the  earliest 
bishop  of  Skalholt,  whose  austere  and  pious  life  has  caused 
his  memory  to  be  held  in  the  greatest  reverence. 

Preparations  were  then  made  to  remove  the  high  steps 
in  front  of  the  altar,  and  several  planks  were  displaced 
from  the  floor.  I  looked  on  with  great  expectations,  and 
thought  I  should  certainly  be  required  to  descend  into  the 
vault  where  the  embalmed  remains  of  the  bishop  were  pre- 
served ;  and  I  must  confess  that  I  did  not  feel  much  elated 
at  the  prospect,  when  I  reflected  that  I  was  to  pass  the 
night  in  the  church,  and  perhaps  directly  above  the  saintly 
skeleton.  I  had  been  already  too  much  in  the  company  of 
the  dead  to-day,  and  could  not  rid  myself  of  the  foul  odors 
I  had  inhaled  at  Thorfastadir  ;*  and  I  was  therefore 
greatly  relieved  when,  instead  of  the  supposed  relic,  I  only 
saw  a  marble  slab,  on  which  were  inscribed,  as  usual,  the 
life,  death,  &c.,  of  the  saint. 

An  old  embroidered  robe  was  next  exhibited,  and  a 
plain  gold  chalice,  both  dating  from  the  same  period  ;  after 
which  we  went  down  into  what  is  called  the  lumber-room, 
under  the  church,  and  only  divided  from  the  lower  part  of 
it  by  a  few  boards.  Here  are  kept  the  clock  and  organ, 
when  the  parish  happens  to  possess  either,  besides  provisions 

*  The  practice  prevails  in  Iceland  as  well  as  in  Denmark,  of  leaving 
the  dead  unburied  for  a  week ;  and  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that  when  a 
corpse  has  lain  for  eight  days  in  summer  in  a  warm,  close  hovel,  it 
requires  the  organs  of  smell  of  an  Icelander  to  attend  the  funeral  ser- 
vices from  beginning  to  end  without  disgust ;  though  I  will  not  affirm 
that  my  feelings  on  that  occasion  were  not  somewhat  under  the  COD 
trol  of  rny  imagination. 


MYSTERIO  US  SLEEP  ING-PL  A  OK  {  49 

and  utensils  of  various  kinds.  A  good  sized  chest  was 
opened,  and  when  some  large  lumps  of  tallow,  shaped  like 
cheeses,  had  been  removed,  the  library  came  to  light,  where 
I  made  some  interesting  discoveries.  Among  a  number  of 
very  old  books  in  the  Iceland  dialect,  I  came  across  three 
thick  folios  which  I  could  read  with  great  ease,  for  they 
were  in  German,  and  contained  the  doctrines,  letters,  epis- 
tles, &c.,  of  Luther. 

I  had  now  seen  every  thing,  and  could  allow  myself  to 
bestow  a  little  attention  upon  my  bodily  wants.  I  asked 
for  some  hot  water  to  make  my  coffee,  when  the  united 
population  of  the  village  immediately  collected  around  the 
door,  where  they  planted  themselves  no  doubt  with  the  view 
of  increasing  their  knowledge  of  human  nature  by  a  close 
study  of  my  habits  and  actions.  But  I  soon  shut  them  out, 
and  prepared  a  delightful  bed  for  myself  on  some  sheep's 
wool,  which  had  attracted  my  attention  the  moment  I 
entered  the  church  ;  a  long  partition  was  entirely  filled 
with  it,  and  here  I  settled  myself  with  my  pillow,  and  lay 
ou  as  soft  and  warm  a  couch  as  could  be  desired.  In  the 
morning  I  shook  up  the  wool,  and  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible to  tell  in  what  particular  spot  I  had  passed  the 
night. 

The  most  amusing  part  of  this  adventure  was  the 
curiosity  manifested  by  the  community,  who  rushed  in  as 
usual  the  next  morning  when  I  unfastened  the  door.  The 
first  question  they  put  to  each  other,  was :  "  Kvar  hefur 
hun  sovid?"  (where  has  she  slept?)  and  I  think  they 
imagined  from  my  spending  a  night  entirely  alone  in  a 
church,  surrounded  only  by  the  dead,  that  I  was  a  sor- 
ceress or  half  a  ghost  myself,  and  would  have  been  glad  to 
know  where  such  a  curious  creature  had  been  stowed  away. 


150  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

When  I  saw  their  puzzled  countenances  I  was  obliged  to 
turn  away  my  own  face  to  conceal  my  laughter. 

June  %Qth. — Yery  early  the  next  morning  I  continued 
my  journey.  At  a  short  distance  from  Skalholt  we  came 
to  the  river  Thiorsa,  a  rather  deep  and  very  rapid  stream, 
which  we  crossed  in  a  boat ;  the  horses  swimming  after  us. 
It  is  often  very  difficult  to  force  these  animals  into  such  a, 
torrent ;  they  know  at  once  that  they  must  swim  across, 
and  the  guide  and  boatman  cannot  leave  the  shore  till  they 
have  been  driven  into  the  stream,  when  they  must  still  be 
pursued  with  the  whip  or  stones,  and  frightened  by  loud 
cries  and  noises,  or  they  will  be  apt  to  turn  about  even 
then. 

After  riding  for  about  three  miles  through  a  marshy 
country  we  reached  the  fine  water-fall  of  the  Huitha,  less 
remarkable  for  its  height,  which  is  not  more  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet,  than  for  its  breadth  and  the  volume  of  its 
waters.  The  stream  is  divided  into  three  distinct  falls,  by 
a  few  fragments  of  rock  lying  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice, 
which  are  reunited,  however,  a  little  lower  down  ;  the  bed 
of  the  river  as  well  as  its  shores  are  lava.  The  waters 
foam  to  such  a  snowy  whiteness,  that  when  the  sun  shines 
upon  them  it  does  not  require  a  very  strong  imagination  to 
fancy  that  the  whole  stream  is  milk. 

A  short  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  this  fall  we  crossed 
the  Huitha,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  rivers  in  Iceland, 
in  a  skiff.  The  road  then  led  through  fields,  rather  less 
swampy  than  the  preceding  ones,  to  a  large  current  of  lava, 
which  reminded  me  of  my  near  approach  to  the  terrible 
fire  streams  of  Hecla,  although  I  'had  not  passed  over  any 
part  of  the  country,  during  all  my  travels  in  Iceland,  so 


GENERAL  PR  A  GTICE  OF  KISSIXG.  \  5  \ 

free  from  lava  as  the  distance  from  here  to  the  (reiser ;  and 
even  in  this  neighborhood  the  streams  had  apparently 
spared  many  a  fair  meadow,  frequently  parting  into  two 
branches,  and  leaving  the  smiling  fields  between  them  un- 
touched. But  as  we  advanced  we  soon  came  to  a  region 
where  the  destructive  torrents  had  swept  every  thing  before 
them  with  irresistible  violence,  carrying  death  and  annihi- 
lation wherever  they  went.  Our  road  was  painful  and 
laborious,  in  consequence  of  the  dark  sand  by  which  the 
plains  were  covered,  and  the  steep  hillocks  which  lay  be- 
tween them,  till  we  reached  the  little  village  of  Struvellix, 
where  we  stopped  and  allowed  our  poor  animals  to  rest  for 
a  few  hours. 

Here  we  met  a  great  assemblage  of  men  and  horses.* 
It  was  Sunday,  and  being  a  bright,  warm  morning,  divine 
service  was  very  numerously  attended  in  the  handsome 
church.  When  it  was  over  I  saw  a  pleasant  country  scene. 
The  people  streamed  from  the  church — I  counted  ninety- 
six,  an  extraordinary  multitude  for  Iceland, — and  separat- 
ing into  groups,  they  chatted  and  laughed,  not  forgetting  to 
moisten  their  throats  occasionally  with  a  little  brandy,  of 
which  they  had,  of  course,  a  stock  on  hand.  They  then 
collected  their  horses,  and  a  general  leave-taking  began ; 
kisses  rained  on  all  sides,  as  if  the  poor  creatures  could 
not  feel  sure  of  ever  meeting  again. 

All  over  Iceland  the  universal  mode  of  salutation,  at 
meeting  and  parting,  is  a  loud  kiss — a  practice  which  is  far 
from  agreeable  to  the  non-resident  who  allows  his  eyes  to 
glance  at  the  hideous  dirty  faces,  the  snuffy  noses  of  the 
old,  and  the of  the  children.  But  all  this  is  dis- 
regarded by  the  Icelander.  On  the  present  occasion  the 

*  Every  one  rides  in  Iceland. 


152  J°  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

priest  was  kissed  by  every  individual  of  his  congregation, 
and  he  embraced  each  one  of  them  in  return  ;  they  then 
kissed  one  another,  without  any  regard  to  sex  or  station ; 
and  I  was  not  a  little  astonished  to  see  niy  guide,  who  was 
a  common  countryman,  salute  half  a  dozen  daughters  of 
the  Sysselmann,*  or  the  wife  and  children  of  the  pastor, 
or  the  Sysselmann,  the  priest  or  the  Provostf  himself,  and 
to  find  his  greeting  most  cordially  returned  by  them  all. 
Every  country  has  its  customs. 

The  ceremonies  at  the  church  usually  begin  about  noon, 
and  last  two  or  three  hours.  The  animation  at  breaking 
up  is  owing  to  the  fact  of  there  being  no  inn  nor  stable 
to  put  up  the  horses,  which  are  always  left  in  the  open  air. 

"When  the  service  was  over  I  went  to  see  the  priest, 
Mr.  Horfuson,  who  was  so  good  as  to  offer  to  bear  me  com- 
pany for  a  few  miles  to  the  village  of  Salsun,  in  order  to 
inquire  for  a  guide  to  conduct  me  to  Mount  Hecla.  I  was 
particularly  glad  to  have  him  with  me  on  account  of  a 
dangerous  and  rapid  stream  we  were  to  pass,  which  was  so 
deep  that  it  reached  to  the  breasts  of  our  horses  ;  and 
although  we  held  our  feet  as  high  as  we  could,  they  were 
thoroughly  wet  before  we  reached  the  opposite  shore. 
This  is  as  disagreeable  an  incident  as  can  be  well  ima- 
gined ;  the  horse  swims  rather  than  walks,  and  his  gait 
produces  a  most  unpleasant  sensation.  I  did  not  know 
where  to  look ;  if  my  eyes  fell  on  the  river  it  made  me 
dizzy,  and  if  on  the  shores  it  was  not  much  better,  for  they 
seemed  to  be  in  motion  in  consequence  of  the  horse's  being 

*  The  officer  who  collects  the  royal  revenues  and  superintends  the 
affairs  of  the  crown  in  the  particular  syssel,  or  district,  under  his 
jurisdiction. 

f  A  dignitary  in  the  church,  who  has  the  charge  of  one  of  the 
ecclesiastical  districts  into  which  the  diocese  of  Iceland  is  divided. 


APPROACH  TO  HEGLA.  153 

carried  away  by  the  force  of  the  current.  To  my  great 
comfort  the  priest  did  not  leave  me,  and  rode  close  by  my 
side  to  hold  me  up  if  I  should  lose  my  seat.  Fortunately 
I  stood  this  fiery — no — this  watery  trial ;  and  when  we  had 
reached  the  other  bank,  Mr.  H.  made  me  observe  how  far 
we  had  been  borne  by  the  stream  from  the  place  where  we 
started. 

The  valley  in  which  lie  Salsun  and  Hecla  contains  the 
most  conspicuous  contrasts,  and  offers  one  of  those  pictures 
which  are  only  to  be  seen  in  Iceland.  On  one  hand  are 
beautiful  fields  spread  with  herbage  of  a  velvet  green ;  and 
on  the  other,  hills  of  black  and  shining  lava.  The  mea- 
dows are  traversed  by  lava-streams  and  patches  of  sand. 
Hecla  is  known  to  pour  forth  the  blackest  lava  and  the 
blackest  sand  ;  and  as  every  thing  we  now  saw  had  flowed 
from  that  one  source,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  how  singular 
must  have  been  the  effect.  A  single  hill  to  the  left  was 
of  a  shade  of  brown,  and  entirely  covered  with  sand  and 
lava  of  the  same  color ;  it  is  very  much  sunken  in  at  the 
centre,  and  seems  to  have  been  once  a  mighty  crater. 

Hecla  itself  is  inclosed  in  a  circle  of  lava-hills,  and 
towers  high  above  them  all.  It  is  surrounded  by  several 
glaciers,  whose  dazzling  snow-fields  extend  to  a  great  dis- 
tance, and  have  never  been  trod  by  a  human  foot.  Several 
of  the  side-walls  are  also  covered  with  snow.  On  the  left 
of  the  valley  near  Salsun,  and  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  is  a 
pretty  lake,  on  whose  shores  reposed  a  flock  of  sheep.  Not 
far  from  thence  is  a  fine  hill  perfectly  solitary  and  severed 
from  the  rest,  as  if  it  were  banished  and  discarded  by  its 
neighbors.  The  whole  of  this  landscape  is  completely 
Icelandic,  and  so  peculiar  and  striking  that  it  will  be  im- 
pressed for  ever  upon  my  recollection. 

The  little  village  of  Salsun  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  first 
7* 


154  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND, 

rise  which  leads  to  Hecla ;  but  it  was  not  in  sight  till  we 
were  very  near  it.  When  we  arrived  there  my  first  step 
was  to  secure  a  guide,  and  make  every  preparation  to 
ascend  the  mountain.  The  guide  was  to  find  a  horse  for 
me,  and  accompany  my  former  conductor  and  myself,  for 
which  service  he  demanded  the  outrageous  price  of  five  dol- 
lars and  two  marks,  or  in  our  money  five  florins  and  twenty 
kreuzers,*  C.  M ;  reckoning  his  own  trouble  to  be  worth 
five  florins,  and  only  counting  twenty  kreuzers  for  the 
horse.  I  am  sure  he  could  live  a  month  on  the  former 
sum.  But  what  could  I  do  ?  There  was  no  other  guide 
to  be  had,  and  he  knew  it  well ;  so  I  was  obliged  to  accede 
to  his  terms.  When  it  was  all  settled  my  kind  protector 
took  his  leave,  wishing  me  good  luck  in  my  difficult  en- 
terprise. 

I  then  looked  about  me  for  a  place  to  spend  the  night. 
Alas  !  my  only  choice  was  a  loathsome  hole  containing  a 
chest  somewhat  shorter  than  myself,  which  was  to  be  my 
bedstead  ;  and  near  it  hung  a  half-spoiled  fish,  which  had 
already  so  poisoned  the  air  of  the  room  that  I  could  hardly 
breathe,  and  was  fain  to  leave  the  door  ajar,  although  by 
so  doing  I  appeared  to  encourage  the  inroads  of  the  inhab- 
itants, who  flocked  as  usual  to  look  at  me.  Truly  a  de- 
lightful preparation  against  the  fatigues  of  the  morrow  ! 

The  whole  region  at  the  foot  of  Hecla,  and  especially 
at  this  place,  appears  to  be  undermined,  and  the  heavy  foot- 
steps of  the  peasants  were  echoed  in  hollow,  menacing 
tones,  such  as  I  had  never  heard  at  Vesuvius  or  any  where 
else.  These  sounds  appeared  very  awful  to  me  when  I  was 
alone  at  night,  shut  up  in  my  dark  retreat. 

My  Hecla  guide — I  call  him  so  to  distinguish  him  from 

*  Two  dollars  and  fifty-six  cents. — Tr. 


ASCENT  OF  MO  UNT  HECLA.  \  55 

the  one  who  had  accompanied  me  from  Reikjavick — an- 
nounced to  me  that  we  must  be  off  by  two  o'clock.  I 
readily  agreed,  though  I  felt  very  certain  that  it  would  be 
five  before  we  were  on  our  way ;  and  so  it  proved.  In  fact 
it  was  past  six  when  we  were  completely  ready  to  set  out. 
Besides  a  store  of  bread  and  cheese,  a  bottle  of  water  for 
myself  and  one  of  brandy  for  the  guide,  we  also  provided 
ourselves  with  long  sticks,  ending  in  a  sharp  iron  point, 
which  we  were  to  lean  upon  and  use  to  sound  the  snow 
before  we  ventured  to  tread  on  it. 

It  was  a  beautiful  warm  morning,  and  we  galloped 
gayly  over  the  meadows  and  the  adjacent  sand  plains.  This 
fine  weather  was  considered  a  very  favorable  omen  by  my 
guide,  who  told  me  that  Mr.  Geimard,  the  French  natu- 
ralist already  mentioned,  had  been  delayed  three  days  by  a 
storm  before  he  could  ascend  the  mountain  ;  this  was  nine 
years  ago,  and  no  one  had  made  the  attempt  since  that 
time.  A  Danish  prince  who  travelled  through  Iceland  a 
few  years  since,  had  been  here  indeed,  but  for  some  unex- 
plained reason  he  had  left  the  place  without  undertaking  to 
visit  Hecla. 

The  road  led  at  first,  as  I  have  already  said,  through 
rich  fields,  and  then  across  the  patches  of  black  sand  which 
are  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  streams,  hills  and  hillocks 
of  lava,  whose  fearful  masses  gradually  approach  each 
other,  and  frequently  afford  no  other  passage  than  a  narrow 
defile,  where  we  scrambled  over  the  blocks  and  piles  with 
scarcely  a  spot  to  rest  our  feet.  The  lava  rolled  around 
and  behind  us,  and  it  was  necessary  to  be  constantly  on  the 
watch  to  prevent  ourselves  from  stumbling  or  to  avoid  com- 
ing in  contact  with  the  rolling  rocks.  But  the  danger  was 
even  greater  in  the  gorges  filled  with  snow  already  softened 
by  the  heat  of  the  season  ;  where  we  frequently  broke 


1 56  JO  UKNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

through,  or  what  was  worse,  slid  backwards  at  every  step 
almost  as  far  as  we  had  advanced.  I  do  not  believe  there 
is  another  mountain  in  the  world  whose  ascent  offers  as 
many  difficulties  as  this  one. 

After  a  toilsome  struggle  of  three  hours  and  a  half  we 
reached  the  place  where  it  became  necessary  to  leave  the 
horses  behind ;  which  I  should  have  done  long  before,  as  I 
felt  compassion  for  the  poor  animals,  if  my  Hecla  guide 
would  have  allowed  it  5  but  he  maintained  that  there  were 
still  spots  where  we  might  need  them,  and  advised  me, 
moreover,  to  ride  as  long  as  possible  in  order  to  reserve 
my  strength  for  what  was  still  before  me.  And  he  was 
right ;  I  hardly  think  I  could  have  completed  the  whole 
distance  on  foot ;  for  when  I  thought  I  had  attained  the 
last  peak,  I  still  found  streams  and  hillocks  between  me 
and  my  goal,  which  seemed  constantly  more  remote  than 
ever.  My  guide  assured  me  that  he  had  never  led  any  one 
so  far  on  horseback,  and  I  readily  believe  it.  The  walking 
was  already  horrible — but  to  ride  was  fearful ! 

From  every  height  new  scenes  of  the  most  melancholy 
desolation  appeared  in  sight ;  the  whole  prospect  was  rigid 
and  inanimate,  and  burnt,  black  lava  was  spread  around  us 
wherever  we  looked.  It  was  not  without  a  painful  sensa- 
tion that  I  gazed  about  me,  and  saw  nothing  but  the  im- 
measurable chaos  of  this  stonny  desert. 

We  had  still  three  heights  to  climb ;  they  were  the 
last,  but  also  the  most  perilous.  The  road  led  abruptly 
over  the  rocks  by  which  the  whole  summit  of  the  mountain 
was  covered ;  I  had  more  falls  than  I  could  count,  and 
frequently  tore  my  hands  on  the  sharp  points  of  lava.  It 
was.  to  be  sure,  a  terrible  expedition. 

The  dazzling  whiteness  of  the  snow  was  almost  blinding 
contrasted  with  the  shining  black  lava  along  side  of  it. 


HEGLA.  157 

When  I  had  to  cross  a  field  of  snow  I  did  not  venture  to 
look  at  the  lava,  for  I  had  tried  it  once  and  could  hardly 
see  in  consequence.  I  was  snow  blind. 

At  last  the  summit  was  attained,  after  two  more  hours 
of  laborious  climbing,  and  I  stood  upon  the  highest  peak  of 
Hecla ;  but  I  looked  in  vain  for  a  crater — there  was  no 
trace  of  any  to  be  found ;  at  which  I  was  all  the  more  as- 
tonished, as  I  had  read  minute  accounts  of  it  in  several 
books  of  travels. 

I  walked  around  the  whole  summit  of  the  mountain, 
and  clambered  to  the  jokul  which  lies  next  to  it,  but  still  I 
saw  no  opening  or  crevice,  no  sunken  wall,  or  any  sign 
whatever,  in  fact,  of  a  crater.  Much  lower  down  on  the 
sides  of  the  mountain  I  found  some  wide  rents  and  chinks, 
from  whence  the  streams  of  lava  must  have  flowed.  The 
height  of  this  mountain  is  said  to  be  4,300  feet. 

The  sun  had  been  obscured  during  the  last  hour  of  our 
ascent,  and  thick  clouds  now  rushed  down  upon  us  from 
the  neighboring  glaciers,  which  concealed  the  whole  pros- 
pect from  our  sight,  and  prevented  our  distinguishing  any 
thing  for  more  than  ten  paces  before  us.  After  awhile  they 
dissolved,  fortunately  not  in  rain,  but  in  snow,  which  soon 
covered  the  dark,  crisp  lava  with  large  and  innumerable 
flakes ;  they  did  not  melt,  and  the  thermometer  showed  1° 
of  cold.* 

Gradually  the  clear  and  inimitable  blue  of  the  heavens 
reappeared,  and  the  sun  once  more  rejoiced  us  with  his 
presence.  I  remained  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  till  the 
clouds  had  opened  in  the  distance  and  afforded  a  welcome 
and  extensive  view,  which  I  fear  my  pen  is  much  too  feeble 
to  describe.  I  despair  of  conveying  to  my  readers  a  dis- 

*  29|°  Fahrenheit— TV. 


158  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

tinct  idea  of  the  immense  waste  which  lay  displayed  before 
me,  with  its  accumulated  masses  of  lava,  and  its  peculiar 
appearance  of  lifeless  desolation.  I  seemed  to  stand  in  the 
midst  of  an  exhausted  fire.  The  blocks  were  piled  in  heaps 
above  each  other,  till  they  formed  high  hills ;  the  valleys 
were  choked  by  vast  streams  of  rock,  whose  length  and 
breadth  I  was  not  able  to  distinguish,  although  the  course 
of  the  last  eruption  could  be  plainly  traced  among  them. 

I  was  surrounded  by  the  most  dreadful  ravines,  caves, 
streams,  hills  and  valleys ;  I  could  hardly  understand  how 
I  had  reached  this  point,  and  was  seized  with  a  feeling  of 
horror  at  the  thought  which  forced  itself  upon  me,  that 
perhaps  I  might  never  be  able  to  find  my  way  out  of  this 
terrible  labyrinth  of  ruin. 

Here,  on  the  highest  peak  of  Hecla,  I  could  look  down 
far  and  wide  upon  the  uninhabited  land, — the  image  of  a 
torpid  nature,  passionless,  inanimate, — and  yet  sublime  ; 
an  image  which  once  seen  can  never  be  forgotten,  and  the 
remembrance  of  which  will  prove  an  ample  compensation 
for  all  the  toils  and  difficulties  I  had  endured.  A  whole 
world  of  glaciers,  mountains  of  lava,  fields  of  snow  and  ice, 
rivers  and  miniature  lakes,  were  included  in  that  magnifi- 
cent prospect ;  and  the  foot  of  man  had  never  yet  ventured 
within  those  regions  of  gloom  and  solitude.  What  must 
have  been  the  fury  of  the  resistless  element  which  has  pro- 
duced all  these  effects  !  And  is  its  rage  now  silenced  for 
ever — will  it  be  satisfied  with  the  ruin  it  has  worked — or 
does  it  only  slumber  like  the  hundred-headed  Hydra,  to 
burst  forth  anew  with  redoubled  strength,  and  lay  waste 
those  few  cultivated  spots  which  are  already  scattered  so 
sparingly  throughout  the  land  ?  I  thank  my  God  that  he 
has  allowed  me  to  see  this  chaos  of  his  creation ;  and  I 
doubly  thank  him  that  my  lot  was  cast  in  those  fair  plains 


HECLA.  159 

where  the  sun  does  more  than  divide  the  day  from  the 
night ;  where  it  warms  and  animates  plants  and  animals, 
and  excites  the  heart  of  man  to  happiness  and  gratitude 
towards  his  Maker.* 

The  Westmann  Islands,  which  are  said  to  be  distinctly 
visible  from  Hecla,  must  have  been  hidden  by  the,  clouds 
when  I  was  there,  for  I  could  not  perceive  them  at  all.  On 
our  way  up  the  mountain,  I  had  frequently  displaced  the 
lava,  either  involuntarily  when  I  fell,  or  purposely,  in  hopes 
of  discovering  some  traces  of  heat ;  but  I  was  never  suc- 
cessful in  finding  any  spot  which  was  even  warm.  The 
snow  was  a  great  annoyance  to  me,  as  it  interfered  with  my 
researches  on  this  point.  Neither  did  I  see  any  smoke, 
although  my  whole  attention  was  fixed  on  the  mountain  for 
several  hours,  and  from  its  summit  I  could  overlook  all 
that  lay  beneath  me. 

On  our  way  down,  I  found  that  the  snow  had  not  melted 
for  the  first  five  or  six  hundred  feet.  Below  that  distance 
the  whole  hill  was  smoking,  which  I  attributed  to  the  sud- 
den re-appearance  of  the  sun,  as  my  thermometer  now 
showed  9°  of  heat.f  I  carefully  examined  the  side  of  the 

*  I  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning  here  a  singular  coincidence 
which  occurred  to  me  during  my  travels.  In  the  year  1842,  when  I 
was  at  the  foot  of  Etna,  I  found  its  dangerous  crater  at  rest ;  and  it 
was  not  till  some  months  afterwards,  that  it  blazed  up  with  new  vio- 
lence. On  my  return  to  Keikjavick,  I  jestingly  remarked  that  it 
would  be  singular  if  this  Etna  of  the  JS"orth  should  now  pour  forth 
another  eruption ;  and  I  had  not  been  gone  from  Iceland  five  weeks 
before  such  an  event  actually  occurred,  and  it  broke  out  with  greater 
fury  than  ever.  This  was  the  more  remarkable,  as  there  had  been  no 
eruption  for  eighty  years,  and  Hecla  had  long  been  regarded  as  an  ex- 
hausted crater.  "Were  I  to  find  my  way  back  to  Iceland,  I  fear  I 
should  be  received  as  a  "  bad  prophetess,"  and  it  might  go  hard  with 
me  in  consequence. 

f  52i°  Fahrenheit.— TV. 


160  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

mountain  and  satisfied  myself  that  the  smoke  did  not  pro- 
ceed from  fire,  as  the  soil  was  cold  wherever  it  was  seen. 

That  peculiar  glossy,  coal-black,  shining  lava,  which  is 
never  porous,  is  only  found  at  Hecla  and  in  its  immediate 
vicinity  ;  but  the  other  varieties,  jagged,  porous  and  vitri- 
fied, are  also  seen  there,  though  they  are  always  black,  as 
well  as  the  sand  which  covers  one  side  of  the  mountain. 
As  the  distance  from  this  volcano  increases,  the  lava  loses 
that  remarkable  jet-like  color,  and  assumes  a  shade  re- 
sembling an  iron-gray,  or  perhaps  a  little  lighter,  though  it 
sometimes  retains  the  gloss  and  brilliancy  of  the  black. 

After  a  very  fatiguing  descent,  I  reached  Salsun  again, 
having  been  absent  twelve  hours  ;  and  I  was  on  the  point 
of  returning,  somewhat  discouraged,  to  my  former  quarters, 
shuddering  at  the  thought  of  spending  another  night  there, 
when  my  guide  surprised  me  by  inquiring  if  I  did  not 
wish  to  ride  back  to  Struvellix  to-day  1  The  horses  were 
sufficiently  rested,  and  there  I  might  find  a  comfortable 
room  in  the  house  of  the  priest.  Quick  as  thought,  every 
thing  was  gathered  together,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  was 
on  horseback  again.  When  I  rode  up  to  the  Rangaa,  I 
crossed  it  this  second  time  without  the  least  alarm,  al- 
though I  had  no  longer  a  protector  by  my  side.  Such 
is  our  nature ;  dangers  once  passed  have  no  longer  the 
power  to  terrify  us ;  we  meet  them  with  scarcely  a  thought, 
and  are  only  surprised  to  remember  how  much  uneasiness 
we  may  have  suffered  at  first. 

Near  this  river  I  observed  a  very  wonderful  spectacle  ; 
no  less  than  five  small  trees  standing  together  in  a  meadow. 
Their  stems  were  crooked  and  knotty,  it  is  true,  but  they 
were  about  five  or  six  feet  high,  and  perhaps  four  or  five 
inches  in  diameter. 

My  guide  was  right  in  assuring  me  that  I  should  find  a 


CON  VERSA  TION  IN  DANISH.  \  6 1 

nice  little  room  and  a  good  bed  at  the  parsonage.  Mr. 
Horfuson  is  one  of  the  most  worthy  men  I  have  ever  known ; 
he  took  the  greatest  pains  to  gratify  me,  and  go  beyond  my 
wishes  in  every  respect.  I  owe  him  my  particular  thanks 
for  several  minerals,  and  an  Iceland  book  dating  from  the 
year  1601.  May  he  be  rewarded  for  all  his  kindness  to  me. 

July  \st. — We  now  returned  to  the  river  Huitha,  and 
were  ferried  across,  when  our  road  branched  off  in  a  new 
direction,  through  beautiful  valleys,  generally  overgrown 
with  grass,  which  was  unfortunately  mixed  up  with  so  much 
moss,  that  these  great  plains  do  not  afford  any  good  forage, 
and  can  only  boast  of  the  merit  of  offering  an  agreeable 
variety  to  the  eye  of  the  traveller.  They  are  free  from 
marshes,  however,  and  dry  throughout. 

The  valley  in  which  lies  Hjalmholm,  whither  we  turned 
our  steps  to-day,  is  traversed  by  a  great  lava-stream,  which 
has  been  so  considerate  as  not  to  choke  up  the  whole  plain, 
but  allows  a  space  for  a  pretty  little  rivulet,  called  the 
Elvas,  and  a  few  meadows  and  eminences,  the  latter  being 
the  site  of  an  unusual  number  of  huts.  In  fact,  this  valley 
was  the  most  populous  of  any  I  had  yet  seen  in  Iceland. 

Hjalmholm  is  situated  on  one  of  the  heights.  The 
Sysselmann  of  the  Rangaarsyssel  has  his  residence  here, 
which  was  the  largest  and  handsomest  house  I  had  seen 
since  I  had  left  Reikjavick.  I  was  most  kindly  and  hos- 
pitably received  by  his  daughters,  he  himself  being  absent 
in  attendance  at  the  Althing,  which  was  then  assembled  at 
the  capital. 

"We  chatted  and  talked  a  great  deal.  I  endeavored  to 
make  as  grand  a  display  as  possible  of  my  knowledge  of 
the  Danish  language,  and  probably  committed  a  great  many 
ridiculous  blunders,  for  my  young  companions  often  found 


162  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

it  rather  difficult  to  command  their  countenances.  But  I 
did  not  allow  myself  to  be  disconcerted,  and  generally 
joined  in  the  laugh ;  I  produced  the  vocabulary  which  was 
my  constant  companion,  and  conversed  more  fluently  than 
ever.  My  personal  appearance,  I  regret  to  say,  was  not 
calculated  to  convey  a  very  favorable  idea  of  the  attractions 
of  my  countrywomen,  upon  whose  mercy  I  must  throw  my- 
self, assuring  them  that  no  one  could  deplore  the  circum- 
stance more  sincerely  than  I  did.  But  our  worthy  mother 
Nature  is  apt  to  deal  rather  spitefully  with  persons  of  my 
age,  and  sets  a  terrible  example  to  youth  in  that  respect ; 
instead  of  the  regard  and  consideration  we  might  with 
reason  expect  from  her,  she  usually  sides  with  the  young 
folks,  and  gives  the  advantage  to  every  child  of  sixteen 
years  old  over  us  venerable  matrons.  And  this  was  not  all ; 
the  keen  air  and  the  rough  winds,  to  which  I  had  constantly 
been  exposed  of  late,  had  made  sad  havoc  with  my  face,  which 
was  more  disfigured  than  it  had  ever  been  by  the  glowing 
heat  of  the  East.  I  was  very  brown,  my  lips  were  chapped, 
and  my  nose  was  just  beginning  to  rebel  against  its  un- 
natural color,  and  being  bent  apparently  on  possessing  a 
new  and  tender  skin  of  dazzling  white,  it  was  in  the  act  of 
shedding  its  old  covering  piecemeal. 

I  was  only  redeemed  in  the  eyes  of  my  young  hostesses 
by  accidentally  shoving  back  my  hair  rather  farther  than 
usual,  when  a  lighter  spot  made  its  appearance,  and  they 
all  exclaimed  as  if  with  one  voice :  "  Hun  er  quit !"  (she  is 
white).  I  could  not  help  laughing,  and  drew  up  my  sleeve 
to  prove  to  them  that  I  did  not  actually  belong  to  the  Arab 
race. 

I  was  not  a  little  surprised  myself  at  a  discovery  which 
I  made  in  this  house.  While  I  was  rummaging  the  book- 
shelves of  the  Sysselmann.  I  found  there  Rotteck's  Uni- 


BIDE  TO   REIKU1L  163 

versal   History,  a   German   dictionary,  and   several  poems 
and  other  writings  by  different  German  authors. 

July  Zd. — "We  had  as  little  variety  in  our  road  to-day 
as  on  a  former  occasion  from  Kalmannstunga  to  Thing- 
valla  ;  then  we  rode  through  continued  fields  of  lava,  and 
here  we  saw  nothing  but  morasses  ;  we  had  hardly  left  one 
behind  when  another  presented  itself  before  us.  Still,  even 
this  marshy  district  was  not  entirely  free  from  lava,  and 
little  patches  of  that  rock  occasionally  rose  like  islets  from 
the  surrounding  bogs. 

