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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, Visit to Iceland, by Ida Pfeiffer
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: Visit to Iceland
+       and the Scandinavian North
+
+
+Author: Ida Pfeiffer
+
+
+
+Release Date: May 7, 2007  [eBook #1894]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VISIT TO ICELAND***
+
+
+
+Transcribed from the 1853 Ingram, Cooke, and Co. edition by David Price,
+email ccx074@pglaf.org; second proof by Mike Ruffell.
+
+
+
+
+
+VISIT TO ICELAND
+AND THE
+SCANDINAVIAN NORTH
+
+
+                      TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF
+                           MADAME IDA PFEIFFER.
+
+                                   WITH
+                        Numerous Explanatory Notes
+                                   AND
+                         EIGHT TINTED ENGRAVINGS.
+
+                            TO WHICH ARE ADDED
+                      AN ESSAY ON ICELANDIC POETRY,
+                     FROM THE FRENCH OF M. BERGMANN;
+             A TRANSLATION OF THE ICELANDIC POEM THE VOLUSPA;
+                 AND A BRIEF SKETCH OF ICELANDIC HISTORY.
+
+                             Second Edition.
+
+                                 LONDON:
+                          INGRAM, COOKE, AND CO.
+                                   1853
+
+                     [Picture: Pictorial title page]
+
+
+
+
+ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIRST EDITION
+
+
+The success which attended the publication in this Series of Illustrated
+Works of _A Woman's Journey round the World_, has induced the publication
+of the present volume on a country so little known as Iceland, and about
+which so little recent information exists.
+
+The translation has been carefully made, expressly for this Series, from
+the original work published at Vienna; and the Editor has added a great
+many notes, wherever they seemed necessary to elucidate the text.
+
+In addition to the matter which appeared in the original work, the
+present volume contains a translation of a valuable Essay on Icelandic
+poetry, by M. Bergmann; a translation of an Icelandic poem, the
+'Voluspa;' a brief sketch of Icelandic History; and a translation of
+Schiller's ballad, 'The Diver,' which is prominently alluded to by Madame
+Pfeiffer in her description of the Geysers. {1}
+
+The Illustrations have been printed in tints, so as to make the work
+uniform with the _Journey round the World_.
+
+London, August 1, 1852.
+
+
+
+
+AUTHOR'S PREFACE
+
+
+"Another journey--a journey, moreover, in regions which every one would
+rather avoid than seek.  This woman only undertakes these journeys to
+attract attention."
+
+"The first journey, for a woman ALONE, was certainly rather a bold
+proceeding.  Yet in that instance she might still have been excused.
+Religious motives may perhaps have actuated her; and when this is the
+case, people often go through incredible things.  At present, however, we
+can see no just reason which could excuse an undertaking of this
+description."
+
+Thus, and perhaps more harshly still, will the majority judge me.  And
+yet they will do me a grievous wrong.  I am surely simple and harmless
+enough, and should have fancied any thing in the world rather than that
+it would ever be my fate to draw upon myself in any degree the notice of
+the public.  I will merely indicate, as briefly as may be, my character
+and circumstances, and then I have no doubt my conduct will lose its
+appearance of eccentricity, and seem perfectly natural.
+
+When I was but a little child, I had already a strong desire to see the
+world.  Whenever I met a travelling-carriage, I would stop involuntarily,
+and gaze after it until it had disappeared; I used even to envy the
+postilion, for I thought he also must have accomplished the whole long
+journey.
+
+As I grew to the age of from ten to twelve years, nothing gave me so much
+pleasure as the perusal of voyages and travels.  I ceased, indeed, to
+envy the postilions, but envied the more every navigator and naturalist.
+
+Frequently my eyes would fill with tears when, having ascended a
+mountain, I saw others towering before me, and could not gain the summit.
+
+I made several journeys with my parents, and, after my marriage, with my
+husband; and only settled down when it became necessary that my two boys
+should visit particular schools.  My husband's affairs demanded his
+entire attention, partly in Lemberg, partly in Vienna.  He therefore
+confided the education and culture of the two boys entirely to my care;
+for he knew my firmness and perseverance in all I undertook, and doubted
+not that I would be both father and mother to his children.
+
+When my sons' education had been completed, and I was living in peaceful
+retirement, the dreams and aspirations of my youth gradually awoke once
+more.  I thought of strange manners and customs, of distant regions,
+where a new sky would be above me, and new ground beneath my feet.  I
+pictured to myself the supreme happiness of treading the land once
+hallowed by the presence of our Saviour, and at length made up my mind to
+travel thither.
+
+As dangers and difficulties rose before my mind, I endeavoured to wean
+myself from the idea I had formed--but in vain.  For privation I cared
+but little; my health was good and my frame hardy: I did not fear death.
+And moreover, as I was born in the last century, I could travel ALONE.
+Thus every objection was overcome; every thing had been duly weighed and
+considered.  I commenced my journey to Palestine with a feeling of
+perfect rapture; and behold, I returned in safety.  I now feel persuaded
+that I am neither tempting Providence, nor justly incurring the
+imputation of wishing to be talked about, in following the bent of my
+inclinations, and looking still further about me in the world I chose
+Iceland for my destination, because I hoped there to find Nature in a
+garb such as she wears nowhere else.  I feel so completely happy, so
+brought into communion with my Maker, when I contemplate sublime natural
+phenomena, that in my eyes no degree of toil or difficulty is too great a
+price at which to purchase such perfect enjoyment.
+
+And should death overtake me sooner or later during my wanderings, I
+shall await his approach in all resignation, and be deeply grateful to
+the Almighty for the hours of holy beauty in which I have lived and gazed
+upon His wonders.
+
+And now, dear reader, I would beg thee not to be angry with me for
+speaking so much of myself; it is only because this love of travelling
+does not, according to established notions, seem proper for one of my
+sex, that I have allowed my feelings to speak in my defence.
+
+Judge me, therefore, not too harshly; but rather grant me the enjoyment
+of a pleasure which hurts no one, while it makes me happy.
+
+                                                               THE AUTHOR.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+
+In the year 1845 I undertook another journey; {2} a journey, moreover, to
+the far North.  Iceland was one of those regions towards which, from the
+earliest period of my consciousness, I had felt myself impelled.  In this
+country, stamped as it is by Nature with features so peculiar, as
+probably to have no counterpart on the face of the globe, I hoped to see
+things which should fill me with new and inexpressible astonishment.  How
+deeply grateful do I feel to Thee, O Thou that hast vouchsafed to me to
+behold the fulfilment of these my cherished dreams!
+
+The parting from all my dear ones had this time far less bitterness; I
+had found by experience, that a woman of an energetic mind can find her
+way through the world as well as a man, and that good people are to be
+met with every where.  To this was added the reflection, that the
+hardships of my present voyage would be of short duration, and that five
+or six months might see me restored to my family.
+
+I left Vienna at five o'clock on the morning of the tenth of April.  As
+the Danube had lately caused some devastations, on which occasion the
+railroad had not entirely escaped, we rode for the first four miles, as
+far as Florisdorf, in an omnibus--not the most agreeable mode of
+travelling.  Our omnibuses are so small and narrow, that one would
+suppose they were built for the exclusive accommodation of consumptive
+subjects, and not for healthy, and in some cases portly individuals,
+whose bulk is further increased by a goodly assemblage of cloaks, furs,
+and overcoats.
+
+At the barriers a new difficulty arose.  We delivered up our
+pass-warrants (_passirscheine_) in turn, with the exception of one young
+man, who was quite astounded at the demand.  He had provided nothing but
+his passport and testimonials, being totally unaware that a pass-warrant
+is more indispensable than all the rest.  In vain did he hasten into the
+bureau to expostulate with the officials,--we were forced to continue our
+journey without him.
+
+We were informed that he was a student, who, at the conclusion of term,
+was about to make holiday for a few weeks at his parents' house near
+Prague.  Alas, poor youth! he had studied so much, and yet knew so
+little.  He had not even an idea of the overwhelming importance of the
+document in question.  For this trifling omission he forfeited the fare
+to Prague, which had been paid in advance.
+
+But to proceed with my journey.
+
+At Florisdorf a joyful surprise awaited me.  I met my brother and my son,
+who had, it appears, preceded me.  We entered the train to proceed in
+company to Stockerau, a place between twelve and thirteen miles off; but
+were obliged to alight halfway, and walk a short distance.  The
+Embankment had given way.  Luckily the weather was favourable, inasmuch
+as we had only a violent storm of wind.  Had it rained, we should have
+been wetted to the skin, besides being compelled to wade ankle-deep in
+mud.  We were next obliged to remain in the open air, awaiting the
+arrival of the train from Stockerau, which unloaded its freight, and
+received us in exchange.
+
+At Stockerau I once more took leave of my companions, and was soon
+securely packed in the post-carriage for transmission.
+
+In travelling this short distance, I had thus entered four carriages; a
+thing sufficiently disagreeable to an unencumbered person, but infinitely
+more so to one who has luggage to watch over.  The only advantage I could
+discover in all this was, that we had saved half an hour in coming these
+seventeen miles.  For this, instead of 9 fl. 26 kr. from Vienna to
+Prague, we paid 10 fl. 10 kr. from Stockerau to Prague, without reckoning
+expense of omnibus and railway.  It was certainly a dearly-bought
+half-hour. {3}
+
+The little town of Znaim, with its neighbouring convent, is situated on a
+large plain, extending from Vienna to Budwitz, seventeen miles beyond
+Znaim; the monotony of the view is only broken here and there by low
+hills.
+
+Near Schelletau the scenery begins to improve.  On the left the view is
+bounded by a range of high hills, with a ruined castle, suggestive of
+tragical tales of centuries gone by.  Fir and pine forests skirt the
+road, and lie scattered in picturesque groups over hill and dale.
+
+April 11th.
+
+Yesterday the weather had already begun to be ungracious to us.  At Znaim
+we found the valleys still partly covered with snow, and the fog was at
+times so thick, that we could not see a hundred paces in advance; but
+to-day it was incomparably worse.  The mist resolved itself into a mild
+rain, which, however, lost so much of its mildness as we passed from
+station to station, that every thing around us was soon under water.  But
+not only did we ride through water, we were obliged to sit in it also.
+The roof of our carriage threatened to become a perfect sieve, and the
+rain poured steadily in.  Had there been room for such a proceeding, we
+should all have unfurled our umbrellas.
+
+On occasions like these, I always silently admire the patience of my
+worthy countrymen, who take every thing so good-humouredly.  Were I a
+man, I should pursue a different plan, and should certainly not fail to
+complain of such carelessness.  But as a woman, I must hold my peace;
+people would only rail at my sex, and call it ill-humoured.  Besides, I
+thanked my guardian-angel for these discomforts, looking upon them as a
+preparation for what was to befall me in the far North.
+
+Passing several small towns and villages, we at length entered the
+Bohemian territory, close behind Iglau.  The first town which we saw was
+Czaslau, with its large open square, and a few neat houses; the latter
+provided with so-called arbours (or _verandahs_), which enable one to
+pass round the square dry-footed, even in the most rainy weather.
+
+Journeying onwards, we noticed the fine cathedral and town of Kuttenberg,
+once famous for its gold and silver mines. {4}  Next comes the great
+tobacco-manufactory of Sedlitz, near which we first see the Elbe, but
+only for a short time, as it soon takes another direction.  Passing the
+small town of Collin, we are whirled close by the battle-field where, in
+the year 1757, the great King Frederick paid his score to the Austrians.
+An obelisk, erected a few years since to the memory of General Daun,
+occupies a small eminence on the right.  On the left is the plain of
+Klephorcz, where the Austrian army was drawn up. {5}
+
+At eleven o'clock on the same night we reached
+
+
+
+PRAGUE.
+
+
+As it was my intention to pursue my journey after two days, my first walk
+on the following morning was to the police-office, to procure a passport
+and the all-important pass-warrant; my next to the custom-house, to take
+possession of a small chest, which I had delivered up five days before my
+departure, and which, as the expeditor affirmed, I should find ready for
+me on my arrival at Prague. {6}  Ah, Mr. Expeditor! my chest was not
+there.  After Saturday comes Sunday; but on Sunday the custom-house is
+closed.  So here was a day lost, a day in which I might have gone to
+Dresden, and even visited the opera.
+
+On Monday morning I once more hastened to the office in anxious
+expectation; the box was not yet there.  An array of loaded wagons had,
+however, arrived, and in one of these it might be.  Ah, how I longed to
+see my darling little box, in order that I might--_not_ press it to my
+heart, but unpack it in presence of the excise officer!
+
+I took merely a cursory glance at Prague, as I had thoroughly examined
+every thing there some years before.  The beautiful "Graben" and
+Horse-market once more excited my admiration.  It was with a peculiar
+feeling that I trod the old bridge, from which St. John of Nepomuk was
+cast into the Moldau for refusing to publish the confession of King
+Wenceslaus' consort. {7}  On the opposite bank I mounted the Hradschin,
+and paid a visit to the cathedral, in which a large sarcophagus,
+surrounded and borne by angels, and surmounted by a canopy of crimson
+damask, is dedicated to the memory of the saint.  The monument is of
+silver, and the worth of the metal alone is estimated at 80,000 florins.
+The church itself is not spacious, but is built in the noble Gothic
+style; the lesser altars, however, with their innumerable gilded wooden
+figures, look by contrast extremely puny.  In the chapel are many
+sarcophagi, on which repose bishops and knights hewn in stone, but so
+much damaged, that many are without hands and feet, while some lack
+heads.  To the right, at the entrance of the church, is the celebrated
+chapel of St. Wenceslaus, with its walls ornamented with frescoes, of
+which the colours and designs are now almost obliterated.  It is further
+enriched with costly stones.
+
+Not far from the cathedral is situated the palace of Count Czernin, a
+building particularly favoured with windows, of which it has one for
+every day in the year.  I was there in an ordinary year, and saw 365; how
+they manage in leap-year I do not know.  The view from the belvedere of
+this palace well repays the observer.  It takes in the old and new town,
+the noble river with its two bridges (the ancient venerable-looking stone
+structure, and the graceful suspension-bridge, six hundred paces long),
+and the hills round about, clothed with gardens, among which appear neat
+country-houses.
+
+The streets of the "Kleinseite" are not particularly attractive, being
+mostly tortuous, steep, and narrow.  They contain, however, several
+remarkable palaces, among which that of Wallenstein Duke of Friedland
+stands pre-eminent. {8}
+
+After visiting St. Nicholas' Church, remarkable for the height of its
+spire and its beautifully arched cupola, I betook myself to Wimmer's
+gardens, and thence to the "Bastei," a place of public resort with the
+citizens of Prague.
+
+I could now observe the devastation caused by the rising of the water
+shortly before my arrival.  The Moldau had overstepped its banks in so
+turbulent a manner, as to carry along with it several small houses, and
+even a little village not far from Prague, besides damaging all the
+dwellings upon its banks.  The water had indeed already fallen, but the
+walls of the houses were soaked through and through; the doors had been
+carried away, and from the broken windows no faces looked out upon the
+passers-by.  The water had risen two feet more than in 1784, in which
+year the Moldau had also attained an unusual height.
+
+From the same tower of observation, I looked down upon the great open
+space bought a few years ago, and intended to be occupied by the termini
+of the Vienna and Dresden railroads.  Although several houses were only
+just being pulled down, and the foundations of but few buildings were
+laid, I was assured that within six months every thing would be
+completed.
+
+I have still to mention a circumstance which struck me during my morning
+peregrinations, namely, the curious method in which milk, vegetables, and
+other provisions are here brought to town.  I could have fancied myself
+transported to Lapland or Greenland, on meeting every where carts to
+which two, three, or four dogs were harnessed.  One pair of dogs will
+drag three hundredweight on level ground; but when they encounter a hill,
+the driver must lend a helping hand.  These dogs are, besides, careful
+guardians; and I would not advise any one to approach a car of this kind,
+as it stands before the inn-door, while the proprietor is quenching his
+thirst within, on the money he has just earned.