The  prospect  was  gradually  becoming  less  confined  ;  the 
glaciers  disappeared  from  our  view,  and  the  high  hills  to- 
wards the  left  sank  in  the  distance  to  the  rank  of  hillocks, 
while  those  in  our  immediate  neighborhood  no  longer  ex- 
ceeded that  height.  After  a  ride  of  about  two  miles,  we 
crossed  the  Elvas,  a  tolerably  full  stream,  in  a  boat,  and 
thence  traced  our  careful  steps  over  a  narrow  and  very  long 
dike,  leading  across  a  meadow  which  is  entirely  under 
water.  Had  we  met  a  traveller  here,  I  really  do  not  know 
what  we  should  have  done,  for  it  is  equally  dangerous  to 
turn  back  or  descend  into  the  morass.  Fortunately,  one 
never  meets  any  thing  in  Iceland. 

We  then  skirted  the  dark  lava-hills  and  hillocks  for 
several  miles  ;  the  rocks  on  these  eminences  are  loose  and 
tottering,  and  many  a  colossal  fragment  lay  in  the  fields 
below,  which  must  have  been  precipitated  from  their 
heights ;  while  others  looked  as  if  on  the  verge  of  rushing 
down,  though  we  accomplished  this  dangerous  pass  without 
being  eye-witnesses  to  such  a  spectacle. 

I  frequently  heard  a  dull  rumbling  in  the  hills,  which 
sounded  to  me  at  first  so  much  like  distant  thunder,  that  I 
looked  round  at  the  horizon  in  the  expectation  of  behold 


164  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

ing  the  lightning  and  some  threatening  clouds  ;  but  nothing 
of  the  kind  was  to  be  seen,  and  I  then  decided  that  the 
hollow  sounds  must  have  their  origin  very  near  me,  and 
most  probably  in  the  hills. 

The  high  range  to  the  left  fades  gradually  from  the 
prospect,  and  the  river  Elvas  expands  and  parts  into  so 
many  branches,  that  it  bears  a  likeness  to  a  large  lake  with 
a  great  number  of  islands,  before  it  empties  itself  into  the 
sea,  which  was  now  in  sight. 

The  valley  of  Reikum,  like  that  of  Reikholt,  is  the  seat 
of  a  great  many  hot  springs,  which  lie  together  in  the  plain, 
or  among  the  heights,  within  a  circumference  of  half  a 
mile.  When  we  had  reached  Reikum,  I  ordered  my  few 
effects  to  be  immediately  deposited  in  the  church,  and  en- 
gaged a  guide  to  conduct  me  at  once  to  these  boiling  foun- 
tains. I  found  that  although  very  numerous,  there  were 
but  two  worthy  of  my  attention,  and  those  two  were  among 
the  most  remarkable  sources  of  this  kind  in  the  world. 
One  is  called  the  little  Geiser,  and  the  other  the  Arched 
Spring. 

The  former  has  a  caldron  about  three  feet  in  diameter ; 
the  water  boils  violently  at  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet, 
and  remains  within  those  bounds  till  it  begins  to  leap,  when 
it  throws  up  a  full  stream  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  into 
the  air. 

I  was  not  obliged  to  watch  here  as  long  as  I  had  done 
at  the  great  Geiser,  but  was  so  fortunate  as  to  witness  a 
fine  eruption,  at  half-past  eight  o'clock,  on  the  very  evening 
of  my  arrival.  It  lasted  for  some  time,  and  was  tolerably 
uniform,  the  jet  only  sinking  occasionally  to  be  thrown  up 
again  with  greater  power  than  before.  It  did  not  subside 
entirely  in  the  caldron  for  forty  minutes.  The  stones  we 
threw  in  were  either  rejected  immediately,  or  else-  shivered 


THE  ARCHED  SPUING.  165 

to  fragments  and  cast  up,  at  the  end  of  a  few  seconds,  to 
the  height  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet.  The  column  may  have 
been  from  a  foot  to  a  foot  and  a  half  in  diameter.  My 
guide  assured  me  that  more  than  three  explosions  of  this 
spring  never  occurred  within  the  twenty-four  hours,  and 
consequently  they  do  not  happen  every  few  minutes,  as  I 
had  read  in  some  book.  I  remained  on  the  spot  till  mid- 
night, and  saw  no  other  outbreak.  This  spring  may  be 
aptly  compared  to  the  Strokker,  with  the  single  difference, 
that  in  the  latter  the  water  sinks  much  deeper  into  the 
caldron. 

The  otherremarkable  fountain,  called  the  Arched  Spring, 
is  not  far  from  the  little  Geiser,  on  the  slope  of  a  hill  which 
we  were  obliged  to  climb.  I  have  never  seen  such  an  ex- 
traordinary basin  to  any  spring  ;  it  possesses  no  caldron, 
but  lies  half  open  in  a  little  grotto  divided  into  various 
holes  and  cavities,  and  nearly  surrounded  by  a  circular 
wall,  which  gently  leans  above  it  for  about  two  feet,  and 
then  rises  perpendicularly  for  ten  or  twelve  more.  The 
spring  is  hardly  ever  at  rest  for  a  moment ;  it  rises  rapidly, 
boils  and  throws  up  a  thick  spout,  which  dashes  against  the 
inclined  wall  and  is  scattered,  before  it  streams  up  into  the 
air,  like  an  arched  and  outstretched  fan.  The  height  of 
this  wonderful  column  is  about  twelve  feet,  and  it  describes 
an  arc  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  its  breadth  being  perhaps 
from  three  to  eight.  The  period  of  the  eruption  is  often 
logger  than  that  of  repose,  and  when  it  is  over  the  waters 
.ways  sink  for  a  few  seconds  into  the  cavity,  affording  a 
short  glimpse  of  its  conformation.  But  they  soon  mount 
again  into  the  basin  or  grotto,  boil,  and  are  thrown  up  into 
another  jet. 

I  lingered  for  more   than  an  hour  at  this  wonderful 


166  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

spring,  which  is  entirely  peculiar  of  its  kind,  and  afforded 
me  far  more  pleasure  than  the  little  (reiser. 

There  is  still  another,  bearing  the  name  of  the  roaring 
Geiser,  which  is  nothing  but  an  irregular  hole,  where  the 
waters  are  heard  to  boil  though  they  are  never  seen.  The 
noise  is  quite  insignificant. 

July  3d. — Near  Reikum  we  crossed  the  little  rivulet 
which  receives  all  these  springs,  where  it  forms  a  pretty 
fall.  We  then  went  up  a  hill  in  the  neighborhood,  and  rode, 
for  at  least  three  miles,  in  an  elevated  plain,  presenting  in 
itself  a  very  monotonous  aspect,  being  entirely  covered  with 
waves  of  lava,  but  affording  a  varied  and  delightful  pros- 
pect of  the  land  and  sea  ;  and  as  the  latter  lay  stretched 
out  before  me,  I  saw — what  the  clouds  had  invidiously 
concealed  from  my  eyes  at  Hecla — a  fine  range  of  hills  in 
the  distance,  which  I  knew  to  be  the  Westrnann  Islands. 
A  few  small  houses  lay  at  our  feet,  forming  the  little  har- 
bor of  Eierbach,  not  far  from  whence  the  Elvas  flows  into 
the  sea. 

At  the  extremity  of  this  table-land  was  a  valley  filled 
with  lava,  of  that  black  and  jagged  kind  which  produces  so 
very  singular  an  effect ;  it  traversed  the  plain  in  a  mighty 
current,  and  presented  the  appearance  of  a  black  lake  shut 
in  from  the  ocean  by  a  ridge  of  the  same  color. 

We  went  on  our  way  through  this  dark  valley  over 
fragments  of  rock,  and  patches  of  snow,  through  valleys  and 
gorges,  lava-fields  and  meadow-flats,  by  blackened  hills  and 
hillocks,  till  we  reached  Reikjavick,  my  head-quarters 
during  my  residence  in  Iceland. 

The  whole  country  between  the  capital  and  Reikum,  a 
distance  of  ten  miles  (German),*  is  perfectly  uninhabited  ; 

*  Ninety  English  miles. — Tr. 


A^  f  MAT  ED  SVEXA.  167 

the  only  sign  of  life  being  the  little  pyramids  of  lava-stones 
piled  up  in  the  fields,  to  point  out  the  road  to  the  traveller ; 
and  two  sheds  erected  at  different  stations  as  a  refuge  dur- 
ing a  winter  journey.  We  met  with  a  great  many  living 
creatures  on  this  road,  however,  frequently  passing  cara- 
vans of  fifteen  or  twenty  horses.  It  was  now  July,  and 
that  month  is  the  great  period  for  trade  and  traffic  in  Ice- 
land. The  country  people  then  flock  to  Reikjavick  from  a 
distance  of  twenty  miles  or  more  in  order  to  sell  their 
produce,  and  provide  themselves  with  the  necessaries  of 
life.  The  merchants  and  factors  are  hardly  able  to  attend 
to  them  all ;  they  have  not  hands  endugh  to  barter  their 
goods  or  settle  the  accounts,  which  are  often  wound  up 
for  a  year  on  such  occasions. 

An  unparalleled  degree  of  animation  prevails  at  Reikja- 
vick during  this  busy  season.  Numerous  groups  of  men 
and  horses  are  every  where  to  be  seen.  Wares  are  loading 
or  unloading  in  one  direction  ;  and  friends  who  have  not 
met  for  a  year  or  longer,  are  embracing  in  another.  Some 
are  taking  their  leave  and  others  striking  tljeir  tents  ;* 
here  children  are  scuffling  and  tumbling  about,  and  there 
staggers  a  drunkard,  whose  fruitless  attempts  to  mount  his 
horse  you  watch  with  some  anxiety,  expecting  at  every 
moment  to  see  him  roll  over  on  the  ground. 

Unfortunately  this  life  and  excitement  lasts  but  five 
or  six  days  ;  the  hay-harvest  is  at  hand  for  the  farmers,  and 
the  merchant  must  hasten  to  put  order  in  his  affairs  and 
freight  his  ships,  that  he  may  sail  for  his  distant  haven  be- 
fore the  gales  of  the  autumnal  equinox  set  in. 

*  Every  countryman,  in  tolerable  circumstances,  who  absents  him- 
self from  his  own  house  for  a  few  days,  carries  a  little  tent  with  him 
which  he  sets  up  wherever  he  may  happen  to  stop.  These  tents  are 
not  more  than  three  feet  high,  five  or  six  feet  long  and  three  feet  wide. 


168  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

From  Reikjavick  to  Thingvalla,  10  miles. 

From  Thingvalla  to  the  Geiser,  8  " 

From  the  Geiser  to  Skalholt,  6  " 

From  Skalholt  to  Salsun,  8  " 

From  Salsun  to  Struvellix,  2  " 

From  Struvellix  to  Hjalmholm,  6  " 

From  Hjalmholm  to  Reikum,  7  " 

From  Reikum  to  Reikjavick,  10  " 

57  miles.* 


FURTHER    OBSERVATIONS    UPON   ICELAND    AND    ITS 
INHABITANTS. 

During  my  travels  in  Iceland  I  had  naturally  many 
opportunities  of  becoming  familiarly  acquainted  with  the 
manners  and  habits  of  its  people.  I  must  confess  that  I 
was  disposed  to  form  a  high  opinion  of  the  peasantry.  I 
had  read  in  the  histories  of  the  country  that  the  inhabit- 
ants of  this  island  had  wandered  from  enlightened  lands, 
whose  science  and  civilization  they  had  carried  with  them 
to  the  bleak  shores  of  their  new  home  ;  and  from  the  stress 
laid  by  the  earlier  travellers  upon  the  simple  and  friendly 
manners  of  the  people,  and  their  truly  patriarchal  mode  of 
life,  as  well  as  from'  the  well-known  facts  that  every  pea- 
sant in  Iceland  can  read  and  write,  and  that  no  hut  is  with- 
out the  Bible,  and  generally  possesses  other  works  of  a  re- 
ligious character,  I  was  naturally  inclined  to  regard  the 
nation  as  one  of  the  most  refined  and  intellectual  in  Europe. 
These  advantages  seemed  to  be  sufficiently  secured  by  the 

*  Two  hundred  and  fifty-six  and  a  half  English  miles. — Tr. 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  ICELANDERS.  169 

solitary  lives  of  the  Icelanders,  the  poverty  of  their  soil,  and 
their  slight  intercourse  with  foreigners.  They  have  no  large 
towns  to  furnish  opportunities  for  extravagance  and  display, 
or  offer  temptations  to  crime.  Strangers  rarely  find  their 
way  to  the  island,  whose  rude  climate,  sterility,  and  remote 
situation,  present  so  many  obstacles  to  the  traveller,  while 
its  sublime  and  peculiar  scenery  does  not  compensate  for 
the  want  of  those  advantages  which  generally  draw  the 
crowd. 

I  believed,  therefore,  that  I  should  find  Iceland,  as  far 
as  its  population  was  concerned,  a  perfect  Arcadia ;  and  re- 
joiced in  my  inmost  soul  at  the  thought  of  being  an  eye- 
witness to  the  primitive  and  pastoral  state  of  things  which 
prevailed  there.  When  I  first  landed  I  was  so  overjoyed 
that  I  could  have  pressed  every  person  I  met  to  my  heart ; 
but  alas !  the  scales  soon  fell  from  my  eyes,  and  every 
thing  struck  me  in  a  very  different  light. 

I  have  often  grieved  over  my  own  want  of  imagination, 
a  conspicuous  trait  in  my  character,  which  always  dooms 
me  to  see  things  in  a  much  more  prosaic  light  than  other 
travellers.  I  will  not  affirm  that  I  am  never  wrong,  but  I 
possess  at  least  the  merit  of  stating  what  I  have  seen  ex- 
actly as  it  appeared  to  me,  and  not  embellishing  my  tale 
with  the  inventions  of  others. 

The  want  of  courtesy  and  unfriendliness  of  the  so-called 
"  better  classes."  I  have  already  alluded  to.  Of  them  I 
soon  lost  my  preconceived  good  opinion ;  and  I  next 
turned  my  attention  to  the  working  people  about  Reik- 
javick.  The  proverb  which  says,  '•''point  d'argent,  point 
de  Suisse"  may  be  applied  with  equal  propriety  to  the  peo- 
ple of  this  country.  Never  was  there  a  truer  word  than 
"  no  money,  no  Icelander." 

It  was  hardly  known,  for  instance,  that  a  stranger  ha-n 
ft 


170  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

arrived  than  I  was  assailed  by  a  crowd  of  persons  offering 
for  sale  the  commonest  kind  of  specimens,  such  as  can  be 
found  any  where  ;  for  which  a  high  price  was  always  asked. 
At  first  I  bought  a  great  many  of  them  from  pure  com- 
passion, or  to  get  rid  of  my  pursuers,  and  generally  threw 
them  away  again  immediately ;  but  I  was  soon  compelled 
to  stop  making  purchases,  or  I  should  have  been  besieged 
at  all  hours  by  a  throng  of  every  ago  and  sex.  It  was  not 
with  their  wish  to  earn  money  by  such  an  easy  process 
that  I  found  so  much  fault,  but  the  effrontery  with  which 
they  tried  to  impose  upon  me  by  exacting  the  highest  price. 
For  a  beetle,  that  could  be  picked  up  under  any  stone, 
they  would  ask  five  kreuzers,  C.  M.,*  the  same  for  a  snail, 
when  thousands  were  lying  about  the  coasts ;  and  for  a 
common  bird's  egg,  ten  or  twelve  kreuzers.  f  It  is  true 
they  would  often  take  off  two  thirds  of  the  price,  if  they 
found  I  refused  to  buy  ;  but  this  did  not  raise  them  much 
in  my  estimation,  or  go  to  prove  that  they  were  more  than 
usually  honest.  The  baker,  at  whose  house  I  lived,  men- 
tioned to  me  a  striking  instance  of  the  national  covetous- 
ness.  He  had  hired  a  poor  day-laborer  to  spread  a  coat 
of  tar  over  his  house.  In  the  midst  of  his  work  the  man 
had  a  chance  to  do  another  job,  and  without  considering  it 
worth  while  to  ascertain  if  it  were  convenient  for  the  baker 
to  spare  him  for  a  few  days,  he  went  off,  and  did  not  return 
for  a  week  to  finish  what  he  had  begun,  this  conduct  being 
all  the  more  inexcusable  as  Mr.  Bernhoft  was  in  the  habit 
of  supplying  his  children  twice  a  week  with  bread,  and  often 
gave  them,  butter  too. 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  experience  something  of  the 
same  nature  myself.     Mr.  Knudson  had   engaged  a  guide 

*  Four  cents. — TV.  f  Eight  or  ten  cents. — Tr. 


THEIR  TH  US  T  \  VOR  Till  NESS.  1 7 1 

for  me,  and  one  of  my  excursions  was  to  begin  in  a  few 
days,  when  the  Stiftsamtmann.  wishing  to  make  a  journey 
at  the  same  time,  sent  for  my  conductor,  who  immediately 
agreed  to  accompany  him,  in  the  expectation  of  rather 
higher  wages.  He  did  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  come 
and  make  his  excuses  to  me,  but  merely  sent  me  word  the 
day  before  I  intended  to  set  off,  that  he  was  sick  and  could 
not  go  with  me.  I  could  relate  innumerable  instances  of 
the  same  kind,  which  are  by  no  means  creditable  to  the 
Icelanders. 

But  I  still  allowed  myself  to  think  that  I  should  meet 
with  greater  simplicity  and  uprightness  in  the  more  remote 
regions  I  was  about  to  visit,  and  looked  forward  with  great 
satisfaction  to  my  journey  into  the  interior  of  the  island. 
Here  I  found  much  that  was  praiseworthy,  it  is  true,  but, 
sad  to  relate,  the  dark  side  of  the  picture  was  also  very 
conspicuous,  and  I  am  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  the 
Iceland. peasantry,  upon  the  whole,  are  far  from  being  wor- 
thy to  be  held  up  as  models. 

The  most  pre-eminent  of  their  good  qualities  is  their 
trustworthiness.  I  could  leave  my  things  lying  about 
any  where,  for  hours  at  a  time,  and  never  missed  the  least 
trifle.  They  never  touched  any  thing  that  belonged  to  me 
themselves,  nor  suffered  their  children  to  do  so.  On  this 
point  they  are  so  conscientious  that  when  a  countryman 
comes  from  a  distance,  and  wishes  to  enter  a  hut,  he  will 
not  fail  to  knock  at  the  door  even  if  it  be  open.  If  no  one 
says  "  come  in,"  he  goes  off  again  without  offering  to  in- 
trude. It  would  be  perfectly  safe  to  sleep  here  without 
either  bar  or  bolt. 

Crimes  are  of  such  rare  occurrence  in  the  country  that 
the  building  erected  for  a  jail  at  Reikjavick  has  long 
been  converted  into  a  residence  for  the  Stiftsamtmann  (or 


172  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

governor.)  Small  misdemeanors  are  punished  at  once 
either  at  the  capital  or  wherever  the  Sysselmann  may  hap- 
pen to  be  sitting.  Great  criminals  are  sent  to  Copenhagen 
to  be  tried  and  punished  there. 

My  landlord  at  Reikjavick,  Mr.  Bernhoft,  informed  me 
that  during  the  thirteen  years  he  had  spent  in  Iceland, 
only  one  great  crime  had  been  committed.  A  married 
peasant,  having  become  the  father  of  an  illegitimate  child 
by  his  servant  maid,  had  burnt  the  infant  immediately  after 
its  birth.  The  small  offences  generally  consist  in  cattle 
stealing. 

As  for  the  information  possessed  by  the  Icelanders,  I 
was  struck  with  astonishment  to  find,  that  almost  without 
an  exception,  they  could  read  and  write  ;  though  the  latter 
accomplishment  is  rather  more  uncommon  among  the 
female  sex,  than  with  the  men.  These  last,  as  well  as  the 
boys,  often  write  firm,  good  hands.  Books  I  found  where- 
ever  I  went ;  at  least  the  Bible,  and  often  poems  and  tales  ; 
some  of  which  are  in  the  Danish  tongue. 

Their  understandings  are  generally  very  good.  When 
I  unrolled  my  map  they  would  look  at  it  intelligently,  and 
apparently  form  a  tolerably  correct  idea  of  its  use.  Their 
acquirements  are  all  the  more  surprising  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  every  father  of  a  family  instructs  his  own  chil- 
dren as  well  as  the  orphans  of  his  neighborhood.  This  takes 
place  during  the  long  winters,  which  last  eight  months  of 
the  year,  and  are  consequently  quite  sufficient  for  the  pur- 
poses of  education. 

There  is  but  one  school  in  the  island,  at  Bessestadt 
(which  was  removed  in  1846  to  Reikjavick).  Boys  only 
are  received  at  this  establishment  who  can  read  and  write. 
They  can  go  through  a  course  of  preparatory  instruction  for 
the  priesthood  or  the  bar  ;  but  those  who  choose  the  latter 


SCHOOL'S.  173 

profession,  as  well  as  the  future  physicians,  apothecaries, 
or  Sysselmanns,  must  finish  their  studies  in   Copenhagen. 

In  addition  to  the  theological  course,  geometry,  geo- 
graphy, and  history  are  also  taught  at  this  institution,  as 
well  as  several  languages,  such  as  Latin  and  Danish ;  .and 
since  the  year  1846,  also  French  and  German. 

The  principal  occupation  of  the  Iceland  peasantry  con- 
sists in  the  fisheries,  which  are  conducted  with  the  greatest 
activity  during  the  months  of  February,  March  and  April. 
The  people  from  the  interior  then  crowd  the  harbors  and 
enter  into  a  bargain  with  the  dwellers  on  the  coast,  who  are 
the  fishermen  proper,  to  help  them  for  a  share  of  the  profits. 
The  fisheries  are  also  carried  on  at  other  seasons,  but  gene- 
rally by  the  coast  population.  During  the  months  of  July 
and  August  many  of  the  latter  go  in  their  turn  to  the  in- 
land country,  and  lend  their  services  during  the  haying 
time,  for  which  they  are  paid  in  butter,  wool,  and  salted 
lamb.  Others  resort  to  the  mountains  and  gather  the  Ice- 
land moss,  which  they  use  as  a  decoction,  mixed  with 
milk :  or  they  sometimes  grind  it  to  meal  and  make  un- 
raised  cakes  with  it,  which  serve  them  in  lieu  of  bread. 
The  labors  of  the  female  sex  consist  in  preparing  the  fish 
for  drying,  smoking,  or  salting ;  in  attending  to  the  cattle, 
in  knitting  and  collecting  moss.  Both  men  and  women 
knit  during  the  winter  season. 

The  hospitality  for  which  the  Icelanders  are  so  cele- 
brated has  been  greatly  overrated,  in  my  opinion,  as  I  do 
not  consider  them  entitled  to  much  credit  on  that  score. 
It  is  true  that  the  priests  and  peasants  will  readily  receive 
any  traveller  from  Europe,  and  entertain  him  to  the  best 
of  their  abilities.  But  they  are  well  aware  that  neither 
adventurers  nor  beggars  are  likely  to  intrude  upon  them, 
and  feel  pretty  sure  that  they  will  be  well  paid  for  their 


174  JOURNBY  TO  ICELAND. 

trouble.  The  compensation  I  offered  on  such  occasions  was 
always  received,  without  the  least  hesitation,  by  peasant 
and  priest ;  though  I  must  mention,  to  the  credit  of  the 
latter,  that  I  found  them  universally  obliging  and  disposed 
to  be  of  use  ;  they  always  appeared  perfectly  contented  with 
my  presents,  and  their  demands,  when  I  employed  their 
horses  on  any  of  my  excursions,  were  very  moderate.  Not 
so  with  the  peasants  ;  whose  charges  were  exorbitant  in 
those  parts  of  the  country  where  a  traveller  is  rarely  seen. 

For  ferrying  me  across  a  river  they  usually  asked 
twenty  or  thirty  kreuzers,*  and  then  only  myself  and  the 
guide  were  rowed  over  in  a  skiff ;  our  horses  were  obliged  to 
swim.  The  guide  who  accompanied  me  to  Hecla  demanded 
five  florins  and  twenty  kreuzers,  and  seemed  to  be  confer- 
ring a  great  favor  upon  me  at  that.  He  knew  that  I  had 
no  choice,  and  I  was  not  likely  to  turn  back  for  such  a 
cause. 

From  all  these  facts  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  Ice- 
land character  is  not  remarkably  disinterested,  and  that 
the  people  here  know  just  as  well  how  to  take  advantage  of 
the  traveller  as  the  landlords  and  servants  on  the  Con- 
tinent. 

One  great  passion  of  the  Icelanders  is  drinking  ;  they 
would  be  much  better  off  if  they  were  only  a  little  less 
partial  to  brandy,  and  rather  more  industrious.  But  it  is 
horrible  to  think  what  deep  root  this  vice  has  taken  here. 
Not  only  on  Sundays,  but  often  during  the  week,  I  met 
with  countrymen  so  drunk  that  I  could  not  understand  how 
they  managed  to  keep  their  seats  on  horseback  ;  but,  thank 
Heaven  !  I  did  not  see  a  single  woman  in  that  condition. 

Snuff-taking  is  another  of   their  master-passions ;  and 

*  From  sixteen  to  twenty-four  cents. — Tr. 


SNUFF-  TAKING.  \  75 

this  habit  seems  to  have  as  great  a  charm  for  them  as 
smoking  has  with  us. "  They  also  chew  incessantly.  Their 
manner  of  taking  snuff  is  so  peculiar  that  I  must  be  for- 
given for  describing  it.  Most  of  the  peasants,  ^,nd  even 
many  of  the  priests,  have  no  boxes,  but  they  make  use  in- 
stead of  a  piece  of  bone,  turned  in  the  shape  of  a  little 
powder-horn ;  and  when  they  wish  to  indulge  themselves  in 
a  pinch,  they  throw  back  their  heads,  and  putting  the  point 
of  the  horn  to  their  nostril,  shake  out  the  snuff;  and  these 
genuine  sons  of  nature  are  so  little  fastidious  that  they  fre- 
quently exchange  horns  from  nose  to  nose,  without  consider- 
ing it  at  all  necessary  to  wipe  or  cleanse  them  in  any  way. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  doubt  if  the  Icelanders  can  claim  to 
be  much  in  advance  of  the  Greenlanders,  Esquimaux,  or 
Laplanders,  in  point  of  cleanliness.  I  am  sure  the  sto- 
machs of  my  gentle  readers  would  be  turned  were  I  to  re- 
late half  of  what  took  place  directly  under  my  eyes  while 
I  was  in  that  country ;  and  I  should  lay  myself  open  to 
the  charge  of  deliberate  exaggeration,  besides  ;  but  I  defy 
the  most  powerful  imagination  to  conceive  any  thing  in  the 
way  of  filth  and  disgusting  practices,  which  I  have  not 
witnessed  in  an  Iceland  household. 

In  addition  to  these  unenviable  characteristics,  they  are  ex- 
traordinarily lazy.  There  are  many  extensive  meadow-lands, 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  coast,  completely  covered  with 
bog,  which  can  only  be  crossed  with  the  greatest  caution, 
and  for  which  the  people  are  more  in  fault  than  the  soil. 
A  few  ditches  would  drain  the  fields,  and  excellent  grass 
would  spring  up  in  abundance ;  for  it  is  well  proved  that 
such  will  grow  in  Iceland,  as  the  little  eminences  which  rise 
above  the  swamps  are  luxuriously  overgrown  with  forage, 
herbs,  and  wild  clover.  I  also  saw  many  places  where  the 
earth  seemed  of  an  excellent  quality,  and  others  where  it 
was  mixed  with  sand. 


176  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

I  often  conversed  on  this  subject  with  a  gentleman  by 
the  name  of  Boge,  who  has  resided*  in  Iceland  for  forty 
years,  and  possesses  no  little  knowledge  of  husbandry.  Of 
him  I  inquired,  if  by  labor  and  industry  it  were  not  possi- 
ble to  cultivate  the  fields  and  meadows  to  much  greater 
advantage  ;  and  he  not  only  assented,  but  thought  good 
potato-fields,  as  well  as  fine  pasture  grounds,  might  be  ob- 
tained if  the  people  were  not  so  thoroughly  inactive  as  to 
endure  hunger,  and  deny  themselves  every  luxury  in  the 
shape  of  cleanliness  and  comfort,  rather  than  acquire  it  by 
work.  What  nature  freely  yields  must  suffice  ;  to  force 
any  thing  from  her  never  occurs  to  them.  I  only  wish  I 
could  see  a  few  Grerman  peasants  settled  here,  and  things 
would  soon  look  very  differently. 

The  north  side  of  the  island  is  said  to  afford  the  best 
soil.  Potatoes  grow  there,  and  also  a  few  trees,  which 
reach  the  height  of  seven  or  eight  feet,  without  any  par- 
ticular pains  or  culture.  Mr.  Boge,  who  lived  in  that  part 
of  the  country  for  thirty  years,  had  set  out  a  few  sorb-apple 
and  pear  trees,  which  even  grew  to  the  height  of  sixteen 
feet. 

In  this  northern  region,  the  principal  occupation  is 
breeding  cattle,  particularly  in  the  interior,  where  some  of 
the  farmers  own  three  or  four  hundred  sheep,  ten  or  fifteen 
cows,  and  a  dozen  horses.  Not  many  are  in  such  flourish- 
ing circumstances,  it  is  true  ;  but  as  a  general  thing,  they 
are  better  off  than  the  miserable  population  of  the  coast, 
who  have  to  contend  with  an  indifferent  soil,  and  are,  more- 
over, almost  entirely  engaged  in  the  fisheries. 

.  Before  I  take  my  leave  of  Iceland,  I  must  relate  a 
wonderful  circumstance  which  I  heard  from  a  great  many 
different  quarters,  and  which  is  received  as  the  truth  not 


MYSTERIOUS  TRIBE.  177 

only  by  the  country  people,  but  by  those  who  are  considered 
the  well-informed  classes  of  the  community. 

It  is  affirmed  that  the  inland  and  inhospitable  regions 
of  this  island  are  not,  as  is  generally  supposed,  uninhabited, 
but  that  a  singular  race  resides  there,  who  are  acquainted 
with  all  the  pathways  among  these  barren  wastes.  They 
are  savages  who  hold  no  intercourse  with  their  countrymen, 
excepting  in  the  month  of  July,  when  they  present  them- 
selves for  a  day  at  one  of  the  harbors,  where  they  lay  in  a 
store  of  the  various  necessaries  of  life,  for  which  they 
always  pay  in  ready  money.  This  is  no  sooner  done  than 
they  suddenly  vanish,  and  no  one  can  tell  where  they  are 
gone.  Nobody  knows  them  ;  they  never  bring  their  wives 
and  children  with  them,  and  never  answer  any  questions 
which  are  put  to  them  about  their  residence  or  their  mode 
of  life.  Their  speech  is  said  to  be  somewhat  more  difficult 
to  understand  than  that  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  Iceland. 
A  gentleman,  for  whom  I  have  too  much  regard  to  mention 
his  name,  once  expressed  a  wish  in  my  presence  that  he  had 
twenty  or  twenty-five  armed  men  at  his  command,  when  he 
would  soon  follow  up  this  mysterious  people  to  their  secret 
recesses. 

Those  who  profess  to  have  seen  them,  maintain  that 
they  are  taller  and  larger  than  the  other  Icelanders  ;  that 
their  horses  are  shod  with  horn,  and  that  they  have  a  great 
deal  of  money  in  their  possession,  which  can  only  have  been 
obtained  by  unfair  means.  But  when  I  inquired  who  had 
ever  been  robbed  by  them,  and  when  and  where  any  such 
event  had  occurred,  no  one  could  tell.  And  as  I  doubt  if 
a  single  individual  could  make  a  comfortable  living  in  Ice- 
land by  rapine,  much  less  do  I  believe  that  it  would  furnish 
the  necessary  support  for  a  whole  tribe. 


178  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 


frnm 


PASSAGE  TO  COPENHAGEN. 

I  had  now  visited  every  part  of  Iceland  which  possessed 
any  claims  to  iny  attention,  and  having  happily  concluded 
all  my  travels  in  that  country,  I  had  nothing  farther  to  do  but 
to  wait  with  inexpressible  impatience  till  some  vessel  should 
sail  which  could  bear  me  nearer  to  my  beloved  home.  Alas  ! 
I  was  detained  week  after  week  in  Reikjavick,  and  niy  pa- 
tience was  daily  put  to  the  proof,  till  at  last,  after  a  long 
delay,  I  availed  myself  with  eagerness  of  the  first  oppor- 
tunity which  offered. 

Several  ships  went  to  sea  during  that  period,  it  is  true  ; 
and  Mr.  Knudson,  with  whom  I  had  made  the  passage  from 
Copenhagen,  invited  me  to  accompany  him  on  his  return  ; 
but  they  were  all  bound  for  Spain  or  England,  and  I  was 
not  inclined  to  follow  that  route  at  present.  I  was  anxious 
to  visit  Sweden  and  Norway,  as  I  was  determined,  if  possi- 
ble, to  take  at  least  a  short  look  at  those  picturesque 
countries. 

At  last  I  heard  of  two  sloops  which  were  to  leave  Reik- 
javick about  the  end  of  July  ;  one  was  bound  for  Altona, 
and  the  other  for  Copenhagen  ;  but  I  tried  in  vain  to  pro- 
cure a  passage  in  the  former,  which  was  the  best,  as  the 
only  state-room  had  already  been  secured  by  a  merchant 
from  Reikjavick,  and  more  than  one  passenger  cannot  be 
accommodated  with  any  degree  of  comfort  in  these  small 
vessels.  I  was  therefore  obliged  to  consider  myself  very 
fortunate  at  being  able  to  obtain  a  berth  in  the  second  ; 
although  my  friend  Mr.  Bernhoft  was  of  opinion  that  it 


DEPARTURE  FROM  ICELAND.  179 

was  not  in  a  fit  condition  for  me  to  venture  on  so  long  a 
voyage,  and  offered  to  inspect  it  carefully  before  I  trusted 
myself  on  board.  But  this  L  declined,  for  I  had  made  up 
my  mind  to  go  ;  and  as  I  preferred  to  remain  in  ignorance 
if  I  were  about  to  run  any  particular  risk,  I  begged  him  to 
dispense  with  his  proposed  examination,  and  enter  into  a 
negotiation  for  me  at  once  with  the  captain. 

Finally,  we  were  informed  that  a  Danish  girl,  who  had 
been  living  here  at  service,  was  also  desirous  of  embarking 
in  this  vessel ;  she  had  become  so  thoroughly  home-sick 
that  she  was  resolved  to  return  to  her  own  country,  let  what 
would  happen.  And  that  settled  the  question  with  me  ; 
for  if  home-sickness  could  make  a  girl  like  this  so  perfectly 
reckless  of  danger,  my  own  eager  longings  to  escape  could 
surely  do  as  much  for  me  ;  and  I  immediately  determined 
not  to  be  left  behind. 

Our  sloop  bore  the  consolatory  appellation  of  "  Haabet" 
(the  Hope),  and  was  owned  by  a  merchant  named  Fromm  in 
Copenhagen.  Her  departure  was  fixed  for  the  26th,  and 
from  that  day  I  hardly  ventured  to  leave  the  house  for  fear 
of  missing  a  summons  to  embark,  which  might  be  sent  to 
me  at  any  hour  ;  but  unfortunately  a  heavy  storm  prevented 
our  sailing  till  the  29th,  and  then  came  the  oft-repeated 
trial  of  leave-taking. 

It  cost  me  little  to  bid  farewell  to  the  country  ;  although 
I  had  seen  so  much  that  was  wonderful,  new,  and  interest- 
ing, I  still  pined  to  behold  once  more  nay  native  plains, 
where  nature  is  less  grand  and  striking,  it  is  true,  but  in- 
finitely more  pleasing  and  attractive.  But  it  was  much 
harder  to  part  with  Mr.  Knudson  and  the  Bernhoft  family, 
from  whom  I  had  received  so  much  real  kindness,  and  to 
whom  I  owed  every  facility  and  assistance  I  had  enjoyed 
during  my  travels.  A  grateful  remembrance  of  these  ex- 
cellent people  will  live  in  my  heart  for  ever. 


180  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

At  noon  I  found  myself  on  board  the  Hope,  and  could 
admire  at  my  leisure  all  the  flags  and  streamers  displayed 
by  the  French  frigate,  which  lay  at  anchor  in  the  harbor, 
to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the  revolution  of  July.  It 
was  my  best  policy  to  divert  my  attention  as  much  as  pos- 
sible from  the'  ship  ;  for  what  I  saw  against  my  will 
convinced  me  that  there  must  be  a  great  deal  to  wish  for 
in  all  the  arrangements,  and  I  determined  not  to  inspect 
the  cabin  at  all  till  we  were  fairly  at  sea  and  had  parted 
with  the  pilots  ;  and  with  them  every  possible  means  of 
retreat  was  cut  off. 

Our  crew  consisted,  besides  the  captain  and  the  mate, 
of  two  sailors  and  a  lad  who  bore  the  title  of  cook  ;  but  as 
it  was  also  part  of  his  duty  to  wait  upon  us,  we  employed 
him  during  the  passage  in  the  capacity  of  a  valet. 

"When  the  pilots  had  bid  us  farewell,  I  looked  about 
me  for  the  cabin,  which  was  to  be  our  common  apartment, 
as  it  was  the  only  one,  and  discovered  that  the  entrance 
was  a  hole  about  two  feet  wide,  which  opened  at  my  feet 
and  revealed  a  perpendicular  ladder  of  five  steps.  I  stood 
before  it  for  some  time,  meditating  upon  the  best  way  to 
descend,  and  at  last  thought  it  advisable  to  apply  to  our 
host,  the  captain,  for  information.  He  solved  the  mystery 
by  seating  himself  on  the  deck  and  letting  his  feet  down 
into  the  hole.  Conceive  of  such  an  undertaking  for  us 
women,  with  our  long  dresses,  while  the  ship  was  rolling 
and  pitching  during  the  bad  weather  !  However,  a  great 
many  worse  things  might  have  happened  to  us  ;  and  this  was 
the  consolation  to  which  I  always  clung  on  such  occasions.  I 
soon  managed  to  reason  myself  into  the  persuasion  that  I 
was  of  the  same  clay  as  my  companions,  only  rather  more 
spoilt  and  indulged  ;  therefore  I  ought  to  be  able  to  accom- 
modate myself  to  any  inconvenience  which  they  endured  ; 


THE  HOPK  lyi 

and  with  that  I  took  my  seat  at  the  entrance,  and  soon 
found  myself  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder. 

At  first,  I  could  not  distinguish  any  thing  around  nie 
on  account  of  the  prevailing  darkness  ;  but  I  saw  only  too 
much  when  my  eyes  had  become  accustomed  to  the  dim 
light,  for  dirt,  disorder  and  discomfort,  were  reigning  para- 
mount in  the  little  cabin.  I  shall  endeavor  to  convey 
some  idea  of  the  scene  to  those  of  my  dear  countrywomen 
who  intend  to  accompany  me  through  my  travels  in  this 
book,  as  so  few  of  them  have  ever  enjoyed  any  opportunity 
of  making  a  sea-voyage,  and  upon  them  a  minute  and  de- 
tailed description  will  not  be  entirely  thrown  awajr ;  and  I 
call  any  one  who  is  used  to  a  sea-life  to  witness  that  my 
account  is  true. 

This  delightful  sloop  vied  with  myself  in  point  of  age, 
for  we  both  dated  from  the  past  century.  Unfortunately, 
in  those  days  very  little  consideration  was  paid  to  human 
comfort  in  ship-building,  and  as  much  as  possible  of  the 
space  was  reserved  for  the  cargo  ;  which  was  perfectly  natu- 
ral, after  all,  as  the  life  of  the  sailor  is  properly  spent  on 
deck,  and  this  vessel  was  never  intended  to  accommodate 
passengers.  The  whole  length  of  the  cabin  measured  ten 
feet  from  one  state-room  to  another,  and  its  width  was  six  ; 
the  latter  being  encroached  upon,  moreover,  by  a  chest  on 
one  side  and  a  little  table  and  two  benches  on  the  other, 
leaving  barely  room  enough  to  pass  between  them. 

At  dinner  and  supper  we  ladies,  that  is,  the  Danish  girl 
and  myself,  were  seated  upon  the  benches,  where  we  were 
squeezed  so  tight  that  we  could  hardly  move.  Our  two 
cavaliers,  the  captain  and  mate,  were  forced  to  eat  their 
meals  standing,  and  the  table  was  so  small  that  they  were 
obliged  to  hold  their  plates  in  their  hands.  In  short,  every 
thing  about  this  ship  was  proportioned  to  its  class,  and  not 
calculattd  for  the  convenience  of  travellers. 


182  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

The  air  of  the  cabin  was  naturally  rather  close,  as,  be- 
sides being  used  for  our  eating,  sleeping,  and  reception 
room,  it  was  also  appropriated  to  the  purposes  of  storage, 
provisions  of  every  kind  being  kept  in  the  side-closets,  be- 
sides oil-colors  and  many  other  things.  I  generally  pre- 
ferred sitting  on  deck,  where  I  was  exposed  to  the  storms 
and  cold,  and  frequently  wet  through  by  the  waves,  to  re- 
maining in  the  stifling  air  below.  But  I  was  sometimes 
driven  down  by  a  violent  gale,  or  when  the  ship  pitched  so 
furiously  that  it  was  not  safe  for  me  to  remain  on  deck. 
My  Danish  companion  and  myself  could  often  neither  sit 
nor  stand  ;  we  passed  many  a  long  day  lying  in  our  misera- 
ble berths  ;  and  I  could  not  help  envying  my  fellow  travel- 
ler, who  could  sleep  uninterruptedly  from  morning  to 
night,  while  I  remained  wide  awake  to  count  the  tedious 
hours.  The  hatches  were  always  closed  when  it  rained, 
and  we  were  left  to  breathe  an  oppressive  atmosphere  in 
Egyptian  darkness. 

The  fare  on  board  this  ship  was  exactly  the  same  for 
passengers,  captain,  mate  and  crew.  For  our  morning's 
meal  we  had  wretched  tea,  or  more  properly  dirty  water  of 
the  color  of  tea,  which  the  common  hands  drank  without  any 
sugar ;  the  officers  making  use  of  a  small  lump  of  candy, 
which  they  hold  in  their  mouths,  where  it  melted  rather 
slower  than  refined  sugar,  while  they  poured  down  cup  after 
cup  to  moisten  the  ship  biscuit  and  butter  which  composed 
our  breakfast. 

The  dinners  varied  from  day  to  day  ;  first  we  had  a 
piece  of  salted  meat,  which  having  been  soaked  all  night  in 
sea-water,  and  cooked  the  next  day  in  the  same,  was  so  in- 
tolerably hard,  tough,  and  over-salted,  that  it  required  a 
seaman's  palate  to  relish  it.  Instead  of  soup,  vegetables, 
or  dessert,  we  had  barley  grits,  plainly  boiled,  without  salt 


MISERABLE  FARE.  183 

or  butter,  and  eaten  with  syrup  and  vinegar.  This  dish 
was  considered  delicious  by  my  companions,  who  could 
never  cease  wondering  at  my  perverted  taste  when  I  pro- 
nounced it  uneatable. 

The  second  day  produced  a  piece  of  bacon,  boiled  in 
salt  water,  and  the  barley  grits  again.  On  the  third  we 
had  codfish  and  peas  ;  and  although  the  latter  were  hard, 
and  cooked  without  butter,  I  found  them  more  palatable 
than  any  thing  I  had  yet  tasted.  The  first  dinner  was  re- 
peated on  the  fourth  day,  and  so  it  went  on  during  the 
whole  passage  ;  a  cup  of  coffee  without  milk  always  closing 
our  noonday  meal.  The  evening's  repast  was  like  that  of 
the  morning,  tea-water  and  ship  biscuit. 

I  would  gladly  have  provided  myself  in  Reikjavick  with 
a  few  fowls  and  some  eggs  and  potatoes,  but  I  found  it  im- 
possible to  buy  any  thing  of  the  kind.  Chickens  are  only 
raised  by  the  great  people  of  the  place  ;  the  eggs  of  the 
eider  ducks  and  other  birds  are  to  be  had,  it  is  true,  but  a 
sufficient  quantity  is  barely  obtained  for  daily  use,  and  that 
only  in  the  spring  during  the  breeding  time ;  and  potatoes 
were  not  yet  in  season.  It  may  readily  be  imagined,  there- 
fore, what  a  luxurious  life  I  led  on  board  this  vessel.  Had 
I  been  rather  more  comfortable,  and  better  fed,  I  think  I 
should  have  escaped  sea-sickness  altogether  ;  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  bad  air  in  the  cabin,  and  the  miserable  table, 
I  suffered  a  great  deal  the  first  day ;  though  I  was  well 
again  the  next  morning,  and  felt  so  hungry,  that  I  attacked 
a  piece  of  salt  meat,  and  some  bacon  and  peas,  as  heartily 
as  if  I  had  been  a  sailor ;  but  the  codfish,  grits,  tea  and 
coffee,  I  never  could  meddle  with. 

A  genuine  seaman  never  drinks  water  ;  and  I  observed 
that  our  captain  and  mate,  having  neither  wine  nor  beer, 
made  use  of  tea  in  their  stead,  swallowing  a  vast  quantity 
of  it  cold  between  their  meals. 


184  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

On  Sunday  evenings  we  had  a  grand  supper  ;  eight  eggs 
were  cooked  for  us  four  people,  being  some  the  captain  had 
brought  with  him  from  Denmark  ;  and  the  men  were  al- 
lowed a  few  drops  of  punch-essence  in  their  tea. 

Having  made  my  female  readers  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  our  sumptuous  fare,  I  must  now  enlighten  them  a  lit- 
tle about  the  table-linen,  and  the  usual  method  of  cleansing 
it.  The  cloth  was  a  piece  of  an  old  sail,  and  it  was  so 
soiled  and  dirty  that  I  never  sat  down  to  table  without 
thinking  what  a  pity  it  was  that  our  appetites  should  re- 
ceive the  additional  shock  of  such  a  sight,  and  imagined 
that  it  would  be  infinitely  preferable  to  have  our  dinner  set 
out  on  the  uncovered  board  ;  but  like  most  people  who  are 
apt  to  fancy  themselves  a  great  deal  wiser  than  their  neigh- 
bors, I  found  myself  very  much  mistaken.  One  day  I  saw 
our  valet  belaboring  a  piece  of  sail-cloth,  which  was  stretched 
on  the  floor  under  his  feet,  and  was  receiving  a  good  sweep- 
ing from  the  ship's  broom.  By  the  manifold  spots  of  dirt 
and  grease,  I  immediately  recognized  my  old  acquaintance  ; 
and  that  evening  the  table  was  bare.  But  the  consequence 
was,  that  no  sooner  had  the  tea-pot  been  placed  upon  it, 
than  it  began  to  slide,  and  nothing  but  the  adroitness  of 
the  captain  prevented  the  whole  contents  from  being  poured 
into  our  laps.  It  was  the  same  with  all  the  other  dishes  ; 
and  I  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  that,  bad  as  our  table- 
cloth had  been,  it  was  better  than  none  at  all. 

Enough  has  been  said,  I  think,  to  convince  my  readers 
that  the  hours  I  spent  on  board  this  ship  must  have  dragged 
very  heavily  ;  but  another  circumstance  soon  came  to  light 
that  added  a  great  deal  of  uneasiness  to  my  other  discom- 
forts. I  found  out,  after  a  few  days,  that  the  vessel  was 
leaking  incessantly,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  pump  it 
out  every  five  or  six  hours.  The  captain  tried  to  reassure 


FLYING-FISH.  185 

me,  by  maintaining  that  this  was  the  case  with  every  ship, 
and  that  ours  only  leaked  rather  more  than  usual  because 
it  was  old.  I  thought  it  best  to  believe  him,  since  there 
was  no  escape  for  me  ;  and  fortunately  we  had  no  serious 
gales,  or  else  we  might  have  been  in  real  danger. 

We  were  twenty  days  at  sea,  and  for  twelve  we  were 
out  of  sight  of  land.  The  wind  drove  us  so  far  to  the  west- 
ward, that  we  saw  neither  the  Faroe  nor  the  Shetland 
Isles.  This  I  regretted  less  than  I  did  our  meeting  so  few 
whales  and  sharks,  for  I  should  have  enjoyed  very  much 
falling  in  with  more  of  these  monsters  of  the  deep.  We 
were  only  fortunate  enough  to  see  the  spout  of  a  single 
whale  in  the  distance,  which  rose  in  the  air  exactly  like 
the  jet  of  a  fountain  ;  but  the  animal  itself  was  too  far  off 
for  its  bulky  form  to  be  distinguished.  One  shark  had  the 
gallantry  to  swim  round  us  for  a  few  minutes,  which  afford- 
ed us  an  opportunity  of  observing  it  quite  closely  ;  and  we 
thought  its  length  might  have  been  from  sixteen  to  eighteen 
feet. 

I  was  very  much  amused  with  watching  the  flying-fish, 
with  which  the  sea  was  completely  covered  for  two  even- 
ings, as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The  nights  were  calm 
and  mild,  and  we  sat  on  deck  by  a  brilliant  moonlight,  and 
looked  at  the  happy  little  creatures  at  play  all  around  us. 
We  could  easily  tell  the  young  fish  by  their  high  leaps. 
They  were  three  or  four  feet  long,  and  jumped  five  or  six 
feet  out  of  the  water.  Their  springs  resembled  a  little  an 
attempt  at  flying,  though  their  fins  made  but  poor  substi- 
tutes for  wings,  and  they  fell  back  almost  instantaneously 
into  the  sea.  The  older  fish  seemed  to  have  lost  the  power 
of  flying,  and  only  described  a  semicircle  like  the  dolphins, 
not  more  than  half  their  bodies  appearing  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  water.  These  flying  fish  are  never  caught,  as 
,  :ey  are  not  fit  to  eat,  and  have  no  oil. 


186  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

On  the  thirteenth  day,  land  was  at  last  in  sight  again. 
We  were  then  in  the  Skaggerack,  with  the  peninsula  of 
Jutland  and  the  little  town  of  Skaggen  on  our  right.  The 
former  presents  a  very  barren  appearance  from  this  side, 
being  low  and  almost  entirely  covered  with  sand. 

On  the  sixteenth  day  we  were  in  the  Cattegat,  where  we 
were  becalmed  or  driven  about  by  head  winds  for  nearly  a 
week,  being  hardly  able  to  accomplish  more  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  sea  miles  a  day.*  When  the  weather  was  still,  I 
amused  myself  with  fishing,  but  I  cannot  say  that  I  was 
particularly  successful ;  and  although  fish  are  generally 
said  to  be  rather  a  stupid  kind  of  animal,  I  found  them 
quite  cunning  enough  to  decline  biting  at  my  hook.  I  was 
in  daily  hopes  of  having  a  good  mess  of  mackerel  for  my 
dinner,  but  with  all  my  efforts  I  only  caught, — one. 

It  also  afforded  me  some  entertainment  to  watch  the 
numerous  ships  sailing  from  all  directions  into  the  Catte- 
gat ;  I  counted  more  than  seventy ;  and  as  we  approached 
the  Sound,  and  they  all  thronged  together  through  that 
narrow  passage,  the  sight  became  still  finer  and  more  im- 
posing. We  were  favored  with  a  glorious  moonlight,  other- 
wise I  think  we  should  hardly  have  escaped  coming  in 
collision  with  some  of  our  neighbors,  in  spite  of  all  our 
care  and  caution. 

We  southern  people  can  form  very  little  conception  of 
the  extraordinary  clearness  and  brilliancy  of  the  moonlight 
at  the  north,  where  part  of  the  light  of  day  seems  blended 
with  the  evening  stars.  All  the  lovely  nights  I  have  ever 
beheld  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  on  the  coast  of  Asia, 
were  far  surpassed  by  those  I  saw  in  these  Scandinavian 


*  Nearly  the  same  number  of  English  miles. — Tr. 


SOUND  TOLL. 


187 


I  fancied  myself  in  the  midst  of  a  large  fleet  of  mer- 
chantmen, and  remained  all  night  on  deck  to  enjoy  the  rare 
spectacle  of  the  crowd  of  sails  pressing  at  once  towards  the 
entrance  of  the  Sound. 

On  our  twentieth  day  out,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  entered  the  harbor  of  Elsinore,  where  a  toll  is  ex- 
acted, or  as  the  sailors  call  it,  the  ship  must  be  "  made 
clear."  This  is  a  very  troublesome  interruption,  and  gen- 
erally occasions  a  delay  of  several  hours.  The  captain 
must  go  on  shore,  and  before  he  returns  the  wind  has  often 
fallen ;  and,  thanks  to  this  detention,  it  is  later  by  many 
hours  when  the  ship  arrives  at  Copenhagen  than  it  would 
otherwise  be.  Those  vessels  which  reach  Elsinore  on  a 
dark  night  must  anchor  in  the  Cattegat  till  daylight ;  and 
those  which  arrive  there  earlier  than  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  must  wait  till  that  hour  before  the  toll-office  is 
opened. 

The  sailor  is  at  liberty,  indeed,  to  run  by  this  passage 
without  stopping  ;  but  the  privilege  costs  him  five  dollars 
more  when  he  arrives  at  Copenhagen,  where  the  toll  can  be 
adjusted  as  well  as  at  Elsinore  ;  the  vexatious  detention  at 
the  latter  place  seems,  therefore,  to  be  only  a  pretext  for 
exacting  a  higher  tribute,  as  any  officer  who  is  pressed  for 
time,  and  is  favored  by  a  good  wind,  would  willingly  sacri- 
fice that  sum  for  the  sake  of  sailing  on  his  way  unmolested. 

Our  good  captain,  however,  took  neither  time  nor  money 
into  the  account,  but  he  laboriously  settled  the  transaction 
by  making  the  ship  "  clear"  according  to  rule  ;  and  the 
consequence  was,  that  it  was  two  o'clock  before  we  hailed 
the  good  city  of  Copenhagen,  which  seemed  almost  like 
home  to  me,  and  struck  me,  in  comparison  with  the  land  I 
had  just  left,  as  infinitely  superior  to  any  other  place  I  had 
ever  seen.  After  having  been  cooped  up  so  long  in  the 


1 88  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Bhip,  where  I  had  hardly  room  to  move,  I  could  have 
thrown  myself  on  the  ground  when  I  landed,  and  raptur- 
ously kissed  the  earth,  like  Columbus. 


from  CHjtttfjWgtfc 


CHRISTIANIA. 

The  19th  of  August,  the  very  day  after  my  arrival 
from  Iceland,  I  embarked  again  on  board  the  fine  royal 
Norwegian  steamer  "  Christiania,"  bound  for  the  port  of  the 
same  name,  a  distance  of  three  hundred  and  four  sea  miles. 
We  rapidly  swept  through  the  Sound,  and  reaching  the 
Cattegat  in  safety,  we  turned  to  the  right,  and  drew  near 
to  those  shores  which  I  had  only  seen  as  yet  from  afar. 

The  fine  chain  of  mountains,  which  forms  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  Cattegat,  was  soon  in  sight,  and  its  ex- 
treme point,  the  Kulm,  could  be  distinguished,  stretching 
far  out  into  the  sea,  with  its  light-house,  the  first  of  a  long 
line  of  fires  which  reveal  the  manifold  dangers  to  which  the 
navigator  is  exposed  on  the  rocky  shores  of  Sweden  and 
Denmark. 

August  %Qth. — Bad  weather  is  a  very  great  trial  for  a 
traveller,  and  more  especially  when  he  is  surrounded  by 
the  most  beautiful  scenery,  as  was  the  case  with  us  to-day, 
when  it  rained  in  torrents  while  we  were  sailing  by  a  very 
interesting  part  of  the  Swedish  coast,  and  into  the  little 
"  fiord"  which  leads  to  the  harbor  of  Grottenburg.  The  sea 
resembled  a  wide  stream  at  this  point,  shut  in  by  noble 
cliffs,  and  interspersed  with  single  rocks  and  reefs  of  various 
li eights,  over  which  the  foaming  surf  was  breaking  with  a 


GOTTENBURG.  189 

wonderfully  fine  effect.  Scattered  about  among  the  cliffs  near 
the  town  are  the  different  buildings  belonging  to  the  royal 
Swedish  iron-works  ;  and  even  American  ships  are  attract- 
ed to  the  place  in  great  numbers  in  search  of  that  metal. 

The  steamer  remains  at  Gottenburg  rather  more  than 
four  hours,  affording  an  opportunity  of  visiting  the  town 
proper,  which  is  at  a  distance  of  about  a  short  half  mile 
(German),  although  its  suburbs  extend  to  the  port.  Very 
near  the  landing-place  there  resides  a  captain,  who  always 
keeps  a  carriage  and  horses  in  readiness  to  convey  travellers 
to  the  city  ;  one-horse  vehicles  can  also  be  obtained,  or  a 
seat  in  an  omnibus,  though  the  latter  is  said  to  move  so 
slowly  that  nearly  all  the  time  is  consumed  in  the  drive ; 
and  on  the  present  occasion,  all  the  former  were  engaged. 
Two  of  my  fellow-passengers  and  myself,  therefore,  agreed 
to  hire  the  captain's  equipage,  and  we  set  off  on  our  excur- 
sion with  the  rain  pouring  down  upon  our  heads  in  streams  ; 
an  inconvenience  of  which  we  made  very  light,  as  my  com- 
panions were  entirely  engrossed  by  the  thoughts  of  their 
business,  and  I  by  my  usual  eager  curiosity.  I  was  not  then 
aware  that  I  should  visit  this  place  again,  and  to  be  so  near 
such  a  pretty  little  town  without  seeing  something  more 
of  it,  was  perfectly  out  of  the  question. 

The  suburbs  are  built  throughout  of  wood,  and  contain 
a  great  many  pretty  houses  of  a  single  story,  which  are 
generally  surrounded  by  little  gardens.  Great  rocks  are 
scattered  along  the  streets,  and  some  of  them  have  even 
been  blasted  to  admit  a  thoroughfare  ;  small  fields  and 
meadows  also  lie  among  the  houses.  There  is  a  magnificent 
view  from  one  of  the  heights,  where  we  looked  between  two 
gigantic  cliffs,  which  formed  a  striking  foreground  to  the 
picture,  and  saw  the  North  sea  stretched  out  beyond. 

The  town  has  two  fine  squares,  in  the  smallest  of  which 


190  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

is  situated  a  large  cathedral,  while  the  other  contains  the 
town-house,  the  post-office,  and  a  number  of  handsome 
dwelling-houses,  of  which  there  are  also  many  to  be  seen 
in  the  other  streets.  All  the  buildings  in  Grottenburg  are 
of  bricks. 

The  large  square  is  divided  by  the  river  Ham,  which  is 
crowded  with  ships  and  barges  loaded  with  provisions  and 
fuel,  adding  greatly  to  the  animation  of  this  part  of  the 
town.  The  fish-market  is  worth  visiting ;  the  greatest 
abundance  of  fish  is  seen  there  ;  and  some  of  them  are  of 
remarkable  size. 

Here  I  found  myself  for  the  first  time  in  a  Swedish 
room,  where  I  observed  that  the  floor  was  strewn  with  the 
small,  fine  leaves  of  the  fir-trees,  which  spread  around  a 
fresh  and  pleasant  smell,  much  more  wholesome,  I  have  no 
doubt,  than  any  perfume  produced  by  art.  This  custom 
prevails  throughout  Sweden  and  Norway,  but  it  is  confined, 
unfortunately,  to  the  taverns  and  the  houses  of  the  poor. 

At  about  eleven  A.  M.,  we  continued  our  journey.  Slip- 
ping carefully  through  the  numerous  rocks  and  reefs,  we 
were  soon  once  more  in  the  open  sea,  though  we  continued 
near  enough  to  the  coast  to  observe  the  telegraphs  standing 
out  on  the  prominent  cliff's.  In  the  evening  we  reached  the 
fortress  of  Friedrichsver,  but  it  was  too  late  to  see  it  very 
distinctly.  Here  begins  a  ridge  of  cliffs  called  the  "  Scheren," 
which  extends  uninterruptedly  for  more  than  sixty  sea 
miles,  and  forms  the  boundary  of  the  Christian  Sound. 
As  far  as  the  failing  light  would  permit  us  to  decide,  the 
scenery  in  this  gulf  appeared  to  be  wonderfully  beauti- 
ful. Islets  without  number  were  scattered  about,  some 
of  them  showing  a  rocky,  barren  surface,  and  others 
overgrown  by  tall  and  slender  firs.  We  took  a  pilot  on 
%->ard,  who  understood  his  craft  perfectly  well,  and  brought 


19  \ 

"«  safely  to  the  port  of  Sandesund,  where  we  anchored,  as 
the  intense  darkness  made  it  dangerous  to  advance  any 
farther ;  and .  we  were  also  to  wait  for  the  steamer  from 
Bergen,  which  was  to  take  off  some  of  our  passengers  in  ex- 
change for  some  of  her  own.  Unfortunately,  the  sea  ran 
very  high,  and  there  was  great  difficulty  in  accomplishing 
the  removal,  as  neither  of  the  steamers  was  willing  to  lower 
a  boat  till  nearly  midnight,  when  one  was  let  down  from 
our  side.  I  pitied  the  poor  passengers  from  my  heart,  for 
they  were  evidently  terribly  frightened ;  though,  thank 
God  !  no  accident  occurred,  and  they  were  soon  safely  deposit- 
ed in  the  other  steamer. 

August  Zlst. — When  I  had  an  opportunity  of  taking  a 
look  at  Sandesund  by  daylight,  I  found  that  it  only  con- 
tained a  few  houses.  The  sea  is  confined  by  steep  walls  of 
rock  at  this  place,  and  barely  retains  the  breadth  of  a  good- 
sized  stream,  though  it  soon  widens,  and  gains  in  beauty  as 
the  shores  retreat.  The  bay  resembles  a  magnificent  lake, 
the  islands  being  in  some  places  so  close  to  the  background 
of  mountains  that  they  might  be  mistaken  for  part  of  the 
continent,  while  the  creeks  are  like  the  mouths  of  so  many 
rivers. 

A  little  farther  on  a  whole  chain  of  lakes  appears  to  be 
in  sight :  and  we  thought  ourselves  at  the  end  of  our  jour- 
ney, till  a  narrow  passage  among  the  crowded  islands  re- 
vealed another  lovely  scene  beyond.  A  range  of  high  hills 
stretches  along  the  shores,  clothed  in  dark  woods  to  their 
very  summits  ;  the  rising  hillocks  are  covered  with  rich 
fields  and  meadows,  scattered  with  cottages  and  farm-houses, 
the  whole  forming  an  indescribably  beautiful  prospect  on 
the  mainland  ;  while  an  equally  attractive  variety  exists 
among  the  islets,  some  of  which  were  barren,  some  merely 


192  J0  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

sprinkled  with  a  few  firs,  and  others  again  clad  in  fine  woods 
and  pastures.  Occasionally  the  mountains  are  parted,  and 
display  a  beautiful  perspective  through  the  ravines  and 
valleys.  The  course  of  a  bay  could  often  be  followed  till  it 
was  lost  in  the  distance,  where  it  seemed  almost  to  mingle 
with  the  clouds  ;  and  the  lovely  valleys  were  frequently 
enlivened  with  little  villages  and  hamlets.  Were  I  but 
capable  of  doing  justice  to  this  rich  and  glorious  Nature  ! 
But  I  can  hardly  hope  to  convey  an  idea  of  my  own  enthu- 
siasm, much  less  to  lay  such  a  description  of  the  scene  before 
my  readers  as  will  induce  them  to  share  it. 

At  the  little  village  of  Walloe  the  country  loses  much 
of  its  beauty  ;  the  mountains  sink  to  hills,  and  the  groups 
of  islands  disappear  from  the  bay.  The  village  itself  is 
partly  concealed  by  the  hills,  though  a  row  of  huts  and 
wooden  houses  appears  in  sight,  which  all  belong  to  the 
salt-works,  that  article  being  here  obtained  from  the  sea. 
In  order  to  reach  the  town  of  Moss,  we  made  a  stretch  into 
one  of  the  bays,  which  are  so  numerous  on  both  sides  ;  that 
little  town  is  built  like  an  amphitheatre,  and  stands  in  a 
beautiful  position.  A  large  house  with  a  conspicuous  por- 
tico, near  the  shore,  attracted  our  attention,  and  proved  to 
be  a  bathing  establishment. 

Near  the  village  of  Horten,  which  also  lies  in  a  very 
picturesque  situation,  there  is  a  dock  where  ships  are  built 
for  the  government ;  but  their  number  must  be  small,  for  I 
saw  but  one  at  anchor,  and  none  on  the  stocks.  During 
the  sail  to  Droback,  we  often  passed  groups  of  islands, 
through  which  a  glimpse  of  the  high  seas  was  obtained. 
About  eight  sea  miles  beyond  Horten,  there  is  a  mountain 
which  forms  a  very  striking  object  in  the  view ;  it  stretches 
out  into  the  sea,  which  is  divided  here  into  two  streams, 
and  only  reunited  beyond. 


ARRIVAL  AT  CHRISTIANA.  193 

Christiania  was  not  in  sight  ^ti.ll  we  were  within  ten  sea 
miles  of  the  place.  This  town  and  its  suburbs,  the  fortress, 
the  lately  erected  royal  castle,  the  freemason's  lodge  and 
other  buildings,  surround  the  harbor  in  a  handsome  semi- 
circle, which  is  inclosed  in  its  turn  by  fields,  meadows, 
woods,  and  hills.  The  sea,  reluctant  to  leave  this  enchant- 
ing region  winds  in  small  creeks  through  the  fields  and 
hills,  to  quite  a  distance  behind  the  town. 

We  reached  Christiania  by  eleven  o'clock,  haying  ac- 
complished the  distance  from  Sandesund  in  seven  hours, 
although  we  had  stopped  four  times.  But  as  every  arrange- 
ment was  made  beforehand  on  such  occasions,  they  caused 
very  little  delay,  and  we  had  soon  exchanged  passengers, 
sent  our  mails  and  merchandise  on  shore,  and  were  generally 
on  our  way  again  in  a  few  minutes. 

CHRISTIANIA. 

I  had  no  sooner  arrived  here,  than  I  went  in  search  of 
one  of  my  countrywomen,  who  is  married  to  a  lawyer,  and 
resides  in  this  place  ;  which  proves  that  the  saying,  so  often 
thrown  in  the  teeth  of  the  Viennese  women,  that  "  they 
cannot  exist  out  of  sight  of  their  beloved  St.  Stephen's 
steeple,"  is  not  founded  on  fact ;  for  I  have  never  seen  a 
couple  who  appeared  happier  or  more  contented  than  this 
husband  and  wife,  and  yet  Christiania  is  above  two  hundred 
miles*  from  the  tower  of  Saint  Stephen's. 

On  my  way  from  the  port  to  the  hotel,  and  from  thence 
to 'the  house  of  my  friend,  I  crossed  the  whole  city,  which 
did  not  strike  me  as  either  very  large  or  very  handsome. 
The  best  part  of  it  is  that  which  has  been  lately  built,  where 
there  are  some  wide  streets  of  tolerable  length,  with  a  num- 

*  Nine  hundred  English  miles. — Tr. 
9 


194  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

ber  of  very  good  houses  both  of  stone  and  brick.  The  other 
thoroughfares  abound  in  wooden  tenements,  which  seem  to 
be  on  the  eve  of  a  downfall.  The  square  is  large,  but  irre- 
gular, and  as  it  contains  the  market,  where  every  thing  that 
can  be  imagined  is  for  sale,  it  is  also  very  dirty. 