+
+At five o'clock on the morning of the 15th of April I left Prague, and
+rode for fourteen miles in the mail-carriage, as far as Obristwy on the
+Elbe, at which place I embarked for Dresden, on board the steamer
+Bohemia, of fifty-horse power, a miserable old craft, apparently a
+stranger to beauty and comfort from her youth up.  The price charged for
+this short passage of eight or nine hours is enormously dear.  The
+travellers will, however, soon have their revenge on the extortionate
+proprietors; a railroad is constructing, by means of which this distance
+will be traversed in a much shorter time, and at a great saving of
+expense.
+
+But at any rate the journey by water is the more agreeable; the way lies
+through very picturesque scenery, and at length through "Saxon
+Switzerland" itself.  The commencement of the journey is, however, far
+from pleasing.  On the right are naked hills, and on the left large
+plains, over which, last spring, the swollen stream rolled, partly
+covering the trees and the roofs of the cottages.  Here I could for the
+first time see the whole extent of the calamity.  Many houses had been
+completely torn down, and the crops, and even the loose alluvial earth
+swept away; as we glided by each dreary scene of devastation, another yet
+more dismal would appear in its place.
+
+This continued till we reached Melnick, where the trees become higher,
+and groups of houses peer forth from among the innumerable vineyards.
+Opposite this little town the Moldau falls into the Elbe.  On the left,
+in the far distance, the traveller can descry St. George's Mount, from
+which, as the story goes, Czech took possession of all Bohemia.
+
+Below the little town of Raudnitz the hills gave place to mountains, and
+as many enthusiasts can only find those regions romantic where the
+mountains are crowned with half-ruined castles and strongholds, good old
+Time has taken care to plant there two fine ruins, Hafenberg and Skalt,
+for the delectation of such sentimental observers.
+
+Near Leitmeritz, a small town with a handsome castle, and a church and
+convent, the Eger flows into the Elbe, and a high-arched wooden bridge
+connects the two banks.  Here our poor sailors had difficult work to
+lower the mast and the funnel.
+
+The rather pretty village of Gross-Czernoseck is remarkable for its
+gigantic cellars, hewn out of the rock.  A post-carriage could easily
+turn round in one of these.  The vats are of course proportioned to the
+cellars, particularly the barrels called the "twelve apostles," each of
+which holds between three and four thousand gallons.  It would be no more
+than fair to stop here awhile, to give every hero of the bottle an
+opportunity to enjoy a sight of these palace-cellars, and to offer a
+libation to the twelve apostles; but the steamer passed on, and we were
+obliged to make the most of the descriptions furnished by those who were
+more at home in these parts, and had no doubt frequently emerged in an
+inspired state from the depths of the cellars in question.
+
+The view now becomes more and more charming: the mountains appear to draw
+closer together, and shut in the bed of the stream; romantic groups of
+rocks, with summits crowned by rains yet more romantic, tower between.
+The ancient but well-preserved castle of Schreckenstein, built on a rock
+rising boldly out of the Elbe, is particularly striking; the approaches
+to it are by serpentine walks hewn out of the rock.
+
+Near the small town of Aussig we find the most considerable coal-mines in
+Bohemia.  In their neighbourhood is situated the little mountain estate
+Paschkal, which produces a kind of wine said to resemble champagne.
+
+The mountains now become higher and higher, but above them all towers the
+gigantic Jungfernsprung (Maiden's Leap).  The beauty of this region is
+only surpassed by the situation of the town and castle of Tetschen.  The
+castle stands on a rock, between twenty and thirty feet high, which seems
+to rise out of the Elbe; it is surrounded by hot-houses and charming
+gardens, shelving downwards as far as the town, which lies in a blooming
+valley, near a little harbour.  The valley itself, encompassed by a chain
+of lofty mountains, seems quite shut out from the rest of the world.
+
+The left bank of the river is here so crowded with masses and walls of
+rock, that there is only room at intervals for an isolated farm or hut.
+Suddenly the tops of masts appear between the high rocks, a phenomenon
+which is soon explained; a large gap in one of the rocky walls forms a
+beautiful basin.
+
+And now we come to Schandau, a place consisting only of a few houses; it
+is a frontier town of the Saxon dominions.  Custom-house officers, a race
+of beings ever associated with frontier towns, here boarded our vessel,
+and rummaged every thing.  My daguerreotype apparatus, which I had locked
+up in a small box, was looked upon with an eye of suspicion; but upon my
+assertion that it was exclusively intended for my own use, I and my
+apparatus were graciously dismissed.
+
+In our onward journey we frequently observed rocks of peculiar shapes,
+which have appropriate names, such as the "Zirkelstein," "Lilienstein,"
+&c.  The Konigstein is a collection of jagged masses of rock, on which is
+built the fortress of the same name, used at present as a prison for
+great criminals.  At the foot of the rocks lies the little town of
+Konigstein.  Not far off, on the right bank, a huge rock, resting on
+others, bears a striking resemblance to a human head.  The more distant
+groups of rocks are called those of "Rathen," but are considered as
+belonging to Saxon Switzerland.  The "Basteien" (Bastions) of this
+Switzerland, close by which we now pass, are most wonderful
+superpositions of lofty and fantastically shaped rocks.  Unfortunately,
+the steamer whirled us so rapidly on our way, that whilst we contemplated
+one bank, the beauteous scenes on the opposite side had already glided
+from our view.  In much too short a time we had passed the town of Pirna,
+situate at the commencement of this range of mountains.  The very ancient
+gate of this town towers far above all the other buildings.
+
+Lastly we see the great castle Sonnenstein, built on a rock, and now used
+as an asylum for lunatics.
+
+All the beautiful and picturesque portion of our passage is now past, and
+the royal villa of Pillnitz, with its many Chinese gables, looks
+insignificant enough, after the grand scenes of nature.  A chain of
+hills, covered with the country-houses of citizens, adjoins it; and on
+the right extends a large plain, at the far end of which we can dimly
+descry the Saxon metropolis.  But what is that in the distance?  We have
+hardly time to arrange our luggage, when the anchor is let go near the
+fine old Dresden Bridge.
+
+This bridge had not escaped unscathed by the furious river.  One of the
+centre arches had given way, and the cross and watchbox which surmounted
+it were precipitated into the flood.  At first, carriages still passed
+over the bridge; it was not until some time afterwards that the full
+extent of the damage was ascertained, and the passage of carriages over
+the bridge discontinued for many months.
+
+As I had seen the town of Dresden several years before, and the only
+building new to me was the splendid theatre, I took advantage of the few
+evening hours of my stay to visit this structure.
+
+Standing in the midst of the beautiful Cathedral-square, its noble
+rotunda-like form at once rivets the attention.  The inner theatre is
+surrounded by a superb broad and lofty corridor, with fine bow-windows
+and straight broad staircases, leading in different directions towards
+the galleries.  The interior of the theatre is not so spacious as,
+judging from the exterior, one would imagine it to be, but the
+architecture and decorations are truly gorgeous and striking.  The boxes
+are all open, being separated from each other merely by a low partition;
+the walls and chairs are covered with heavy silken draperies, and the
+seats of the third and fourth galleries with a mixture of silk and
+cotton.  One single circumstance was disagreeable to me in an acoustic
+point of view--I could hear the slightest whisper of the prompter as
+distinctly as though some one had been behind me reading the play.  The
+curtain had scarcely fallen before the whole house was empty, and yet
+there was no crowding to get out.  This first drew my attention to the
+numerous and excellently contrived doors.
+
+                                                               April 16th.
+
+The Dresden omnibuses may be cited as models of comfort; one is certain
+of plenty of room, and there is no occasion to dread either the corpulent
+persons or the furs and cloaks of fellow-passengers.  A bell-pull is
+fixed in the interior of the carriage, so that each individual can give
+the coachman a signal when he or she wishes to alight.  These omnibuses
+call at the principal inns, and wait for a moment; but the traveller who
+is not ready in advance is left behind.
+
+At half-past five in the morning it called at our hotel.  I was ready and
+waiting, and drove off comfortably to the railway.  The distance from
+Dresden to Leipzig is reckoned at fifty-six miles, and the journey
+occupied three hours.
+
+The first fourteen miles are very agreeable; gardens, fields, and
+meadows, pine-forests in the plain and on the hills, and between these,
+villages, farms, country-houses, and solitary chapels, combine to form a
+very pretty landscape.  But the scene soon changes, and the town of
+Meissen (famous for its porcelain manufactory), on the right hand, seems
+to shut out from our view all that is picturesque and beautiful.
+
+From here to Leipzig we travel through a wearisome monotonous plain,
+enlivened at long intervals by villages and scattered farms.  There is
+nothing to see but a great tunnel, and the river Pleisse--the latter, or
+rather the Elster, is rendered famous by the death of Prince Poniatowski.
+{9}
+
+The town of Leipzig, celebrated far and wide for its fairs, and more for
+its immense publishing trade, presents an appearance of noise and bustle
+proportionate to its commercial importance.  I found streets, squares,
+and inns alike crowded. {10}
+
+Perhaps there does not exist a town with its houses, and consequently its
+streets, so disfigured with announcements, in all sizes and shapes,
+covering its walls, and sometimes projecting several feet, as Leipzig.
+
+Among the public buildings, those which pleased me most were the
+Augusteum and the Burgerschule.  The Bucherhalle (book-hall) I should
+suppose indebted for its celebrity rather to its literary contents than
+to its architectural beauty or its exterior.  The hall itself is indeed
+large, and occupies the whole length of the building, while the lower
+story consists of several rooms.  The hall, the chambers, and the
+exterior are all plain, and without particular decoration.  The Tuchhalle
+(cloth-hall) is simply a large house, with spacious chambers, containing
+supplies of cloth.  The Theatre stands on a very large square, and does
+not present a very splendid appearance, whether viewed from within or
+from without.  The plan of having stalls in front of the boxes in the
+second and third galleries was a novelty to me.  The orchestra I could
+only hear, but could not discover its whereabouts; most probably it was
+posted behind the scenes.  On inquiry, I was told that this was only done
+on extraordinary occasions, when the seats in the orchestra were
+converted into stalls, as was the case on the night of my visit.  The
+play given was "the original Tartuffe," a popular piece by Gutzkow.  It
+was capitally performed.
+
+In the Leipzig theatre I had a second opportunity of observing, that as
+regards the love of eating our good Saxons are not a whit behind the
+much-censured Viennese.  In the Dresden theatre I had admired a couple of
+ladies who sat next me.  They came provided with a neat bag, containing a
+very sufficient supply of confectionery, to which they perseveringly
+applied themselves between the acts.  But at Leipzig I found a
+delicate-looking mother and her son, a lad of fifteen or sixteen years,
+regaling themselves with more solid provisions--white bread and small
+sausages.  I could not believe my eyes, and had made up my mind that the
+sausages were artificially formed out of some kind of confectionery--but
+alas! my nose came forward but too soon, as a potent witness, to
+corroborate what I was so unwilling to believe!
+
+Neither did these two episodes take place in the loftiest regions of
+Thalia's temple, but in the stalls of the second tier.
+
+Beautiful alleys are planted round Leipzig.  I took a walk into the
+Rosenthal (Valley of Roses), which also consists of splendid avenues and
+lawns.  A pretty coffee-house, with a very handsome alcove, built in a
+semicircular form, invites the weary traveller to rest and refreshment,
+while a band of agreeable music diffuses mirth and good humour around.
+
+The rest of the scenery around Leipzig presents the appearance of a vast
+and monotonous plain.
+
+                                                               April 17th.
+
+I had intended to continue my journey to Hamburgh via Berlin, but the
+weather was so cold and stormy, and the rain poured down so heavily, that
+I preferred the shorter way, and proceeded by rail to Magdeburg.  Flying
+through the dismal plain past Halle, Kothen, and other towns, of which I
+could only discern groups of houses, we hurriedly recognised the Saale
+and the Elbe; and towards 10 o'clock in the morning arrived at Magdeburg,
+having travelled seventy miles in three hours and a quarter.
+
+As the steamer for Hamburgh was not to start until 3 o'clock, I had ample
+time to look at the town.
+
+Magdeburg is a mixed pattern of houses of ancient, mediaeval, and modern
+dates.  Particularly remarkable in this respect is the principal street,
+the "Broadway," which runs through the whole of the town.  Here we can
+see houses dating their origin from the most ancient times; houses that
+have stood proof against sieges and sackings; houses of all colours and
+forms; some sporting peaked gables, on which stone figures may still be
+seen; others covered from roof to basement with arabesques; and in one
+instance I could even detect the remains of frescoes.  In the very midst
+of these relics of antiquity would appear a house built in the newest
+style.  I do not remember ever having seen a street which produced so
+remarkable an impression on me.  The finest building is unquestionably
+the venerable cathedral.  In Italy I had already seen numbers of the most
+beautiful churches; yet I remained standing in mute admiration before
+this masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
+
+The monument with the twelve Apostles in this church is a worthy memorial
+of the celebrated sculptor Vischer.  In order to view it, it is necessary
+to obtain the special permission of the commandant.
+
+The cathedral square is large, symmetrical, and decorated with two alleys
+of trees; it is also used as a drilling-ground for the soldiers' minor
+manoeuvres.  I was particularly struck with the number of military men to
+be seen here.  Go where I would, I was sure to meet soldiers and
+officers, frequently in large companies; in time of war it could scarcely
+have been worse.  This was an unmistakeable token that I was on Prussian
+territory.
+
+The open canals, which come from all the houses, and meander through the
+streets, are a great disfigurement to the town.
+
+Half-past three o'clock came only too quickly, and I betook myself on
+board the steamer _Magdeburg_, of sixty-horse power, to proceed to
+Hamburgh.  Of the passage itself I can say nothing, except that a journey
+on a river through execrable scenery is one of the most miserable things
+that can well be imagined.  When, in addition to this, the weather is
+bad, the ship dirty, and one is obliged to pass a night on board, the
+discomfort is increased.  It was my lot to endure all this: the weather
+was bad, the ship was dirty, the distance more than 100 miles, so that we
+had the pleasant prospect of a delightful night on board the ship.  There
+were, moreover, so many passengers, that we were forced to sit crowded
+together; so there we sat with exemplary patience, stared at each other,
+and sighed bitterly.  Order was entirely out of the question; no one had
+time to think of such a thing.  Smoking and card-playing were
+perseveringly carried on all day and all night; it can easily be imagined
+that things did not go so quietly as at an English whist-party.  The
+incessant rain rendered it impossible to leave the cabin even for a short
+time.  The only consolation I had was, that I made the acquaintance of
+the amiable composer Lorzing, a circumstance which delighted me the more,
+as I had always been an admirer of his beautiful original music.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+
+Morning dawned at length, and in a short time afterwards we reached the
+great commercial city, which, half destroyed by the dreadful
+conflagration of 1842, had risen grander and more majestic from its
+ashes. {11}  I took up my quarters with a cousin, who is married to the
+Wurtemburg consul, the merchant Schmidt, in whose house I spent a most
+agreeable and happy week.  My cousin-in-law was polite enough to escort
+me every where himself, and to shew me the lions of Hamburgh.
+
+First of all we visited the Exchange between the hours of one and two,
+when it is at the fullest, and therefore best calculated to impress a
+stranger with an idea of the extent and importance of the business
+transacted there.  The building contains a hall of great size, with
+arcades and galleries, besides many large rooms, which are partly used
+for consultations, partly for the sale of refreshments.  The most
+interesting thing of all is, however, to sit in the gallery, and looking
+downwards, to observe the continually increasing crowd passing and
+repassing each other in the immense hall and through the galleries and
+chambers, and to listen to the hubbub and noise of the thousands of eager
+voices talking at once.  At half-past one o'clock the hall is at its
+fullest, and the noise becomes absolutely deafening; for now they are
+marking up the rates of exchange, by which the merchants regulate their
+monetary transactions.
+
+Leaving the Exchange, we bent our steps towards the great harbour, and
+entering a small boat, cruised in and about it in all directions.  I had
+resolved to count only the three-masted ships; but soon gave it up, for
+their number seemed overwhelming, even without reckoning the splendid
+steamers, brigs, sloops, and craft.  In short, I could only gaze and
+wonder, for at least 900 ships lay before me.