The  suburbs  are  generally  built  of  wood.  Among  the 
public  edifices  there  are  a  few  which  ate  rather  handsome, 
particularly  the  new  castle  and  the  fortress,  which  are  the 
finest  buildings  in  the  place.  They  are  both  most  beauti- 
fully situated  on  a  slight  elevation,  and  command  an  en- 
chanting view.  The  old  royal  residence  is  in  the  town,  and 
has  nothing  to  distinguish  it  from  an  ordinary  private 
dwelling.  The  building  in  which  the  "  Storthing"  (or  Na- 
tional Assembly)  is  held,  is  large,  with  a  conspicuous  en- 
trance supported  by  pillars  ;  but  the  steps,  like  those  of 
every  stone  house  in  these  countries,  are  of  wood.  The 
theatre  struck  me  as  being  of  a  good  size  for  a  place  like 
this  ;  on  the  outside,  at  least,  for  I  was  never  in  it.  The 
Freemason's  Lodge  is  a  handsome  edifice,  and  contains  two 
halls,  which  are  also  used  for  scientific  meetings  and  public 
assemblies.  The  University  appeared  to  be  planned  on  al- 
together too  large  a  scale  ;  it  is  not  yet  finished,  but  from 
its  style  and  dimensions  it  would  be  an  ornament  to  any  of 
the  great  capitals. 

The  situation  of  the  butchers'  stalls  is  very  convenient ; 
they  are  built  in  a  semicircle,  and  surrounded  by  an  arcade, 
where  purchasers  can  be  sheltered  at  all  times  from  the 
weather.  The  building  is  of  brick  left  in  its  natural  condi- 
tion, without  mortar  or  cement.  No  other  edifices  of  any 
consequence  are  to  be  seen,  and  most  of  the  houses  are  of 
a  single  story. 

The  custom,  which  is  so  common  in  all  the  Scandinavian 
cities,  of  putting  the  name  at  the  corner  of  every  street. 


<jilUL<TJAXlA.  195 

is  a  very  great  convenience  to  strangers,  who  are  never 
obliged  to  go  very  far  without  being  able  to  find  out  exact- 
ly where  they  are. 

This  town  has  open  canals,  and,  like  many  others,  no 
lamps  are  lighted  when  the  moon  is,  or  ought  to  be,  visible. 
Round  the  port  there  are  wooden  quays,  and  a  number  of 
large  warehouses,  also  of  wood,  but  roofed,  as  is  generally 
the  case,  with  tiles.  The  shops  are  simple  and  unpretend- 
ing, but  the  goods  are  handsome,  though  few  are  of  domes- 
tic manufacture  ;  there  is  little  enterprise  of  this  kind  here, 
and  almost  every  commodity  in  use  is  imported  from  foreign 
countries. 

I  was  grieved  to  see  the  number  of  ragged,  ill-clad  peo- 
ple who  crowd  the  streets  ;  the  young  lads  had  a  particular- 
ly bad  expression.  I  thought ;  and  though  they  did  not  beg, 
I  should  have  been  sorry  to  have  met  any  of  them  alone  in 
a  solitary  part  of  the  town. 

I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  arrive  at  Christiania  during  the 
session  of  the  Storthing,  which  only  occurs  once  in  three 
years.  It  meets  in  January  or  February,  and  usually  ad- 
journs at  the  end  of  three  months  ;  but  on  this  pccasion  an 
accumulation  of  important  business  had  induced  the  king  to 
prolong  the  session,  and  it  was  this  fortunate  circumstance 
that  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  attending  several  of  the 
meetings.  The  sovereign  himself  was  not  present,  how- 
ever, and  was  only  expected  in  September  to  close  the  As- 
sembly. 

The  room  where  this  body  meets  is  of  an  oblong  shape, 
and  of  respectable  dimensions.  Four  rows  of  cushioned 
benches,  rising  one  above  the  other,  are  stretched  along  the 
wall,  where  more  than  eighty  members  can  be  accommo- 
dated. Opposite  these  benches  there  is  a  table  on  an  ele- 
vated platform  where  the  president  and  secretary  are  seated  ; 


196  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

and  a  gallery  surrounds  the  rest  of  the  hall,  to  which  any 
one  who  chooses  may  obtain  admittance. 

Although  my  knowledge  of  the  Norwegian  language 
was  very  limited,  I  still  made  it  a  point  to  pass  an  hour  in 
this  Assembly  every  day  during  my  residence  in  Christiania. 
I  could  judge,  at  least,  of  the  fluency  and  length  of  the 
speeches  ;  but  unfortunately  the  only  orators  I  had  an  op- 
portunity of  hearing,  dropped  their  words  in  such  a  slow 
and  formal  manner,  that  it  was  easy  to  see  they  did  not 
possess  the  gift  of  eloquence.  I  was  informed  there  were 
not  more  than  three  or  four  speakers  who  could  make  any 
pretensions  to  that  art ;  and  during  my  attendance  no  oc- 
casion seemed  to  present  itself  to  call  forth  their  powers. 

I  have  never  seen  any  where  so  great  a  variety  of  con- 
veyances as  I  found  in  this  place.  The  most  common,  but 
at  the  same  time  the  least  convenient,  are  those  which  are 
called  carriols  ;  they  consist  of  a  very  narrow,  long,  and 
uncovered  box,  reposing  between  two  enormously  high 
wheels,  and  provided  with  a  very  small  seat,  into  which  you 
must  squeeze  yourself,  with  your  feet  stretched  out  before 
you.  a  leathern  apron  drawn  over  your  lap ;  and  there  you 
must  stay,  without  moving  an  inch,  from  the  moment  you 
get  in  till  you  get  out  again.  There  is  a  place  behind  for 
the  coachman,  in  case  the  person  who  occupies  the  carriol 
should  not"  be  inclined  to  drive  himself ;  but  as  it  is  by  no 
means  agreeable  to  have  the  reins  shaking  about  your  head, 
and  the  whip  constantly  flourishing  in  your  ears,  the  services 
of  a  driver  are  generally  dispensed  with,  even  by  women. 
Besides  these  curious  vehicles,  there  are  also  phaetons, 
droschkis,  chariots,  and  other  light  conveyances,  but  no 
covered  carriages  are  to  be  seen. 

The  beer  carts  struck  me  as  very  peculiar  ;  but  I  must 
mention  first  that  there  is  a  great  deal  of  beer  consumed  in 


ENVIRONS  OF  CHRISTIANIA.  197 

Christiania,  and  that  it  is  not  conveyed  to  the  different 
houses  in  barrels,  but  in  bottles.  The  carts  are  large  cover- 
ed waggons,  not  more  than  a  foot  and  a  half  in  height,  and 
divided  into  numerous  compartments,  each  one  of  which 
contains  a  beer  bottle.  I  observed  that  tin  baskets  with 
handles  were  used  by  the  servants  of  this  place  to  carry  fish, 
meat,  or  vegetables  ;  straw  baskets  being  only  employed  for 
clean  and  dry  articles,  such  as  bread,  &c. 

There  are  no  public  gardens  in  Christiania,  but  the  defi- 
ciency is  compensated  by  all  the  roads  leading  into  the 
country,  which  not  only  furnish  delightful  walks,  but  pre- 
sent a  series  of  lovely  views  from  every  height  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

Laadegardoen  is  the  only  resort  much  frequented  by  the 
citizens,  either  in  carriages  or  on  foot ;  this  place  commands 
a  magnificent  prospect  of  the  sea,  with  its  innumerable 
islands,  the  surrounding  hills,  villages,  and  woods  of  fir  and 
pine.  There  are  also  a  great  many  country-seats  scattered 
about,  which  are  generally  small  but  very  neat,  and  pleas- 
antly situated  amidst  their  gardens  and  orchards.  Every 
thing  about  me  looked  so  green  and  blooming  that  it  wore 
a  very  southern  aspect  to  my  eyes  ;  it  was  only  by  the  corn- 
fields that  I  recognized  the  North.  Not  that  the  grain  was 
poor  :  on  the  contrary,  I  noticed  many  ears  of  wheat  so  full, 
that  they  were  bowed  to  the  ground  with  their  own  weight ; 
but  it  was  now  the  end  of  August,  and  the  harvest  was 
hardly  begun. 

The  woods  are  traversed  by  delightful  roads,  where  many 
a  ravishing  picture  opens  to  the  eye  which  one  might  pause 
for  hours  at  a  time  to  admire.  These  woods  contain  two 
monuments,  neither  of  which  is  of  much  interest,  however  5 
one  is  erected  to  the  memory  of  Christian  Augustus,  crown 
prince  of  Sweden,  and  the  other  to  that  of  Hermann  Wedel, 
Count  Jarlsberg. 


198  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 


tn 


I  was  so  much  delighted  with  that  part  of  Norway  I 
had  already  seen,  that  I  found  it  impossible  to  resist  my 
desire  to  visit  the  wild  and  romantic  region  of  Delemarkeu  • 
although  I  was  frequently  assured  that  for  a  woman,  alone, 
and  possessing  so  little  knowledge  of  the  language,  it  was 
an  undertaking  which  presented  great  difficulties.  But  as 
no  one  seemed  inclined  to  accompany  me,  and  I  was  deter- 
mined to  go,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  trust  to  my  usual  good 
fortune,  and  set  off  alone. 

Upon  inquiry  I  found  that  I  must  not  expect  much  in 
the  way  of  accommodations  or  conveniences  for  travelling, 
during  my  journey.  It  was  necessary  to  provide  myself 
with  a  conveyance,  and  hire  a  horse  from  station  to  station. 
for  although  a  little  chariot  can  Ibe  procured  at  any  of  the 
villages,  it  is  nothing  more  than  a  wretched  and  uncomforta- 
ble cart.  I  therefore  engaged  a  carriol  at  Christiania  for 
the  whole  tour,  and  a  horse  for  the  first  five  miles  to  the 
little  town  of  Drammen. 

I  left  Christiania  on  the  25th  of  August,  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  :  seated  in  my  little  vehicle,  with  the  reins 
in  my  hand,  after  the  fashion  of  the  Norwegian  women,  I 
drove  off  as  rapidly  as  if  I  had  followed  this  occupation 
from  my  childhood,  nourishing  my  whip  to  the  right  and 
left,  to  the  evident  astonishment  of  my  horse,  who  plunged 
and  ran  in  a  surprising  manner.  * 

The  road  to  Drammen  is  beautiful  beyond  description  ; 
every  landscape  painter  should  visit  a  spot  so  highly  favor- 
ed by  nature,  where  all  her  charms  are  blended  to  entrance 
the  spectator  ;  every  prospect  would  furnish  a  number  of 


BEAUTIFUL  PROSPECT.  199 

pictures  unsurpassed  in  loveliness.  The  vegetation  was 
much  more  luxuriant  than  I  had  expected  to  find  it  so  far 
North.  Every  hillock,  yes,  every  rock  or  stone,  was  shaded 
by  fir-trees ;  the  verdure  was  of  the  most  lively  shade  ;  the 
rich  grass  mingled  with  herbs  and.  flowers  ;  and  at  this  sea' 
son  the  fields  were  swelling  with  the  full  and  ripening  ears 
of  grain. 

I  have  seen  many  countries,  and  gazed  upon  many  a  lovely 
view ;  I  have  been  in  Italy,  in  Switzerland,  in  the  Tyrol, 
and  at  Salzburg ;  but  I  have  never  been  more  enraptured 
than  I  was  at  the  scene  which  was  now  displayed  before  my 
eyes.  On  one  hand  was  the  sea,  which  followed  us  with  its 
numerous  creeks  and  bays  as  far  as  the  Drammen  ;  here  it 
formed  a  pretty  lake  with  a  few  boats  on  its  still  waters, 
and  there  again  a  stream  which  forced  its  way  through  hills 
and  fields  ;  it  next  appeared  like  a  wide  and  extensive  plain, 
crossed  by  tall  ships,  which  looked  in  the  distance  like 
gigantic  swans ;  and  sprinkled  with  its  countless  islands 
varying  from  isolated  rocks  to  smooth  meadows,  enlivened 
by  a  number  of  cottages  half  buried  among  the  trees.  Thus 
I  drove,  on  for  five  hours,  through  wood  and  dale,  with  the 
most  romantic  prospects  to  attract  my  eyes  on  every  side, 
till  I  reached  the  little  town  of  Drammen,  situated  on  the 
sea-shore,  near  the  bank  of  the  river  Storri  Elb,  and  sur- 
rounded by  country-seats,  many  of  which  I  passed  as  I  ap- 
proached the  place. 

The  river  is  spanned  by  a  long  and  beautiful  wooden 
bridge,  which  is  provided  with  a  very  handsome  iron  railing. 
Drammen  is  a  well  built  town  of  6.000  inhabitants.  The 
hotel  where  I  alighted  was  exceedingly  neat  and  comforta- 
ble ;  I  was  shown  to  a  room  which  might  have  satisfied  the 
most  fastidious  traveller  in  every  respect ;  but  my  supper, 
on  the  other  hand,  was  rather  a  slender  one.  for  it  merely 


200  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

consisted  of  a  few  eggs,  boiled  very  soft,  without  bread  or 
salt ;  and  I  was  expected  to  eat  them  with  a  knife  and  fork ! 

August  25th. — Having  hired  a  fresh  horse  I  drove  on_ 
to  Kongsberg,  four  miles  from  Drammeri.  For  the  first 
mile  and  a  half  I  saw  a  continuation  of  the  romantic  scenery 
of  yesterday  ;  the  sea  had  now  vanished  from  the  view,  but 
my  road  lay  by  the  side  of  the  river  till  I  reached  a  little 
emine-nce,  from  whence  I  could  overlook  a  large  and  well 
cultivated  plain,  where  clusters  of  houses,  or  solitary  cot- 
tages, were  scattered  about.  It  is  singular  that  throughout 
Norway  there  are  so  few  towns  or  villages ;  every  peasant 
prefers  to  build  his  house  in  the  midst  of  his  own  field. 

From  this  point  the  prospect  becomes  rather  more  mono- 
tonous ;  it  loses  especially  from  the  disappearance  of  the  sea. 
The  mountains  are  less  elevated,  the  valley  is  narrower,  and 
rocks  and  woods  now  surrounded  me  on  all  sides.  The 
Norwegian  rocks  have  a  peculiarity  which  I  have  never 
observed  elsewhere, — they  are  always  wet,  the  water  trickles 
down  their  sides,  which  are  covered  with  just  sufficient 
moisture  to  make  them  shine  like  mirrors  in  the  sun ;  they 
are  very  abundant  among  the  woods,  and  are  often  of  a 
great  size. 

This  part  of  Norway,  which  bears  the  name  of  Dele- 
marken,  appears  to  be  tolerably  populous  ;  even  in  the  exten- 
sive, dark,  and  wooded  tract  which  I  crossed  to-day,  I  saw 
a  number  of  solitary  cottages,  which  gave  some  life  to  the 
otherwise  inanimate  landscape.  The  Norwegian  peasants 
are  industrious,  and  every  spot  of  ground,  even  on  the 
steepest  declivities,  is  covered  with  potatoes,  barley,  or  oats. 
Their  houses  are  cheerful  and  pleasant,  and  are  generally 
colored  of  a  brick-red. 

The  roads  were  very  good,  particularly  between  -Chris- 
tiania  and  Drammen ;  though  I  had  little  fault  to  find  with 


UNGRACEFUL   COSTUME.  201 

those  from  the  latter  place  to  Kongsberg.  There  is  such 
an  abundance  of  wood  in  Norway,  that  the  roads  are  in- 
closed on  both  sides  by  a  fence,  and  every  field  or  pasture 
is  guarded  in  the  same  way  from  the  inroads  of  the  cattle  ; 
in  the  woods,  large  logs  are  often  placed  across  the  worst 
places  in  the  road. 

The  dress  of  the  peasantry  in  this  part  of  the  country 
is  not  in  any  way  remarkable  ;  the  only  thing  about  the 
costume  of  the  women  which  I  particularly  observed,  was 
their  absurd  head-dress,  which  resembles  an  old-fashioned 
bonnet,  shaped  like  a  small  turban,  with  an  enormous  front. 
It  is  made  of  any  old  material,  and  generally  with  the  re- 
mains of  worn-out  dresses ;  though  the  Sunday  bonnets  are 
sometimes  a  little  more  elegant,  and  I  even  occasionally  saw 
one  of  silk. 

This  head-dress  is  not  worn  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Kongsberg,  where  the  women  have  small  caps  like  the 
female  peasants  of  Suabia,  and  petticoats  which  fall  from 
their  shoulders,  with  very  short  waists, — a  most  unbecoming 
attire,  which  ruins  the  whole  appearance  of  their  forms. 

Kongsberg  is  rather  a.  large  place,  most  beautifully  situ- 
ated on  a  little  elevation  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  and 
finely-wooded  valley.  The  whole  town  is  built  of  wood, 
which  is  used  for  that  purpose  all  over  Norway,  Christiania 
being  the  only  exception  I  have  seen.  The  streets  are  wide, 
and  many  of  the  houses  are  very  pretty.  The  church  is 
particularly  handsome,  and  stands  on  a  conspicuous  emi- 
nence above  the  rest  of  the  town. 

The  river  Storri  Elb  runs  by  the  place,  and  a  short 
distance  below  the  bridge  it  forms  a  pretty  little  fall. 
When  I  visited  the  spot  at  noon,  I  found  the  waters  lighted 
up  by  the  bright  sun,  and  as  they  dashed  against  the  rocks 
they  appeared  to  be  of  the  color  of  the  clearest  amber. 
9* 


202  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

There  are  two  objects  of  especial  interest  near  Kongs- 
berg,— the  rich  silver  mines,  and  the  beautiful  cataract  of 
Labrafoss.  As  my  time  did  not  admit  of  my  visiting  both, 
I  decided  in  favor  of  the  water-fall,  taking  all  the  wonders 
of  the  mines  upon  hearsay.  I  was  assured  that  the  deepest 
shaft  is  sunk  eight  hundred  feet  into  the  ground,  and  that 
it  is  exceedingly  difficult  for  those  who  are  accustomed  to 
the  light  and  air,  to  endure  the  cold,  the  damp,  and  the 
strong  gunpowder  smell  of  those  subterranean  regions.* 

I  therefore  hired  a  horse  and  drove  to  the  falls,  which 
are  situated  in  a  wooded  valley  about  a  mile  from  Kongs- 
berg.  A  short  distance  above  the  cataract  the  stream  is 
perfectly  calm  and  tranquil ;  but  it  suddenly  rushes  towards 
the  precipice,  and  is  thrown  in  its  whole  width  from  a  great 
height.  A  huge  rock,  standing  like  a  wall  in  the  basin 
below,  offers  an  impediment  to  the  progress  of  the  waters, 
which  are  heaped  up  behind  it  till  they  overflow  this  boun- 
dary, and  form  several  other  smaller  falls  beyond. 

I  stood  on  a  high  rock,  but  was  not  out  of  reach  of  the 
spray,  by  which  I  was  almost  blinded.  My  conductor  also 
led  me  to  the  foot  of  the  cataract,  and  made  me  look  at  it 
from  every  side.  I  was  equally  impressed  with  the  variety 
and  grandeur  of  the  spectacle  wherever  I  saw  it.  I  observed 
in  these  waters  that  same  transparent  yellow  shade  I  had 
already  noticed  at  Kongsberg,  and  which  was  probably 
owing  to  the  color  of  the  rocks,  as  they  are  of  a  reddish- 
brown,  although  the  stream  itself  is  clear  and  colorless. 

At  four  in  the  afternoon  I  left  Kongsberg,  and  drove  to 
the  little  village  of  Bolkesoe,  four  miles  from  that  place. 
This  part  of  my  journey  was  not  particularly,  agreeable. 

*  In  the  mines  of  Sweden  and  Norway  the  ore  is  generally  blasted 
with  gunpowder. 


COMFORTABLE  QUARTERS.  203 

The  roads  were  generally  very  bad,  and  we  were  surprised 
by  a  dark  night,  among  the  steep  hills  and  wooded  ravines. 
I  could  not  help  fancying  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for 
my  guide,  who  sat  close  behind  me  in  the  waggon,  to  send 
me  out  of  the  world  by  one  quiet  blow,  and  possess  himself 
of  my  effects.  But,  relying  on  the  excellent  character  of 
the  Norwegian  peasantry,  I  dismissed  the  thought,  and 
devoted  my  whole  attention  to  guiding  my  horse  in  safety 
over  all  the  dangers  of  our  road.  I  heard  no  so  md  but  the 
loud  roar  of  a  torrent,  which  at  times  seemed  to  be  very 
near,  and  then  again  was  lost  in  the  distance. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  before  we  arrived  at  Bolkesoe.  We 
drove  up  to  the  door  of  a  mean-looking  hut ;  and  all  the 
uncomfortable  nights  I  had  spent  in  Iceland  being  still  fresh 
in  my  memory,  I  was  seized  with  horror  at  the  prospect  of 
undergoing  something  of  the  same  kind  again.  How  agree- 
able was  my  surprise,  therefore,  when  my  hostess  led  me 
up  stairs  to  a  large,  neat  room,  containing  several  good 
beds,  besides  benches,  a  table,  chests,  and  even  an  iron 
stove.  Wherever  I  went  in  this  country  I  found  the  accom- 
modations equally  good. 

In  those  parts  of  Norway  which  are  rarely  visited  by 
travellers,  there  are  no  regular  inns  or  post-houses;  the 
peasants  who  are  sufficiently  well  off,  open  their  cottages  to 
the  wayfarer,  and  supply  him  with  horses.  But  it  is  advisa- 
ble that  those  who  undertake  a  jpurney  through  this  part 
of  the  country,  should  carry  a  store  of  bread  with  them,  and 
other  provisions,  if  possible,  for  there  is  not  much  to  be 
obtained  from  the  larders  of  these  peasant  landlords.  Their 
cows  are  sent  for  the  summer  to  the  mountain  pastures, 
fowls  are  too  great  a  luxury  for  them  to  pretend  to,  and 
their  bread  which  is  rolled  out  into  large  round  cakes  not 
more  than  an  inch  thick,  and  sometimes  even  less,  is  very 


204  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

hard,  and  for  those  who  are  not  used  to  it,  scarcely  eatable. 
Fish  and  potatoes  can  always  be  counted  upon,  however ; 
and  when  there  is  sufficient  time  to  send  to  the  hills,  very 
excellent  milk  can  also  be  procured. 

This  scarcity  of  food  was  not  the  greatest  annoyance  to 
which  I  was  exposed,  by  any  means  ;  it  was  still  worse  with 
my  other  wants;  but  as  I  shall  have  more  to  say  on  this 
chapter  by-and-by,  when  I  have  had  greater  experience. 
I  shall  dismiss  the  subject  for  the  present. 

August  2Qtk. — It  was  not  till  this  morning  that  I  could 
form  an  idea  of  the  situation  of  Bolkesoe,  as  it  was  too  dark 
for  me  to  see  any  thing  of  the  place  last  night.  It  lies  in 
a  pleasant,  wooded  valley,  on  a  little  eminence,  near  the 
pretty  lake  of  the  same  name. 

There  is  no  carriage-road  from  here  to  Tindersoe  (three 
and  a  half  miles),  and  I  was  therefore  compelled  to  leave 
my  conveyance  behind  me  and  ride  the  rest  of  the  distance 
on  horseback.  This  region  is  quite  still  and  uninhabited  ; 
the  valleys  are  narrowed  to  ravines,  and  two  lakes  of  some 
extent  lie  among  the  mountains ;  the  larger  one.  called 
Foelsoe,  is  of  a  regular  outline,  being  about  half  a  mile 
(German)  in  diameter,  and  encircled  by  a  fine  range  of  hills. 
The  dark  shadows  cast  by  the  fir-clad  summits  of  the  hills 
on  its  smooth  waters  have  a  very  fine  effect.  I  rode  for 
more  than  one  hour  by  the  shores  of  this  lake,  and  had  am- 
ple time  to  examine  it  very  minutely,  for  it  is  a  slow  pro- 
cess to  accomplish  a  journey  on  horseback  in  this  part  of 
the  world.  The  guide  always  accompanies  you  on  foot,  and 
the  horse,  who  knows  his  master's  pace  of  old,  is  only  too 
willing  to  accommodate  his  own  gait  to  that  of  his  owner. 
We  were  five  hours  on  our  way  to  Tindersoe,  where  we 
were  obliged  to  cross  a  large  lake  in  order  to  reach  the 
water-fall,  which  was  the  object  of  my  day's  ride. 


LAKH  OF  TIN  DO  SO E.  205 

It  had  been  raining  steadily  for  the  last  mile,  and  the 
sky  looked  any  thing  but  promising ;  nevertheless  I  deter- 
mined to  proceed  at  once,  and  hired  a  boat  with  two  men 
to  row  me  across  the  lake.  I  was  afraid  of  a  storm,  when 
I  knew  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  any  one  to  accompany 
me  to  the  falls.  Every  thing  being  ;n  readiness  in  an  hour 
or  two,  I  set  off  in  a  pelting  shower,  though  the  clouds.were 
not  so  thick,  fortunately,  as  to  prevent  my  seeing  something 
of  the  beautiful  scenery  around  me.  The  lake  is  four  miles* 
long,  and  in  places  not  more  than  half  a  mile  in  width.  It 
is  entirely  shut  in  by  mountains,  many  of  which  are  ter- 
raced, and  effectually  exclude  every  glimpse  of  the  prospect 
beyond.  The  waters  are  dark,  almost  black,  from  the  deep 
shadows  of  the  firs  by  which  these  hills  are  generally  cloth- 
ed 5  and  the  numerous  rocks,  rising  perpendicularly  from 
the  bosom  of  the  lake,  are  very  dangerous  during  a  gale, 
when  a  boat  could  hardly  escape  being  dashed  to  pieces 
against  some  of  them,  and  the  adventurous  traveller  would 
be  very  likely  to  find  his  grave  on  this  distant  strand.  We 
had  a  favorable  wind,  which  bore  us  safely  to  our  destina- 
tion. One  of  the  ridges  of  rock  affords  a  very  remarkable 
echo. 

This  lake  is  divided  at  its  centre  by  an  island,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  (German)  in  length  ;  here  the  hills  press 
forward  and  form  many  beautiful  little  bays,  few  of  which 
we  could  enter,  however,  on  account  of  the  rocks  and  cliffs 
which  abound  there,  and  make  it  impossible  to  approach 
the  shore. 

The  little  patches  of  fields  and  meadows  spread  out 

rnong  the  cliffs,  and  the  cottages,  frequently  lying  on  the 

brink  of  the  most  dangerous  precipices,  often  arrested  my 

*  Eighteen  English  miles. — Tr. 


206  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

attention ;  the  latter  were  sometimes  situated  immediately 
beneath  a  hanging  rock,  which  looked  as  if  it  might  have 
rushed  down  into  the  lake  at  any  moment,  carrying  with  it 
every  thing  which  lay  in  its  way  ;  and  I  was  completely  at  a 
loss  to  know  whether  to  attribute  the  choice  of  such  a  perilous 
position  to  the  recklessness  or  the  stupidity  of  their  in- 
habitants. 

A  great  many  beautiful  falls  are  formed  by  the  count- 
less streams  flowing  into  the  lake,  though  their  number  was 
probably  increased  to-day  by  the  torrents  of  rain,  which 
trickled  in  slender,  silvery  rills,  down  all  the  cliffs  and 
precipices.  This  was  a  fine  sight,  but  one  I  would  willingly 
have  dispensed  with  for  the  sake  of  feeling  the  sun  again. 
It  is  rather  a  serious  thing  to  be  exposed  to  such  a  deluge 
from  morning  till  night.  I  was  wet  through  ;  and  seeing 
no  chance  of  improvement  in  the  weather,  as  the  heavy 
clouds  were  now  spread  over  the  whole  sky,  my  courage 
nearly  failed  me,  and  I  was  on  the  point  of  turning  back, 
without  having  obtained  a  sight  of  the  finest  cataract  in 
Norway,  when  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  every  drop 
of  rain  must  add  to  its  beauty, — and  I  resolved  to  go  on  at 
any  cost. 

At  the  end  of  three  miles  and  a  half,  we  reached  Hau- 
kaness,  a  place  where  it  is  customary  to  pass  the  night,  as 
there  is  a  very  comfortable  farm-house  there,  and  the  falls 
are  still  at  a  considerable  distance. 

August  27th. — When  I  looked  out  at  the  sky  this  morn- 
ing, alas  !  it  was  as  dark  as  yesterday,  and  my  weather-wise 
hosts  assured  me  that  it  was  not  likely  to  amend.  Never- 
theless, as  I  was  willing  neither  to  turn  back  nor  to  wait,  I 
had  but  one  course,  which  was  to  go  on.  So  I  ordered  my 
boat,  wrapped  myself  in  my  damp  cloak,  and  re-embarked 
in  spite  of  the  threatened  showers. 


FALLS  OF  THE  ItYKANFOSS.  207 

I  was  well,  rewarded  for  my  resolution  by  the  beauties  of 
this  end  of  the  lake  ;  a  wide  mountain  boldly  advances  and 
divides  it  into  two  deep  bays  ;  we  steered  for  the  one  to  the 
left,  and  landed  at  the  little  village  of  Mael,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Rykaness,  and  half  a  mile  from  the  place  we 
had  just  left. 

Here  I  engaged  a  horse  for  the  other  two  miles  and  a  haL 
to  the  cataract ;  the  road  leads  through  a  very  narrow  val- 
ley, constantly  decreasing  in  width  till  there  is  only  room 
for  the  bed  of  the  stream,  when  the  path  winds  up  the 
heights  and  along  the  sides  of  the  cliffs  and  precipices.  The 
foaming  torrent  is  generally  in  sight,  but  we  were  some- 
times at  so  great  a  distance  that  we  could  neither  see  nor 
hear  it.  The  last  half  mile  we  were  obliged  to  walk,  as 
there  were  so  many  dangerous  places  that  it  was  impossible 
to  proceed  on  horseback.  /We  crossed  a  number  of  little 
falls  on  a  bridge  of  logs,  and  the  path  was  sometimes  not 
more  than  a  foot  wide.  But  I  leaned  fearlessly  on  the  arm 
of  my  guide,  who  led  me  safely  through  all  these  perils. 

On  a  pleasant  day,  this  ride  from  Haukaness  must  be 
perfectly  delightful ;  and  even  in  spite  of  the  rain  and  my 
soaking  garments,  I  was  lost  in  enthusiastic  admiration  of 
the  wild  and  romantic  scene,  and  would  not  have  abandoned 
my  enterprise  for  any  consideration.  Unfortunately,  the 
weather  became  less  favorable  every  hour,  the  valley  was 
shrouded  in  the  thickest  mists,  and  the  rain  streamed  from 
the  hills  till  our  path  became  a  perfect  brook,  and  we  often 
walked  up  to  our  ankles  in  water. 

At  last  we  reached  the  spot  where  the  falls  are  seen  to 
the  best  advantage.  At  that  moment  the  clouds  had  broken 
away,  and  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  a  single  glimpse, 
though  it  was  but  a  short  one,  of  the  vast  rocky  mountain 
which  divides  the  plain,  and  the  wide  torrent  rushing  over 


208  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

it.  dashing  against  the  projecting  cliffs,  and  filling  the  air  with 
spray, — when  an  impenetrable  veil  sank  once  more  over  the 
wild  ravine  and  hid  the  whole  scene  from  my  eyes.  I  seat- 
ed myself  on  a  rock,  and  remained  there  two  hours,  waiting 
for  the  clouds  to  disperse  again,  but  in  vain ;  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  deafening  noise  and  the  trembling  of  the 
rocks  beneath  my  feet,  I  should  not  have  known  I  was  so 
near  this  magnificent  fall. 

After  long  tarrying  and  hoping — straining  my  eyes 
without  success  for  the  sight  "of  a  solitary  sunbeam,  I  was 
reluctantly  compelled  to  leave  the  spot.  I  could  hardly  re- 
frain from  tears  as  I  turned  away  ;  and  had  the  sky  become 
only  a  shade  lighter,  I  should  not  have  been  able  to  make 
up  my  mind  to  go. 

But  I  could  not  flatter  myself  with  the  least  symptom 
of  improvement,  and  was  therefore  obliged  to  follow  my 
guide  to  Mael,  where  I  sorrowfully  entered  my  boat,  and 
proceeded  to  Tindersoe  without  interruption.  It  was  ten 
o'clock  when  I  arrived  there.  The  cold,  the  rain,  and  above 
all,  my  disappointed  hopes,  had  affected  me  so  much  that  I 
went  to  bed  quite  feverish,  and  felt  convinced  I  should  not 
be  able  to  continue  my  journey  the  next  day.  My  hardy 
nature  prevailed,  however,  and  at  five  on  the  following 
morning  I  was  ready  to  mount  my  horse  for  Bolkesoe. 

I  had -not  a  moment  to  lose  on  account  of  the  departure 
of  the  steamer  from  Christiania  ;  this  excursion  had  taken 
more  of  my  time  than  I  had  been  led  to  expect,  which  was 
principally  owing  to  the  constantly  recurring  difficulties  and 
delays  in  procuring  horses,  boats  and  guides. 

August  28th. — My  horse  had  been  ordered  this  morning 
at  five,  but  it  was  seven  o'clock  before  it  was  brought  to  the 
door. 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  TRAVELLING.  209 

A  short  tour  through  the  interior  of  this  country  was 
sufficient  to  make  me  somewhat  acquainted  with  the  annoy- 
ances and  extortion  to  which  a  stranger  is  exposed  in  Nor- 
way. I  think  there  is  no  country  in  Europe  where  the  ar- 
rangements for  travelling  are  so  completely  in  their  infancy 
as  this.  Horses,  boats,  and  wagons  can  be  procured  every 
where,  it  is  true  ;  and  the  price  is  settled  by  law  ;  but  the 
peasants  and  landlords  who  manage  the  whole  thing,  know 
how  to  wear  out  the  patience  of  the  traveller  by  their  in- 
tentional delays,  till  he  is  ready  to  pay  double  or  triple  the 
sum  they  ask,  for  the  sake  of  hurrying  their  movements  a 
little.  The  stations  are  very  short,  not  often  more  than 
a  mile,  or  a  mile  and  a  quarter  (German)  ;  which  makes  it 
necessary  to  be  constantly  changing  horses.  When  you 
arrive,  there  is  generally  no  horse  to  be  had,  or  the  landlord 
will  try  to  make  you  believe  there  is  .none  ;  you  are  in- 
formed that  one  must  be  brought  from  the  mountains,  and 
that  it  will  be  an  hour  or  two  before  it  is  ready.  Thus  you 
travel  an  hour  and  wait  two.  It  is  also  absolutely  necessary 
to  have  with  you  an  authentic  list  of  charges,  as  every 
trifling  service,  such  as  fetching  the  horse,  or  the  saddle  and 
bridle,  must  be  paid  for  separately,  as  well  as  the  boat  or 
the  carriage.  If  you  do  not  happen  to  know  the  regular 
sum  allowed  by  the  law,  you  will  be  very  much  imposed 
upon  ;  and  although  it  is  all  set  down  in  a  book  kept  at 
every  station,  this  is  not  of  much  use  to  strangers,  as  it  is  in 
the  language  of  the  country,  with  which  so  few  are  familar. 
Complaints  can  be  entered  in  this  book,  which  is  examined 
once  a  month  by  the  nearest  justice  ;  but  the  peasants  and 
hosts  appeared  to  stand  little  in  awe  of  that  tribunal ;  the 
guide,  for  instance,  who  accompanied  me  to  the  falls  of  the 
Rykanfoss,  tried  to  impose  upon  me  by  exacting  eight  times 
as  much  as  he  was  entitled  to  for  the  use  of  a  saddle,  and 


210  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

six  times  as  much  for  bringing  my  horse  to  the  door.  I 
threatened  him  with  the  book,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  he  in- 
sisted on  his  demand,  which  I  was  finally  obliged  to  pay. 
When  I  arrived  at  Mael,  however,  I  kept  my  word,  and  en- 
tered a  formal  complaint  in  the  presence  of  a  number  of 
peasants.  It  was  not  that  the  amount  was  so  exorbitant, 
but  I  was  provoked  by  his  extortion  ;  and  I  am  of  opinion 
that  we  should  all  endeavor  to  seek  redress  when  we  are 
wronged  ;  for  even  if  we  are  not  benefited  thereby  ourselves, 
those  who  come  after  us  may  be. 

I  must  mention  to  the  credit  of  the  peasants  at  Hauka- 
ness,  that  when  I  informed  them  of  the  misconduct  of  their 
companion,  they  were  very  indignant,  and  made  no  effort  to 
prevent  my  writing  down  his  imposition  in  the  book. 

I  had  my  choice  of  two  roads  to  conclude  my  journey  ; 
one  of  which  was  said  to  offer  the  most  beautiful  scenery  in 
Norway,  particularly  at  Kroxleben,  where  there  is  a  magnifi- 
cent view.  But  although  the  rain  had  ceased,  the  sky  was 
still  lowering,  and  heavy  mists  hung  about  the  valleys ;  for 
which  reason  I  preferred  to  return  to  Christiania  by  the 
shorter  route,  or  the  same  I  had  already  travelled. 

When  I  reached  a  little  village  called  Muni,  about  a 
mile  beyond  Kongsberg,  where  I  arrived  at  seven  in  the 
evening,  the  accommodating  landlord  found  means  to  keep 
me  waiting  three  hours  for  a  horse.  As  the  same  thing 
was  likely  to  happen  at  every  station,  I  hired  one  for  the 
whole  distance,  paying  three  times  the  usual  amount ;  I 
then  lay  down  to  rest  for  a  few  hours,  got  up  again  at  one, 
and  drove  the  six  miles*  to  Christiania,  in  eleven  hours, 
having  arrived  there  safely  the  next  day  at  two  o'clock. 

During  this  short  trip,  I  found  the  people 

*  Twenty-seven  English  miles. — Tr. 


SOU  WEG1AX  PEAXANTR  Y.  211 

kind  and  obliging  whenever  I  had  no  occasion  to  hire  their 
services  ;  but  the  whole  race  of  innkeepers,  boatmen,  guides, 
and  drivers,  was  selfish  and  covetous,  as  is  usually  the  case 
all  over  the  world.  To  find  perfect  uprightness  and  honesty 
in  that  class  of  people,  I  believe  one  should  be  the  first  tra- 
veller who  has  ever  appeared  among  them. 

This  excursion  was  quite  an  expensive  one  ;  but  I  think 
I  could  have  accomplished  it  more  reasonably  by  taking  the 
steamer  to  Hammerfast,  and  purchasing  a  horse  and  chariot 
there ;  when  I  could  have  driven  about  the  country  without 
any  trouble,  or  annoyance.  But  it  would  be  a  very  dear 
way  of  travelling  for  a  family,  with  a  covered  carriage,  and 
in  some  places  it  would  be  out  of  the  question  to  proceed 
in  that  manner. 

The  Norwegian  peasants  are  strong  and  vigorous,  but 
they  are  by  no  means  handsome  ;  their  faces  are  not  even 
agreeable.  They  do  not  seem  to  be  very  thriving,  and  pay 
little  regard  to  cleanliness.  They  are  barefooted,  and  gener- 
ally poorly  clad.  Their  cottages,  which  are  built  of  wood, 
and  usually  roofed  with  tiles,  are  larger  than  those  of  the 
Icelanders,  but  almost  as  dirty  and  comfortless.  The  Nor- 
wegians seem  to  have  a  great  weakness  for  coffee,  which 
they  drink  without  sugar  or  milk.  The  old  women  smoke 
their  pipes  in  the  morning  and  evening,  as  well  as  the  men. 

From  Christiania  to  Kongsberg,  9   miles,  (German.) 

From  Kongsberg  to  the  falls  of  Lakafoss,    1       "  " 

From  Kongsberg  to  Bolkosoe,  3      "  " 

From  Bolkosoe  to  Tindosoe,  3£     "  " 

From  Tindosoe  by  the  Lake  to  Maelen,       3£    "  " 

From  Maelen  to  the  cataract  of  Rykanfoss,  2£    "  " 

22$  miles.* 
*  Ninety-nine  English  miles. — Tr. 


212  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND 


faro  (CjnMtraw  tn  Itarltfjnlm, 

August  oQth. — Followed  by  the  good  wishes  of  my  kind 
countrywoman  and  her  husband,  Mr.  M.,  I  left  Christiania 
at  seven  in  the  morning  for  Gottenburg,  in  the  same  steam- 
er which  had  brought  me  there  a  few  days  before.  On  this 
occasion  I  was  able  to  see  much  of  the  fine  scenery  in  the 
Christiansund  or  "  fiord,"  which  had  been  concealed  by  the 
darkness  during  my  former  trip.  In  the  afternoon  we 
reached  the  little  town  of  Lauervig,  beautifully  situated  on 
a  natural  terrace,  with  a  range  of  high  hills  in  the  back- 
ground. The  fortress  of  Friedricksver  lies  on  a  rock  before 
the  town,  and  is  encircled  by  cliffs,  among  which  are  scat- 
tered a  number  of  sentry-boxes.  The  sea  is  spread  out  to 
the  left. 

Here  we  were  detained  an  hour,  in  order  to  surrender 
the  passengers  for  Bergen  to  the  steamer  which  awaited 
them.  This  spot  is  the  keystone  of  the  "  fiord  ;"  we  now 
steered  for  the  open  sea,  and  the  land  soon  disappearing 
from  the  view,  nothing  but  sky  and  water  were  in  sight  till 
we  reached  the  "  Scheren,"  or  cliffs,  the  next  morning,  and 
shortly  afterwards  entered  the  harbor  of  Gottenburg. 

August  31  st. — We  had  a  high  sea  in  the  night,  which 
delayed  us  several  hours,  though  the  same  circumstance 
added  much  to  the  beauties  of  the  scene  as  we  approached 
the  fort,  near  which  the  breakers  were  still  dashing  wildly 
over  the  cliffs  and  islands.  The  few  passengers  who  3ould 
keep  their  feet,  and  were  not  too  sea-sick  to  remain  on 
deck,  had  a  great  deal  to  say  of  the  dangers  of  the  late 
gale. 

My  astonishment  has  often  been  excited  by  the  wonder- 


THE  KING  OF  SWEDEN.  213 

ful  accounts  of  terrific  storms  I  have  received  from  people, 
who  have  never  made  a  longer  trip  than  fifty  or  sixty  miles 
perhaps,  on  some  canal  or  other  ;  but  I  began  to  understand 
what  their  stories  were  worth  when  I  heard  my  fellow-tra- 
vellers call  the  sharp  breeze  of  last  night,  which  made  ra- 
ther a  rough  sea  for  us,  I  must  admit,  a  violent  gale ;  and 
no  doubt  they  all  made  the  most  o€  it  when  they  returned 
to  their  homes.  But  storms,  thank  Heaven  !  are  not  quite 
so  frequent.  In  all  my  sea  voyages  I  have  been  exposed 
but  to  one  when  there  was  real  danger  (for  I  do  not  con- 
sider that  I  ran  any  serious  risk  during  my  tempestuous 
passage  to  Iceland),  and  that  was  when  I  was  crossing  the 
Black  Sea  to  Constantinople,  in  the  year  1842. 

It  was  nine  o'clock  before  we  arrived  at  G-ottenburg, 
though  we  should  have  been  there  at  six.  I  was  rowed  to 
the  town  at  once,  in  order  to  take  the  first  steamer  for 
Stockholm  by  the  great  ship  canal,  which  unites  the  river 
Gotha  to  several  inland  lakes,  and  opens  a  communication 
between  the  North  Sea  and  the  Baltic. 

I  found  the  city  of  G-ottenburg  in  an  unusual  state  of 
excitement ;  the  king  of  Sweden  was  there  on  his  return 
from  Christiania,  where  he  had  been  to  close  the  session  of 
tire  Storthing.  It  happened  to  be  Sunday,  and  the  king  had 
just  gone  to  church  with  his  son  ;  the  streets  were  thronged 
with  dutiful  subjects  on  the  watch  for  their  sovereign  when 
he  left  the  cathedral.  Of  course  I  immediately  mingled 
with  the  crowd,  and  was  so  fortunate  as  to  behold  the  royal 
pair  come  out  of  church  and  get  into  their  carriage,  which 
drove  directly  by  the  place  where  I  stood.  The  appearance 
of  both  father  and  son  was  very  prepossessing  ;  and  the  crowd 
could  never  tire  of  gazing  and  striving  to  catch  the  friendly 
salutations  which  they  dispensed  to  the  right  and  left,  as 
they  returned  to  their  dwelling,  followed  by  the  whole  con- 


214  JO  UENEY  TO  ICELAND. 

course  of  people  who  surrounded  the  palace  when  they 
alighted,  and  impatiently  waited  for  the  moment  when  they 
would  show  themselves  again  at  the  window. 

I  could  not  have  seen  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  to 
greater  advantage,  as  every  one  was  dressed  in  their  best 
attire ;  soldiers,  clergy,  officials,  burghers,  and  populace, 
all  being  desirous  of  cfoing  honor  to  the  presence  of  their 
sovereign. 

Among  the  crowds  of  country  people,  I  observed  two 
women  whose  costume  was  rather  peculiar.  They  wore 
black  petticoats,  reaching  half  way  up  to  their  knees,  red 
stockings,  a  bodice  of  the  same  color,  and  white  chemises 
with  long  full  sleeves.  A  handkerchief  was  tied  round 
their  heads.  A  few  of  the  burghers'  wives  had  little  caps 
like  those  worn  in  Suabia,  with  a  small,  black  embroidered 
veil  thrown  over  them,  which  did  not  conceal  their  faces, 
however. 

I  noticed  here,  what  had  already  struck  me  in  Copen- 
hagen, a  number  of  boys  among  the  drummers  and  musi- 
cians, who  could  not  have  been  more  than  ten  or  twelve 
years  old. 

The  king  remained  two  days  at  G-ottenburg,  and  during 
that  time  all  the  windows  were  illuminated,  and  festooned 
with  fresh  flowers,  every  evening.  A  few  transparencies 
were  also  exhibited  at  some  of  the  houses,  but  they  did 
little  credit  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  worthy  Gottenburgers, 
being  all  exactly  alike,  with  an  enormous  u  0"  (for  Oscar), 
surmounted  by  the  royal  crown. 

I  was  detained  here  till  Thursday,  and  found  to  my  sor- 
row, that  I  must  not  expect  to  travel  much  more  expedi- 
tiously  in  Sweden  than  I  had  done  in  Norway.  A  steamer 
had  left  the  place  for  Stockholm  the  day  I  arrived,  but  un- 
fortunately it  had  gone  before  I  landed ;  and  at  this  season 


' '  /,'  0\\'  I)  ED   &  TEA  ME  Li.  %  [  5 

there  are  but  two  a  week.  Thus  I  lost  four  days.  The 
time  seemed  very  tedious  to  me,  as  I  had  already  seen  the 
town  and  all  the  fine  views  from  the  suburbs,  when  I  was 
here  before  ;  and  the  other  environs  of  the  place  afford  little 
variety,  as  it  is  entirely  surrounded  by  bare  cliffs  and 
rocks. 

• 

September  kth. — The  crowd  of  passengers  was  so  great, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  a  berth  on  board  the  steamer 
two  days  before  it  left  Gottenburg ;  and  many  gentlemen 
and  ladies  who  were  unwilling  to  wait  till  the  next  oppor- 
tunity, were  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  a  place  on 
deck.  This  was  also  my  case,  for  I  had  not  thought  of  such 
a  contingency,  and  made  no  attempt  to  take  my  passage  till 
it  was  too  late  to  secure  the  best  accommodations.  When- 
ever we  stopped  we  added  to  our  numbers,  and  it  was  amus- 
ing enough  to  see  the  disconcerted  looks  of  the  new-comers 
when  they  found  where  they  were  to  pass  the  night.  It 
was  evident  that  most  of  them  were  quite  unaccustomed  to 
the  discomforts  of  travelling.  Every  nook  and  corner  was 
appropriated  as  a  sleeping  place ;  a  few  favored  ones  got 
possession  of  the  tiny  cabins  of  the  engineer  and  mate  ;  and 
others  ensconced  themselves  on  the  stairs,  or  in  the  pas- 
sages. I  was  offered  a  little  corner  in  the  engineer's  state- 
room, which  was  intended  for  one  person,  and  already  held 
three  or  four ;  but  I  preferred  spending  the  night  on  deck, 
and  one  of  the  gentlemen  having  been  so  kind  as  to  offer 
me  a  large  cloak,  I  rolled  myself  in  it,  and  slept  more  com- 
fortably than  my  companions  in  their  close  quarters. 

The  accommodations  on  board  the  steamers  which  ply 
on  the  G-otha  Canal,  are  not  very  delightful  at  the  best ;  the 
first  class  state-rooms  are  well  enough,  and  each  contains 
two  or  three  berths.  But  the  second  cabin  is  very  inferior, 


216  JO  URNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

hammocks  are  swung  in  the  saloon  which  is  used  in  the  day 
time  for  an  eating-room.  The  arrangements  for  the  lug- 
gage are  worse  yet ;  the  boats  are  small,  and  somewhat 
crowded  for  space,  and  the  trunks,  chests,  portmanteaus, 
&c.,  are  piled  up  on  deck,  with  nothing  to  keep  them  in  their 
places,  and  no  protection  from  the  weather.  The  sequel 
will  show  the  result  of  this  culpable  carelessness.  The  rain 
and  the  high  waves  of  some  of  the  inland  seas  covered  the 
lower  deck  with  water,  and  most  of  the  trunks  were  wet 
through  before  we  reached  the  end  of  our  journey  ;  and  dur- 
ing a  storm  on  the  lake  of  Wenner,  the  boat  pitched  so 
much  that  the  passengers  were  often  threatened  with  the 
downfall  of  the  whole  pile,  or  came  occasionally  very  near 
having  a  trunk  or  two  roll  over  on  their  heads.  The  fare,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  very  reasonable,  which  surprised  me  not 
a  little,  as  the  numerous  locks  must  make  this  canal  a  very 
expensive  one. 

But  now  to  my  journey.  We  were  off  by  five  in  the 
morning,  and  soon  found  ourselves  in  the  River  G-otha,  whose 
shores  are  flat  and  uncultivated,  and  its  valley  bounded 
with  a  chain  of  barren,  stony  hills.  At  the  end  of  two 
miles  (German)  we  reached  the  little  town  of  Kongelf, 
which  has  about  1,000  inhabitants;  it  lies  among  rocks 
which  partially  conceal  it  from  the  view ;  the  ruins  of  the 
old  fortress  of  Bogas  are  seen  on  a,  cliff  opposite  the  town. 
From  here  the  prospect  improves  in  beauty.  Patches  of 
wood  are  seen  among  the  cliffs  ;  little  valleys  open  on  both 
sides,,  and  the  river  itself,  which  is  divided  by  an  island, 
expands  a  little  beyond  this  place  to  a  considerable  width. 
The  cottages  of  the  peasants  appeared  larger  and  neater 
than  they  were  in  Norway  ;  they  were  generally  of  a  brick- 
red,  and  often  grouped  tegether  in  clusters. 

At  Lilla  Edet  we  came  to  the  first  lock,  of  which  there 


LOCKS  OF  TROLHATTA.  217 

are  five  at  this  place,  and  while  the  boat  was  passing  through 
them,  we  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  falls  of  the  Gotha, 
which  are  broad  and  full,  though  rather  low. 

The  canal  then  sweeps  for  some  distance  behind  the  fall, 
and  is  either  dug  through  the  rock  or  confined  within  stone 
walls.  The  scenery  around  Akerstrom  resembles  a  beauti- 
ful park;  the  valley  is  narrowed  by  fine  hills,  and  the 
stream  occupies  its  whole  width,  barely  allowing  space 
enough  for  a  few  little  paths  leading  through  the  fir-woods 
which  skirt  the  shores. 

In  the  afternoon  we  reached  the  celebrated  locks  of 
Trolhatta,  a  magnificent  work,  well  worthy  of  the  most 
powerful  nations,  and  much  beyond  what  one  would  expect 
from  a  country  like  Sweden.  The  eleven  locks  rise  by  gra- 
dations to  the  height  of  a  hundred  and  twelve  feet  in  the 
distance  of  three  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  Their  chan- 
nel is  wide  and  deep,  dug  through  the  rock,  and  paved  with 
flags  ;  they  rise  like  the  solitary  steps  of  a  gigantic  stair- 
way, under  which  name  they  might  take  their  place  among 
the  wonders  of  the  world.  Each  lock  is  closed  by  a  heavy 
gate,  while  the  boat  is  slowly  lifted  to  the  level  of  the  next. 
The  scenery  around  is  wild  and  romantic. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  this  spot,  we  were  assailed  by 
a  crowd  of  boys,  who  offered  themselves  as  guides  to  con- 
duct us  to  the  Falls  of  Trolhatta.  There  is  ample  time  for 
this  excursion,  as  the  steamer  is  detained  here  four  hours, 
and  it  can  be  accomplished  with  ease  in  two.  But  the  tra- 
veller should  first  take  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  locks  from 
a  pavilion  standing  on  a  high  rock  which  overlooks  them 
all. 

The  road  through  the  woods  to  Trelhatta  is  exceeding- 
ly pretty,  and  the  village  itself  is  beautifully  situated  in  a 
lovely  valley,  surrounded  by  hills  and  woodland,  on  tin 
10 


218  JOURNEY  T<>  ICELAND. 

bank  of  the  river,  whose  white  and  foaming  waters  are 
strongly  contrasted  with  its  dark  fringe  of  evergreens.  The 
canal  is  only  partially  visible  from  this  point,  the  last  locks 
being  concealed  behind  a  small  group  of  rooks  ;  and  it  was 
not  without  astonishment  that  we  saw  first  the  masts  and 
then  the  boat  itself  appear  above  them,  as  if  it  were  shoved 
into  our  sight  by  invisible  hands. 

This  fall  is  less  remarkable  for  its  height,  than  for  its 
variety  and  the  great  volume  of  its  waters.  The  principal 
stream  is  divided  into  two  nearly  equal  cataracts  by  a  rocky 
island  on  the  extreme  edge  of  the  precipice,  which  is  ap- 
proached by  a  long  and  narrow  chain  bridge,  so  frail  that 
only  one  person  can  cross  it  at  a  time.  It  is  kept  locked 
by  the  owner,  who  charges  ten  kreuzers  0.  M.,*  for  admit- 
tance. 

I  must  confess  myself  to  have  been  very  much  frighten- 
ed while  I  crossed  the  foaming  torrent  alone,  and  hardly 
ventured  to  look  to  the  right  or  left,  till  I  reached  the 
island,  where  I  could  stand  in  a  place  of  safety  and  look 
down  upon  the  two  falls  on  either  side  of  me,  and  four  or 
five  others  above  ,  and  below  the  bridge.  It  was  a  sight 
upon  which  I  could  have  gazed  for  ever. 

The  stream  expands  almost  to  the  midst  of  a  lake  be 
yond  Trolhatta,  being  divided  into  several  arms  by  a  num- 
ber of  islands.  But-  the  banks  soon  lose  most  of  their  beau- 
ties, and  become  quite  flat  and  uninteresting.  We  reached 
the  fine  lake  of  Wenner  (ten  or  twelve  milesf  long  and  seve- 
ral wide),  too  late  in  the  evening  to  pass  judgment  upon  its 
scenery  ;  and  at  the  insignificant  little  borough  of  Wen- 
nersborg  we  were  detained  several  hours.  In  the  course  of 

*  Eight  cents.— Tr. 

From  fort -fivo  to  fift-four  miles. 


TKD10  US  I)  EL  A  Y.  2 1 9 

the  day  we  had  met  at  least  six  or  eight  steamers  all  owned 
by  Swedish  and  Norwegian  merchants,  and  it  was  a  curious 
and  interesting  spectacle  to  watch  these  boats  as  they  pass- 
ed up  and* down  through  the  different  locks. 

September  5th. — We  were  overtaken  by  a  storm  short- 
ly after  we  left  Wennersborg,  quite  late  in  the  evening,  and 
our  captain,  after  driving  about  the  lake  all  night,  consider 
ed  it  prudent  to  return  to  his  anchorage  till  the  wind  abated, 
as  our  steamer  was  none  of  the  strongest,  and  we  had  al- 
ready lost  a  boat  during  the  gale,  which  was  carried  off  by  a 
large  wave,  having  been  probably  no  better  secured  than 
our  luggage. 

At  nine  in  the  morning,  the  captain  gave  notice  that  we 
should  proceed  no  further  to-day.  If  all  went  well  we  might 
resume  our  course  towards  midnight.  Fortunately  a  fisher- 
man's skiff  lay  near  us,  and  a  few  of  the  passengers  took  the 
opportunity  of  going  on  shore.  I  was  among  the  number,  and 
to  kill  time  I  visited  some  of  the  cottages  lying  on  the  edge 
of  a  wood  near  the  water.  They  showed  traces  of  poverty, 
but  generally  contained  two  rooms,  with  several  beds  and 
other  articles  of  furniture.  The  inhabitants  were  rather 
better  clothed  than  in  Norway,  and  they  seemed  to  be  mak- 
ing a  tolerable  meal  of  coarse  black  flour,  boiled  to  a  thick 
pap,  and  eaten  with  sweet  milk. 

September  6th. — Shortly  after  midnight  we  were  on  our 
way  again,  and  five  hours  afterwards  we  reached  the  little 
rocky  island  of  Eken,  which  is  surrounded  by  others  of  still 
smaller  size.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  landings 
of  the  lake.  A  wooden  warehouse  of  respectable  size  near 
the  shore,  contains  the  produce  of  the  neighborhood,  which 
is  shipped  on  board  the  steamers  at  this  place,  where  there 
are  always  several  boats  at  anchor. 

Passing  through  the  group  of  islands  we  found  ourselves 


220  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

once  more  in  the  wide  lake,  which  has  little  to  distinguish  it 
beyond  its  size.  The  shores  are  generally  bare  and  monot- 
onous, only  displaying  a  few  hills  and  woodlands,  and  the 
back-ground  is  equally  tame.  The  Castle  of  Leko  occupies 
one  of  the  best  situations,  lying  on  a  rock  surrounded  with 
thick  woods.  A  little  farther  on  is  the  Kinne  Kulle  (kulle  is 
the  Swedish  for  hill),  commanding  an  extensive  prospect, 
not  only  of  the  lake  but  the  adjacent  country  ;  and  it  is  said 
to  contain  a  remarkable  cave  \  but  unfortunately  we  flew  by 
all  these  wonders,  without  being  permitted  to  pause  and 
visit  them. 

At  Bromoe  there  is  a  large  glass  manufactory,  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  window  panes  ;  we  stopped  here  and  took 
a  great  quantity  on  board.  The  buildings  of  the  factory 
and  other  small  houses,  are  very  pleasantly  situated  on  a 
height  among  the  woods. 

At  Sjotorp  we  passed  through  several  locks  out  of  the 
lake  into  the  river  again.  The  sail  across  Lake  "VVenner 
had  occupied  above  eleven  hours.  The  stream  winds  through 
woodlands,  and  while  the  boat  is  toiling  through  the  locks, 
we  were  able  to  enjoy  an  agreeable  variety  by  walking  part 
of  the  distance  over  a  shady  road.  The  wide  valleys  be- 
yond this  place  offer  nothing  remarkable  to  the  eye. 

September  1th. — Early  this  morning  we  passed  through 
the  pretty  little  Vikensoe,  which,  like  all  the  other  Swedish 
lakes,  is  rich  in  islands,  and  sprinkled  with  rocks  and  cliffs. 
The  islets  are  generally  overgrown  with  trees,  which  give  an 
additional  charm  to  their  appearance.  This  little  sheet  of 
water  lies  three  hundred  and  six  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
North  Sea ;  we  had  now  reached  the  highest  point,  and  we 
began  to  descend  at  every  lock  ;  the  whole  number  through 
which  we  passed  was  seventy. 


MONUMENT  OF  COUNT  PLATEN.  221 

A  short  canal  leads  to  the  Bottensee,  resembling  a 
glassy  mirror,  broken  by  a  few  islets.  The  sail  through 
this  little  lake  is  exceedingly  pleasant ;  the  shores  are  diver- 
sified by  ranges  of  hills,  woods,  valleys,  fields  and  meadows. 
Lake  Wetter,  the  next  in  the  chain,  is  guarded  by  the  for- 
tress of  Karlsborg,  and  possesses  two  peculiarities ;  one  is 
the  extraordinary  clearness  of  its  waters,  and  the  other  the 
frequent  storms  by  which  it  is  agitated,  when  the  immediate 
neighborhood  is  quiet  and  undisturbed.  The  gales  are  said 
to  spring  up  so  unexpectedly,  that  it  is  often  impossible  to 
escape  them,  and  many  wonderful  stories  are  told  of  the 
misdeeds  of  the  genius  of  this  little  lake  ;  but  we  defied  his 
malice  and  p  assedgayly  on  without  feeling  its  effects.  Wad- 
stena  is  a  beautiful  building  on  the  shores  of  the  lake,  used 
as  a  convent,  or  chapter,  for  single  ladies  of  noble  birth. 
Near  Mount  Omberg  a  celebrated  battle  was  once  fought. 

The  next  canal  is  short,  and  leads  through  pleasant 
woodlands  to  the  little  lake  of  Norrby.  Travellers  often 
walk  this  distance  for  the  sake  of  seeing  the  monument  of 
Count  Platen,  who  conceived  the  plan  of  this  gigantic  enter- 
prise. It  is  inclosed  within  an  iron  railing  j  the  tomb  is 
covered  with  a  marble  slab,  on  which  there  is  a  simple 
inscription,  with  his  name,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  and 
death,  in  Swedish.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  canal  is  the 
little  town  of  Motala,  with  its  great  manufactory  of  iron 
ware. 

There  are  fifteen  locks  between  the  lakes  of  Norrby  and 
Roxen,  and  the  descent  is  a  hundred  and  sixteen  feet.  The 
canal  leads  here  through  a  pleasant  country,  crossed  by  fine 
roads  and  enlivened  by  neat  houses  and  a  few  large  buildings. 
The  steeples  of  the  village  of  Norrby  are  seen,  though  the 
place  itself  is  nearly  concealed  by  the  woods  ;  and  we  only 
caught  an  occasional  glimpse  of  it  as  we  hurried  along.  The 


222  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

waters  of  this  canal  were  of  a  bright,  transparent  green,  and 
shone  in  the  sun  like  the  purest  chrysolite. 

There  is  a  very  fine  view  from  a  height  near  lake  Roxen, 
overlooking  a  large  plain,  scattered  with  woods,  rocks  and 
hillocks  j  a  deej>  bay  stretches  far  into  the  woodlands,  and 
on  its  shores  lies  a  little  town,  whose  varnished  roofs  glisten- 
ed in  the  last  rays  of  the  evening  sun.  While  the  boat  was 
making  its  way  through  the  locks  we  visited  the  church  of 
Vretakloster,  where  the  remains  of  several  Swedish  kings 
are  preserved  in  handsomely  wrought  metallic  coffins.  We 
then  crossed  the  lake,  which  is  at  least  a  mile  in  width,  and 
stopped  for  the  night  at  the  entrance  of  the  last  canal,  which 
was  to  lead  us  on  the  following  morning  into  the  waters  of  the 
Baltic. 

September  8th. — This  canal  is  one  of  the  longest,  and 
crosses  a  large  and  rather  handsome  plain,  where  the  little 
town  of  Soderkoping  lies  among  a  group  of  picturesque 
rocks,  extending  to'  a  great  distance,  in  several  directions. 

In  Sweden,  as  well  as  in  Norway,  every  valley,  and  every 
spot  of  earth  is  inhabited,  and  industriously  cultivated. 
The  country  people  seemed  to  be  tolerably  well  dressed, 
and  their  houses  were  generally  very  comfortable  ;  many  of 
the  windows  were  ornamented  with  neat  white  curtains.  I 
had  ample  time  to  visit  a  number  of  cottages,  during  the 
journey,  which  was  a  very  tedious  one  ;  I  really  believe  I 
could  have  walked  the  whole  distance  from  Gottenburg  to 
Stockholm,  and  arrived  as  soon  as  the  steamer ;  for  we  not 
only  lost  a  great  deal  of  time  in  passing  the  locks,  but  we 
were  also  obliged  to  stop  every  night,  because  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  go  through  in  the  dark,  and  consequently  we  were 
five  whole  days  in  accomplishing  less  than  forty-five  German 
miles. 


EXD   OF  THE  GOTRER   CAXAL.  223 

It  was  not  till  afternoon  that  we  reached  the  shores  of 
the  Baltic,  which  bear  a  perfect  resemblance  to  those  of  the 
North  Sea ;  the  same  islands  and  reefs,  the  same  cliffs  and 
rocks,  and  we  were  as  much  at  a  loss  as  before  to  imagine 
how  we  could  steer  our  course  unharmed  through  so  many 
impediments.  The  shores  are  indented  by  bays  and  rivers, 
lakes  of  various  sizes  are  formed  among  the  islands  and 
woodlands,  shut  in  by  fine  hills.  The  site  of  the  castle  of 
Storry  Husby,  on  a  high  mountain  in  the  bosom  of  one  of  the 
bays,  is  unsurpassed.  A  beautiful  meadow  is  spread  like  a 
carpet  from  the  rocky  prominence  to  the  water,  and  the  back 
ground  is  filled  in  with  magnificent  fir-woods.  Not  far  from 
this  beautiful  scene  is  a  wooded  islet,  with  a  tower  belonging 
to  the  great  ruin  of  Stegeborg.  It  is  not  easy  to  imagine  a 
more  romantic  prospect  than  the  whole  sail  through  this 
fiord,  which  presents  an  incessant  variety  of  lovely  views. 

Gradually,  however^  the  hills  decrease  in  size,  the  islands 
become  less  frequent,  and  the  sea,  repulsing  every  other 
object  of  attraction,  appears  desirous  to  engage  alone  the 
attention  of  the  traveller ;  nothing  remaining  in  sight  but 
the  sky  and  water,  excepting  the  numerous  cliffs,  which  it 
requires  all  the  skill  of  a  careful  pilot  to  avoid. 

September  Qth. — To-day  we  left  the  sea  again,  and  sailed 
through  a  short  canal  into  the  lake  of  Malar,  celebrated  for 
the  number  of  its  islands.  The  little  town  of  Sotulje  is 
beautifully  situated  in  a  valley  at  its  outlet,  at  the  foot  of  a 
steep  hill.  The  lake  at  first  is  like  a  broad  river,  but  it 
soon  widens  to  a  great  extent ;  we  were  four  hours  crossing 
it,  and  were  in  constant  raptures  at  the  beauty  of  the  sce- 
nery. There  are  said  to  be  a  thousand  islands  scattered 
about  in  these  waters,  which  we  could  readily  believe  when 
we  observed  how  they  were  crowded  in  ever-changing  groups. 


224  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

forming  streams  and  bays  and  a  chain  of  smaller  lakes,  like 
those  in  the  magnificent  fiord  we  had  just  left. 

The  shores  are  equally  attractive  ;  the  hills  and  moun- 
tains sometimes  press  close  to  the  water,  and  dangerous 
ramparts  are  formed  in  places  by  their  steep  and  rocky 
sides ;  the  same  beautiful  variety,  which  I  have  already 
described  so  often,  of  dark  .woods  and  smiling  valleys, 
meadows,  fields,  villages  and  farm-houses,  rapidly  succeed 
each  other.  Many  of  my  fellow-passengers  thought  there 
was  something  monotonous  in  these  very  changes,  but  I 
could  not  agree  with  them  ;  and  I  could  have  crossed 'this 
lake  times  without  number  and  not  have  been  satiated  with 
admiring  its  beauties.  The  majestic  accessories  of  the  Swiss 
lakes  were  wanting,  it  is  true ;  but  no  other  sheet  of  water 
possesses  the  peculiar  charm  lent  to  this  one  by  its  thousand 
islands. 

On  the  summit  of  a  steep  declivity,  such  as  there  are 
several  around  the  lake,  a  high  pole  is  erected  to  which  is 
fastened  the  hat  of  the  unfortunate  Eric.  History  relates 
that  this  king  having  fled  from  the  field  of  battle  was  over- 
taken by  a  soldier  on  this  spot,  and,  overwhelmed  with  shame 
at  the  reproaches  of  his  subject,  he  desperately  put  spurs 
to  his  horse,  and,  clearing  the  precipice  with  one  bound,  dis- 
appeared for  ever  beneath  the  waters  of  the  lake.  His 
hat,  which  fell  from  his  head  as  he  made  the  plunge,  was 
preserved  to  commemorate  the  event. 