+
+Let any one fancy an excursion amidst 900 ships, great and small, which
+lined both shores of the Elbe in tiers of three deep or more; the passing
+to and fro of countless boats busily employed in loading or unloading
+these vessels; these things, together with the shouting and singing of
+the sailors, the rattling of anchors which are being weighed, and the
+rush and swell of passing steamers, combine to constitute a picture not
+to be surpassed in any city except in that metropolis of the world,
+London. {12}
+
+The reason of this unusual activity in the harbour lay in the severity of
+the past winter.  Such a winter had not been experienced for seventy
+years: the Elbe and the Baltic lay for months in icy chains, and not a
+ship could traverse the frozen river, not an anchor could be weighed or
+lowered.  It was only a short time before my arrival that the passage had
+once more become free.
+
+In the neighbourhood of the harbour are situated the greater number of
+the so-called "yards."  I had read concerning them that, viewed from the
+exterior, they look like common houses; but that they constitute separate
+communities, and contain alleys and streets, serving as the domicile of
+innumerable families.  I visited several of these places, and can assure
+the reader that I saw nothing extraordinary in them.  Houses with two
+large wings, forming an alley of from eighty to a hundred paces in
+length, are to be met with in every large town; and that a number of
+families should inhabit such a house is not remarkable, considering that
+they are all poor, and that each only possesses a single small apartment.
+
+The favourite walk in the town is the "Jungfernstieg" (Maiden's Walk), a
+broad alley, extending round a spacious and beautiful basin of the
+Alster.  On one side are splendid hotels, with which Hamburgh is richly
+provided; on the other, a number of private residences of equal
+pretensions.  Other walks are, the "Wall," surrounding the town, and the
+"Botanical Garden," which resembles a fine park.  The noblest building,
+distinguished alike as regards luxury, skill, tastefulness of design, and
+stability, is the Bazaar.  It is truly a gigantic undertaking, and the
+more to be admired from the fact that it is not built upon shares, but at
+the expense of a single individual, Herr Carl Sillem; the architect's
+name is Overdick.  The building itself is constructed entirely of stone,
+and the walls of the great room and of the hall are inlaid with marble.
+A lofty cupola and an immense glazed dome cover both the great room and
+the hall; the upper staircases are ornamented with beautiful statues.
+When in the evening it is brilliantly lighted with gas, and further
+ornamented by a tasteful display of the richest wares, the spectator can
+almost fancy himself transported to a fairy palace.
+
+Altogether the shops in Hamburgh are very luxurious.  The wares lie
+displayed in the most tasteful manner behind huge windows of plate-glass,
+which are often from five to six feet broad, and eight or ten feet high;
+a single sheet frequently costs 600 florins.  This plate-glass luxury is
+not confined to shops, but extends to windows generally, not only in
+Hamburgh, but also in Altona, and is also seen in the handsomest
+country-houses of the Hamburghers.  Many a pane costs eight or ten
+florins; and the glass is insured in case of breakage, like houses in
+case of fire.
+
+This display of glass is equalled by the costliness of the furniture,
+which is almost universally of mahogany; a wood which is here in such
+common use, that in some of the most elegant houses the very
+stair-banisters are constructed of it.  Even the pilots have often
+mahogany furniture.
+
+The handsomest and most frequented street is the "Neue Wall" (New Wall).
+I was particularly struck with the number of shops and dwellings
+underground, to which one descends by a flight of six or eight stairs; an
+iron railing is generally placed before the entrance, to prevent the
+passers-by from falling down.
+
+A very practical institution is the great slaughterhouse, in which all
+cattle are killed on certain days of the week.
+
+Concerning the town of Altona, I have only to observe that it appeared to
+me a continuation of Hamburgh; from which town, indeed, it is only
+separated by a wooden door.  A very broad, handsome street, or, more
+properly speaking, an elongated square, planted with a double row of
+large trees, is the most remarkable thing about Altona, which belongs to
+the Danish Government, and is considered, after Copenhagen, the most
+important place in the kingdom.
+
+It is a delicious ride to the village of Blankenese, distant nine miles
+from Hamburgh; the road lies among beautiful country-houses and large
+park-like gardens.  Blankenese itself consists of cottages, grouped in a
+picturesque manner round the Sulberg, a hill from which the traveller
+enjoys a very extended view over the great plain, in which it is the only
+elevated point.  The course of the Elbe, as it winds at moderate speed
+towards the sea, is here to be traced almost to its embouchure at
+Cuxhaven.
+
+The breadth of the Elbe at Blankenese exceeds two miles.
+
+Another interesting excursion is to the "New Mills," a little village on
+the Elbe, not more than half a mile from Altona, and inhabited only by
+fishermen and pilots.  Whoever wishes to form an idea of Dutch prettiness
+and cleanliness should come here.
+
+The houses are mostly one story high, neatly and tastefully built; the
+brightest of brass handles adorn the street-doors; the windows are kept
+scrupulously clean, and furnished with white curtains.
+
+In Saxony I had found many dwellings of the peasantry tidy and neat
+enough, displaying at any rate more opulence than we are accustomed to
+find with this class of people; but I had seen none to compete with this
+pretty village.
+
+Among the peasants' costumes, I only liked that worn by the women from
+the "Vierlanden."  They wear short full skirts of black stuff, fine white
+chemisettes with long sleeves, and coloured bodices, lightly fastened in
+front with silk cords or silver buckles.  Their straw hats have a most
+comical appearance; the brim of the hat is turned up in such a manner
+that the crown appears to have completely sunk in.  Many pretty young
+girls dressed in this manner come to Hamburgh to sell flowers, and take
+up their position in front of the Exchange.
+
+The 26th of April, the day appointed for my departure, arrived only too
+speedily.  To part is the unavoidable fate of the traveller; but
+sometimes we part gladly, sometimes with regret.  I need not write many
+pages to describe my feelings at the parting in Hamburgh.  I was leaving
+behind me my last relations, my last friends.  Now I was going into the
+wide world, and among strangers.
+
+At eight o'clock in the morning I left Altona, and proceeded by railway
+to Kiel.
+
+I noticed with pleasure that on this railway even the third-class
+carriages were securely covered in, and furnished with glass windows.  In
+fact, they only differed from those of the first and second class in
+being painted a different colour, and having the seats uncushioned.
+
+The whole distance of seventy miles was passed in three hours; a rapid
+journey, but agreeable merely by its rapidity, for the whole
+neighbourhood presents only widely-extended plains, turf-bogs and
+moorlands, sandy places and heaths, interspersed with a little meadow or
+arable land.  From the nature of the soil, the water in the ditches and
+fields looked black as ink.
+
+Near Binneburg we notice a few stunted plantations of trees.  From
+Eisholm a branch-line leads to Gluckstadt, and another from Neumunster, a
+large place with important cloth-factories, to Rendsburg.
+
+From here there is nothing to be seen but a convent, in which many Dukes
+of Holstein lie buried, and several unimportant lakes; for instance,
+those of Bernsholm, Einfeld, and Schulhof.  The little river Eider would
+have passed unnoticed by me, had not some of my fellow-passengers made a
+great feature of it.  In the finest countries I have found the natives
+far less enthusiastic about what was really grand and beautiful, than
+they were here in praise of what was neither the one nor the other.  My
+neighbour, a very agreeable lady, was untiring in laudation of her
+beautiful native land.  In her eyes the crippled wood was a splendid
+park, the waste moorland an inexhaustible field for contemplation, and
+every trifle a matter of real importance.  In my heart I wished her joy
+of her fervid imagination; but unfortunately my colder nature would not
+catch the infection.
+
+Towards Kiel the plain becomes a region of low hills.  Kiel itself is
+prettily situated on the Baltic, which, viewed from thence, has the
+appearance of a lake of middling size.  The harbour is said to be good;
+but there were not many ships there. {13}  Among these was the steamer
+destined to carry me to Copenhagen.  Little did I anticipate the good
+reason I should have to remember this vessel.
+
+Thanks to the affectionate forethought of my cousin Schmidt, I found one
+of his relations, Herr Brauer, waiting for me at the railway.  I was
+immediately introduced to his family, and passed the few hours of my stay
+very agreeably in their company.
+
+Evening approached, and with it the hour of embarkation.  My kind friends
+the Brauers accompanied me to the steamer, and I took a grateful leave of
+them.
+
+I soon discovered the steamer _Christian VIII._, of 180-horse power, to
+be a vessel dirtier and more uncomfortable than any with which I had
+become acquainted in my maritime excursions.  Scrubbing and sweeping
+seemed things unknown here.  The approach to the cabin was by a flight of
+stairs so steep, that great care was requisite to avoid descending in an
+expeditious but disagreeable manner, by a fall from top to bottom.  In
+the fore-cabin there was no attempt at separate quarters for ladies and
+gentlemen.  In short, the arrangements seemed all to have been made with
+a view of impressing the ship vividly on the recollection of every
+traveller.
+
+At nine o'clock we left Kiel.  The day and the twilight are here already
+longer than in the lands lying to the south and the west.  There was
+light enough to enable me to see, looming out of the surrounding
+darkness, the fortress "Friedrichsort," which we passed at about ten
+o'clock.
+
+                                                               April 27th.
+
+To-day I still rose with the sun; but that will soon be a difficult
+matter to accomplish; for in the north the goddess of light makes amends
+in spring and summer for her shortcomings during the winter.  I went on
+deck, and looked on the broad expanse of ocean.  No land was to be seen;
+but soon a coast appeared, then disappeared, and then a new and more
+distant one rose out of the sea.  Towards noon we reached the island of
+Moen, which lies about forty {14} miles distant from Copenhagen.  It
+forms a beautiful group of rocks, rising boldly from the sea.  They are
+white as chalk, and have a smooth and shining appearance.  The highest of
+these walls of rock towers 400 feet above the level of the surrounding
+ocean.  Soon we saw the coast of Sweden, then the island of Malmo; and at
+last Copenhagen itself, where we landed at four o'clock in the afternoon.
+The distance from Kiel to Copenhagen is 136 sea-miles.
+
+I remained seven days at Copenhagen, and should have had ample time to
+see every thing, had the weather been more favourable.  But it blew and
+rained so violently, that I was obliged to give up all thoughts of
+visiting the surrounding parks, and was fain to content myself with
+seeing a few of the nearest walks, which I accomplished with some
+difficulty.
+
+The first street in Copenhagen which I traversed on coming from the
+harbour generally produces a great impression.  It is called the "Broad
+Street," and leads from the harbour through the greater part of the town.
+In addition to its breadth it is very long and regular, and the splendid
+palaces and houses on either side give it a remarkably grand appearance.
+
+It is a peculiar sight, when, in the midst of this fine quarter, we come
+suddenly upon a ruin, a giant building resting on huge pillars, but half
+completed, and partly covered with moss and lichens.  It was intended for
+a splendid church, and is built entirely of marble; but the soft ground
+would not bear the immense weight.  The half-finished building began to
+sink, and the completion of the undertaking became for ever impossible.
+
+Many other streets rival the "Broad Street" in size and magnificence.
+Foremost among them comes the Amalienstrasse.  The most bustling, but by
+far not the finest, are the Oster and Gotherstrasse.  To walk in these is
+at first quite a difficult undertaking for a stranger.  On one side of
+the pavement, which is raised about a foot above the carriage-way, he
+comes continually in contact with stairs, leading sometimes to warehouses
+above, at others to subterranean warehouses below the level of the
+street.  The approaches to the latter are not guarded by railings as in
+Hamburgh.  The other side of the pavement is bounded by a little
+unostentatious rivulet, called by unpoetical people "canal," into which
+tributaries equally sweet pour from all the neighbouring houses.  It is
+therefore necessary to take great care, lest you should fall into the
+traitorous depths on the one side, or stumble over the projecting steps
+on the other.  The pavement itself is covered with a row of stone slabs,
+a foot and a half wide, on which one walks comfortably enough.  But then
+every body contends for the possession of these, to avoid the uneven and
+pointed stones at the side.  This, added to the dreadful crowding,
+renders the street one which would scarcely be chosen for a walk, the
+less so as the shops do not contain any thing handsome, the houses are
+neither palace-like nor even tastefully built, and the street itself is
+neither of the broadest nor of the cleanest.
+
+The squares are all large and regularly built.  The finest is the
+Kongensnytorf (King's New Market).  Some fine mansions, the chief
+guard-house, the theatre, the chief coffee-houses and inns, the academy
+of the fine arts, and the building belonging to the botanical garden, the
+two last commonly known by the name of "Charlottenburg," are among the
+ornaments of this magnificent square, in the midst of which stands a
+beautiful monument, representing Christian V. on horseback, and
+surrounded by several figures.
+
+Smaller, but more beautiful in its perfect symmetry, is the
+"Amalienplatz," containing four royal palaces, built exactly alike, and
+intersected by four broad streets in the form of a cross.  This square
+also is decorated by a monument standing in the midst, and representing
+Frederick V.  In another fine square, the "Nytorf" (New Market), there is
+a fountain.  Its little statue sends forth very meagre jets of water, and
+the fountain is merely noticeable as being the only one I could find at
+Copenhagen.
+
+The traveller can hardly fail of being surprised by the number and
+magnificence of the palaces, at sight of which he could fancy himself in
+the metropolis of one of the largest kingdoms.  The "Christianensburg" is
+truly imperial; it was completely destroyed by fire in the year 1794, but
+has since been rebuilt with increased splendour.  The chapel of this
+palace is very remarkable.  The interior has the appearance rather of a
+concert-room than of a building devoted to purposes of worship.
+Tastefully decorated boxes, among which we notice that of the king,
+together with galleries, occupy the upper part of the chapel; the lower
+is filled with benches covered with red velvet and silk.  The pulpit and
+altar are so entirely without decoration, that, on first entering, they
+wholly escape notice.
+
+In the "Christianensburg" is also the "Northern Museum," peculiarly rich
+in specimens of the ornaments, weapons, musical instruments, and other
+mementoes of northern nations.
+
+The Winter Riding-school, in which concerts are frequently given, is
+large and symmetrical.  I admired the stalls, and yet more the grey
+horses which occupied them--descendants of the pure Arabian and wild
+Norwegian breeds--creatures with long manes and tails of fine silky hair.
+Every one who sees these horses, whether he be a connoisseur or one of
+the uninitiated, must admire them.
+
+Adjoining the "Christianensburg" is Thorwaldsen's Museum, a square
+building with fine saloons, lighted from above.  When I saw it, it was
+not completed; the walls were being painted in fresco by some of the
+first native artists.  The sculptured treasures were there, but
+unfortunately yet unpacked.
+
+In the midst of the courtyard Thorwaldsen's mausoleum is being erected.
+There his ashes will rest, with his exquisitely finished lion as a
+gravestone above them. {15}
+
+The largest among the churches is the "Woman's Church."  The building has
+no architectural beauty; the pillars, galleries, and cupola are all of
+wood, covered with a mixture of sand and plaster.  But whatever may be
+wanting in outward splendour is compensated by its contents, for this
+church contains the masterpieces of Thorwaldsen.  At the high altar
+stands his glorious figure of our Saviour, in the niches of the wall his
+colossal twelve apostles.
+
+In the contemplation of these works we forget the plainness of the
+building which contains them.  May the fates be prosperous, and no
+conflagration reach this church, built as it is half of wood!
+
+The Catholic Church is small, but tasteful beyond expression.  The late
+emperor of Austria presented to it a good full-toned organ, and two
+oil-paintings, one by Kuppelweiser, the other by a pupil of this master.
+
+In the "Museum of Arts" I was most interested in the ancient chair, used
+in days of yore by Tycho de Brahe. {16}
+
+The Exchange is a curious ancient building.  It is very long and narrow,
+and surmounted by nine peaks, from the centre of which protrudes a
+remarkable pointed tower, formed of four crocodiles' tails intertwined.
+
+The hall itself is small, low, and dark; it contains a full-length
+portrait in oil of Tycho de Brahe.  Nearly all the upper part of the
+building is converted into a kind of bazaar, and the lower portion
+contains a number of small and dingy booths.
+
+Several canals, having an outlet into the sea, give a peculiar charm to
+the town.  They are, in fact, so many markets; for the craft lying in
+them are laden with provisions of all kinds, which are here offered for
+sale.
+
+The Sailors' Town, adjoining Copenhagen, and situated near the harbour,
+is singularly neat and pretty.  It consists of three long, broad,
+straight streets, built of houses looking so exactly alike, that on a
+foggy night an accurate knowledge of the locality is requisite to know
+one from the other.  It looks as though, on each side of the way, there
+were only one long house of a single floor, with a building one story
+high in the middle.  In the latter dwell the commandant and overseers.
+
+The lighting of the streets is managed in Copenhagen in the same way as
+in our smaller German towns.  When "moonlight" is announced in the
+calendar, not a lamp is lighted.  If the lady moon chooses to hide behind
+dark clouds, that is her fault.  It would be insolent to attempt to
+supply the place of her radiance with miserable lamps--a wise
+arrangement! (?)
+
+Of the near walks, the garden of the "Rosenburg," within the town,
+pleased me much; as did also the "Long Line," an alley of beautiful trees
+extending parallel with the sea, and in which one can either walk or
+ride.  A coffee-house, in front of which there is music in fine weather,
+attracts many of the loungers.  The most beautiful place of all is the
+"Kastell," above the "Long Line," from whence one can enjoy a beautiful
+view.  The town lies displayed below in all its magnificence: the
+harbour, with its many ships; the sparkling blue Sound, which spreads its
+broad expanse between the coasts of Denmark and Sweden, and washes many a
+beautiful group of islands belonging to one or the other of these
+countries.  The background of the picture alone is uninteresting, as
+there is no chain of mountains to form a horizon, and the eye wanders
+over the boundless flats of Denmark.
+
+Among the vessels lying at anchor in the harbour I saw but few
+three-masters, and still fewer steamers.  The ships of the fleet
+presented a curious appearance; at the first view they look like great
+houses with flag-staves, for every ship is provided with a roof, out of
+which the masts rise into the air; they are besides very high out of the
+water, so that all the port-holes and the windows of the cabins appear in
+two or three stories, one above the other.
+
+A somewhat more distant excursion, which can be very conveniently made in
+a capital omnibus, takes you to the royal chateau "Friedrichsberg," lying
+before the water-gate, two miles distant from the town.  Splendid avenues
+lead to this place, where are to be found all the delights that can
+combine to draw a citizen into the country.  There are a tivoli, a
+railway, cabinets, and booths with wax-figures, and countless other
+sights, besides coffee-houses, beer-rooms, and music.  The gardens are
+planted at the sides with a number of small arbours, each containing a
+table and chairs, and all open in front, so as to shew at one view all
+the visitors of these pretty natural huts.  On Sundays, when the gardens
+are crowded, this is a very animated sight.
+
+On the way to this "Prater" of Copenhagen, we pass many handsome villas,
+each standing in a fine garden.
+
+                [Picture: Copenhagen: From Frederiesbourg]
+
+The royal palace is situated on the summit of a hill, at the end of the
+avenue, and is surrounded by a beautiful park; it commands a view of a
+great portion of the town, with the surrounding country and the sea;
+still I far prefer the prospect from the "Kastell."  The Park contains a
+considerable island, which, during some part of the year, stands in the
+midst of an extensive lake.  This island is appropriated to the Court,
+but the rest of the park is open to the public.
+
+Immediately outside the water-gate stands an obelisk, remarkable neither
+for its beauty nor for the skill displayed in its erection, for it
+consists of various stones, and is not high, but interesting from the
+circumstance to which it owes its origin.  It was erected by his grateful
+subjects in memory of the late king Christian VII., to commemorate the
+abolition of feudal service.  Surely no feeling person can contemplate
+without joyful emotion a monument like this.
+
+I have here given a faithful account of what I saw during my short stay
+at Copenhagen.  It only remains for me to describe a few peculiar customs
+of the people, and so I will begin as it were at the end, with the burial
+of the dead.  In Denmark, as in fact in the whole of Scandinavia, not
+excepting Iceland, it is customary not to bury the dead until eight or
+ten days have elapsed.  In winter-time this is not of so much
+consequence, but in summer it is far from healthy for those under the
+same roof with the corpse.  I was present at Copenhagen at the funeral of
+Dr. Brandis, physician to the king.  Two of the king's carriages and a
+number of private equipages attended.  Nearly all these were empty, and
+the servants walked beside them.  Among the mourners I did not notice a
+single woman; I supposed that this was only the case at the funerals of
+gentlemen, but on inquiry I found that the same rule is observed at the
+burial of women.  This consideration for the weaker sex is carried so
+far, that on the day of the funeral no woman may be seen in the house of
+mourning.  The mourners assemble in the house of the deceased, and
+partake of cold refreshments.  At the conclusion of the ceremony they are
+again regaled.  What particularly pleased me in Copenhagen was, that I
+never on any occasion saw beggars, or even such miserably clad people as
+are found only too frequently in our great cities.  Here there are no
+doubt poor people, as there are such every where else in the world, but
+one does not see them beg.  I cannot help mentioning an arrangement which
+certainly deserves to be universally carried out;--I mean, the setting
+apart of many large houses, partly belonging to the royal family, partly
+to rich private people or to companies, for the reception of poor people,
+who are here lodged at a much cheaper rate than is possible in ordinary
+dwellings.
+
+The costumes of the peasants did not particularly please me.  The women
+wear dresses of green or black woollen stuff, reaching to the ankle, and
+trimmed at the skirt with broad coloured woollen borders.  The seams of
+the spenser, and the arm-holes, are also trimmed with smaller coloured
+borders.  On their heads they wear a handkerchief, and over this a kind
+of shade, like a bonnet.  On Sundays I saw many of them in small, pretty
+caps, worked with silk, with a border of lace of more than a hand's
+breadth, plaited very stiffly; at the back they have large bows of fine
+riband, the ends of which reach half down to their feet.  I found nothing
+very remarkable in the dress of the peasants.  As far as strength and
+beauty were concerned, I thought these peasants were neither more nor
+less gifted than those of Austria.  As regards the beauty of the fair
+sex, I should certainly give the preference to the Austrians.  Fair hair
+and blue eyes predominate.
+
+I saw but few soldiers; their uniforms, particularly those worn by the
+king's life-guards, are very handsome.
+
+I especially noticed the drummers; they were all little lads of ten or
+twelve years old.  One could almost have exclaimed, "Drum, whither art
+thou carrying that boy?"  To march, and to join in fatiguing manoeuvres,
+carrying such a drum, and beating it bravely at the same time, is rather
+cruel work for such young lads.  Many a ruined constitution may be
+ascribed to this custom.
+
+During my stay in Copenhagen I spent many very delightful hours with
+Professor Mariboe and his amiable family, and with the kind clergyman of
+the embassy, Herr Zimmermann.  They received me with true politeness and
+hospitality, and drew me into their circle, where I soon felt myself
+quite at ease.  I shall never forget their friendship, and shall make use
+of every opportunity to shew them my appreciation of it.  Herr Edouard
+Gottschalk and Herr Knudson have also my best thanks.  I applied to the
+first of these gentlemen to procure me a passage to Iceland, and he was
+kind enough to use his interest with Herr Knudson on my behalf.
+
+Herr Knudson is one of the first general dealers in Copenhagen, and
+carries on a larger and more extended commerce with Iceland than any
+other house trading thither.  He is already beginning to retire, as the
+continual journeys are becoming irksome to him; but he still owns a
+number of great and small vessels, which are partly employed in the
+fisheries, and partly in bringing all kinds of articles of consumption
+and luxury to the different harbours of Iceland.
+
+He himself goes in one of his ships every year, and stays a few months in
+Iceland to settle his affairs there.  On the recommendation of Herr
+Gottschalk, Herr Knudson was kind enough to give me a passage in the ship
+in which he made the journey himself; a favour which I knew how to value.
+It is certainly no small kindness to take a lady passenger on such a
+journey.  Herr Knudson knew neither my fortitude nor my perseverance; he
+did not know whether I should be able to endure the hardships of a
+journey to the north, whether I would bear sea-sickness philosophically,
+or even if I had courage enough, in case of storms or bad weather, to
+abstain from annoying the captain by my fears or complaints at a time
+when he would only have too much to harass him.  The kind man allowed no
+such considerations to influence him.  He believed me when I promised to
+behave courageously come what might, and took me with him.  Indeed his
+kindness went so far that it is to him I owe every comfort I enjoyed in
+Iceland, and every assistance in furthering the attainment of my
+journey's object.  I could certainly not have commenced a voyage under
+better auspices.
+
+All ships visiting Iceland leave Copenhagen at the end of April, or at
+the latest in the middle of May.  After this time only one ship is
+despatched, to carry the mails of the Danish government.  This vessel
+leaves Copenhagen in October, remains in Iceland during the winter
+months, and returns in March.  The gain or loss of this expedition is
+distributed in shares among the merchants of Copenhagen.
+
+Besides this, a French frigate comes to Iceland every spring, and cruises
+among the different harbours until the middle of August.  She
+superintends the fishing vessels, which, attracted by the large profits
+of the fisheries, visit these seas in great numbers during the summer.
+{17}
+
+Opportunities of returning from Iceland occur during the summer until the
+end of September, by means of the merchant-ships, which carry freights
+from the island to Denmark, England, and Spain.
+
+At length, on Sunday the 4th of May, a favourable wind sprung up.  Herr
+Knudson sent me word to be ready to embark at noon on board the fine brig
+_John_.
+
+I immediately proceeded on board.  The anchor was weighed, and the sails,
+unfolding themselves like giant wings, wafted us gently out of the
+harbour of Copenhagen.  No parting from children, relations, or
+old-cherished friends embittered this hour.  With a glad heart I bade
+adieu to the city, in the joyful hope soon to see the fulfilment of my
+long-expected journey.
+
+The bright sky smiled above us, and a most favourable wind filled our
+sails.  I sat on deck and revelled in the contemplation of scenes so new
+to me.  Behind us lay spread the majestic town; before us the Sound, an
+immense natural basin, which I could almost compare to a great Swiss
+lake; on the right and left were the coasts of Sweden and Denmark, which
+here approach each other so closely that they seem to oppose a barrier to
+the further progress of the adventurous voyager.
+
+Soon we passed the little Swedish town of Carlscrona, and the desolate
+island Hveen, on which Tycho de Brahe passed the greater portion of his
+life, occupied with stellar observations and calculations.  Now came a
+somewhat dangerous part, and one which called into action all the careful
+seamanship of the captain to bring us safely through the confined sea and
+the strong current,--the entrance of the Sound into the Cattegat.
+
+The two coasts here approach to within a mile of each other.  On the
+Swedish side lies the pretty little town of Helsingborg, on the Danish
+side that of Helsingor, and at the extremity of a projecting neck of land
+the fortress Kronburg, which demands a toll of every passing ship, and
+shews a large row of threatening cannon in case of non-compliance.  Our
+toll had already been paid before leaving Copenhagen; we had been
+accurately signalled, and sailed fearlessly by. {18}
+
+The entrance once passed, we entered the Cattegat, which already looked
+more like the great ocean: the coasts retired on each side, and most of
+the shifts and barques, which till now had hovered around us on all
+sides, bade us "farewell."  Some bent their course towards the east,
+others towards the west; and we alone, on the broad desert ocean, set
+sail for the icy north.  Twilight did not set in until 9 o'clock at
+night; and on the coasts the flaming beacons flashed up, to warn the
+benighted mariner of the proximity of dangerous rocks.
+
+I now offered up my thanksgiving to Heaven for the protection hitherto
+vouchsafed me, with a humble prayer for its continuance.  Then I
+descended to the cabin, where I found a convenient bunk (a kind of crib
+fixed to the side of the ship); I laid myself down, and was soon in a
+deep and refreshing sleep.
+
+I awoke full of health and spirits, which, however, I enjoyed but for a
+short time.  During the night we had left behind us the "Cattegat" and
+the "Skagerrack," and were driving through the stormy German Ocean.  A
+high wind, which increased almost to a gale, tumbled our poor ship about
+in such a manner, that none but a good dancer could hope to maintain an
+upright position.  I had unfortunately been from my youth no votary of
+Terpsichore, and what was I to do?  The naiads of this stormy region
+seized me, and bandied me to and fro, until they threw me into the arms
+of what was, according to my experience, if not exactly after Schiller's
+interpretation, "the horrible of horrors,"--sea-sickness.  At first I
+took little heed of this, thinking that sea-sickness would soon be
+overcome by a traveller like myself, who should be inured to every thing.
+But in vain did I bear up; I became worse and worse, till I was at length
+obliged to remain in my berth with but one consoling thought, namely,
+that we were to-day on the open sea, where there was nothing worthy of
+notice.  But the following day the Norwegian coast was in sight, and at
+all hazards I must see it; so I crawled on deck more dead than alive,
+looked at a row of mountains of moderate elevation, their tops at this
+early season still sparkling with their snowy covering, and then hurried
+back, benumbed by the piercing icy wind, to my good warm feather-bed.
+Those who have never experienced it can have no conception of the biting,
+penetrating coldness of a gale of wind in the northern seas.  The sun
+shone high in the heavens; the thermometer (I always calculate according
+to Reaumur) stood 3 degrees above zero; I was dressed much more warmly
+than I should have thought necessary when, in my fatherland, the
+thermometer was 8 or 10 degrees _below_ zero, and yet I felt chilled to
+the heart, and could have fancied that I had no clothes on at all.
+
+On the fourth night we sailed safely past the Shetland Islands; and on
+the evening of the fifth day we passed so near the majestic rocky group
+of the Feroe Islands, that we were at one time apprehensive of being cast
+upon the rocks by the unceasing gale. {19}
+
+Already on the seventh day we descried the coast of Iceland.  Our passage
+had been unprecedentedly quick; the sailors declared that a favourable
+gale was to be preferred even to steam, and that on our present voyage we
+should certainly have left every steamer in our wake.  But I, wretched
+being that I was, would gladly have dispensed with the services both of
+gale and steam for the sake of a few hours' rest.  My illness increased
+so much, that on the seventh day I thought I must succumb.  My limbs were
+bathed in a cold perspiration; I was as weak as an infant, and my mouth
+felt parched and dry.  I saw that I must now either make a great effort
+or give up entirely; so I roused myself, and with the assistance of the
+cabin-boy gained a seat, and promised to take any and every remedy which
+should be recommended.  They gave me hot-water gruel with wine and sugar;
+but it was not enough to be obliged to force this down, I was further
+compelled to swallow small pieces of raw bacon highly peppered, and even
+a mouthful of rum.  I need not say what strong determination was required
+to make me submit to such a regimen.  I had, however, but one choice,
+either to conquer my repugnance or give myself up a victim to
+sea-sickness; so with all patience and resignation I received the
+proffered gifts, and found, after a trial of many hours, that I could
+manage to retain a small dose.  This physicking was continued for two
+long, long days, and then I began slowly to recover.
+
+I have here circumstantially described both my illness and its cure,
+because so many people are unfortunately victims to the complaint, and
+when under its influence cannot summon resolution to take sustenance.  I
+should advise all my friends not to hold out so long as I did, but to
+take food at once, and continue to do so until the system will receive
+it.
+
+As I was now convalescent, I tried to recruit my wearied mind by a
+diligent study of the mode of life and customs of the mariners of the
+northern seas.
+
+Our ship's company consisted of Herr Knudson, Herr Bruge (a merchant whom
+we were to land at the Westmann Islands), the captain, the mate, and six
+or seven sailors.  Our mode of life in the cabin was as follows: in the
+morning, at seven o'clock, we took coffee, but whence this coffee came,
+heaven knows!  I drank it for eleven days, and could never discover any
+thing which might serve as a clue in my attempt to discover the country
+of its growth.  At ten o'clock we had a meal consisting of bread and
+butter and cheese, with cold beef or pork, all excellent dishes for those
+in health; the second course of this morning meal was "tea-water."  In
+Scandinavia, by the way, they never say, "I drink _tea_," the word
+"water" is always added: "I drink _tea-water_."  Our "tea-water" was, if
+possible, worse than its predecessor, the incomparable coffee.  Thus I
+was beaten at all points; the eatables were too strong for me, the
+drinkables too--too--I can find no appropriate epithet--probably too
+artificial.  I consoled myself with the prospect of dinner; but, alas,
+too soon this sweet vision faded into thin air!  On the sixth day I made
+my first appearance at the covered table, and could not help at once
+remarking the cloth which had been spread over it.  At the commencement
+of our journey it might perhaps have been white; now it was most
+certainly no longer of that snowy hue.  The continual pitching and
+rolling of the ship had caused each dish to set its peculiar stamp upon
+the cloth.  A sort of wooden network was now laid upon it, in the
+interstices of which the plates and glasses were set, and thus secured
+from falling.  But before placing it on the table, our worthy cabin-boy
+took each plate and glass separately, and polished it on a towel which
+hung near, and in colour certainly rather resembling the dingy floor of
+the cabin than the bight-hued rainbow.  This could still have been
+endured, but the article in question really did duty _as a towel_ in the
+morning, before extending its salutary influence over plates and glasses
+for the remainder of the day.