Not  far  from  this  point  the  suburbs  of  Stockholm  first 
appear  in  sight,  stretching  along  an  arm  of  the  lake ;  they 
are  built  like  an  amphitheatre  on  the  rocky  shores.  Many 
pleasant  country-houses  are  scattered  about  the  slopes  and 
hillocks;  and  the  magnificent  royal  castle,  built  in  the 
Italian  style,  and  the  Ritterholmer  Church,  with  its  towers 
of  cast-iron  and  filagree-work,  are  already  conspicuous  in 


APPROACH  TO  STOCKHOLM.  225 

the  distance,  while  the  city  itself,  which  covers  the  whole 
extremity  of  the  lake,  is  spread  beyond  the  suburbs  on  both 
sides. 

We  had  hardly  anchored  in  the  haven  of  Stockholm, 
when  several  herculean  women  stepped  forward  and  offered 
us  their  services  as  porters.  They  were  Dalecarlians,*  who 
abound  in  this  capital,  and  earn  their  living  by  carrying 
luggage  or  water,  rowing  boats,  and  other  occupations 
usually  appropriated  by  the  stronger  sex.  They  have  no 
lack  of  employment,  being  honest,  industrious,  and  as  strong 
and  capable  of  enduring  fatigue  as  any  man. 

They  wear  short  black:  petticoats,  red  bodices,  white 
chemises  with  long  sleeves,  short  and  narrow  aprons  of  two 
colors,  red  stockings,  and  shoes  with  very  thick  wooden 
soles.  They  generally  bind  a  handkerchief  around  their 
heads,  or  else  they  have  a  very  small  black  cap  which 
merely  covers  the  back  of  their  hair. 

It  is  easy  to  procure  furnished  apartments  in  Stockholm, 
or  even  single  rooms,  which  can  be  hired  from  day  to  day 
at  a  moderate  price,  and  they  are  consequently  in  great 
demand.  I  looked  out  for  such  a  little  chamber,  and  found 
a  neat  and  cheerful  one,  which  I  engaged  for  a  rix  dollar  a 
day,  or,  according  to  our  money,  thirty-two  kreuzers  ;f  my 
morning's  coffee  being  also  supplied  for  that  sum. 


ftnrktjnlm, 

As  the  principal  object  of  the  journey  I  am  now  relating 
was  my  visit  to  Iceland,  and  my  hurried  excursion  through 

*  Dalecarlia  is  a  Swedish  province,  twenty  German  miles  north  of 
Stockholm. 

f  About  twenty-five  cents. — Tr. 


226  JOURSEY  TO  ICELAND. 

this  small  part  of  Scandinavia  was  a  secondary  considera- 
tion, I  shall  no  doubt  be  forgiven  if  my  account  of  it  is  as 
short  as  possible ;  and  these  countries  have  also  been  so 
well  described  by  other  travellers,  that  my  relation  can 
possess  but  little  interest  for  most  readers. 

I  remained  at  Stockholm  six  days,  and  did  not  lose  one 
moment  of  that  time.  The  town  is  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Baltic  and  the  lake  of  Malar,  or,  more  properly,  these 
waters  are  united  here  by  a  short  canal,  on  whose  banks 
are  many  of  the  finest  buildings  of  the  place. 

My  first  visit  was  to  the  magnificent  Ritterholm  Church, 
which  is  more  like  a  vault  and  an  armory  than  a  religious 
edifice.  The  lower  part  is  devoted  to  the  royal  sepulchres, 
and  the  monuments  of  the  departed  sovereigns  are  in  the 
side-chapels.  Equestrian  statues  of  armed  knights  are 
ranged  on  both  sides  of  the  nave,  whose  equipments  were 
once  worn  by  different  kings  of  Sweden.  The  walls  and 
corners  of  the  upper  part  of  the  church  are  adorned  with 
flags  and  standards,  said  to  number  as  many  as  five  thou- 
sand. The  keys  of  conquered  fortresses  and  towns  are 
suspended  in  the  side-chapels,  and  drums  and  kettle-drums 
are  piled  on  the  floors,  all  of  which  trophies  have  been 
wrung  from  the  enemies  of  Sweden  on  the  field  of  battle.  , 

Besides  these  warlike  ornaments,  the  chapels  contain, 
inclosed  in  glass  cases,  parts  of  the  dress  and  accoutrements 
worn  by  some  of  the  Swedish  monarehs.  The  uniform  worn 
by  Charles  XII.  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  the  hat 
through  which  passed  the  bullet  that  killed  him,  were  par- 
ticularly interesting  to  me  ;  his  riding-boots  are  near  them 
on  the  floor.  Not  less  remarkable  is  the  contrast  presented 
by  the  modish  attire  and  the  hat  covered  with  gold  and 
feathers  which  once  belonged  to  the  late  king,  the  founder 
of  the  present  dynasty. 

The  Church  of  Saint  Nicholas,  on  the  same  side  of  the 


CHURCHES  AND  PALACES.  227 

canal,  is  the  handsomest  Protestant  place  of  worship  I  have 
ever  seen.  Traces  of  the  former  Catholic  times  in  which 
it  was  built  are  plainly  visible,  and  its  ancient  ornaments 
have  been  left  in  a  great  measure  as  they  were  in  those 
days.  Several  oil  paintings,  a  number  of  monuments  of 
different  ages,  and  a  great  deal  of  gilding,  adorn  the  interior. 
The  organ  is  large  and  handsome.  The  entrance  of  the 
church  is  embellished  by  bas-reliefs  in  stone,  and  above  it 
is  a  wooden  statue,  larger  than  life,  of  the  archangel  Mi- 
chael on  horseback,  with  the  vanquished  dragon  at  his  feet. 

Not  far  from  this  edifice  is  the  royal  palace,  which  I 
shall  not  attempt  to  describe,  for  my  pen  could  not  do 
justice  to  the  magnificence  and  splendor  not  only  of  its 
exterior  but  of  the  decorations  of  the  apartments  inside. 
It  is  enough  to  mention,  that  I  have  seen  nothing  to  equal 
it  in  all  my  travels,  with  the  exception  of  the  residences  of 
the  King  of  Naples,  in  which  I  include  Caserta.  It  is  not 
without  astonishment  that  I  beheld  such  a  profusion  of 
luxury  and  ornament  in  this  northern  kingdom,  which  is  by 
no  means  endowed  with  a  superfluity  of  riches. 

The  Schifferholm  Church  is  only  remarkable  for  its 
situation  and  its  temple  form.  It  stands  on  a  rock  nearly 
opposite  the  palace,  on  a  bay  of  the  Baltic,  which  reaches 
to  this  spot  and  is  crossed  by  a  long  bridge  of  boats.  Saint 
Catharine's  is  another  large  and  handsome  church,  near 
which  is  a  stone  where  one  of  the  Sturre  brothers*  was 
beheaded. 

*  The  Sturre  family  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  in  Sweden. 
Sten  Sturre  introduced  printing  into  Sweden,  endowed  the  University 
of  Upsala,  and  attracted  many  learned  men  to  the  country.  He  was 
mortally  wounded  in  a  battle  with  the  Danes,  and  died  in  1520. 

His  two  successors  in  the  regency,  Suante  Nilson  Sturre  and  the 
son  of  the  latter,  Sten  Sturre  the  younger,  also  live  in  the  grateful 
remembrance  of  their  countrymen  for  their  patriotic  exploits. 


228  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

The  Ritterplace  contains  the  Ritterhouse,  a  remarkably 
fine  structure,  the  old  royal  castle,  and  seyeral  other  private 
and  princely  residences,  by  no  means  to  be  compared,  how- 
ever, either  in  size  or  numbers,  with  those  at  Copenhagen. 
The  streets  and  squares  are  also  much  inferior  to  those 
in  that  town. 

Gross-Mossbecken,  one  of  the  hills  in  the  suburbs,  affords 
the  finest  view  of  Stockholm.  It  overlooks  the  sea  and  the 
lake,  the  town  and  its  suburbs,  extending  to  the  tops  of  the 
rocky  hillocks,  and  the  pleasant  country-houses,  which  lie 
in  all  directions  on  the  banks  of  the  water.  The  rocks  and 
islands  crowded  in  among  the  houses,  and  included  within 
the  limits  of  the  city,  offer  a  peculiarity  which  Stockholm 
possesses  alone,  and  the  situation  of  that  place  is  certainly 
unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other  capital  in  the  world.  The 
whole  scene  is  inclosed  in  ranges  of  rock  and  wood-covered 
hills,  stretching  far  out  of  sight  in  the  distance ;  few  mea- 
dows or  fields  are  mingled  with  this  grand  and  magnificent 
picture. 

On  leaving  this  hill  one  should  not  fail  to  visit  the 
enormous  iron-warehouses  of  Sodermalm  ;  the  metal  is  plied 
in  huge  bars  in  two  large  squares.  The  corn-market  is  not 
rema'rkable.  Among  the  other  edifices  deserving  of  notice, 
are  the  bank,  the  mint,  the  guard-house,  the  palace  of  the 
crown-prince,  the  theatre,  and  a  few  others.  The  last  men- 
tioned building  is  interesting  from  having  been  the  scene 
of  the  murder  of  Gustavus  III.,  who  was  shot  at  a  great 
masked  ball  given  in  this  theatre,  and  survived  but  a  few 
hours. 

The  theatre  is  not  open  every  night.  The  evening  I 
visited  it,  a  great  festivity  also  took  place  at  the  Museum 
of  Ancient  Art :  the  distinguished  artist,  Vogelberg.  a 
native  of  Sweden,  had  finished  three  colossal  statues  of  the 


THE  THEATRE.  229 

heathen  deities,  Thor,  Valdor,  and  Odin,  which  <had  lately 
arrived  from  Rome,  and  they  were  to  be  exhibited  for  his 
benefit  in  the  great  saloon,  which  was  lighted  up  for  the 
occasion.  A  numerous  company  had  been  asked  to  at- 
tend, and  hymns  were  to  be  sung  when  the  statues  were 
uncovered.  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  receive  an  invitation 
to  this  ceremony,  which  was  to  commence  at  seven  o'clock ; 
but  first  I  went  to  the  theatre.  I  was  told  it  would  open 
at  half-past  six,  and  thought  I  could  spend  half  an  hour 
there  before  I  met  my  friends  at  the  palace,  from  whence 
we  were  to  go  to  the  fete.  I  was  at  the  theatre  by  six,  and 
waited  impatiently  for  the  first  stroke  of  the  overture  ;  but 
at  half-past  six  there  were  still  no  signs  of  its  beginning. 
Upon  examining  my  bill  I  then  discovered,  to  my  great 
dismay,  that  the  opera  would  not  commence  till  seven  ;  but 
as  I  was  unwilling  to  go  without  having  at  least  seen  the 
curtain  rise,  I  amused  myself  for  another  half  hour  with 
observing  the  decorations  and  arrangements  of  the  house. 
It  is  rather  large,  and  consists  of  five  stories,  but  is  not 
conspicuous  for  ornament  or  luxury.  The  price  of  the 
tickets  is  very  high,  and  there  is  a  great  difference  in  the 
seats  ;  I  counted  twenty-six  of  various  kinds,  each  of  which 
had  a  settled  price. 

At  last  the  overture  began, — I  heard  it  through, — the 
curtain  rolled  up,  and  I  saw  the  fatal  spot  where  the  king 
had  fallen.  This  satisfied  me,  and  as  soon  as  the  first 
air  was  finished,  I  rose  to  go.  The  person  who  sold  the 
tickets  hastened  after  me,  and,  seizing  me  by  the  arm, 
wished  to  supply  me  with  a  return-ticket ;  but  when  I  told 
him  that  I  did  not  need  it,  as  I  had  no  intention  of  coming 
back,  he  insisted  that  the  performance  had  just  begun,  and 
I  had  thrown  away  my  money  if  I  did  not  stay.  Unfortu- 
nately, I  knew  so  little  Swedish  I  could  not  plainly  set 


230  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

before  him*  all  the  important  reasons  which  hurried  me 
away ;  so,  without  explaining  myself,  T  silently  took  my 
leave.  As  I  went,  I  overheard  him  telling  an  acquaintance, 
"  Well,  here  is  a  woman  who  has  sat  for  half  an  hour  before 
the  curtain,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  raised  she  hurries  off."  I 
turned  round,  and  saw  him  lay  his  finger  significantly  on 
his  forehead  and  shake  his  head  in  a  doubtful  manner.  I 
smiled,  and  considered  this  adventure  as  the  second  act  of 
the  dumb  guest  in  Mozart's  Don  Juan. 

Having  joined  my  friends  at  the  royal  palace,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  our  engagement,  and  I  spent  a  delightful  even- 
ing in  the  illuminated  hall  of  the  antiques  and  in  the 
picture-gallery.  I  also  had  the  pleasure  of  becoming  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  Mr.  Vogelberg,  whose  modest  and 
unassuming  deportment  would  have  prepossessed  me  in  his 
favor,  even  had  it  not  been  for  the  additional  claim  which  his 
remarkable  talents  confer  upon  the  admiration  of  all  who 
know  him. 

The  royal  park  near  Stockholm  is  a  place  well  worth 
visiting,  as  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  any  thing  finer  of  its 
kind.  Nature  has  done  every  thing  for  the  place,  which 
abounds  in  beautiful  woodlands,  meadows,  rocks,  and  hills ; 
and  among  them  are  scattered  delightful  country-houses, 
surrounded  with  flower-gardens  and  tasteful  cafes  and  hotels, 
which  are  crowded  with  visitors  from  the  city  on  Sundays. 
The  park  is  traversed  by  excellent  roads,  and  numerous 
paths  lead  in  every  direction  to  the  most  beautiful  sites  and 
views. 

A  bust  of  the  celebrated  and  favorite  poet  Bellmann  is 
placed  in  a  pleasant  spot,  where  a  festival  is  held  in  his 
memory  every  year. 

The  Yale  of  Roses,  a  favorite  part  of  this  park,  is  a 
perfect  little  Eden.  This  resort  was  much  beloved  by  the 


PARKS  AXD   CEMETERY.  231 

late  king,  who  is  said  to  have  passed  many  hours  in  the 
small  pleasure-castle  which  lies  in  a  retired  spot  among  the 
woodlands  and  flower-beds.  There  is  a  magnificent  basin, 
cut  out  of  a  single  piece  of  porphyry,  in  front  of  the  castle. 
I  was  assured  that  it  was  the  largest  in  Europe,  but  I  am 
of  opinion  there  is  one  in  the  Museum  at  'Naples  of  much 
greater  size. 

In  the  garden  I  passed  the  last  agreeable  hours  which 
I  was  destined  to  spend  with  a  most  amiable  family  from 
Finland,  called  Boje,  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  du- 
ring the  passage  from  Gottenburg  to  Stockholm ;  and  the 
j)lace  will  always  be  doubly  dear  to  my  recollection  on  their 
account. 

I  made  another  very  pleasant  excursion  to  one  of  the 
King's  palaces  at  Haga,  and  visited  at  the  same  time  the 
great  cemetery  and  the  military  school  at  Karlberg.  Haga 
is  surrounded  by  a  fine  park,  to  which  art  could  add  but 
few  attractions ;  it  is  beautifully  diversified  by  patches  of 
woodland,  meadow,  majestic  alleys,  and  lovely  hills,  the 
whole  crossed  by  a  number  of  roads  and  paths  in  excellent 
order.  The  castle  itself  is  not  large,  and  bears  witness  to 
the  simple  tastes  of  the  reigning  family.  It  is  said  to  be 
the  smallest  of  their  country-seats. 

Opposite  this  park  is  the  cemetery,  which,  having  only 
been  planned  about  seventeen  years  ago,  still  presents  rather 
a  new  appearance.  This  would  be  of  little  consequence  in 
any  other  land,  but  in  Sweden  the  burying-grounds  are  used 
as  public  walks,  and  have  fine  alleys,  with  arbors  and  seats. 
This  one  is  surrounded  by  dark  woods,  which  shut  it  in 
completely  from  the  outer  world.  It  is  the  only  burying- 
place  outside  of  the  city,  the  others  all  lying  near  the 
churches,  and  amid  the  houses,  whose  fronts  often  form 
their  walls.  Interments  are  still  allowed  to  take  place 


232  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

there,  which  is   certainly  familiarizing   oneself    very  tho- 
roughly with  the  presence  of  the  dead. 

A  fine  road  leads  from  the  great  cemetery  through  a 
wood  to  Karlberg,  where  cadets  and  midshipmen  receive 
their  education.  The  large  building  appropriated  for  the 
school  is  situated  on  a  rocky  hill,  washed  on  one  side  by 
an  arm  of  the  sea,  and  surrounded  on  the  other  by  a  hand- 
some park. 

Before  I  left  Stockholm,  I  had  the  honor  of  being  pre- 
sented to  her  Majesty,  the  reigning  queen,  who  had  heard 
of  my  travels,  and  took  an  especial  interest  in  my  journey 
to  the  Holy  Land.  In  consequence  of  this  distinction,  I 
was  allowed  the  uncommon  privilege  of  visiting  the  interior 
of  the  palace,  when  not  only  the  state  apartments,  but  even 
the  private  rooms  of  the  whole  court  were  laid  open  to  my 
inspection,  although  they  were  occupied  at  the  time.  I 
should  hardly  know  how  to  begin,  were  I  to  attempt  a  de- 
scription of  the  splendid  furniture,  the  treasures  of  art,  and 
the  exquisite  taste  which  prevailed  every  where  through- 
out the  building.  I  was  bewildered  by  the  number  of  rare 
and  costly  objects  I  saw  \  but  the  friendly  and  gracious  in- 
terest which  her  Majesty  expressed  in  my  wanderings,  made 
a  still  deeper  impression,  and  the  moments  I  was  permitted 
to  spend  in  her  presence  will  always  form  a  bright  spot 
among  the  recollections  of  my  northern  tour. 

torsiim  to  tyt  nfo  Enpl  <teth  nf  (Uripsjjnlm,  mr 
tjj?  Into  nf  aBfltar. 

Every  Sunday  morning,  at  eight  o'clock,  a  small  steam 
boat  leaves  Stockholm  for  this  castle,  and  accomplishes 
the  distance  of  eight  German  miles  in  four  hours  ;  after  re- 


CASTLE  OF  GRIPSHOLM.  233 

maining  at  that  place  for  the  same  length  of  time,  it  returns 
to  the  capital  in  the  evening.  I  found  this  excursion  a 
very  interesting  one,  although  the  only  part  of  the  scenery 
which  was  new  to  me  was  the  deep  bay,  at  the  extreme  end 
of  which  is  situated  the  castle  of  Gripsholm ;  squally  re- 
markable for  its  size,  and  its  architecture^  and  above  all, 
for  its  colossal  projecting  towers.  Unfortunately,  the  build 
ing  is  greatly  disfigured  by  being  colored  of  that  favorite 
shade  of  brick-red  so  common  all  over  Sweden. 

The  fore-court  contains  two  enormous  guns  very  hand-' 
soniely  wrought,  which  were  captured  in  one  of  the  wars 
with  Russia.  The  apartments  in  the  castle,  which  are  still 
in  good  order,  are  not  furnished  with  any  degree  of  prodi- 
gality or  splendor  ;  though  the  beautiful  theatre  may  per- 
haps be  considered  an  exception,  as  its  walls  are  covered 
with  mirrors  from  top  to  bottom  ;  the  pillars  are  gilded, 
and  the  royal  box  is  lined  throughout  with  costly  red  vel- 
vet. It  has  not  been  used  since  the  days  of  Gustavus  III. 

The  walls  of  this  ancient  building  are  extraordinarily 
massive ;  those  of  the  lower  stories  are  at  least  three  ells 
in  thickness.  The  upper  rooms  are  large  and  high,  and 
most  of  the  windows  command  a  very  fine  view  of  the  sea. 
With  a  sigh  we  turned  from  these  lovely  pictures,  and  re- 
verted to  the  sad  events  which  had  taken  place  in  this 
castle. 

King  John  III.  and  King  Eric  XIV.  spent  many  years 
in  close  confinement  within  its  walls  ;  the  latter  was  accom- 
panied by  four  of  his  councillors,  who  afterwards  lost  their 
heads  on  the  scaffold. 

The  imprisonment  of  John  III.  was  far  from  rigorous, 
as  he  was  allowed  the  use  of  a  large  and  handsome  room, 
and  enjoyed  the  society  of  his  wife,  who  occupied  two  small 
apartments  near  his  own.  She  was  a  voluntary  captive, 


234  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND, 

and  was  at  liberty  to  leave  the  castle  whenever  she  chose. 
Sigismund,  son  of  this  royal  pair,  was  born  here  in  1566, 
and  the  room  where  he  first  saw  the  light  was  pointed  out 
to  ine.  The  monarch  was  not  permitted  to  cross  the  thres- 
hold of  his  magnificent  saloon,  which  he  would  no  doubt 
have  gladly  exchanged  for  any  peasant's  hut,  for  the  sake 
of  calling  himself  free. 

Eric  XIV.  endured  a  much  harder  fate  ;  he  was  con- 
fined to  a  small,  dark  room,  in  one  of  the  towers,  with  grated 
windows  and  a  heavy  oak  door,  through  an  opening  in  which 
he  daily  received  his  meals  ;  for  greater  security,  there  was 
also  an  iron  door  beyond.  The  room  was  surrounded  by  a 
narrow  gallery,  where  guards  kept  watch  over  the  king  by 
day  and  by  night.  The  unhappy  prisoner  is  said  to  have 
stood  for  hours  at  a  time  at  one  of  the  little  windows,  with 
his  head  resting  on  his  hands,  gazing  at  the  beautiful  scene 
without.  What  must  have  been  his  fe.elings,  when  he  looked 
upon  the  bright  heavens,  the  smooth  green  turf,  and  the 
glistening  sea  ?  How  many  of  his  sighs  must  have  mingled 
with  the  breath  of  heaven, — how  many  sleepless  nights, — 
how  many  days  of  anxious  solicitude  for  the  future, — did 
he  wear  away  during  the  two  long  years  he  spent  in  this 
narrow  room  ! 

Our  guide  assured  us  that  the  floor  was  more  worn  in 
that  particular  spot,  and  even  the  window-sill  showed  marks 
of  his  repeated  visits ;  but  I  cannot  say  that  I  observed 
any  such  traces.  After  two  years  of  close  captivity  in  this 
place,  Eric  was  removed  to  another  dungeon. 

The  castle  of  Gripsholm  has  a  picture-gallery  of  some 
extent,  containing  many  royal  portraits  not  only  of  the  Swe- 
dish monarchs,  but  those  of  other  countries,  from  the  middle 
ages  to  our  own  time.  There  are  also  likenesses  of  distin- 
guished statesmen,  generals,  painters,  poets,  historians,  and 


T<>    Ui'^ALA.  235 

men  of  science  ;  every  Swede,  ill  short,  who  has  gained  any 
reputation  for  himself  or  his  country,  and  the  most  cele- 
brated beauties  of  the  nation,  are  also  allowed  a  place  in. 
this  distinguished  band.  The  name  and  the  date  of  the 
birth  of  each  individual  is  placed  on  their  portrait,  and  it 
is  easy  to  seek  out  one's  favorites  without  having  recourse 
to  a  catalogue  or  a  cicerone.  For  correctness  of  design  or 
beauty  of  coloring,  these  pictures  are  certainly  not  remark, 
able  ;  let  us  hope,  however,  that  the  fidelity  of  the  likeness 
atones  for  their  want  of  merit  in  those  respects. 

On  my  return  several  interesting  sites  were  pointed  out 
to  me  by  some  of  my  obliging  fellow-passengers.  Among 
them  was  Kakeholm,  where  the  lake  attains  its  greatest 
width ;  the  rocky  island  of  Esmoi,  on  which  a  battle  was 
won  by  a  noted  Swedish  heroine ;  Norsberg,  where  an  en- 
gagement also  took  place ;  and  Sturrehof,  the  fine  estate  of 
a  great  Swedish  family.  A  simple  cross  at  Bjarkesoe  is 
stationed  on  the  spot  where  Christianity  is  said  to  have 
been  first  preached  in  Sweden.  The  lake  of  Malar  is 
equally  remarkable  for  its  historical  reminiscences  and  for 
the  constant  variety  of  its  natural  beauties,  in  which  two 
respects  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  sheet  of  water  in 
Europe. 

3mtrim[  fa.  iUpsala  mft  tte  3nm  IBnrks  uf  Itanra. 

September  12th. — Between  Stockholm  and  Upsala  there 
is  a  constant  intercourse ;  a  little  steamboat  plies  daily 
(Sundays  excepted)  between  the  two  places,  the  distance 
being  nine  German  miles,*  which  is  accomplished  in  six 
hours. 

*  Forty  and  a  half  English  miles.— TV. 


236  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Attracted  by  this  facility  for  visiting  so  renowned  a 
city,  I  took  my  passage  one  beautiful  evening  in  the  steamer 
for  ITpsala,  and  found  myself  very  unpleasantly  surprised 
the  next  morning  by  torrents  of  rain.  However,  I  was  too 
old  a  traveller  to  allow  myself  to  be  much  disconcerted, 
and  embarking  at  half-past  seven,  I  was  conveyed  to  my 
destination  exactly  as  if  I  had  been  a  bale  of  merchandise  ; 
being  obliged  to  remain  quietly  seated  in  the  crowded  ca- 
bin, without  even  enjoying  the  privilege  of  looking  out  of 
the  window,  for  the  rain  without  and  the  heat  within  made 
it  impossible  to  distinguish  any  thing  through  the  moisten- 
ed panes.  Contrary  to  my  custom,  I  did  not  go  on  deck, 
because  I  relied  on  being  able  to  see  all  I  was  now  losing, 
on  my  return. 

At  three  o'clock,  after  I  had  been  an  hour  at  Upsala, 
the  weather  began  to  clear  up,  and  I  immediately  went  out 
to  explore  the  town. 

My  first  visit  was  to  the  beautiful  cathedral.  I  paused 
at  the  main  entrance  and  admired  the  high  roof,  which 
rests  on  two  rows  of  pillars,  and  covers  the  whole  church  in 
one  unbroken  line.  The  interior  of  the  building  is  devoid 
of  ornament,  with  the  exception  of  a  chapel  near  the  princi- 
pal altar,  where  the  remains  of  Grustavus  I.  are  deposited 
between  those  of  his  two  consorts  ;  the  ceiling  of  this 
chapel  is  blue  and  sprinkled  with  golden  stars,  and  the  mo- 
nument which  covers  his  tomb  is  of  marble,  but  in  no  way 
remarkable  excepting  from  its  size ;  it  consists  of  a  sarco- 
phagus on  which  repose  the  three  figures  as  large  as  life,  and 
is  surmounted  by  a  marble  baldaquin.  The  walls  of  the 
chapel  are  covered  with  fresco  paintings  commemorating 
the  most  important  events  in  the  life  of  this  monarch ;  one 
of  the  pictures  represents  him  in  a  peasant's  dress,  on  the 
point  of  entering  a  hut  at  the  very  moment  when  eager  in- 


UPSALA.  237 

quiries  about  him  are  addressed  to  its  owner ;  and  another 
when,  in  the  same  attire,  he  is  standing  on  a  barrel  and  har- 
anguing his  subjects.  The  pictures  are  all  explained  in,  two 
large  tablets,  framed  in  gold  and  painted  in  fresco ;  but,  unfor- 
tunately for  stangers,  they  are  in  the  Swedish  language,  and 
not,  as  is  generally  the  case  on  such  occasions,  in  Latin. 
Thus  every  native  has  an  opportunity  of  becoming  familiar 
with  the  history  of  this  king. 

The  most  remarkable  monuments  in  the  other  chapels 
are  those  of  Catherine  Magelone,  John  III.,.  Grustavus 
Erick'son,  who  was  beheaded,  and  the  brothers  Sturre,  who 
were  murdered.  That  of  Archbishop  Menander,  is  a  speci- 
men of  more  modern  art ;  it  is  of  white  marble  and  in  very 
good  taste.  The  great  Linnaeus  also  rests  under  a  plain 
stone  in  this  church  ;  his  monument  is  not  above  his  grave, 
but  is  placed  in  one  of  the  side  chapels,  and  consists  of  a 
remarkably  beautiful  slab  of  dark  brown  porphyry,  on  which 
his  likeness  is  cut  in  high  relief.  The  organ  in  this  church 
is  uncommonly  fine  and  nearly  reaches  to  the  ceiling.  A 
few  precious  relics  are  kept  in  a  separate  room,  where  I  saw 
in  a  glass  box  the  blood-stained  garments  of  the  unfortu- 
nate brothers  Sturre,  and  observed  the  rents  made  by  the 
blows  of  the  poniard  by  which  they  were  laid  low.  A 
wooden  image  of  the  heathen  god  Thor,  is  also  preserved 
here,  which  appears  to  have  been  originally  an  Ecce  Homo, 
and  probably  adorned  some  village  chapel,  from  whence  it 
was  torn  by  the  unbelievers,  who  have  mutilated  and  dis- 
figured it  even  beyond  the  attempts  of  the  first  artist,  who 
must  have  possessed  no  small  talent  in  that  way,  and  it  is 
now  an  absolute  scarecrow. 

The  burying-ground,  not  far  from  the  church,  is  re- 
markable for  its  beauty  and  extent ;  it  is  surrounded  by  a 
stone  wall,  surmounted  by  an  iron  railing,  each  about  two 


238  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

feet  high,  with  a  row  of  stone  pillars  at  equal  distances. 
This  cemetery,  like  that  of  Stockholm,  resembles  a  pleasant 
garden,  with  wide  alleys,  arbors,  and  grass-plots  ;  but  it  has 
the  advantage  of  being  much  older,  and  in  a  more  finished 
condition.  The  graves  are  half  concealed  by  shrubbery ; 
many  are  adorned  with  flowers  and  wreaths,  or  encircled  by 
hedges  of  roses.  The  whole  place  is  much  more  like  an 
agreeable  resort  for  the  living  than  a  place  of  repose  for 
the  dead. 

There  are  only  two  tomb-stones  that  are  at  all  conspi- 
cuous, and  these  are  formed  by  huge  rocks  left  in  their  na- 
tural state,  which  stand  erect  above  the  grave.  One  of 
them  is  exactly  like  a  mountain  ;  it  covers  the  ashes  of  a 
general,  and  is  certainly  large  enough  to  accommodate 
those  of  all  his  host  ;  his  survivors  must  have  heard  of  the 
Trojan  mounds.  The  inscription  on  the  enormous  tablet 
is  peculiar,  and  appears  to  be  in  the  Runic  character  ;  this 
extraordinary  monument  thus  uniting  two  vestiges  of  the 
ancient  times  from  very  diiferent  quarters  of  the  globe. 

The  University  of  Upsala  is  a  large  and  handsome  build- 
ing, situated  on  a  hillock  and  offering  a  fine  facade  to  the 
town  ;  a  park  has  been  lately  inclosed  in  its  rear.  Near  this 
edifice,  and  upon  the  same  eminence,  is  a  royal  castle  conspi- 
cuous for  its  red  walls ;  it  is  very  large,  and  has  two  mas- 
sive towers  at  the  corners  in  front.  In  the  centre  of  the 
vestibule  is  a  bust  of  Grustavus  I.,  larger  than  life ;  a  few 
artificial  mounds  like  bastions  are  mounted  with  guns,  and 
this  spot,  which  is  the  highest  in  the  neighborhood,  com- 
mands a  very  fine  view. 

The  little  town  itself  is  built  of  wood  and  stone  ;  it  is 
a  pretty  place,  intersected  by  three  fine  wide  streets,  and 
adorned  with  a  great  many  handsome  garden  spots ;  but  I 
could  not  admire  the  dark  brownish-red  with  which  the 


.I/AY/-;."'  of  r> A:\KMO HA.  239 

houses  were  colored,  as  I  thought  it  gave  a  sombre  appear- 
ance to  the  place  even  during  the  brightest  sunshine. 

The  environs  are  agreeable  ;  a  wide  and  fruitful  plain 
was  sprinkled  with  light  green  meadows  and  yellow  stubble- 
fields,  contrasting  with  the  dark  woodlands ;  the  silver 
course  of  the  river  Fyris  can  be  traced  in  the  distance,  and 
in  the  background  are  deep  woods,  in  whose  shades  the 
eye  is  completely  lost.  The  plain  is  crossed  by  excellent 
roads. 

Before  I  left  my  post  on  the  bastion,  I  cast  a  look  at 
the  garden  stretched  out  at  my  feet  and  separated  by  a 
street  from  the  castle ;  it  was  not  large,  but  appeared  to  be 
beautifully  laid  out. 

I  should  have  been' glad  to  visit  the  botanical  gardens 
which  were  the  favorite  resort  of  ^Linnaeus,  where  a  fine 
bust  of  that  great  botanist  is  to  be  seen ;  but  the  sun  had 
now  sunk  behind  the  hills,  and  I  repaired  to  my  little  cham- 
ber, to  prepare  for  my  journey  to  Daneinora  on  the  morrow. 

September  13tk. — I  left  Upsala  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  on  my  way  to  the  celebrated  mines  which  are  seven 
miles  from  that  place,  having  set  off  so  early  in  the  hope  of 
being  present  when  a  rock  was  blasted  in  the  pits,  which 
were  closed  as  soon  as  it  was  over.  I  had  been  told  so 
often  of  the  perpetual  delays  I  must  expect  in  travelling 
through  this  country,  that  I  was  resolved  to  have  time 
enough  before  me  on  this  occasion. 

About  half  a  mile  beyond  Upsala  lies  Gamla,  or  old 
Upsala.  I  only  saw  the  ancient  church  and  burying-ground, 
containing  a  few  large  mounds,  though  most  of  them  were 
small  and  insignificant.  It  is  conjectured  that  these  mounds 
contain  the  bones  of  several  Swedish  kings.  I  have  seen 
tumuli  of  the  same  description  in  Greece,  and  also  on  the 


240  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

spot  where  Troy  once  stood.  The  church  is  not  allowed  to 
go  to  decay ;  it  is  still  in  use,  and  I  saw  with  regret  the 
traces  of  fresh  plastering  among  its  gray  and  aged  walls. 