+
+On making discoveries such as these, I would merely turn away my eyes,
+and try to think that perhaps _my glass_ and _my plate_ would be more
+delicately manipulated, or probably escape altogether; and then I would
+turn my whole attention to the expected dishes.
+
+First came soup; but instead of gravy-soup, it was water-soup, with rice
+and dried plums.  This, when mingled with red wine and sugar, formed a
+most exquisite dish for Danish appetites, but it certainly did not suit
+mine.  The second and concluding course consisted of a large piece of
+beef, with which I had no fault to find, except that it was too heavy for
+one in my weak state of health.  At supper we had the same dishes as at
+dinner, and each meal was followed by "tea-water."  At first I could not
+fancy this bill of fare at all; but within a few days after my
+convalesence, I had accustomed myself to it, and could bear the sea-diet
+very well. {20}
+
+As the rich owner of the vessel was on board, there was no lack of the
+best wines, and few evenings passed on which a bowl of punch was not
+emptied.  There was, however, a reason found why every bottle of wine or
+bowl of punch should be drunk: for instance, at our embarkation, to drink
+the health of the friends we were leaving, and to hope for a quick and
+prosperous voyage; then, when the wind was favourable, its health was
+drunk, with the request that it would remain so; when it was contrary,
+with the request that it would change; when we saw land, we saluted it
+with a glass of wine, or perhaps with several, but I was too ill to
+count; when we lost sight of it, we drank a farewell glass to its health:
+so that every day brought with it three or four distinct and separate
+occasions for drinking wine. {21}
+
+The sailors drank tea-water without sugar every morning and evening, with
+the addition of a glass of brandy; for dinner they had pease, beans,
+barley, or potatoes, with salted cod, bacon, "or junk;" good sea-biscuit
+they could get whenever they chose.
+
+The diet is not the worst part of these poor people's hardships.  Their
+life may be called a continual fight against the elements; for it is
+precisely during the most dreadful storms, with rain and piercing cold,
+that they have to be continually upon deck.  I could not sufficiently
+admire the coolness, or rather the cheerfulness and alacrity with which
+they fulfilled their onerous duties.  And what reward have they?  Scanty
+pay, for food the diet I have just described, and for their
+sleeping-place the smallest and most inconvenient part of the ship, a
+dark place frequently infested with vermin, and smelling offensively from
+being likewise used as a receptacle for oil-colours, varnish, tar,
+salt-fish, &c. &c.
+
+To be cheerful in the midst of all this requires a very quiet and
+contented mind.  That the Danish sailors are contented, I had many
+opportunities of observing during the voyage of which I am speaking, and
+on several other occasions.
+
+But after all this long description, it is high time that I should return
+to the journey itself.
+
+The favourable gale which had thus wafted us to the coast of Iceland
+within seven days, now unfortunately changed its direction, and drove us
+back.  We drifted about in the storm-tost ocean, and many a Spanish wave
+{22} broke completely over our ship.  Twice we attempted to approach the
+Westmann Islands {23} (a group belonging to Iceland) to watch an
+opportunity of casting anchor, and setting ashore our fellow-traveller
+Herr Bruge; but it was in vain, we were driven back each time.  At
+length, at the close of the eleventh day, we reached Havenfiord, a very
+good harbour, distant nine miles from Reikjavik, the capital of Iceland.
+
+In spite of the very inopportune change in the direction of the wind, we
+had had an unprecedentedly quick passage.  The distance from Copenhagen
+to Iceland, in a straight line, is reckoned at 1200 geographical miles;
+for a sailing vessel, which must tack now and then, and must go as much
+with the wind as possible, 1500 to 1600 miles.  Had the strong wind,
+which was at first so favourable, instead of changing on the seventh day,
+held on for thirty or forty hours longer, we should have landed in
+Iceland on the eighth or ninth day--even the steamer could not have
+accomplished the passage so quickly.
+
+The shores of Iceland appeared to me quite different from what I had
+supposed them to be from the descriptions I had read.  I had fancied them
+naked, without tree or shrub, dreary and desert; but now I saw green
+hills, shrubs, and even what appeared to be groups of stunted trees.  As
+we came nearer, however, I was enabled to distinguish objects more
+clearly, and the green hills became human dwellings with small doors and
+windows, while the supposed groups of trees proved in reality to be heaps
+of lava, some ten or twelve feet high, thickly covered with moss and
+grass.  Every thing was new and striking to me; I waited in great
+impatience till we could land.
+
+At length the anchor descended; but it was not till next morning that the
+hour of disembarkation and deliverance came.
+
+But one more night, and then, every difficulty overcome, I should tread
+the shores of Iceland, the longed-for, and bask as it were in the wonders
+of this island, so poor in the creations of art, so rich in the phenomena
+of Nature.
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+Before I land in Iceland, I must trouble the reader with a few
+preliminary observations regarding this island.  They are drawn from
+Mackenzie's _Description of Iceland_, a book the sterling value of which
+is appreciated every where. {24}
+
+The discovery of Iceland, about the year of our Lord 860, is attributed
+to the spirit of enterprise of some Swedish and Norwegian pirates, who
+were drifted thither on a voyage to the Feroe Isles.  It was not till the
+year 874 that the island was peopled by a number of voluntary emigrants,
+who, feeling unhappy under the dominion of Harold Harfraga (fine hair),
+arrived at the island under the direction of Ingold. {25}  As the
+newcomers are said to have found no traces of dwellings, they are
+presumed to be the first who took possession of the island.
+
+At this time Iceland was still so completely covered with underwood, that
+at some points it was necessary to cut a passage.  Bringing with them
+their language, religion, customs, and historical monuments, the
+Norwegians introduced a kind of feudal system, which, about the year 928,
+gave place to a somewhat aristocratic government, retaining, however, the
+name of a republic.  The island was divided into four provinces, over
+each of which was placed an hereditary governor or judge.
+
+The General Assembly of Iceland (called Allthing) was held annually on
+the shores of the Lake Thingvalla.  The people possessed an excellent
+code of laws, in which provision had been made for every case which could
+occur.
+
+This state of things lasted for more than 300 years, a period which may
+be called the golden age of Iceland.  Education, literature, and even
+refined poetry flourished among the inhabitants, who took part in
+commerce and in the sea-voyages which the Norwegians undertook for
+purposes of discovery.
+
+The "Sagas," or histories of this country, contain many tales of personal
+bravery.  Its bards and historians visited other climes, became the
+favourites of monarchs, and returned to their island covered with honour
+and loaded with presents.  The _Edda_, by Samund, is one of the most
+valued poems of the ancient days of Iceland.  The second portion of the
+_Edda_, called _Skalda_, dates from a later period, and is ascribed by
+many to the celebrated Snorri Sturluson.  Isleif, first Bishop of
+Skalholt, was the earliest Icelandic historian; after him came the noted
+Snorri Sturluson, born in 1178, who became the richest and mightiest man
+in Iceland.
+
+Snorri Sturluson was frequently followed to the General Assembly of
+Iceland by a splendid retinue of 800 armed men.  He was a great historian
+and poet, and possessed an accurate knowledge of the Greek and Latin
+tongues, besides being a powerful orator.  He was also the author of the
+_Heims-kringla_.
+
+The first school was founded at Skalholt, about the middle of the
+eleventh century, under Isleif, first Bishop of Iceland; four other
+schools and several convents soon followed.  Poetry and music seem to
+have formed a staple branch of education.
+
+The climate of Iceland appears to have been less inclement than is now
+the case; corn is said to have grown, and trees and shrubs were larger
+and thicker than we find them at present.  The population of Iceland was
+also much more numerous than it is now, although there were neither towns
+nor villages.  The people lived scattered throughout the island; and the
+General Assembly was held at Thingvalla, in the open air.
+
+Fishing constituted the chief employment of the Icelanders.  Their
+clothing was woven from the wool of their sheep.  Commerce with
+neighbouring countries opened to them another field of occupation.
+
+The doctrines of Christianity were first introduced into Iceland, in the
+year 981, by Friederich, a Saxon bishop.  Many churches were built, and
+tithes established for the maintenance of the clergy.  Isleif, first
+Bishop of Skalholt, was ordained in the year 1057.  After the
+introduction of Christianity, all the Icelanders enjoyed an
+unostentatious but undisturbed practice of their religion.
+
+Greenland and the most northern part of America are said to have been
+discovered by Icelanders.
+
+In the middle of the thirteenth century Iceland came into the power of
+the Norwegian kings.  In the year 1380 Norway was united to the crown of
+Denmark; and Iceland incorporated, without resistance, in the Danish
+monarchy.  Since the cession of the island to Norway, and then to
+Denmark, peace and security took the place of the internal commotions
+with which, before this time, Iceland had been frequently disturbed; but
+this state of quiet brought forth indolence and apathy.  The voyages of
+discovery were interfered with by the new government, and the commerce
+gradually passed into the hands of other nations.  The climate appears
+also to have changed; and the lessened industry and want of perseverance
+in the inhabitants have brought agriculture completely into decline.
+
+In the year 1402 the plague broke out upon the island, and carried off
+two-thirds of the population.
+
+The first printing-press was established at Hoolum, about the year 1530,
+under the superintendence of the Bishop, John Areson.
+
+The reformation in the Icelandic Church was not brought about without
+disturbance.  It was legally established in the year 1551.
+
+During the fifteenth century the Icelanders suffered more from the
+piratical incursions of foreigners.  As late as the year 1616 the French
+and English nations took part in these enormities.  The most melancholy
+occurrence of this kind took place in 1627, in which year a great number
+of Algerine pirates made a descent upon the Icelandic coast, murdered
+about fifty of the inhabitants, and carried off nearly 400 others into
+captivity. {26}
+
+The eighteenth century commenced with a dreadful mortality from the
+smallpox; of which disease more than 16,000 of the inhabitants died.  In
+1757 a famine swept away about 10,000 souls.
+
+The year 1783 was distinguished by most dreadful volcanic outbreaks in
+the interior of the island.  Tremendous streams of lava carried all
+before them; great rivers were checked in their course, and formed lakes.
+For more than a year a thick cloud of smoke and volcanic ashes covered
+the whole of Iceland, and nearly darkened the sunlight.  Horned cattle,
+sheep, and horses were destroyed; famine came, with its accompanying
+illnesses; and once more appeared the malignant small-pox.  In a few
+years more than 11,000 persons had died; more than one-fourth of the
+whole present population of the island.
+
+Iceland lies in the Atlantic ocean; its greatest breadth is 240
+geographical miles, and its extreme length from north to south 140 miles.
+The number of inhabitants is estimated at 48,000, and the superficial
+extent of the island at 29,800 square miles.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+
+On the morning of the 16th of May I landed in the harbour of Havenfiord,
+and for the first time trod the shores of Iceland.  Although I was quite
+bewildered by sea-sickness, and still more by the continual rocking of
+the ship, so that every object round me seemed to dance, and I could
+scarcely make a firm step, still I could not rest in the house of Herr
+Knudson, which he had obligingly placed at my disposal.  I must go out at
+once, to see and investigate every thing.  I found that Havenfiord
+consisted merely of three wooden houses, a few magazines built of the
+same material, and some peasants' cottages.
+
+The wooden houses are inhabited by merchants or by their factors, and
+consist only of a ground-floor, with a front of four or six windows.  Two
+or three steps lead up to the entrance, which is in the centre of the
+building, and opens upon a hall from which doors lead into the rooms to
+the right and left.  At the back of the house is situated the kitchen,
+which opens into several back rooms and into the yard.  A house of this
+description consists only of five or six rooms on the ground-floor and a
+few small attic bedrooms.
+
+The internal arrangements are quite European.  The furniture--which is
+often of mahogany,--the mirrors, the cast-iron stoves, every thing, in
+short, come from Copenhagen.  Beautiful carpets lie spread before the
+sofas; neat curtains shade the windows; English prints ornament the
+whitewashed walls; porcelain, plate, cut-glass, &c., are displayed on
+chests and on tables; and flower-pots with roses, mignonnette, and pinks
+spread a delicious fragrance around.  I even found a grand pianoforte
+here.  If any person could suddenly, and without having made the journey,
+be transported into one of these houses, he would certainly fancy himself
+in some continental town, rather than in the distant and barren island of
+Iceland.  And as in Havenfiord, so I found the houses of the more opulent
+classes in Reikjavik, and in all the places I visited.
+
+From these handsome houses I betook myself to the cottages of the
+peasants, which have a more indigenous, Icelandic appearance.  Small and
+low, built of lava, with the interstices filled with earth, and the whole
+covered with large pieces of turf, they would present rather the
+appearance of natural mounds of earth than of human dwellings, were it
+not that the projecting wooden chimneys, the low-browed entrances, and
+the almost imperceptible windows, cause the spectator to conclude that
+they are inhabited.  A dark narrow passage, about four feet high, leads
+on one side into the common room, and on the other to a few compartments,
+some of which are used as storehouses for provisions, and the rest as
+winter stables for the cows and sheep.  At the end of this passage, which
+is purposely built so low, as an additional defence against the cold, the
+fireplace is generally situated.  The rooms of the poorer class have
+neither wooden walls nor floors, and are just large enough to admit of
+the inhabitants sleeping, and perhaps turning round in them.  The whole
+interior accommodation is comprised in bedsteads with very little
+covering, a small table, and a few drawers.  Beds and chests of drawers
+answer the purpose of benches and chairs.  Above the beds are fixed rods,
+from which depend clothes, shoes, stockings, &c.  A small board, on which
+are arranged a few books, is generally to be observed.  Stoves are
+considered unnecessary; for as the space is very confined, and the house
+densely populated, the atmosphere is naturally warm.
+
+Rods are also placed round the fireplace, and on these the wet clothes
+and fishes are hung up in company to dry.  The smoke completely fills the
+room, and slowly finds its way through a few breathing-holes into the
+open air.
+
+Fire-wood there is none throughout the whole island.  The rich
+inhabitants have it brought from Norway or Denmark; the poor burn turf,
+to which they frequently add bones and other offal of fish, which
+naturally engender a most disagreeable smoke.
+
+On entering one of these cottages, the visitor is at a loss to determine
+which of the two is the more obnoxious--the suffocating smoke in the
+passage or the poisoned air of the dwelling-room, rendered almost
+insufferable by the crowding together of so many persons.  I could almost
+venture to assert, that the dreadful eruption called Lepra, which is
+universal throughout Iceland, owes its existence rather to the total want
+of cleanliness than to the climate of the country or to the food.
+
+Throughout my subsequent journeys into the interior, I found the cottages
+of the peasants every where alike squalid and filthy.  Of course I speak
+of the majority, and not of the exceptions; for here I found a few rich
+peasants, whose dwellings looked cleaner and more habitable, in
+proportion to the superior wealth or sense of decency of the owners.  My
+idea is, that the traveller's estimate of a country should be formed
+according to the habits and customs of the generality of its inhabitants,
+and not according to the doings of a few individuals, as is often the
+case.  Alas, how seldom did I meet with these creditable exceptions!
+
+The neighbourhood of Havenfiord is formed by a most beautiful and
+picturesque field of lava, at first rising in hills, then sinking into
+hollows, and at length terminating in a great plain which extends to the
+base of the neighbouring mountains.  Masses of the most varied forms,
+often black and naked, rise to the height of ten or fifteen feet, forming
+walls, ruined pillars, small grottoes, and hollow spaces.  Over these
+latter large slabs often extend, and form bridges.  Every thing around
+consists of suddenly cooled heaped-up masses of lava, in some instances
+covered to their summits with grass and moss; this circumstance gives
+them, as already stated, the appearance of groups of stunted trees.