Half  way  between  Upsala  and  Danemora,  there  is  a 
large  castle,  which  has  nothing  but  its  size  to  recommend 
it.  The  river  Tyris  was  then  seen,  and  the  long  and  re- 
markable lake  of  Danemora ;  both  were  covered  with  sedge 
and  reeds,  and  their  shores  flat  and  tame.  The  whole  drive 
was  through  an  uninteresting  plain,  where  I  observed  no- 
thing worthy  of  notice  save  some  rocks,  which  attracted 
my  attention,  because  I  could  not  imagine  how  they  came 
there.  The  hills  and  mountains  were  far  removed,  and  the 
surface  of  the  plain  is  by  no  means  stony. 

The  little  village  of  Danemora,  lies  in  the  woods,  and 
contains  a  small  churqji  and  a  few  scattered  houses  of  vari- 
ous sizes  5  the  usual  mining  apparatus  appeared  in  sight  as 
we  approached,  and  I  found  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  have 
arrived  exactly  at  the  right  moment,  and  in  time  to  witness 
the  blasting  of  the  ore.  From  the  wide  opening  of  the 
largest  mine  it  is  easy  to  see  what  is  going  on  below ;  and 
it  is  a  rare  and  wonderful  spectacle  to  look  down  into  this 
abyss,  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet*  deep,  and  observe  the 
colossal  gates  and  entrances,  which  lead  to  the  different 
pits ;  the  rocky  bridges,  projections,  arches,  and  caverns 
formed  in  the  walls  of  the  mine,  some  of  which  extend  to 
the  upper  world.  The  miners  appear  like  puppets ;  their 
movements  can  hardly  be  distinguished,  till  the  eye  has  be- 
come somewhat  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  and  to  their 
diminutive  size ;  the  dim  light  was  sufficient,  however,  to 
enable  me  to  see  several  ladders,  which  seemed  like  play- 
things. 

It  was  nearly  noon,  and  most  of  the  workmen  were  leav- 
ing the  mines  ;  they  were  drawn  up  in  little  casks  by  means 


MINES  OF  DANEMORA.  241 

of  a  pully,  and  it  was  really  a  fearful  sight  to  see  them  sus- 
pended in  the  air  in  those  small  vehicles,  each  one  of  which 
often  held  three  miners,  one  standing  in  the  middle  and  the 
other  two  seated  on  the  edge.  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
go  down  into  the  pit  myself,  but  it  was  too  late  for  to-day. 
The  descent  had  no  terrors  for  me,  as  I  had  been  let  down 
into  the  celebrated  salt  mines  of  Wieliczka  and  Bochnia  in 
Galicia,  many  years  ago,  by  a  single  rope,  in  a  conveyance 
quite  as  dangerous  as  this  one. 

On  the  stroke  of  twelve,  a  match  was  applied  to  four 
trains  ;  the  man  who  lighted  them  immediately  sprang  back 
and  hid  himself  behind  a  wall  of  rock.  In  a  minute  or  two  we 
saw  the  powder  flash,  a  few  stones  were  cast  into  the  air, 
and  immediately  afterwards  a  loud  detonation  was  heard, 
and  the  blasted  mass  fell  in  fragments  around  ;  the  tremen- 
dous explosion  was  caught  up  by  the  echo,  and  resounded 
to  the  farthest  extremity  of  the  mine ;  and  to  add  to  the 
terrors  of  the  scene,  one  rock  was  hardly  shivered  before 
another  crash  was  heard,  and  immediately  afterwards  a 
third  and  a  fourth.  These  trains  are  laid  every  day  in  the 
different  mines. 

The  other  pits  are  still  deeper,  one  of  them  being  six 
hundred  feet  beneath  the  ground ;  but  their  openings  are 
smaller,  and  as  they  are  not  always  perpendicular,  the  eye 
is  soon  lost  in  their  depths,  which  produces  a  dismal  effect 
upon  the  spectator.  I  would  not  be  a  miner  on  any  ac- 
count ;  life  would  be  unendurable  to  me,  shut  out  from  the 
light  and  sun,  and  I  turned  my  eyes  from  the  dark  caverns, 
to  gaze  with  new  delight  on  the  bright  and  cheerful  land- 
scape around  me. 

I  returned  to  Upsala  the  same  day.  On  this  short  ex- 
cursion I  had  travelled  post ;  and  having  no  carriage  of  my 
own.  I  found  it  necessary  to  engage  a  conveyance  at  every 


242  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

station^  which  was  nothing  more  than  a  common  cart  with 
two  wheels  ;  the  seat  being  a  bundle  of  hay  covered  with  a 
horse-blanket.  If  the  roads  were  not  remarkably  good,  a 
drive  in  such  a  wagon  would  give  one  a  serious  shaking, 
though  I  certainly  preferred  them  to  the  Norwegian  car- 
riols,  where  I  was  obliged  to  sit  so  long  in  the  same  posi- 
tion. 

The  stations  are  unequal,  some  longer  and  some  shorter. 
The  post-horses  are  owned,  as  in  Norway,  by  the  country 
people,  who  go  by  the  name  of  Dschus  peasants  ;  every  even- 
ing they  are  obliged  to  collect  a  certain  number  of  horses, 
and  when  a  traveller  presents  himself,  he  can  ascertain  from 
a  book  how  many  horses  a  peasant  owns,  how  many  are 
then  in  use,  and  how  many  still  in  the  stable  ;  he  must,  on  his 
side,  enter  his  name  on  the  book,  as  well  as  the  hour  of  his 
departure,  and  the  number  of  animals  he  requires ;  in  this 
manner  the  whole  thing  is  easily  settled,  and  if  any  diffi- 
culty arise  it  is  soon  adjusted. 

There  are  also  demands  upon  the  patience  of  the  traveller 
here,  but  by  no  means  as  many  as  in  Norway.  At  every 
station  there  was  a  delay  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  to 
prepare  the  wagon  and  harness  the  horse,  but  never  longer  ; 
and  I  must  do  the  Swedish  postmasters  the  justice  to  say. 
that  they  never  exacted  a  double  price,  or  endeavored  to  tire 
me  into  offering  it.  The  speed  naturally  depends  upon  the 
quality  of  the  horse  and  the  inclination  of  the  driver  ;  but 
as  a  general  thing,  the  animals  have  a  very  easy  time  of  it. 
It  is  really  ridiculous  to  see  the  small  loads  they  are  re- 
quired to  draw,  be  it  grain,  bricks,  wood,  or  any  thing  else, 
and  the  slow  pace  at  which  they  move. 

The  innumerable  wooden  gates  in  the  road  are  a  terrible 
nuisance  to  travellers  ;  the  roads  are  all  cut  up  into  short 
divisions,  and  the  driver  is  sometimes  obliged  to  alight  six 


SINGULAR   COSTUME.  243 

or  eight  times  in  an  hour  to  open  and  close  the  gates;  this 
happens  even  on  the  great  post-routes,  though  rath'er  less 
frequently  than  in  the  by-roads.  Wood  is  as  abundant  here 
as  in  Norway  ;  every  thing  is  inclosed,  even  to  scraps  of 
land,  which  certainly  do  not  seem  worthy  of  the  labor  be- 
stowed upon  the  fence. 

The  little  villages  through  which  I  drove,  or  saw  at  a 
distance,  were  generally  very  pleasant  and  neat ;  and  the 
huts  I  visited,  while  the  horses  were  changing,  I  found 
tolerably  clean  and  comfortably  furnished. 

The  peasants  of  this  part  of  the  country  wear  a  singular 
costume.  The  men,  and  often  the  boys,  have  long  over- 
coats of  a  dark-blue  cloth,  and  cloth  caps ;  at  a  distance, 
they  might  almost  be  mistaken  for  gentlemen  in  their  tra- 
velling dress  ;  and  it  is  curious  to  see  so  many  persons  ap- 
parently of  that  class  following  the  plough,  or  mowing  hay. 
Upon  examination,  however,  the  resemblance  is  not  so 
striking,  as  their  clothes  are  apt  to  be  ragged  and  dirty, 
and  under  their  surtouts  they  wear  leathern  aprons  like 
those  used  by  carpenters  with  us.  I  observed  nothing  pe- 
culiar about  the  dress  of  the  women,  excepting  that  they 
were  generally  poorly  clad  and  often  very  ragged.  As  far 
as  regards  their  clothing,  the  Swedes  and  Norwegians  are 
much  behind  the  Icelanders,  although  they  have  greatly  the 
advantage  in  the  comfort  of  their  dwellings. 

September  \kth. — I  returned  to  Stockholm  to-day  by  the 
lake  of  Malar,  and  as  the  weather  was  favorable.  I  remained 
on  deck  to  observe  the  country.  For  the  first  mile  we  follow- 
ed the  course  of  the  River  Fyris,  which  winds  between  its 
level  banks  through  woodlands  and  meadows  to  the  sea. 

The  large  plain,  in  which  lie  New  and  Old  Upsala,  was 
soon  lost  in  the  distance,  and  after  having  passed  two 


244  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

bridges,  we  found  ourselves  once  more  in  the  lake,  which  is 
here  a"  wide  and  expansive  sheet  of  water,  without  islands. 
The  shores  are  surrounded  by  a  range  of  low  and  wooded 
hills.  We  soon  reached  the  region  of  islands,  where  the 
scenery  became  much  more  interesting ;  several  fine  coun- 
try-seats were  pointed  out  to  me,  among  which  were  the 
pretty  little  Castle  of  Krusenberg,  lying  most  picturesquely 
on  a  beautiful  height,  and  the  magnificent  Castle  of  Skuk- 
loster,  a  large,  handsome,  regular  building,  flanked  by  four 
mighty  towers,  which  is  situated  close  to  the  water's  edge 
in  the  midst  of  a  splendid  garden. 

This  part  of  the  lake  abounds  in  all  those  varied  beau- 
ties which  I  have  described  before ;  rocks  and  islands  are 
scattered  about,  and  in  some  places  the  latter  are  so  crowd- 
ed as  apparently  to  offer  no  further  outlet  for  the  waters  ; 
or  so  near  the  shores  as  to  seem  a  part  of  the  mainland.  The 
little  town  of  Sixtuna  lies  in  a  small  but  lovely  valley, 
scattered  with  ruins,  said  to  be  the  remains  of  the  old  Ro- 
man town  of  Sixtun  ;  among  them  are  several  round 
towers.  The  Latin  name  is  revived  in  that  of  the  new  place. 
The  rocks  and  cliffs  at  this  point  are  not  without  danger 
during  a  storm.  We  saw  several  other  castles,  one  of 
which  was  unusually  large  for  a  private  residence  ;  that  of 
Rouse  was  only  revealed  by  three  fine  cupolas  rising  above 
the  trees  ;  the  building  itself  was  concealed  by  a  low  and 
bare  hillock.  The  bridge  of  Nokeby  is  said  to  be  one  of 
the  longest  in  Sweden.  Here  Stockholm  appears  in  sight 
again,  and  steering  towards  that  place,  we  landed  once  more, 
at  two  o'clock,  in  the  capital  of  Sweden. 


PASSAGE  TO   TRAVEMUXD.  245 


/rnm  itnrktinlm  fa  €rmrcnnraft  imfr  lamhtrglj. 

ON  the  18th  of  September  I  bid  farewell  to  Stockholm, 
and  embarked  at  noon  in  the  steamer  "  Svithiold,"  of  a 
hundred  horse  power,  for  Travemund. 

The  fare  for  this  passage  was  enormous ;  the  dis- 
tance is  about  five  hundred  sea  miles,  the  time  three  days, 
and  the  price  of  the  second  cabin,  without  any  meals,  was 
forty  dollars,  or,  according  to  our  money,  thirty-five  florins 
C.  M.*  The  table  is,  moreover,  exorbitantly  high,  and  as 
it  is  under  the  control  of  the  captain,  there  is  no  one  to 
whom  one  can  complain  of  the  extortion,  which  must  be 
submitted  to  without  any  hopes  of  redress. 

One  of  the  poorer  passengers,  who  suffered  exceedingly 
from  sea-sickness,  was  anxious  to  obtain  a  bowl  of  soup  from 
the  steward,  who  referred  him  to  our  amiable  commander ; 
he  was  informed  that  no  deduction  would  be  made,  and  if  he 
wanted  some  soup,  he  must  pay  for  his  whole  dinner  ;  this 
he  could  not  afford  to  do,  without  scraping  together  every 
kreuzer  he  possessed,  as  the  charge  was  several  rix-dollars 
every  day ;  fortunately  a  few  benevolent  persons  compas- 
sionated his  case  and  paid  for  his  meal.  Some  of  the  gen- 
tlemen had  a  few  bottles  of  wine  with  them,  which  were 
taxed  at  almost  as  much  as  they  were  worth. 

The  Swedish  steamers  do  not  appear  to  be  remarkable  for 
the  strength  of  their  machinery  ;  at  least,  in  the  opinion  of 
some  of  my  fellow  travellers,  no  other  reason  could  be  assign- 
ed for  our  running  into  port  whenever  the  wind  or  sea  was 
high.  We  were  detained  twenty-four  hours  between  Stock- 

'"  Sixteen  dollars  and  eighty  cents. — Tr. 


246 


JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 


holm  and  Calmar,  and  at  the  latter  place  we  anchored,  and 
waited  for  a  more  favorable  breeze.  Several  gentlemen  who 
had  important  business  in  Lubeck,  left  the  steamer'  here, 
and  pursued  their  journey  by  land. 

The  scenery  of  this  part  of  the  Baltic  bears  the  same 
character  as  that  of  lake  Malar.  One  of  the  islands  is 
united  to  the  mainland  by  an  extraordinarily  long  bridge, 
called  Lindenbrog.  We  stopped  at  the  little  town  of 
Wachsholm,  in  one  of  the  bays,  a*nd  saw  a  fine  fortress,  on  a 
rocky  islet  opposite  that  place,  with  a  colossal  round  tower, 
and  from  the  formidable  number  of  cannon,  it  must  be  con- 
sidered a  fortification  of  the  first  class.  A  few  hours  later 
we  observed  another,  called  Friedricksborg,  which  does  not 
stand  out  so  boldly  as  the  one  we  had  seen  before,  being 
partly  surrounded  by  woods,  as  is  also  the  case  with  the 
large  castle  on  the  opposite  side. 

The  only  object  now  visible  on  our  right  was  the  craggy 
group  of  rocks  on  which  lies  the  fortress  of  Dolero,  and  a 
sufficient  number  of  houses  to  form  a  little  village. 

September  IQth. — To-day  we  were  in  the  rough  and  open 
sea.  About  noon  we  reached  the  Grulf  of  Calmar,  formed 
by  the  peninsula  of  Scholand,  and  a  long  island  called 
Oland.  The  "  Jungfrau,"  a  high  mountain,  of  which  the 
Swedes  are  very  proud,  was  visible  ;  it  stands  on  an  island, 
but  only  appears  so  striking  on  account  of  the  level  scenery 
around  it ;  compared  with  its  proud,  and  gigantic  namesake 
in  Switzerland,  it  is  a  mere  insignificant  hillock. 

September  2Qth. — Last  night  we  anchored  on  account  of 
the  head-wind,  and  it  was  not  till  to-day  at  ten  o'clock  that 
we  arrived  at  Calmar.  This  little  town  lies  on  an  immense 
plain,  and  possesses  no  object  of  sufficient  interest  to  induce 


OLD   CHURCH  AND    CASTLE.  24* 

a  delay,  excepting,  perhaps,  its  fine  church  and  its  old  castle  ; 
these  we  had  only  too  good  an  opportunity  to  examine,  as 
our  captain  gave  us  notice  that  we  should  remain  -here  for 
an  indefinite  period  ;  at  first  the  sea  was  so  rough  that  he 
declined  sending  us  on  shore,  but  after  a  while  a  boat  was 
lowered,  and  the  most  curious  among  us  were  permitted  to 
land. 

From  its  exterior,  the  church  might  be  mistaken  for  a 
fine  old  specimen  of  ancient  architecture,  and  it  looks  much 
more  like  a  castle  than  a  church.  It  has  large  corner  towers, 
and  its  dome,  as  well  as  the  other  tower,  are  too  low  to 
attract  attention.  The  inside  of  the  building  is  remarkable 
for  its  extent,  its  height,  and  its  extraordinary  echo,  which 
is  said  to  lend  a  wonderfully  fine  effect  to  the  tones  of  the 
organ.  We  sent  for  the  organist,  but  unfortunately  he  was 
not  to  be  found,  and  we  were  obliged  to  content  ourselves 
with  trying  the  echo  with  our  own  voices.  From  hence  we 
went  to  the  castle,  which  is  not  more  than  a  ten  minutes' 
walk  from  the  church ;  it  was  built  in  the  reign  of  Queen 
Margaret,  during  the  sixteenth  century,  and  internally  it  is 
in  such  a  state  of  dilapidation,  that  we  considered  it  by  no 
means  advisable  to  remain  very  long  in  the  upper  rooms. 
The  lower  story  has  been  kept  in  repair,  and  is  now  used  as 
a  prison;  many  hands  were  stretched  out  of  the  grated 
windows,  and  piteous  voices  begged  an  alms  from  us  as  we 
went  by.  More  than  a  hundred  and  forty  criminals  are  con- 
fined here. 

The  wind  abated  a  little  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  three 
o'clock  we  continued  our  journey.  The  Gulf  of  Calmar  is 
tame  ;  its  shores  are  flat,  and  without  wood. 

Sept.  21st. — When  I  came  on  deck  to-day,  the  gulf  was 
far  behind  us ;  nothing  but  the  open  sea  was  visible  on  our 


248  JOURS EY  TO  ICELAND. 

right,  and  to  the  left  was  the  barren  Schmoland,  and  still 
more  barren  Schonen,  which  last  showed  no  signs  of  life  but 
a  few  fishing  villages. 

At  nine  we  cast  our  anchor  in  the  haven  of  Ystadt ;  this 
town  is  rather  pretty,  and  has  a  large  square  which  contains 
the  house  of  the  governor,  the  theatre,  and  the  town  hall. 
The  streets  are  wide,  some  of  the  houses  being  of  wood  and 
some  of  stone.  The  old  church  is  the  most  interesting 
object  in  the  place ;  it  possesses  an  altar-piece  carved  in 
wood,  which  is  preserved  in  the  vestry,  the  composition  and 
carving  of  which  are  admirable,  although  the  figures  are  rather 
clumsy  and  irregular.  The  reliefs  on  the  chancel,  and  a  fine 
monument  by  the  side  of  the  high  altar,  must  not  be  over- 
looked ;  both  of  them  are  in  carved  wood. 

In  the  afternoon  we  had  passed  the  Danish  island  of 
Malmoe,  and  at  last,  having  been  nearly  four  days  on  the 
journey,  instead  of  two  and  a  half,  we  happily  reached  the 
harbor  of  Travemund  on  the  22d  of  September,  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  My  sea  voyages  were  now  at  an  end, 
to  my  great  regret ;  for  I  love  the  sea.  Whether  it  be  calm 
or  ruffled,  there  is  always  something  to  admire  in  its  bound- 
less surface ;  to  me  it  was  equally  delightful  to  glide  along 
smoothly  on  the  still  waters,  or  to  be  rocked  on  the  rest- 
less waves,  which  I  have  often  watched  for  hours  at  a  time 
during  a  storm,  till  I  was  wet  to  the  skin  by  the  rain  and 
the  sea.  I  had  now  become  so  good  a  sailor,  that  I  was  no 
longer  troubled  with  sea-sickness,  and  there  was  no  further 
drawback  to  interfere  with  my  admiration  of  this  element, 
so  grand  and  so  fearfully  beautiful  when  it  is  roused,  and  so 
peculiarly  fitted  to  raise  our  minds  to  the  Creator. 

We  had  hardly  anchored,  when  we  were  accosted  by  a 
whole  host  of  drivers,  each  anxious  to  induce  us  to  engage 
his  services  to  conduct  us  across  the  country  by  Lubeck  to 


TRAV&MUXD   TO  LUBECK.  249 

Hamburgh,  a  distance  of  eight  miles  (German),*  which  is 
usually  accomplished  in  nine  hours. 

Travemund  is  a  neat  little  village,  with  a  single  street,  in 
which  almost  every  house  is  a  hotel.  The  drive  to  Lubeck 
(two  miles)  is  perfectly  delightful ;  the  road  is  excellent 
and  leads  through  a  pleasant  wood,  by  a  cemetery  almost 
equal  to  that  of  Upsala  in  beauty,  as  it  might  be  mistaken  for 
a  magnificent  park  if  it  were  not  for  the  monuments  it  con- 
tains. 

I  regretted  exceedingly  my  not  being  able  to  devote  one 
day  to  Lubeck;  this  old  Hanse  town,  with  its  time-honored 
cathedral,  and  other  churches,  its  handsome  square  and 
pyramidical  houses,  held  out  many  temptations^  to  detain 
me.  But  I  could  not  stop ;  and  could  only  gaze  and  admire, 
as  I  hurried  through  the  place.  The  side-walks  and  pave- 
ments are  superior  to  those  in  any  other  northern  city ;  and 
the  houses  are  generally  provided  with  wooden  balconies, 
where  the  inhabitants  apparently  spend  the  pleasant  even- 
ings. The  dazzling  Hamburgh  plate-glass  windows  re- 
appeared here.  The  Trave,  which  we  had  crossed  between 
Travemund  and  Lubeck,  encircles  the  latter  town  on  one 
side. 

Near  Oldeslo  we  saw  the  innumerable  smoke  columns 
and  fine  buildings  of  the  salt-works ;  and  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Arensberg  an  old  and  romantic  castle,  entirely  surround- 
ed by  water.  From  this  place  to  Hamburgh  the  country 
becomes  flat  and  uninteresting,  .although  it  was  rich  in 
fruitful  fields  and  meadows. 

This  short  excursion  from  Lubeck  to  Hamburgh  is  rather 
an  expensive  one  ;  and  there  are  an  incredible  number  of  taxes 
and  tolls,  which  the  driver  pays.  First,  it  cost  him  a  florin 

*  Thirty-six  and  a  half  English  miles. 


250  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

and  sixteen  kreuzers  to  obtain  a  permit  to  pass  from  the 
territory  of  Lubeck  to  that  of  Hamburgh ;  he  then  paid 
double  at  the  gates  of  Lubeck,  because  we  left  the  city  before 
five  o'clock,  at  which  hour  they  are  first  opened ;  and  at 
almost  every  mile  he  was  obliged  to  hand  over  five  or  six 
kreuzers  for  the  turnpike. 

This  last  annoyance  is  unknown  in  Sweden  and  Norway, 
where,  after  a  certain  sum  has  been  paid  yearly  for  every 
horse,  they  can  go  all  over  the  country  without  restriction. 

The  houses  of  the  peasants  are  very  large  in  this  part  of 
the  country,  which  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  stables, 
sheds  and  barns,  are  all  under  the  same  roof;  the  frames 
are  generally  of  wood  filled  in  with  brick. 

The  towers  of  Wandsbeck  and  Hamburgh  appeared  in 
sight  soon  after  we  left  Arensberg,  both  of  those  places 
being  like  a  -single  town,  as  they  are  only  separated  by 
the  grounds  of  some  pleasant  country-houses ;  though  in 
comparison  with  Hamburgh,  Wandsbeck  cannot  be  ranked 
above  a  village. 

At  two  in  the  afternoon  I  reached  the  residence  of  my 
kind  relatives,  who  received  me  with  as  much  astonishment 
as  if  I  had  been  raised  from  the  dead.  When  I  left  Iceland 
I  had  forwarded  to  my  cousin  in  Hamburgh  a  little  box  of 
minerals,  by  a  ship  which  sailed  at  the  same  time  for  Altona ; 
and  the  sailor  who  had  charge  of  it  gave  such  an  indifferent 
account  of  the  vessel  in  which  I  had  taken  my  passage,  that 
as  no  news  had  ever  reached  him  of  my  safe  arrival  in 
Copenhagen,  although  I  had  written  from  that  place,  he  took 
it  for  granted  I  had  gone  to  the  bottom  ;  and  hence  his 
unlimited  surprise  at  my  re-appearance. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  HAMBURGH.  251 

/rom  Itotorglj  tn  36dk  " 

My  time  was  now  very  short ;  and  after  spending  a  few 
plasant  days  with  my  relations,  I  took  leave  of  them  on 
the  26th  of  September,  and  set  off  in  a  small  steamer  on 
the  Elbe  for  Haarburg,  which  place  I  reached  in  three 
quarters  of  an  hour,  when  I  changed  my  conveyance  to  the 
stage-coach,  and  proceeded  to  Celle  (fourteen  miles).  There 
is  little  to  be  said  of  the  scenery  ;  the  country  is  flat  and 
marshy,  with  a  few  fruitful  fields  and  pastures  scattered 
about. 

Sept.  27tk. — We  arrived  at  Celle  in  the  night.  Here  I 
was  obliged  to  hire  a  private  conveyance  for  Lehrte  (a  mile 
and  a  half),  where  I  took  the  cars  for  Berlin,  passing  a 
number  of  towns  and  villages  by  the  way,  though  they  were 
too  far  from  the  railroad  to  see  any  thing  of  them,  as  we 
flew  rapidly  by. 

The  first  was  Brunswick,  with  its  pretty  ducal  castle, 
built  in  the  Gothic  style,  and  lying  just  out  of  the  town  in 
a  fine  park.  Wolfenbiittel  appears  to  be  a  large  place,  from 
the  number  of  its  houses  and  churches  ;  it  possesses  a  hand- 
some wooden  bridge  over  the  Ocker,  with  an  elegant  iron 
railing.  There  is  a  delightful  public  walk  near  this  town, 
leading  to  a  gentle  eminence,  crowned  by  a  fine  building, 
which  is  used  as  a  coffee-house. 

Upon  leaving  the  confines  of  Hanover,  the  swamps  and 
heaths  also  disappeared,  and  were  succeeded  by  a  well  cul- 
tivated country,  with  a  number  of  villages  and  pretty  little 
towns,  which  I  was  loth  to  pass  so  rapidly. 

We  soon  came  to  Schepenstadt,  Jersheim,  and  Wegers- 
leben.  which  last  belongs  to  Prussia.  At  Aschersleben  we 
changed  cars,  as  well  as  at  Magdeburgh.  At  Salze  I  ob- 


252  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

* 

served  the  fine  buildings  belonging  to  the  extensive  salt- 
works in  that  place.  Jernandau  is  the  seat  of  a  Moravian 
settlement.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  visit  Kothen,  as 
nothing  can  be  more  delightful  than  the  situation  of  that 
little  town,  in  the  midst  of  blooming  gardens  ;  but  unfor- 
tunately, we  only  stopped  for  a  few  minutes.  The  environs 
of  Dessau  are  also  very  pleasant.  There  are  several  bridges 
here  over  different  branches  of  the  Elbe  ;  and  that  over  the 
river  itself  rests  on  mighty  pillars.  Of  Wittenburg  and 
Juterbog  we  saw  nothing  but  a  mass  of  roofs  and*  steeples  ; 
the  last-mentioned  place  has  a  very  new  appearance,  as  if  it 
had  lately  sprung  up.  The  sandy  region  begins  at  Luke- 
walde,  and  stretches  uninterruptedly  to  Berlin,  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  range  of  wooded  hills  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Trebbin. 

I  had  accomplished  forty-six  miles*  to-day,  between  the 
hours  of  six  in  the  morning  and  seven  at  night.  In  that 
distance  the  cars  had  been  changed  repeatedly  ;  there  was 
an  extraordinary  number  of  travellers,  in  consequence  of 
the  Leipsic  fair,  and  the  train  often  consisted  of  thirty-five 
or  forty  cars,  three  locomotives,  and  at  least  seven  or  eight 
hundred  passengers.  Every  thing  was  conducted  with  the 
greatest  order,  however  ;  and  what  was  a  great  convenience, 
we  could  take  our  places  at  Lehrte  for  Berlin,  although  we 
passed  through  so  many  different  state's,  and  we  had  no 
farther  trouble  about  our  seats  or  our  luggage.  The -at- 
tendants were  all  very  civil.  At  every  station  the  con- 
ductor announced  with  a  loud  voice  how  long  we  should 
stop — two  or  three  minutes,  half  an  hour,  &c.  ;  and  those 
who  felt  inclined  to  refresh  themselves,  knew  exactly  how 
many  minutes  they  might  loiter  at  the  neighboring  hotel  or 

*  Two  hundred  and  seven  English  miles. — Tr. 


CONVENIENT  ARRANGEMENTS.  253 

station-house.  The  cars  are  very  easy  of  access,  as  they 
run  into  deep  furrows  at  the  stopping-places,  and  are  flush 
with  the  ground  ;  consequently  no  steps  are  needed.  They 
are  divided  into  wide  carriages,  with  two  seats  opposite 
each  other,  and  a  door  at  each  end.  Eight  persons  are  ac- 
commodated in  the  first  and  second-class  cars,  and  ten  in 
the  others.  They  are  all  numbered,  so  that  every  passenger 
can  find  his  place  with  ease  ;  and  no  one  is  locked  in.  By 
these  simple  arrangements,  it  is  easy  for  any  one  to  get  out, 
even  when  the  train  only  stops  for  a  couple  of  minutes,  and 
take  a  short  turn,  or  buy  something  to  eat,  without  the  least 
trouble  or  confusion. 

But  when  the  cars  are  as  long  as  a  house,  and  hold 
sixty  or  seventy  people,  who  are  sometimes  fastened  in,  I 
would  not  advise  any  one  to  attempt  to  make  a  move  when 
the  conductor  opens  the  door  and  merely  calls  out  the  name 
of  the  place,  without  mentioning  how  long  a  delay  there 
will  be  ; — for  by  the  time  they  have  fought  their  way  to 
the  end  of  the  car,  slipped  through  the  little  door  and  down 
the  steps,  the  whistle  is  heard  again,  and  the  train  is  in 
motion  immediately,  as  the  signal  is  given  for  the  engineer, 
and  not  for  the  benefit  of  the  passengers. 

Another  great  advantage  on  this  road  is,  that  there  was 
not  the  least  trouble  with  the  passports,  or  the  still  more 
insupportable  passirsehein.  No  troublesome  police-officer 
intrudes  to  prevent  the  passengers  from  leaving  the  cars 
till  they  have  found  out  all  about  each  and  every  one  of 
them.  I  should  like  to  know  how  many  days  this  journey 
would  take,  if  it  were  necessary  to  produce  one's  passport 
as  often  as  in  some  other  states ;  particularly  if  they 
could  not  be  examined  on  the  spot,  but  must  be  carried  to 
the  office  for  that  purpose.  * 

And  all  these  annoyances,  hard  as  it  is  to  be  believed. 


254  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

must  often  be  submitted  to  more  than  once  in  the  same 
territory ;  one  need  not  come  from  a  foreign  land ;  but 
merely  in  passing  from  one  provincial  capital  to  another, 
the  most  vexatious  investigations  are  repeatedly  endured. 

This  is  the  only  country  where  I  have  ever  experienced 
any  thing  of  the  kind  ;  my  passport  was  always  demanded 
at  the  hotel  at  every  capital  where  I  remained  any  length 
of  time.  In  Stockholm,  a  singular  arrangement  prevailed, 
however  ;  every  stranger  who  visits  that  place,  if  it  be  but 
for  twenty-four  hours,  must  provide  himself  with  a  Swedish 
passport,  for  which  he  pays  one  florin  and  twenty  kreuzers.* 
This  can  only  be  viewed  in  the  light  of  an  ingenious  con- 
trivance to  obtain  that  sum  from  the  traveller,  as  the  offi- 
cials are  apparently  ashamed  to  exact  as  much  for  a  simple 
vise  on  his  papers. 


95irlfn,  ntrfr  Extern  to  t&m 

Berlin  is  the  handsomest  and  most  regular  town  I  have 
ever  seen  ;  the  finest  streets,  squares,  and  palaces  of  Copen- 
hagen, can  hardly  bear  a  comparison  with  this  place. 

I  had  but  few  days  to  spend  there,  and  lost  no  time  in 
visiting  all  the  most  remarkable  objects  of  curiosity,  many 
of  which,  such  as  the  magnificent  palace  of  the  king,  the  ex- 
tensive picture-gallery,  the  museum,  and  the  large  cathedral, 
are  all  within  an  easy  distance  of  each  other. 

The  cathedral  is  large  and  regular  ;  on  each  side  of 
the  entrance  there  is  a  chapel  surrounded  by  an  iron  lat- 
tice-work, where  several  kings  lie  buried,  beneath  antiquated 

9 

*  Ninety-two  cent*. — Tr. 


BERLIN.  255 

sarcophagi,  which  bear  the  name  of  the  royal  graves,  and 
near  this  spot  is  a  huge  monument  under  which  reposes  one 
of  the  dukes  of  Brandenburgh. 

The  Catholic  church  is  built  in  the  style  of  the  Rotunda 
at  Rome,  with  the  only  difference,  that  it  is  not  lighted  from 
above,  but  by  a  circular  row  of  windows.  This  church  is 
adorned  by  several  statues,  and  a  tasteful,  though  simple 
altar  ;  the  portico  contains  several  fine  bass-reliefs. 

The  architecture  of  the  Werderische  church  is  more 
modern,  though  it  may  also  be  called  Grothic.  The  towers 
have  handsome  bass-reliefs  in  bronze  ;  the  walls  of  the  in- 
terior are  wainscoted  to  the  galleries,  inlaid  with  colors 
and  terminated  by  a  row  of  carved  wood-work.  The  organ, 
has  a  clear,  full  tone ;  it  is  adorned  with  a  painting,  which 
savors  more  of  mythological  taste  than  our  present  religious 
notions.  A  crowd  of  Cupids  hover  among  labyrinths  of 
flowers  above  three  beautiful  female  figures. 