+Horses, sheep, and cows were clambering about, diligently seeking out
+every green place.  I also clambered about diligently; I could not tire
+of gazing and wondering at this terribly beautiful picture of
+destruction.
+
+After a few hours I had so completely forgotten the hardships of my
+passage, and felt myself so much strengthened, that I began my journey to
+Reikjavik at five o'clock on the evening of the same day.  Herr Knudson
+seemed much concerned for me; he warned me that the roads were bad, and
+particularly emphasised the dangerous abysses I should be compelled to
+pass.  I comforted him with the assurance that I was a good horsewoman,
+and could hardly have to encounter worse roads than those with which I
+had had the honour to become acquainted in Syria.  I therefore took leave
+of the kind gentleman, who intended to stay a week or ten days in
+Havenfiord, and mounting a small horse, set out in company of a female
+guide.
+
+In my guide I made the acquaintance of a remarkable antiquity of Iceland,
+who is well worthy that I should devote a few words to her description.
+She is above seventy years of age, but looks scarcely fifty; her head is
+surrounded by tresses of rich fair hair.  She is dressed like a man;
+undertakes, in the capacity of messenger, the longest and most fatiguing
+journeys; rows a boat as skilfully as the most practised fisherman; and
+fulfils all her missions quicker and more exactly than a man, for she
+does not keep up so good an understanding with the brandy-bottle.  She
+marched on so sturdily before me, that I was obliged to incite my little
+horse to greater speed with my riding-whip.
+
+At first the road lay between masses of lava, where it certainly was not
+easy to ride; then over flats and small acclivities, from whence we could
+descry the immense plain in which are situated Havenfiord, Bassastadt,
+Reikjavik, and other places.  Bassastadt, a town built on a promontory
+jutting out into the sea, contains one of the principal schools, a church
+built of masonry, and a few cottages.  The town of Reikjavik cannot be
+seen, as it is hidden behind a hill.  The other places consist chiefly of
+a few cottages, and only meet the eye of the traveller when he approaches
+them nearly.  Several chains of mountains, towering one above the other,
+and sundry "Jokuls," or glaciers, which lay still sparkling in their
+wintry garb, surround this interminable plain, which is only open at one
+end, towards the sea.  Some of the plains and hills shone with tender
+green, and I fancied I beheld beautiful meadows.  On a nearer inspection,
+however, they proved to be swampy places, and hundreds upon hundreds of
+little acclivities, sometimes resembling mole-hills, at others small
+graves, and covered with grass and moss.
+
+I could see over an area of at least thirty or forty miles, and yet could
+not descry a tree or a shrub, a bit of meadow-land or a friendly village.
+Every thing seemed dead.  A few cottages lay scattered here and there; at
+long intervals a bird would hover in the air, and still more seldom I
+heard the kindly greeting of a passing inhabitant.  Heaps of lava,
+swamps, and turf-bogs surrounded me on all sides; in all the vast expanse
+not a spot was to be seen through which a plough could be driven.
+
+After riding more than four miles, I reached a hill, from which I could
+see Reikjavik, the chief harbour, and, in fact, the only town on the
+island.  But I was deceived in my expectations; the place before me was a
+mere village.
+
+The distance from Havenfiord to Reikjavik is scarcely nine miles; but as
+I was unwilling to tire my good old guide, I took three hours to
+accomplish it.  The road was, generally speaking, very good, excepting in
+some places, where it lay over heaps of lava.  Of the much-dreaded dizzy
+abysses I saw nothing; the startling term must have been used to
+designate some unimportant declivities, along the brow of which I rode,
+in sight of the sea; or perhaps the "abysses" were on the lava-fields,
+where I sometimes noticed small chasms of fifteen or sixteen feet in
+depth at the most.
+
+Shortly after eight o'clock in the evening I was fortunate enough to
+reach Reikjavik safe and well.  Through the kind forethought of Herr
+Knudson, a neat little room had been prepared for me in one of his houses
+occupied by the family of the worthy baker Bernhoft, and truly I could
+not have been better received any where.
+
+During my protracted stay the whole family of the Bernhofts shewed me
+more kindness and cordiality than it has been my lot frequently to find.
+Many an hour has Herr Bernhoft sacrificed to me, in order to accompany me
+in my little excursions.  He assisted me most diligently in my search for
+flowers, insects, and shells, and was much rejoiced when he could find me
+a new specimen.  His kind wife and dear children rivalled him in
+willingness to oblige.  I can only say, may Heaven requite them a
+thousand-fold for their kindness and friendship!
+
+I had even an opportunity of hearing my native language spoken by Herr
+Bernhoft, who was a Holsteiner by birth, and had not quite forgotten our
+dear German tongue, though he had lived for many years partly in Denmark,
+partly in Iceland.
+
+So behold me now in the only town in Iceland, {27} the seat of the
+so-called cultivated classes, whose customs and mode of life I will now
+lay before my honoured readers.
+
+Nothing was more disagreeable to me than a certain air of dignity assumed
+by the ladies here; an air which, except when it is natural, or has
+become so from long habit, is apt to degenerate into stiffness and
+incivility.  On meeting an acquaintance, the ladies of Reikjavik would
+bend their heads with so stately and yet so careless an air as we should
+scarcely assume towards the humblest stranger.  At the conclusion of a
+visit, the lady of the house only accompanies the guest as far as the
+chamber-door.  If the husband be present, this civility is carried a
+little further; but when this does not happen to be the case, a stranger
+who does not know exactly through which door he can make his exit, may
+chance to feel not a little embarrassed.  Excepting in the house of the
+"Stiftsamtmann" (the principal official on the island), one does not find
+a footman who can shew the way.  In Hamburgh I had already noticed the
+beginnings of this dignified coldness; it increased as I journeyed
+further north, and at length reached its climax in Iceland.
+
+Good letters of recommendation often fail to render the northern grandees
+polite towards strangers.  As an instance of this fact, I relate the
+following trait:
+
+Among other kind letters of recommendation, I had received one addressed
+to Herr von H---, the "Stiftsamtmann" of Iceland.  On my arrival at
+Copenhagen, I heard that Herr von H--- happened to be there.  I therefore
+betook myself to his residence, and was shewn into a room where I found
+two young ladies and three children.  I delivered my letter, and remained
+quietly standing for some time.  Finding at length that no one invited me
+to be seated, I sat down unasked on the nearest chair, never supposing
+for an instant that the lady of the house could be present, and neglect
+the commonest forms of politeness which should be observed towards every
+stranger.  After I had waited for some time, Herr von H--- graciously
+made his appearance, and expressed his regret that he should have very
+little time to spare for me, as he intended setting sail for Iceland with
+his family in a short time, and in the interim had a number of weighty
+affairs to settle at Copenhagen; in conclusion, he gave me the friendly
+advice to abandon my intention of visiting Iceland, as the fatigues of
+travelling in that country were very great; finding, however, that I
+persevered in my intention, he promised, in case I set sail for Reikjavik
+earlier than himself, to give me a letter of recommendation.  All this
+was concluded in great haste, and we stood during the interview.  I took
+my leave, and at first determined not to call again for the letter.  On
+reflection, however, I changed my mind, ascribed my unfriendly reception
+to important and perhaps disagreeable business, and called again two days
+afterwards.  Then the letter was handed to me by a servant; the high
+people, whom I could hear conversing in the adjoining apartment, probably
+considered it too much trouble to deliver it to me personally.
+
+On paying my respects to this amiable family in Reikjavik, I was not a
+little surprised to recognise in Frau von H--- one of those ladies who in
+Copenhagen had not had the civility to ask me to be seated.  Five or six
+days afterwards, Herr von H--- returned my call, and invited me to an
+excursion to Vatne.  I accepted the invitation with much pleasure, and
+mentally asked pardon of him for having formed too hasty an opinion.
+Frau von H---, however, did not find her way to me until the fourth week
+of my stay in Reikjavik; she did not even invite me to visit her again,
+so of course I did not go, and our acquaintance terminated there.  As in
+duty bound, the remaining dignitaries of this little town took their tone
+from their chief.  My visits were unreturned, and I received no
+invitations, though I heard much during my stay of parties of pleasure,
+dinners, and evening parties.  Had I not fortunately been able to employ
+myself, I should have been very badly off.  Not one of the ladies had
+kindness and delicacy enough to consider that I was alone here, and that
+the society of educated people might be necessary for my comfort.  I was
+less annoyed at the want of politeness in the gentlemen; for I am no
+longer young, and that accounts for every thing.  When the women were
+wanting in kindliness, I had no right to expect consideration from the
+gentlemen.
+
+I tried to discover the reason of this treatment, and soon found that it
+lay in a national characteristic of these people--their selfishness.
+
+It appears I had scarcely arrived at Reikjavik before diligent inquiries
+were set on foot as to whether I was _rich_, and should see much company
+at my house, and, in fact, whether much could be got out of me.
+
+To be well received here it is necessary either to be rich, or else to
+travel as a naturalist.  Persons of the latter class are generally sent
+by the European courts to investigate the remarkable productions of the
+country.  They make large collections of minerals, birds, &c.; they bring
+with them numerous presents, sometimes of considerable value, which they
+distribute among the dignitaries; they are, moreover, the projectors of
+many an entertainment, and even of many a little ball, &c.; they buy up
+every thing they can procure for their cabinets, and they always travel
+in company; they have much baggage with them, and consequently require
+many horses, which cannot be hired in Iceland, but must be bought.  On
+such occasions every one here is a dealer: offers of horses and cabinets
+pour in on all sides.
+
+The most welcome arrival of all is that of the French frigate, which
+visits Iceland every year; for sometimes there are _dejeuners a la
+fourchette_ on board, sometimes little evening parties and balls.  There
+is at least something to be got besides the rich presents; the
+"Stiftsamtmann" even receives 600 florins per annum from the French
+government to defray the expense of a few return balls which he gives to
+the naval officers.
+
+With me this was not the case: I gave no parties--I brought no
+presents--they had nothing to expect from me; and therefore they left me
+to myself. {28}
+
+For this reason I affirm that he only can judge of the character of a
+people who comes among them without claim to their attention, and from
+whom they have nothing to expect.  To such a person only do they appear
+in their true colours, because they do not find it worth while to
+dissemble and wear a mask in his presence.  In these cases the traveller
+is certainly apt to make painful discoveries; but when, on the other
+hand, he meets with good people, he may be certain of their sincerity;
+and so I must beg my honoured readers to bear with me, when I mention the
+names of all those who heartily welcomed the undistinguished foreigner;
+it is the only way in which I can express my gratitude towards them.
+
+As I said before, I had intercourse with very few people, so that ample
+time remained for solitary walks, during which I minutely noticed every
+thing around me.
+
+The little town of Reikjavik consists of a single broad street, with
+houses and cottages scattered around.  The number of inhabitants does not
+amount to 500.
+
+The houses of the wealthier inhabitants are of wood-work, and contain
+merely a ground-floor, with the exception of a single building of one
+story, to which the high school, now held at Bassastadt, will be
+transferred next year.  The house of the "Stiftsamtmann" is built of
+stone.  It was originally intended for a prison; but as criminals are
+rarely to be met with in Iceland, the building was many years ago
+transformed into the residence of the royal officer.  A second stone
+building, discernible from Reikjavik, is situated at Langarnes, half a
+mile from the town.  It lies near the sea, in the midst of meadows, and
+is the residence of the bishop.
+
+The church is capable of holding only at the most from 100 to 150
+persons; it is built of stone, with a wooden roof.  In the chambers of
+this roof the library, consisting of several thousand volumes, is
+deposited.  The church contains a treasure which many a larger and
+costlier edifice might envy,--a baptismal font by Thorwaldsen, whose
+parents were of Icelandic extraction.  The great sculptor himself was
+born in Denmark, and probably wished, by this present, to do honour to
+the birth-place of his ancestors.
+
+To some of the houses in Reikjavik pieces of garden are attached.  These
+gardens are small plots of ground where, with great trouble and expense,
+salad, spinach, parsley, potatoes, and a few varieties of edible roots,
+are cultivated.  The beds are separated from each other by strips of turf
+a foot broad, seldom boasting even a few field-flowers.
+
+The inhabitants of Iceland are generally of middle stature, and strongly
+built, with light hair, frequently inclining to red, and blue eyes.  The
+men are for the most part ugly; the women are better favoured, and among
+the girls I noticed some very sweet faces.  To attain the age of seventy
+or eighty years is here considered an extraordinary circumstance. {29}
+The peasants have many children, and yet few; many are born, but few
+survive the first year.  The mothers do not nurse them, and rear them on
+very bad food.  Those who get over the first year look healthy enough;
+but they have strangely red cheeks, almost as though they had an
+eruption.  Whether this appearance is to be ascribed to the sharp air, to
+which the delicate skin is not yet accustomed, or to the food, I know
+not.
+
+In some places on the coast, when the violent storms prevent the poor
+fishermen for whole weeks from launching their boats, they live almost
+entirely on dried fishes' heads. {30}  The fishes themselves have been
+salted down and sold, partly to pay the fishermen's taxes, and partly to
+liquidate debts for the necessaries of the past season, among which
+brandy and snuff unfortunately play far too prominent a part.
+
+Another reason why the population does not increase is to be found in the
+numerous catastrophes attending the fisheries during the stormy season of
+the year.  The fishermen leave the shore with songs and mirth, for a
+bright sky and a calm sea promise them good fortune.  But, alas, tempests
+and snow-storms too often overtake the unfortunate boatmen!  The sea is
+lashed into foam, and mighty waves overwhelm boats and fishermen
+together, and they perish inevitably.  It is seldom that the father of a
+family embarks in the same boat with his sons.  They divide themselves
+among different parties, in order that, if one boat founder, the whole
+family may not be destroyed.
+
+I found the cottages of the peasants at Reikjavik smaller, and in every
+respect worse provided, than those at Havenfiord.  This seems, however,
+to be entirely owing to the indolence of the peasants themselves; for
+stones are to be had in abundance, and every man is his own builder.  The
+cows and sheep live through the winter in a wretched den, built either in
+the cottage itself or in its immediate neighbourhood.  The horses pass
+the whole year under the canopy of heaven, and must find their own
+provender.  Occasionally only the peasant will shovel away the snow from
+a little spot, to assist the poor animals in searching for the grass or
+moss concealed beneath.  It is then left to the horses to finish clearing
+away the snow with their feet.  It may easily be imagined that this mode
+of treatment tends to render them very hardy; but the wonder is, how the
+poor creatures manage to exist through the winter on such spare diet, and
+to be strong and fit for work late in the spring and in summer.  These
+horses are so entirely unused to being fed with oats, that they will
+refuse them when offered; they are not even fond of hay.
+
+As I arrived in Iceland during the early spring, I had an opportunity of
+seeing the horses and sheep in their winter garments.  The horses seemed
+to be covered, not with hair, but with a thick woolly coat; their manes
+and tails are very long, and of surprising thickness.  At the end of May
+or the beginning of June the tail and mane are docked and thinned, their
+woolly coat falls of itself, and they then look smooth enough.  The sheep
+have also a very thick coat during the winter.  It is not the custom to
+shear them, but at the beginning of June the wool is picked off piece by
+piece with the hand.  A sheep treated in this way sometimes presents a
+very comical appearance, being perfectly naked on one side, while on the
+other it is still covered with wool.
+
+The horses and cows are considerably smaller than those of our country.
+No one need journey so far north, however, to see stunted cattle.
+Already, in Galicia, the cows and horses of the peasants are not a whit
+larger or stronger than those in Iceland.  The Icelandic cows are further
+remarkable only for their peculiarly small horns; the sheep are also
+smaller than ours.
+
+Every peasant keeps horses.  The mode of feeding them is, as already
+shewn, very simple; the distances are long, the roads bad, and large
+rivers, moorlands, and swamps must frequently be passed; so every one
+rides, both men, women, and children.  The use of carriages is as totally
+unknown throughout the island as in Syria.