The  mint,  and  the  academy  of  architecture,  are  very 
near  this  church  ;  the  first  is  adorned  with  handsome  stat- 
uary, but  the  latter  is  an  unpretending  building  of  a  quad- 
rangular form,  and  resembles  a  very  extensive  private 
dwelling.  It  is  painted  red. 

Near  the  king's  residence  is  the  Opern-Platz,  in 
which  is  situated  the  celebrated  opera-house,  the  arsenal,  the 
flKiiversity.  the  library,  the  academy,  the  guard-house,  and 
several  royal  palaces.  The  square  is  ornamented  by  the 
statues  of  three  generals,  Count  Billow,  Count  Scharnhorst^ 
and  Prince  Bliicher ;  they  are  all  fine  works  of  art,  but  I 
was  not  impressed  with  the  costume,  which  was  an  ordinary 
cloak,  thrown  open  in  front  to  display  part  of  the  magnifi- 
cent uniforms. 

The  arsenal,  which  is  one  of  the  handsomest  edifices  in 
Berlin,  is  a  large  square  building  ;  but  as  it  was,  unfor 


256  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

Innately,  undergoing  some  repairs  during  my  visit,  I  was 
not  able  to  see  the  interior,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
enormous  halls  on  the  ground-floor,  which  I  looked  at 
through  the  window,  and  found  to  contain  whole  rows  of 
formidable  guns.  The  guard-house  is  near  the  arsenal ;  it 
has  a  portico,  with  a  row  of  columns,  bearing  a  resem- 
blance to  a  fine  temple. 

The  opera-house  is  built  in  the  shape  of  a  parallelo- 
gram, and  stands  alone.  The  entrances  are  unworthy  of  so 
fine  a  building  ;  even  the  principal  one  is  narrow,  and  of  a 
dark  color,  like  the  door  of  an  insignificant  church;  the 
others  are  even  lower,  and  no  one  would  guess  that  they  led 
to  such  a  magnificent  scene  within.  The  interior  of  the 
theatre  is  elegant  and  luxurious  beyond  description.  The 
seats  of  the  parterre  are  comfortable  and  well  cushioned 
arm-chairs  ;  they  are  not  inclosed,  and  each  seat  is  num- 
bered. The  boxes  are  only  divided  by  a  partition,  not  more 
than  a  foot  high,  and  the  fashionable  world  who  frequents 
them  is  full  in  sight ;  the  boxes  of  the  first  and  second 
tier,  as  well  as  the  seats  in  the  pit,  are  covered  with  dark 
red  silk  damask.  The  royal  box  is  carpeted  like  an  elegant 
saloon.  The  ceiling  of  the  theatre  is  adorned  with  fine  oil 
paintings,  framed  in  gold.  But  the  master-piece  is  the 
enormous  chandelier,  which  has  the  appearance  of  being  in 
massive  bronze,  and  has  a  threatening  look,  suspended  over 
the  heads  of  the  spectators  ;  in  reality,  however,  it  is  made 
of  pasteboard,  and  its  weight  is  far  from  dangerous.  Nu- 
merous gas-lights  illuminate  tne  whole  building  ;  and  the 
only  thing  I  missed,  in  the  otherwise  complete  arrangements, 
was  a  clock  ;  no  Italian  theatre  is  ever  without  one. 

The  other  palaces  and  edifices  of  the  Opern  Platz  are 
more  conspicuous  for  their  size  than  their  architectural 
merit. 


KONIGSTADT.  257 

An  extraordinarily  wide  stone  bridge,  with  a  handsome 
railing,  leads  across  a  small  branch  of  the  Spree,  and  con- 
nects this  place  with  the  one  which  contains  the  palace  of 
the  king.  The  royal  museum  is  a  fine  building,  with  a 
high  portico  painted  in  fresco.  The  picture-gallery  pos- 
sesses many  chefs-d'ceuvres,  and  I  regretted  extremely  that 
I  had  so  little  time  to  devote  to  these  treasures  of  art,  and 
to  the  collection  of  antiques  ;  I  could  allow  myself  but 
three  hours  to  see  them  all. 

An  uncommonly  broad  and  long  street  stretches  from 
the  academy,  and  is  adorned  by  a  double  row  of  lime-trees, 
from  which  it  takes  its  name  of  Unter  den  Linden  (or 
under  the  limes)  ;  this  beautiful  promenade  extends  to  the 
handsome  Brandenburgh  Gate,  near  which  is  the  public 
park.  Among  the  streets  which  abut  upon  the  Linden,  the 
longest  and  finest  are  the  Friedrichs  and  the  Wilhelms- 
strasse.  The  Leipzigerstrasse  is  also  a  well-built  thorough- 
fare, but  does  not  run  in  this  direction. 

The  French  and  German  churches  stand  in  the  Gens- 
d'Armes  Platz  ;  but  they  are  only  conspicuous  for  their 
high  cupolas,  pillars,  and  porticoes  ;  their  interior  is  small 
and  unpretending.  The  royal  theatre,  in  the  same  place, 
is  a  large  and  tastefully  fitted  up  building,  with  colonnades, 
and  statues  of  the  Muses. 

I  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  telegraph  tower,  for  the  sake 
of  the  view  over  the  level  environs  of  Berlin.  A  very  civil 
attendant  was  so  good-natured  as  to  explain  the  signals  to 
me,  and  allowed  me  to  look  at  the  distant  telegraphs 
through  the  telescope. 

Konigstadt,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Spree,  offers 
little  that  is  worthy  of  notice.  The  principal  street,  the 
Konigstrasse,  is  long,  but  narrow  and  dirty.  This  place 
presents  a  striking  contrast  to  Berlin  proper  ;  the  only  re- 


256  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

inarkable  buildings  are  the  post-office  and  the  theatre,  and 
all  the  streets  are  narrow,  short,  and  full  of  angles. 

The  shops  in  some  parts  of  Berlin  are  very  magnifi- 
cent ;  and  I  saw  many  window-panes  which  reminded  me 
of  Hamburgh,  though  they  did  not  attain  the  extravagant 
dimensions  so  common  in  that  city. 

There  is  not  much  to  be  seen  in  the  neighborhood  :( 
Berlin ;  the  Thiergarten  (or  public  park),  and.  Charlotten- 
burg,  are  the  most  agreeable  excursions ;  and  now  that  the 
railroad  has  lessened  the  distance  so  much,  Potsdam  may 
also  be  said  to  belong  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
capital 

The  park  lies  just  outside  of  the  Brandenburgh  Gate  ;  it 
is  cut  up  into  several  divisions,  one  of  which  reminded  me 
of  our  beloved  Prater.  The  beautiful  alleys  were  crowded 
with  carriages,  horsemen,  and  pedestrians  ;  the  woods  were 
enlivened  by  elegant  coffee-houses,  and  children  were  frol- 
icking on  the  turf;  all  of  which  carried  me  back  so  vividly 
to  the  Prater,  that  I  could  hardly  understand  why  I  saw 
no  greeting  on  any  familiar  face.  The  Krollische  Casino,  or 
winter  garden,  is  situated  in  this  part  of  the  park  ;  I  hardly 
know  what  name  to  bestow  on  this  edifice ;  it  resembles  a 
fairy  palace.  The  most  costly  decorations,  gilding,  paint- 
ing, draperies,  &c.,  are  exhibited  in  the  splendid  saloons, 
halls,  temples,  galleries,  and  boxes.  The  principal  hall, 
which  can  accommodate  eighteen  hundred  persons,  has  no 
windows,  but  receives  its  light  from  a  glass  roof;  the  galleries 
and  smaller  saloons  are  divided  from  this  one  by  colonnades. 
All  the  niches  and  corners  are  adorned  with  flowers,  in 
costly  jars  ;  and  in  winter  the  scene  is  one  of  perfect  en 
chantment.  The  Sunday  reunions  and  concerts  are  always 
crowded,  in  spite  of  the  prohibition  against  smoking.  The 
building  will  hold  five  thousand  people. 


CHARLOTTES  B  I' KG.  259 

Near  the  Potsdam  Gate  the  park  has  all  the  appearance 
of  a  pleasure  garden,  with  its  trim  alleys,  flower-beds,  ter- 
races, islands,  fish-ponds,  &c.  The  Luiseninsel,  where  there 
is  a  fine  monument  to  Queen  Louisa,  is  well  worthy  of  a 
visit.  The  Odeon  is  the  best  coffee-house  in  this  part  of 
the  park,  but  it  cannot  be  compared  with  the  Casino.  The 
numerous  country-houses  in  this  neighborhood,  are  exceed- 
ingly handsome,  and  generally  built  in  the  Italian  style. 


This  place  is  at  half  an  hour's  distance  from  the  Bran- 
denburgh  Gate,  and  omnibuses  are  always  in  readiness  to 
convey  any  visitors  to  the  spot.  The  road  crosses  the  park, 
at  the  extremity  of  which  is  a  pretty  little  village,  adjoining 
the  royal  castle,  a  long  but  shallow  building  of  two  stories, 
the  upper  one  being  very  low  and  occupied  only  by  ser- 
vants. The  roof  is  terraced,  and  in  its  centre  is  a  hand- 
some cupola. 

The  garden  is  unpretending,  and  far  from  large,  but  it 
contains  a  fine  collection  of  orange-trees.  In  a  dark  ar- 
bor, is  the  small  building  which  contains  the  mausoleum  of 
Queen  Louisa  and  her  fine  statue  by  the  celebrated,  sculptor 
Rauch ;  the  remains  of  the  late  king  also  repose  here,  by 
the  side  of  his  beloved  consort.  A  little  beyond  is  an  island 
with  statuettes,  and  a  large  pond  where  some  swans  were 
proudly  sailing  about.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  no  dirt 
will  adhere  to  these  white-feathered  birds  ; "  for  if  it  did,  we 
should  see  here  a  wonderful  race  of  black  swans,  as  the 
stream  where  this  island  lies  is  one  of  the  dirtiest  puddles 
I  have  ever  seen. 

Let  no  one  who  is  already  tired  visit  these  grounds,  for 


260  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

there  are  very  few  seats  ;  though  musquitoes  abound  in  anT 
quantities. 


The  distance  from  Berlin  to  Potsdam  is  hardly  four 
Grerman  miles,  which  are  accomplished  by  the  railway  in 
three  quarters  of  an  hour.  The  arrangements  on  this  road 
are  very  convenient  ;  for  instance,  the  cars  are  marked  with 
the  names  of  the  different  stations,  which  prevents  a  vast  deal 
of  confusion,  as  all  the  passengers  for  any  particular  place 
can  get  in  and  out  at  once  without  running  against  the 
other  travellers. 

The  drive  is  by  no  means  interesting  ;  but  Potsdam 
itself  is  a  place  so  well  worthy  of  no^e,  that  one  day  bare- 
ly suffices  to  see  all  that  it  contains.  The  Havel  flows  di- 
rectly by  the  town,  and  is  crossed  by  a  long  and  remark- 
ably handsome  stone  bridge,  with  iron  rafters  and  railing. 
The  royal  castle  lies  on  the  opposite  bank  ;  it  has  a  garden 
in  the  rear,  not  very  extensive,  indeed,  but  sufficiently  so  to 
be  an  agreeable  resort  for  the  public,  to  whom  it  is  thrown 
open.  The  building  is  on  a  very  grand  scale,  but  it  is  not 
a  favorite  residence  with  the  court  ;  the  preference  being 
given  to  the  beautiful  summer  palaces  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  in  winter  to  the  capital. 

The  place  in  front  of  the  castle  is  far  from  handsome, 
as  it  is  neither  large  nor  regular,  and  riot  even  level  ;  it 
contains  the  principal  church,  which  is  still  uncompleted, 
but  promises  to  be  a  fine  edifice.  The  town  is  well  built, 
and  rather  large  5  the  streets,  particularly  the  Rauner- 
strasse,  are  wide  and  long,  but  very  badly  paved,  the  point- 
ed side  of  the  stones  being  generally  uppermost.  There  is 
a  side-walk,  however,  about  two  feet  wide,  for  foot-passen- 


POTSDAM.  261 

gers.  The  only  public  promenade  is  a  place  near  the  canal 
with  several  alleys. 

The  first  that  I  visited  among  the  royal  country-seats 
was  Sans-Souci,  lying  in  the  centre  of  a  pleasant  park, 
on  an  elevation  which  is  cut  into  six  terraces ;  on  each  of 
these  is  a  conservatory,  with  whole  alleys  of  orange  and 
lemon-trees.  The  castle  is  of  a  single  story,  and  is  so  com- 
pletely shut  in  by  trees,  arbors,  and  vines,  that  very  little  of 
it  is  to  be  seen.  I  was  not  admitted  to  the  interior,  as  it 
was  then  occupied  by  the  royal  family. 

A  little  path  leads  to  the  artificial  ruins  of  two  temples 
of  various  sizes  lying  on  a  hillock,  which  commands  a  view 
of  the  rear  of  the  palace  of  Sans-Souci,  and  of  the  new  pa- 
lace, only  separated  from  the  first  by  the  park,  and  at  a  dis- 
tance of  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  There  is  also  an 
extensive  pond  on  the  same  hill  with  the  ruins. 

Nothing  more  magnificent  can  be  conceived  than  the 
new  palace,  built  by  Frederick  the  Great.  It  is  in  the 
shape  of  a  parallelogram,  ornamented  with  columns  and 
arabesques,  and  covered  with  a  terraced  roof,  surround- 
ed by  a  stone  balustrade,  and  embellished  with  statues. 

The  saloons  and  other  apartments  are  large  and  high, 
splendidly  painted  and  furnished ;  all  the  walls  being  hung 
with  tape'stry  and  adorned  with  numerous  oil  paintings, 
some  of  which  are  master-pieces.  One  of  the  rooms  on  the 
ground-floor  is  entirely  inlaid  with  the  handsomest  shells. 
There  is  really  no  end  to  the  wonders  of  this  fairy  palace, 
which,  nevertheless,  is  not  inhabited.  In  the  rear  are  two 
small  but  very  elegant  buildings,  communicating  with  each 
other  by  a  colonnade  in  the  shape  of  a  half  moon  ;  and  very 
handsome  flights  of  steps  lead  to  terraces  which  surround 
the  first  floor  of  these  little  castles,  which  are  now  used  for 
barracks,  and  are  certainly  the  finest  edifices  I  have  ever 
seen  devoted  to  that  purpose. 


262  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

From  here  a  pleasant  road  led  to  the  .delightful  little 
castle  of  Oharlottenhof.  Coming  from  the  new  palace,  I 
could  hardly  imagine  it  to  be  the  residence  even  of  the 
crown  prince  ;  it  appeared  much  more  like  a  small  pavilion 
attached  to  the  great  palace,  where  the  royal  family  might 
occasionally  assemble  for  a  collation,  than  a  dwelling  for 
one  of  its  members.  But  when  I  had  examined  all  its 
rooms,  and  admired  the  prevailing  luxury  and  taste,  I  was 
ready  to  admit  that  it  was  worthy  to  accommodate  the  heir 
to  the  throne.  Fountains  were  playing  on  the  upper  ter- 
races ;  the  walls  of  the  corridors  and  vestibules  were  paint- 
ed in  magnificent  frescoes,  like  those  of  Pompeii ;  the 
rooms  themselves  being  adorned  with  the  finest  paintings, 
engravings,  and  other  treasures  of  art.  The  greatest 
splendor  was  displayed .  throughout  the  whole  establish- 
ment. 

Not  far  from  this  little  gem  is  a  Chinese  Kiosk  with  a 
number  of  figures,  which  are  mostly  in  a  mutilated  and 
damaged  condition. 

Each  of  these  royal  palaces  is  surrounded  by  a  fine 
park,  all  three  of  which  are  so  close  together  that  they  might 
be  mistaken  for  the  same  inclosure ;  they  contain  hand- 
some woods,  and  fields,  with  shady  walks  and  drives  ; 
though  not  many  flowers  are  to  be  seen. 

After  having  leisurely  examined  the  whole,  I  returned 
to  Sans-Souci,  to  witness  the  celebrated  play  of  the  foun- 
tains, which  takes  place  twice  a  week,  on  Tuesdays  and 
Fridays,  from  noon  till  evening.  The  streams  of  water 
from  the  two  basins  in  front  of  the  palace,  are  extraordi- 
narily high  and  powerful.  It  is  delightful  to  stand  near 
them  when  the  sun  is  shining,  and  watch  the  rainbows  in 
the  spray.  The  water  also  flows  from  a  high  vase  sur- 
rounded with  wreaths  of  living  flowers,  and  forms  a  beau- 


MARBLE  P ALACK  263 

tiful  fall,  as  clear  and  transparent  as  the  purest  crystal ; 
the  fall  is  surmounted  by  two  wreaths  of  flowers  twined 
together.  The  little  grotto  of  Neptune  has  a  miniature 
cascade  thrown  from  a  vase  over  a  basin  of  shells. 

I  had  still  to  visit  the  marble  palace  on  the  opposite 
side  of  Potsdam,  at  about  half  an  hour's  walk  from  the 
other  castles.  The  park  around  it  is  flanked  on  the  left  by 
a  row  of  exceedingly  neat  cottages,  all  built  exactly  alike, 
and  only  separated  by  orchards,  and  flower  or  vegetable 
gardens.  The  palace  is  near  the  end  of  the  park,  on  the 
bank  of  a  little  lake  formed  by  the  river  Havel.  The 
name  of  the  Marble  Palace,  which  it  bears,  is  not  entirely 
undeserved,  though  it  differs  in  many  respects  from  the 
marble  buildings  of  Venice,  or  the  mosques  of  Constanti- 
nople. The  walls  are  of  bricks,  left  to  their  natural  color, 
but  the  facings  and  window-sills  are  of  marble,  as  well  as 
the  wide  portal.  The  castle  is  partly  surrounded  by  a 
colonnade.  The  steps  are  of  handsome  white  marble,  and 
several  of  the  rooms  are  paved  with  the  same.  The  interior 
is  not  so  luxuriously  fitted  up  as  the  other  palaces  in 
Potsdam. 

I  had  now  seen  every  thing  worthy  of  note  of  which 
that  place,  and  the  other  environs  of  Berlin,  could  boast  ^ 
and  on  the  following  morning  I  continued  my  journey  to 
Vienna. 

In  conclusion.  I  must  mention  one  regulation  in  Berlin 
which  strangers  have  great  cause  to  approve,  and  that  is, 
the  moderate  price  of  hack  hire.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
make  any  bargain;  you  merely  take  your  seat  and  say 
where  you  wish  to  go,  in  whatever  part  of  the  city  it  may 
be ;  it  will  only  cost  you  five  groschen.*  A  number  of 

*  About  eleven  cents. — Tr. 


264  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

droschkis  are  also  to  be  found  near  the  railroad,  which  can 
be  hired  at  a  very  reasonable  rate,  and  will  convey  the  tra- 
veller to  any  hotel  in  the  place.  I  wish  the  Viennese  hack- 
men  were  equally  accommodating. 

October  1st. — I  went  by  the  railroad  through  Leipsic 
to  Dresden,  where  I  took  the  mail-coach  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  by  which  conveyance  I  reached  Prague  in 
eighteen  hours. 

The  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Nollendorfer  hills  was 
lost  upon  us  of  course,  as  we  passed  it  in  the  night.  We 
observed  two  fine  monuments  on  the  following  morning  ; 
one.  a  pyramid  fifty-four  feet  high,  is  erected  to  the  memory 
of  Marshal  Count  Kolloredo,  and  the  other  to  the  Russian 
troops  who  fell  in  the  wars  of  Napoleon. 

We  went  on  through  a  lovely  country  to  Teplitz,  a 
bathing  place,  equally  celebrated  for  its  medicinal  springs, 
and  the  uncommon  loveliness  o£its  environs.  The  remark- 
able isolated  rock  of  basalt,  called  Boren,  which  attracts 
the  attention  of  the  traveller  in  this  neighborhood,  is  well 
worth  the  trouble  of  a  closer  inspection,  though  we  could 
not  spare  the*  time  for  that  purpose,  as  we  were  hurrying 
towards  Prague  in  the  hope  of  reaching  that  place  in  season 
"for  the  six  o'clock  train  to  Vienna. 

Our  dismay  can  be  imagined,  therefore,  when  on  arriv- 
ing at  the  gates  of  Prague,  our  passports  were  deliberately 
carried  off  and  not  returned  to  us.  In  vain  we  referred  to 
the  vis£  of  Peterswalde  on  the  frontier,  in  vain  we  pleaded 
our  hurry.  We  were  coolly  dismissed  with  the  consolatory 
remark, — "  That  is  nothing  to  us ;  to-morrow  you  may 
come  to  the  public  office,  and  you  will  get  your  papers." 
From  this  there  was  no  appeal,  and  twenty-four  hours  were 
lost. 


RETURN  TO    VIENNA.  265 

I  must  be  allowed  to  mention  an  amusing  little  incident 
which  occurred  to  me  during  the  journey  from  Dresden. 
The  coach  was  occupied  by  one  female  passenger  besides 
myself,  and  two  gentlemen.  The  lady  happened  to  have 
read  my  travels  in  Palestine,  and  inquired,  when  she 
heard  my  name,  if  I  were  the  author  of  that  work ;  I  ac- 
knowledged the  fact,  and  the  conversation  turned  upon  that 
country,  as  well  as  those  I  had  lately  visited.  One  of  the 
gentlemen,  Mr.  Katze,  was  a  very  well-informed  man,  and 
spoke  quite  fluently  on  travelling,  the  manners  and  customs 
of  other  lands,  and  various  topics  of  the  same  nature.  Our 
other  fellow-passenger  no  doubt  possessed  a  great  fund  of  in- 
formation, but  he  took  little  pains  to  display  it  on  this  occa- 
sion. Mr.  K.  left  us  at  Teplitz,  but  the  unknown  went 
on  to  Vienna  with  me.  In  the  course  of  the  day  he  ad- 
dressed me  with  the  following  remark — "  Don't  you  think 
Mr.  K.  told  you  his  name  on  purpose  to  have  it  mentioned 
in  your  next  book  of  travels  ?  If  you  will  promise  me  as 
much,  I  will  tell  you  mftie."  I  could  hardly  conceal  a 
smile,  and  assured  him  he  was  probably  quite  mistaken  in 
his  suspicions ;  and,  as  we  poor  women  are  often  unjustly 
accused  of  being  curious,  to  refute  the  accusation  I  must 
beg  him  to  let  me  remain  in  ignorance  as  to  who  he  was. 
This  the  worthy  man  could  not  do,  however,  and  before  we 

parted,  he  introduced  himself  as  Nicholas  B ;  but  I 

think  I  shall  not  betray  his  confidence  any  farther  to  the 
public ;  in  the  first  place  because  I  did  promise  to  do  so, 
and  in  the  second  place,  I  fear  it  would  not  be  rendering 
him  a  very  great  service. 

The  railway  from  Prague  to  Vienna  passes  through 
Olmiitz,  increasing  the  distance  to  sixty-six  miles.*  This 

Two  hundred  and  ninety-seven  English  miles. — Tr. 
12 


266  JOURNEY  TO  ICELAND. 

road  is  far  from  being  well  managed.  There  are  no  hotels, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  content  ourselves  all  day  with  fruit, 
beer,  bread  and  butter,  and  things  of  that  sort.  The  con- 
ductor called  out  at  every  station  that  we  were  going  on 
immediately,  and  although  we  were  often  detained  half  an 
hour,  no  one  ventured  to  leave  the  cars.  The  conductors 
were  not  remarkable  for  the  suavity  of  their  manners,  a 
peculiarity  which  I  was  half  inclined  to  ascribe  to  the  cli- 
mate, for  we  had  hardly  reached  the  limits  of  the  Austrian 
territory,  at  Peterswalde,  when  we  were  accosted  very 
gruffly  by  the  controller ;  twice  we  wished  him  good  even- 
ing, but  without  taking  any  notice  of  this  civility,  he  im- 
mediately asked  for  our  papers  in  a  pretty  loud  and  harsh 
tone,  no  doubt  supposing  we  were  deaf,  as  we  certainly 
thought  he  must  be.  At  Ganserndorf,  six  miles  from 
Vienna,  something  of  the  same  kind  occurred  again. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  after  an  absence  of  six  months, 
I  hailed  once  more  the  celebrated  tower  of  St.  Stephens, 
so  dear  to  most  of  my  countrywomen. 

I  had  endured  and  suffered  much ;  but  had  the  diffi- 
culties and  dangers  of  this  journey  been  tenfold  what  they 
were,  they  could  not  have  dampened  my  courage,  or  ex- 
tinguished my  ardent  longing  for  a  change  of  scene.  I  felt 
myself  amply  repaid  for  them  all.  I  had  seen  life  under  a 
new  aspect ;  I  had  seen  a  people  different  from  almost  every 
other ;  and  above  all,  I  had  increased  my  store  of  recollec- 
tions, and  laid  up  a  treasure  upon  which  I  shall  look  with 
delight  till  the  latest  moment  of  my  existence. 

I  now  take  my  leave  of  my  kind  readers,  begging  them 
to  receive  with  indulgence  these  unassuming  sketches, 
which  have  at  least  the  merit  of  truth  to  recommend  them. 
If  they  have  derived  any  gratification  from  their  perusal, 
let  their  countrywoman  claim  a  slight  place  in  their  me- 
mory as  her  reward. 


CONCLUSION.  267 

In  conclusion,  I  must  beg  leave  to  offer  as  an  appendix 
to  my  work,  two  papers  which  may  not  be  entirely  without 
interest  for  some  of  my  readers. 

No.  1.  is  a  document  I  obtained  in  Reikjavick,  giving 
an  account  of  the  salaries  of  the  different  functionaries 
employed  by  the  Danish  government  in  Iceland ;  as  well 
as  several  other  taxes  and  fees. 

No.  2.  is  a  list  of  the  insects,  butterflies,  flowers  and 
plants  I  collected  in  that  island,  and  brought  back  with  me 
to  my  native  place. 


SALARIES  OF  THE  DIFFERENT  OFFICERS  OF  THE 
DANISH  GOVERNMENT,  DRAWN  FROM  THE  PUB- 
LIC FUND  OF  THE  ISLAND. 

FLORINS,  C.  M.* 

The  Stiftsamtmann  (or  governor)  of  Iceland,        .         .  2,000 

Office  expenses, 600 

The  Amtmann  of  the  Western  Amt,     ....  1,586 

Office  expenses,                   400 

House  rent, 200 

The  Amtmann  of  the  Northern  and  Eastern  Amt,    .  1,286 

Office  expenses, 400 

The  bishop  of  Iceland,  in  addition  to  a  salary  from  the 

School  fund,  receives  from  the  public  fund,       .  800 

The  members  of  the  Superior  Court : — 

A  Justice,             1,184 

First  Assessor, 890 

Second  Assessor, 740 

The  Sheriff  of  Iceland, 600 

Office  expenses, 200 

House  rent, 150 

Bailiff  of  Reikjavick,            300 

First  Constable  of  Reikjavick,  who  is  also  jailer,  and 

has  fifty  florins  more  than  the  other  constable,  200 

Second  Constable 150 

The  Provost  of  Reikjavick  draws  from  this  fund  his 

house  rent  of    .         .         .         .         .         .         .  150 

Sysselmannn  of  the  Westmann  Isles,    ....  296 

The  other  Sysselmanns,  each, 230 

'   A  florin,  C.  M.,  is  forty-eight  cents.— Tr. 


SALARIES.  269  - 

Medical  Department : — 

FLORINS,  c  M. 

First  Physician  of  the  island, 900 

House  rent> 150 

Apothecary  at  Reikjavick, 185 

House  rent> 150 

Second  Apothecary  at  Sikkisholm,       ....  90 

Six  Surgeons,  each, 300 

House  rent  of  one,        .        .        .        .        .        .  30 

The  others, 25 

A  practising  physician  in  the  Northland,     .        .        .100 

Two  sages  femmes  at  Reikjavick,  each,     ...  50 
The  other  sages  femmes  in  the  country,  of  which  there 

are  thirty,  each, 100 

These  women  are  under  the  superintendence  of  the 
head  physician,  who  examines  them  and  pays 
their  salaries. 

Organist  at  Reikjavick, 100 

Salaries  paid  by  the  School  Fund; — 

The  Bishop, 1,200 

Teachers  of  the  High  School  :— 

The  professor  of  Theology, 800 

The  first  Adjunct,  besides  his  lodging,  receives,    .        .  500 

The  second  Adjunct,  or  deputy,        .        .        .  500 

House  rent,  .....  .50 

Third  Adjunct, 600 

House  rent> 50 

The  housekeeper  of  the  school,            .        .        .        .  117 


270  LIST  OF  INSECTS. 


LIST  OF  INSECTS  COLLECTED  IN  ICELAND. 

(Animdlia,  etiertebrata,  Cuv.) 

I.    CRUSTACEA. 

Pagarus  Bernhardus.     Linn6. 


a)  Coleoptera. 
Nebria  rubripes.    Dejean. 
Patrobus  hyperboreus. 
Calathus  melanocephalus.     Fabr 
Notiophilus  aquations. 

Amara  vulgaris.     Duftsihm 
Ptinus  fur.     linn. 
Aphodius  Lapponum.     Schh. 
Otiorhynchus  lae  vigatus.     DhL 
Ot  .  .  .  Pinastri.     Fabn 
Ot  .  .  .  Ovatus.     Fabr. 
Staphylinus  maxillosus. 
Bjrrhus  pillula. 

b)  Neuroptera. 
Limnophilus  Lineola,  Schrank. 

c)  Hymenoptera. 
Pimpla  instigator.     Gravh. 
Bombus  subterranus.     Linn. 

d)  Lepidoptera. 
Geometra  russata.  • 
Geom.  Alche  millata. 
Geom.  spec.  nor. 

e)  Diptera. 
Tipula  lunata. 
Scatophaga  stercoraria. 
Musca  Yomitoria. 
Musca  mortuorum. 


LIST  OF  PLANTS.  271 

Helomyza  serrate. 
Lecogaster  islandicus  scheff.* 
Anthomyia  decolor  Tallin. 

in.  MOLLUSCA. 
Littorina  (Turbo  Linn.)  obtusata  Ferus. 


LIST  OF  PLANTS,  COLLECTED  IN  ICELAND  D  (IKING 
THE  SUMMER  OF  1845,  BY  MADAME  IDA  PFEIFFEE. 


Felices. 
Cystopteris  fragilis. 

Equisetaceae. 
Equisetum  uniglumis. 

Graminae. 
Festuca  uniglumis. 

Cyperaceae. 
Carex  filiformis. 


Eriophorum  caespitosum. 

Juncaceaa. 
Luzula  spicata. 


•  Mr.  J.  Schefier,  of  Modling,  late  of  Vienna,  has  drawn  the  following  sketch  of 
this  new  insect,  which  belongs  to  the  family  of  Muscidae,  and  is  most  nearly  related  to 
the  species  Borborus. 

Antennae  deflexae,  breves,  triarticulatae,  articulo  ultimo  phaerico ;  seda  nuda. 

Hypoctoma  subproninulum,  fronte  lata,  eetosa. 

Oculi  rotundi,  remoti. 

Abdomen  quinque  annulatum,  dorso  nudo. 

Tarsi,  simplices. 

Alae,  incumbentes,  abdomine  longiores,  nervo  pnmo  simplicJ. 
Legocaster  islandicus. 

Niger,  abdomine  nitido,  antenis  pedibusque.  rufopiceis. 


272  LIST  OF  PLANTS. 

Luzula  Campestris. 

Salicineae. 
Salix  polaris. 

Polygoneae. 
Rumex  arifolius. 
Oxyria  reniformea. 

Plumbigineae. 
Armeria  alpina.     (In  the  high  regions  of  the  interior.) 

Compositeae. 
Chrysanthemum  maritinum.  (On  the  sea-shore,  and  plentiful 

in  the  damp  meadowa) 

Heriacium  alphemim.     (On  the  low  meadow  landa) 
Taraxacum  alpinum. 
Erigeron  uniflorum.     (West  of  Hayenfiord,  among  the  rocks.) 

Rubiaeeae. 
Gallium  pusillum. 
"       verum. 

Labiateae. 
Thimus  serpyllum. 

Asperifoliae. 
Myosotia  Alpestris. 
Myosotis  scorpiodes. 

Scrophularineae. 

Bartsia  alpina.    (In  the  northwestern  valleys  of  the  interior.) 
Rhinauthusalpestris. 

Utricularieae. 
Pinguicula  alpina. 
"      vulgaris. 

Umbelliferae. 
Ai'changelica  officuialk  (Havenfiord.) 

Saxifrageae. 

Saxifraga  caespitosa.    (The  genuine  plant  of  Linnaeus.      At 
Hecla  among  the  rocks.) 

Ranunculaceae. 
Ranunculus  auricomus. 

"          nivalis. 
Thalictrum  alpinum.     (Around  Reikjavick,  growing  between 

the  lava  blocks.) 
Caltha  palustris. 


LIST  OF  PLANTS.  273 

Crucifereae. 
Draba  verna. 
Cardamine  pratensis. 

Violariceae. 
Viola  hirta. 

Caryophylleae. 
Sagina  stricta. 
Cerastium^semi  decandrum. 
Lepigonum  rubrum. 
Silene  maritima. 
Lychnis  alpina.    (On  the  mountain  pastures  near  Reikjavick.) 

Empetreae. 
Empetrum  nigrum. 

Gereniaceae. 

Geranium  sylvaticum.      (Near  the  lake   of  Thingvalla,  in 
ditches.) 

Troseraceae. 
Parnassia  palustris. 

Oeno  thereae. 
Epilobium  latifolium.     (At  the  foot  of  Hecla,  in  the  crevices 

of  the  rocks.) 

Epilobium  alpinum.     (West  of  Havenfiord,  in  the  valley  of 
Reiker.) 

Rosaceas. 
Rutus  articus. 
Potentilla  auserina. 
Potentilla  greenlandica.    (Around  Kalmanustunga  ana  Kollis- 

mula,  on  the  rocks.) 
Alchemilla  montana. 
Sanguisorba  officinalis. 
Geum  rivale. 
Dryasocto  petala.     (Around  Havenfiord. 

Papillioneceae. 
Trifolium  repens. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


STACKS 


MAY  1  9  J962 


51962 


LD  21A-50m-3,'62 
(C7097slO)476B 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

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