+
+The immediate vicinity of Reikjavik is pretty enough.  Some of the
+townspeople go to much trouble and expense in sometimes collecting and
+sometimes breaking the stones around their dwellings.  With the little
+ground thus obtained they mix turf, ashes, and manure, until at length a
+soil is formed on which something will grow.  But this is such a gigantic
+undertaking, that the little culture bestowed on the spots wholly
+neglected by nature cannot be wondered at.  Herr Bernhoft shewed me a
+small meadow which he had leased for thirty years, at an annual rent of
+thirty kreutzers.  In order, however, to transform the land he bought
+into a meadow, which yields winter fodder for only one cow, it was
+necessary to expend more than 150 florins, besides much personal labour
+and pains.  The rate of wages for peasants is very high when compared
+with the limited wants of these people: they receive thirty or forty
+kreutzers per diem, and during the hay-harvest as much as a florin.
+
+For a long distance round the town the ground consists of stones, turf,
+and swamps.  The latter are mostly covered with hundreds upon hundreds of
+great and small mounds of firm ground.  By jumping from one of these
+mounds to the next, the entire swamp may be crossed, not only without
+danger, but dry-footed.
+
+In spite of all this, one of these swamps put me in a position of much
+difficulty and embarrassment during one of my solitary excursions.  I was
+sauntering quietly along, when suddenly a little butterfly fluttered past
+me.  It was the first I had seen in this country, and my eagerness to
+catch it was proportionately great.  I hastened after it; thought neither
+of swamp nor of danger, and in the heat of the chase did not observe that
+the mounds became every moment fewer and farther between.  Soon I found
+myself in the middle of the swamp, and could neither advance nor retreat.
+Not a human being could I descry; the very animals were far from me; and
+this circumstance confirmed me as to the dangerous nature of the ground.
+Nothing remained for me but to fix my eyes upon one point of the
+landscape, and to step out boldly towards it.  I was often obliged to
+hazard two or three steps into the swamp itself, in order to gain the
+next acclivity, upon which I would then stand triumphantly, to determine
+my farther progress.  So long as I could distinguish traces of horses'
+hoofs, I had no fear; but even these soon disappeared, and I stood there
+alone in the morass.  I could not remain for ever on my tower of
+observation, and had no resource but to take to the swamp once more.  I
+must confess that I experienced a very uncomfortable feeling of
+apprehension when my foot sank suddenly into the soft mud; but when I
+found that it did not rise higher than the ankles, my courage returned; I
+stepped out boldly, and was fortunate enough to escape with the fright
+and a thorough wetting.
+
+The most arduous posts in the country are those of the medical men and
+clergymen.  Their sphere of action is very enlarged, particularly that of
+the medical man, whose practice sometimes extends over a distance of
+eighty to a hundred miles.  When we add to this the severity of the
+winter, which lasts for seven or eight months, it seems marvellous that
+any one can be found to fill such a situation.
+
+In winter the peasants often come with shovels, pickaxes, and horses to
+fetch the doctor.  They then go before him, and hastily repair the worst
+part of the road; while the doctor rides sometimes on one horse,
+sometimes on another, that they may not sink under the fatigue.  And thus
+the procession travels for many, many miles, through night and fog,
+through storm and snow, for on the doctor's promptitude life and death
+often hang.  When he then returns, quite benumbed, and half dead with
+cold, to the bosom of his family, in the expectation of rest and
+refreshment, and to rejoice with his friends over the dangers and
+hardships he has escaped, the poor doctor is frequently compelled to set
+off at once on a new and important journey, before he has even had time
+to greet the dear ones at home.
+
+Sometimes he is sent for by sea, where the danger is still greater on the
+storm-tost element.
+
+Though the salary of the medical men is not at all proportionate to the
+hardships they are called upon to undergo, it is still far better than
+that of the priests.
+
+The smallest livings bring in six to eight florins annually, the richest
+200 florins.  Besides this, the government supplies for each priest a
+house, often not much better than a peasant's cottage, a few meadows, and
+some cattle.  The peasants are also required to give certain small
+contributions in the way of hay, wool, fish, &c.  The greater number of
+priests are so poor, that they and their families dress exactly like the
+peasants, from whom they can scarcely be distinguished.  The clergyman's
+wife looks after the cattle, and milks cows and ewes like a maid-servant;
+while her husband proceeds to the meadow, and mows the grass with the
+labourer.  The intercourse of the pastor is wholly confined to the
+society of peasants; and this constitutes the chief element of that
+"patriarchal life" which so many travellers describe as charming.  I
+should like to know which of them would wish to lead such a life!
+
+The poor priest has, besides, frequently to officiate in two, three, or
+even four districts, distant from four to twelve miles from his
+residence.  Every Sunday he must do duty at one or other of these
+districts, taking them in turn, so that divine service is only performed
+at each place once in every three or four weeks.  The journeys of the
+priest, however, are not considered quite so necessary as those of the
+doctor; for if the weather is very bad on Sundays, particularly during
+the winter, he can omit visiting the most distant places.  This is done
+the more readily, as but few of the peasants would be at church; all who
+lived at a distance remaining at home.
+
+The Sysselmann (an officer similar to that of the sheriff of a county) is
+the best off.  He has a good salary with little to do, and in some places
+enjoys in addition the "strand-right," which is at times no
+inconsiderable privilege, from the quantity of drift timber washed ashore
+from the American continent.
+
+Fishing and the chase are open to all, with the exception of the
+salmon-fisheries in the rivers; these are farmed by the government.
+Eider-ducks may not be shot, under penalty of a fine.  There is no
+military service, for throughout the whole island no soldiers are
+required.  Even Reikjavik itself boasts only two police-officers.
+
+Commerce is also free; but the islanders possess so little commercial
+spirit, that even if they had the necessary capital, they would never
+embark in speculation.
+
+The whole commerce of Iceland thus lies in the hands of Danish merchants,
+who send their ships to the island every year, and have established
+factories in the different ports where the retail trade is carried on.
+
+These ships bring every thing to Iceland, corn, wood, wines, manufactured
+goods, and colonial produce, &c.  The imports are free, for it would not
+pay the government to establish offices, and give servants salaries to
+collect duties upon the small amount of produce required for the island.
+Wine, and in fact all colonial produce, are therefore much cheaper than
+in other countries.
+
+The exports consist of fish, particularly salted cod, fish-roe, tallow,
+train-oil, eider-down, and feathers of other birds, almost equal to
+eider-down in softness, sheep's wool, and pickled or salted lamb.  With
+the exception of the articles just enumerated, the Icelanders possess
+nothing; thirteen years ago, when Herr Knudson established a bakehouse,
+{31} he was compelled to bring from Copenhagen, not only the builder, but
+even the materials for building, stones, lime, &c.; for although the
+island abounds with masses of stone, there are none which can be used for
+building an oven, or which can be burnt into lime: every thing is of
+lava.
+
+Two or three cottages situated near each other are here dignified by the
+name of a "place."  These places, as well as the separate cottages, are
+mostly built on little acclivities, surrounded by meadows.  The meadows
+are often fenced in with walls of stone or earth, two or three feet in
+height, to prevent the cows, sheep, and horses from trespassing upon them
+to graze.  The grass of these meadows is made into hay, and laid up as a
+winter provision for the cows.
+
+I did not hear many complaints of the severity of the cold in winter; the
+temperature seldom sinks to twenty degrees below zero; the sea is
+sometimes frozen, but only a few feet from the shore.  The snowstorms and
+tempests, however, are often so violent, that it is almost impossible to
+leave the house.  Daylight lasts only for five or six hours, and to
+supply its place the poor Icelanders have only the northern light, which
+is said to illumine the long nights with a brilliancy truly marvellous.
+
+The summer I passed in Iceland was one of the finest the inhabitants had
+known for years.  During the month of June the thermometer often rose at
+noon to twenty degrees.  The inhabitants found this heat so
+insupportable, that they complained of being unable to work or to go on
+messages during the day-time.  On such warm days they would only begin
+their hay-making in the evening, and continued their work half the night.
+
+The changes in the weather are very remarkable.  Twenty degrees of heat
+on one day would be followed by rain on the next, with a temperature of
+only five degrees; and on the 5th of June, at eight o'clock in the
+morning, the thermometer stood at one degree below zero.  It is also
+curious that thunderstorms happen in Iceland in winter, and are said
+never to occur during the summer.
+
+From the 16th or 18th of June to the end of the month there is no night.
+The sun appears only to retire for a short time behind a mountain, and
+forms sunset and morning-dawn at the same time.  As on one side the last
+beam fades away, the orb of day re-appears at the opposite one with
+redoubled splendour.
+
+During my stay in Iceland, from the 15th of May to the 29th of July, I
+never retired to rest before eleven o'clock at night, and never required
+a candle.  In May, and also in the latter portion of the month of July,
+there was twilight for an hour or two, but it never became quite dark.
+Even during the last days of my stay, I could read until half-past ten
+o'clock.  At first it appeared strange to me to go to bed in broad
+daylight; but I soon accustomed myself to it, and when eleven o'clock
+came, no sunlight was powerful enough to cheat me of my sleep.  I found
+much pleasure in walking at night, at past ten o'clock, not in the pale
+moonshine, but in the broad blaze of the sun.
+
+It was a much more difficult task to accustom myself to the diet.  The
+baker's wife was fully competent to superintend the cooking according to
+the Danish and Icelandic schools of the art; but unfortunately these
+modes of cookery differ widely from ours.  One thing only was good, the
+morning cup of coffee with cream, with which the most accomplished
+gourmand could have found no fault: since my departure from Iceland I
+have not found such coffee.  I could have wished for some of my dear
+Viennese friends to breakfast with me.  The cream was so thick, that I at
+first thought my hostess had misunderstood me, and brought me curds.  The
+butter made from the milk of Icelandic cows and ewes did not look very
+inviting, and was as white as lard, but the taste was good.  The
+Icelanders, however, find the taste not sufficiently "piquant," and
+generally qualify it with train-oil.  Altogether, train-oil plays a very
+prominent part in the Icelandic kitchen; the peasant considers it a most
+delicious article, and thinks nothing of devouring a quantity of it
+without bread, or indeed any thing else. {32}
+
+I did not at all relish the diet at dinner; this meal consisted of two
+dishes, namely, boiled fish, with vinegar and melted butter instead of
+oil, and boiled potatoes.  Unfortunately I am no admirer of fish, and now
+this was my daily food.  Ah, how I longed for beef-soup, a piece of meat,
+and vegetables, in vain!  As long as I remained in Iceland, I was
+compelled quite to give up my German system of diet.
+
+After a time I got on well enough with the boiled fish and potatoes, but
+I could not manage the delicacies of the island.  Worthy Madame Bernhoft,
+it was so kindly meant on her part; and it was surely not her fault that
+the system of cookery in Iceland is different from ours; but I could not
+bring myself to like the Icelandic delicacies.  They were of different
+kinds, consisting sometimes of fishes, hard-boiled eggs, and potatoes
+chopped up together, covered with a thick brown sauce, and seasoned with
+pepper, sugar, and vinegar; at others, of potatoes baked in butter and
+sugar.  Another delicacy was cabbage chopped very small, rendered very
+thin by the addition of water, and sweetened with sugar; the accompanying
+dish was a piece of cured lamb, which had a very unpleasant "pickled"
+flavour.
+
+On Sundays we sometimes had "Prothe Grutze," properly a Scandinavian
+dish, composed of fine sago boiled to a jelly, with currant-juice or red
+wine, and eaten with cream or sugar.  Tapfen, a kind of soft cheese, is
+also sometimes eaten with cream and sugar.
+
+In the months of June and July the diet improved materially.  We could
+often procure splendid salmon, sometimes roast lamb, and now and then
+birds, among which latter dainties the snipes were particularly good.  In
+the evening came butter, cheese, cold fish, smoked lamb, and eggs of
+eider-ducks, which are coarser than hen's eggs.  In time I became so
+accustomed to this kind of food, that I no longer missed either soup or
+beef, and felt uncommonly well.
+
+My drink was always clear fresh water; the gentlemen began their dinner
+with a small glass of brandy, and during the meal all drank beer of Herr
+Bernhoft's own brewing, which was very good.  On Sundays, a bottle of
+port or Bordeaux sometimes made its appearance at our table; and as we
+fared at Herr Bernhoft's, so it was the custom in the houses of all the
+merchants and officials.
+
+At Reikjavik I had an opportunity of witnessing a great religious
+ceremony.  Three candidates of theology were raised to the ministerial
+office.  Though the whole community here is Lutheran, the ceremonies
+differ in many respects from those of the continent of Europe, and I will
+therefore give a short sketch of what I saw.  The solemnity began at
+noon, and lasted till four o'clock.  I noticed at once that all the
+people covered their faces for a moment on entering the church, the men
+with their hats, and the women with their handkerchiefs.  Most of the
+congregation sat with their faces turned towards the altar; but this rule
+had its exceptions.  The vestments of the priests were the same as those
+worn by our clergymen, and the commencement of the service also closely
+resembled the ritual of our own Church; but soon this resemblance ceased.
+The bishop stepped up to the altar with the candidates, and performed
+certain ceremonies; then one would mount the pulpit and read part of a
+sermon, or sing a psalm, while the other clergymen sat round on chairs,
+and appeared to listen; then a second and a third ascended the pulpit,
+and afterwards another sermon was preached from the altar, and another
+psalm sung; then a sermon was again read from the pulpit.  While
+ceremonies were performed at the altar, the sacerdotal garments were
+often put on and taken off again.  I frequently thought the service was
+coming to a close, but it always began afresh, and lasted, as I said
+before, until four o'clock.  The number of forms surprised me greatly, as
+the ritual of the Lutheran Church is in general exceedingly simple.
+
+On this occasion a considerable number of the country people were
+assembled, and I had thus a good opportunity of noticing their costumes.
+The dresses worn by the women and girls are all made of coarse black
+woollen stuffs.  The dress consists of a long skirt, a spencer, and a
+coloured apron.  On their heads they wear a man's nightcap of black
+cloth, the point turned downwards, and terminating in a large tassel of
+wool or silk, which hangs down to the shoulder.  Their hair is unbound,
+and reaches only to the shoulder: some of the women wear it slightly
+curled.  I involuntarily thought of the poetical descriptions of the
+northern romancers, who grow enthusiastic in praise of ideal "angels'
+heads with golden tresses."  The hair is certainly worn in this manner
+here, and our poets may have borrowed their descriptions from the
+Scandinavians.  But the beautiful faces which are said to beam forth from
+among those golden locks exist only in the poet's vivid imagination.
+
+Ornamental additions to the costume are very rare.  In the whole assembly
+I only noticed four women who were dressed differently from the others.
+The cords which fastened their spencers, and also their girdles, were
+ornamented with a garland worked in silver thread.  Their skirts were of
+fine black cloth, and decorated with a border of coloured silk a few
+inches broad.  Round their necks they wore a kind of stiff collar of
+black velvet with a border of silver thread, and on their heads a black
+silk handkerchief with a very strange addition.  This appendage consisted
+of a half-moon fastened to the back of the head, and extending five or
+six inches above the forehead.  It was covered with white lawn arranged
+in folds; its breadth at the back of the head did not exceed an inch and
+a half, but in front it widened to five or six inches.
+
+The men, I found, were clothed almost like our peasants.  They wore
+small-clothes of dark cloth, jackets and waistcoats, felt hats, or fur
+caps; and instead of boots a kind of shoe of ox-hide, sheep, or
+seal-skin, bound to the feet by a leather strap.  The women, and even the
+children of the officials, all wear shoes of this description.
+
+It was very seldom that I met people so wretchedly and poorly clad as we
+find them but too often in the large continental towns.  I never saw any
+one without good warm shoes and stockings.
+
+The better classes, such as merchants, officials, &c. are dressed in the
+French style, and rather fashionably.  There is no lack of silk and other
+costly stuffs.  Some of these are brought from England, but the greater
+part come from Denmark.
+
+On the king's birthday, which is kept every year at the house of the
+Stiftsamtmann, the festivities are said to be very grand; on this
+occasion the matrons appear arrayed in silk, and the maidens in white
+jaconet; the rooms are lighted with wax tapers.
+
+Some speculative genius or other has also established a sort of club in
+Reikjavik.  He has, namely, hired a couple of rooms, where the
+townspeople meet of an evening to discuss "tea-water," bread and butter,
+and sometimes even a bottle of wine or a bowl of punch.  In winter the
+proprietor gives balls in these apartments, charging 20 kr. for each
+ticket of admission.  Here the town grandees and the handicraftsmen, in
+fact all who choose to come, assemble; and the ball is said to be
+conducted in a very republican spirit.  The shoemaker leads forth the
+wife of the Stiftsamtmann to the dance, while that official himself has
+perhaps chosen the wife or daughter of the shoemaker or baker for his
+partner.  The refreshments consist of "tea-water" and bread and butter,
+and the room is lighted with tallow candles.  The music, consisting of a
+kind of three-stringed violin and a pipe, is said to be exquisitely
+horrible.
+
+In summer the dignitaries make frequent excursions on horse-back; and on
+these occasions great care is taken that there be no lack of provisions.
+Commonly each person contributes a share: some bring wine, others cake;
+others, again, coffee, and so on.  The ladies use fine English
+side-saddles, and wear elegant riding-habits, and pretty felt hats with
+green veils.  These jaunts, however, are confined to Reikjavik; for, as I
+have already observed, there is, with the exception of this town, no
+place in Iceland containing more than two or three stores and some
+half-dozen cottages.
+
+To my great surprise, I found no less than six square piano-fortes
+belonging to different families in Reikjavik, and heard waltzes by our
+favourite composers, besides variations of Herz, and some pieces of
+Liszt, Wilmers, and Thalberg.  But such playing!  I do not think that
+these talented composers would have recognised their own works.
+
+In conclusion, I must offer a few remarks relative to the travelling in
+this country.
+
+The best time to choose for this purpose is from the middle of June to
+the end of August at latest.  Until June the rivers are so swollen and
+turbulent, by reason of the melting snows, as to render it very dangerous
+to ride through them.  The traveller must also pass over many a field of
+snow not yet melted by the sun, and frequently concealing chasms and
+masses of lava; and this is attended with danger almost as great.  At
+every footstep the traveller sinks into the snow; and he may thank his
+lucky stars if the whole rotten surface does not give way.  In September
+the violent storms of wind and rain commence, and heavy falls of snow may
+be expected from day to day.
+
+A tent, provisions, cooking utensils, pillows, bed-clothes, and warm
+garments, are highly necessary for the wayfarer's comfort.  This
+paraphernalia would have been too expensive for me to buy, and I was
+unprovided with any thing of the kind; consequently I was forced to
+endure the most dreadful hardships and toil, and was frequently obliged
+to ride an immense distance to reach a little church or a cottage, which
+would afford me shelter for the night.  My sole food for eight or ten
+days together was often bread and cheese; and I generally passed the
+night upon a chest or a bench, where the cold would often prevent my
+closing my eyes all night.
+
+It is advisable to be provided with a waterproof cloak and a sailor's
+tarpaulin hat, as a defence against the rain, which frequently falls.  An
+umbrella would be totally useless, as the rain is generally accompanied
+by a storm, or, at any rate, by a strong wind; when we add to this, that
+it is necessary in some places to ride quickly, it will easily be seen
+that holding an umbrella open is a thing not to be thought of.
+
+Altogether I found the travelling in this country attended with far more
+hardship than in the East.  For my part, I found the dreadful storms of
+wind, the piercing air, the frequent rain, and the cold, much less
+endurable than the Oriental heat, which never gave me either cracked lips
+or caused scales to appear on my face.  In Iceland my lips began to bleed
+on the fifth day; and afterwards the skin came off my face in scales, as
+if I had had the scrofula.  Another source of great discomfort is to be
+found in the long riding-habit.  It is requisite to be very warmly clad;
+and the heavy skirts, often dripping with rain, coil themselves round the
+feet of the wearer in such a manner, as to render her exceedingly awkward
+either in mounting or dismounting.  The worst hardship of all, however,
+is the being obliged to halt to rest the horses in a meadow during the
+rain.  The long skirts suck up the water from the damp grass, and the
+wearer has often literally not a dry stitch in all her garments.
+
+Heat and cold appear in this country to affect strangers in a remarkable
+degree.  The cold seemed to me more piercing, and the heat more
+oppressive in Iceland, than when the thermometer stood at the same points
+in my native land.
+
+In summer the roads are marvellously good, so that one can generally ride
+at a pretty quick pace.  They are, however, impracticable for vehicles,
+partly because they are too narrow, and partly also on account of some
+very bad places which must occasionally be encountered.  On the whole
+island not a single carriage is to be found.
+
+The road is only dangerous when it leads through swamps and moors, or
+over fields of lava.  Among these fields, such as are covered with white
+moss are peculiarly to be feared, for the moss frequently conceals very
+dangerous holes, into which the horse can easily stumble.  In ascending
+and descending the hills very formidable spots sometimes oppose the
+traveller's progress.  The road is at times so hidden among swamps and
+bogs, that not a trace of it is to be distinguished, and I could only
+wonder how my guide always succeeded in regaining the right path.  One
+could almost suppose that on these dangerous paths both horse and man are
+guided by a kind of instinct.
+
+Travelling is more expensive in Iceland than any where else, particularly
+when one person travels alone, and must bear all the expense of the
+baggage, the guide, ferries, &c.  Horses are not let out on hire, they
+must be bought.  They are, however, very cheap; a pack-horse costs from
+eighteen to twenty-four florins, and a riding-horse from forty to fifty
+florins.  To travel with any idea of comfort it is necessary to have
+several pack-horses, for they must not be heavily laden; and an
+additional servant must likewise be hired, as the guide only looks after
+the saddle-horses, and, at most, one or two of the pack-horses.  If the
+traveller, at the conclusion of the journey, wishes to sell the horses,
+such a wretchedly low price is offered, that it is just as well to give
+them away at once.  This is a proof of the fact that men are every where
+alike ready to follow up their advantage.  These people are well aware
+that the horses must be left behind at any rate, and therefore they will
+not bid for them.  I must confess that I found the character of the
+Icelanders in every respect below the estimate I had previously formed of
+it, and still further below the standard given in books.
+
+In spite of their scanty food, the Icelandic horses have a marvellous
+power of endurance; they can often travel from thirty-five to forty miles
+per diem for several consecutive days.  But the only difficulty is to
+keep the horse moving.  The Icelanders have a habit of continually
+kicking their heels against the poor beast's sides; and the horse at last
+gets so accustomed to this mode of treatment, that it will hardly go if
+the stimulus be discontinued.  In passing the bad pieces of road it is
+necessary to keep the bridle tight in hand, or the horse will stumble
+frequently.  This and the continual urging forward of the horse render
+riding very fatiguing. {33}
+
+Not a little consideration is certainly required before undertaking a
+journey into the far north; but nothing frightened me,--and even in the
+midst of the greatest dangers and hardships I did not for one moment
+regret my undertaking, and would not have relinquished it under any
+consideration.
+
+I made excursions to every part of Iceland, and am thus enabled to place
+before my readers, in regular order, the chief curiosities of this
+remarkable country.  I will commence with the immediate neighbourhood of
+Reikjavik.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+
+                                                                 May 25th.
+
+Stiftsamtmann von H--- was to-day kind enough to pay me a visit, and to
+invite me to join his party for a ride to the great lake Vatne.  I gladly
+accepted the invitation, for, according to the description given by the
+Stiftsamtmann, I hoped to behold a very Eden, and rejoiced at the
+prospect of observing the recreations of the higher classes, and at the
+same time gaining many acquisitions in specimens of plants, butterflies,
+and beetles.  I resolved also to test the capabilities of the Icelandic
+horses more thoroughly than I had been able to do during my first ride
+from Havenfiord to Reikjavik, as I had been obliged on that occasion to
+ride at a foot-pace, on account of my old guide.
+
+The hour of starting was fixed for two o'clock.  Accustomed as I am to
+strict punctuality, I was ready long before the appointed time, and at
+two o'clock was about to hasten to the place of rendezvous, when my
+hostess informed me I had plenty of time, for Herr von H--- was still at
+dinner.  Instead of meeting at two o'clock, we did not assemble until
+three, and even then another quarter of an hour elapsed before the
+cavalcade started.  Oh, Syrian notions of punctuality and dispatch!
+Here, almost at the very antipodes, did I once more greet ye.
+
+The party consisted of the nobility and the town dignitaries.  Among the
+former class may be reckoned Stiftsamtmann von H--- and his lady; a privy
+councillor, Herr von B---, who had been sent from Copenhagen to attend
+the "Allthing" (political assembly); and a Danish baron, who had
+accompanied the councillor.  I noticed among the town dignitaries the
+daughter and wife of the apothecary, and the daughters of some merchants
+resident here.
+
+Our road lay through fields of lava, swamps, and very poor grassy
+patches, in a great valley, swelling here and there into gentle
+acclivities, and shut in on three sides by several rows of mountains,
+towering upwards in the most diversified shapes.  In the far distance
+rose several jokuls or glaciers, seeming to look proudly down upon the
+mountains, as though they asked, "Why would ye draw men's eyes upon you,
+where we glisten in our silver sheen?"  In the season of the year at
+which I beheld them, the glaciers were still very beautiful; not only
+their summits, but their entire surface, as far as visible, being covered
+with snow.  The fourth side of the valley through which we travelled was
+washed by the ocean, which melted as it were into the horizon in
+immeasurable distance.  The coast was dotted with small bays, having the
+appearance of so many lakes.
+
+As the road was good, we could generally ride forward at a brisk pace.
+Occasionally, however, we met with small tracts on which the Icelandic
+horse could exercise its sagacity and address.  My horse was careful and
+free from vice; it carried me securely over masses of stone and chasms in
+the rocks, but I cannot describe the suffering its trot caused me.  It is
+said that riding is most beneficial to those who suffer from
+liver-complaints.  This may be the case; but I should suppose that any
+one who rode upon an Icelandic horse, with an Icelandic side-saddle,
+every day for the space of four weeks, would find, at the expiration of
+that time, her liver shaken to a pulp, and no part of it remaining.
+
+All the rest of the party had good English saddles, mine alone was of
+Icelandic origin.  It consisted of a chair, with a board for the back.
+The rider was obliged to sit crooked upon the horse, and it was
+impossible to keep a firm seat.  With much difficulty I trotted after the
+others, for my horse would not be induced to break into a gallop.
+
+At length, after a ride of an hour and a half, we reached a valley.  In
+the midst of a tolerably green meadow I descried what was, for Iceland, a
+farm of considerable dimensions, and not far from this farm was a very
+small lake.  I did not dare to ask if this was the _great_ lake Vatne, or
+if this was the delicious prospect I had been promised, for my question
+would have been taken for irony.  I could not refrain from wonder when
+Herr von H--- began praising the landscape as exquisite, and farther
+declaring the effect of the lake to be bewitching.  I was obliged, for
+politeness' sake, to acquiesce, and leave them in the supposition that I
+had never seen a larger lake nor a finer prospect.
+
+We now made a halt, and the whole party encamped in the meadow.  While
+the preparations for a social meal were going on, I proceeded to satisfy
+my curiosity.
+
+The peasant's house first attracted my attention.  I found it to consist
+of one large chamber, and two of smaller size, besides a storeroom and
+extensive stables, from which I judged that the proprietor was rich in
+cattle.  I afterwards learnt that he owned fifty sheep, eight cows, and
+five horses, and was looked upon as one of the richest farmers in the
+neighbourhood.  The kitchen was situated at the extreme end of the
+building, and was furnished with a chimney that seemed intended only as a
+protection against rain and snow, for the smoke dispersed itself
+throughout the whole kitchen, drying the fish which hung from the
+ceiling, and slowly making its exit through an air-hole.
+
+The large apartment boasted a wooden bookshelf, containing about forty
+volumes.  Some of these I turned over, and in spite of my limited
+knowledge of the Danish language, could make out enough to discover that
+they were chiefly on religious subjects.  But the farmer seemed also to
+love poetry; among the works of this class in his library, I noticed
+Kleist, Muller, and even Homer's _Odyssey_.  I could make nothing of the
+Icelandic books; but on inquiring their contents, I was told that they
+all treated of religious matters.
+
+After inspecting these, I walked out into the meadow to search for
+flowers and herbs.  Flowers I found but few, as it was not the right time
+of the year for them; my search for herbs was more successful, and I even
+found some wild clover.  I saw neither beetles nor butterflies; but, to
+my no small surprise, heard the humming of two wild bees, one of which I
+was fortunate enough to catch, and took home to preserve in spirits of
+wine.
+
+On rejoining my party, I found them encamped in the meadow around a
+table, which had in the meantime been spread with butter, cheese, bread,
+cake, roast lamb, raisins and almonds, a few oranges, and wine.  Neither
+chairs nor benches were to be had, for even wealthy peasants only possess
+planks nailed to the walls of their rooms; so we all sat down upon the
+grass, and did ample justice to the capital coffee which made the
+commencement of the meal.  Laughter and jokes predominated to such an
+extent, that I could have fancied myself among impulsive Italians instead
+of cold Northmen.
+
+There was no lack of wit; but to-day I was unfortunately its butt.  And
+what was my fault?--only my stupid modesty.  The conversation was carried
+on in the Danish language; some members of our party spoke French and
+others German, but I purposely abstained from availing myself of their
+acquirements, in order not to disturb the hilarity of the conversation.
+I sat silently among them, and was perfectly contented in listening to
+their merriment.  But my behaviour was set down as proceeding from
+stupidity, and I soon gathered from their discourse that they were
+comparing me to the "stone guest" in Mozart's _Don Giovanni_.  If these
+kind people had only surmised the true reason of my keeping silence, they
+would perhaps have thanked me for doing so.
+
+As we sat at our meal, I heard a voice in the farmhouse singing an
+Icelandic song.  At a distance it resembled the humming of bees; on a
+nearer approach it sounded monotonous, drawling, and melancholy.
+
+While we were preparing for our departure, the farmer, his wife, and the
+servants approached, and shook each of us by the hand.  This is the usual
+mode of saluting such _high_ people as we numbered among our party.  The
+true national salutation is a hearty kiss.
+
+On my arrival at home the effect of the strong coffee soon began to
+manifest itself.  I could not sleep at all, and had thus ample leisure to
+make accurate observations as to the length of the day and of the
+twilight.  Until eleven o'clock at night I could read ordinary print in
+my room.  From eleven till one o'clock it was dusk, but never so dark as
+to prevent my reading in the open air.  In my room, too, I could
+distinguish the smallest objects, and even tell the time by my watch.  At
+one o'clock I could again read in my room.
+
+
+
+EXCURSION TO VIDOE.
+
+
+The little island of Vidoe, four miles distant from Reikjavik, is
+described by most travellers as the chief resort of the eider-duck.  I
+visited the island on the 8th of June, but was disappointed in my
+expectations.  I certainly saw many of these birds on the declivities and
+in the chasms of the rocks, sitting quietly on their nests, but nothing
+approaching the thousands I had been led to expect.  On the whole, I may
+perhaps have seen from one hundred to a hundred and fifty nests.
+
+The most remarkable circumstance connected with the eider-ducks is their
+tameness during the period of incubation.  I had always regarded as myths
+the stories told about them in this respect, and should do so still had I
+not convinced myself of the truth of these assertions by laying hands
+upon the ducks myself.  I could go quite up to them and caress them, and
+even then they would not often leave their nests.  Some few birds,
+indeed, did so when I wished to touch them; but they did not fly up, but
+contented themselves with coolly walking a few paces away from the nest,
+and there sitting quietly down until I had departed.  But those which
+already had live young, beat out boldly with their wings when I
+approached, struck at me with their bills, and allowed themselves to be
+taken up bodily rather than leave the nest.  They are about the size of
+our ducks; their eggs are of a greenish grey, rather larger than hen's
+eggs, and taste very well.  Altogether they lay about eleven eggs.  The
+finest down is that with which they line their nests at first; it is of a
+dark grey colour.  The Icelanders take away this down, and the first nest
+of eggs.  The poor bird now robs herself once more of a quantity of down
+(which is, however, not of so fine a quality as the first), and again
+lays eggs.  For the second time every thing is taken from her; and not
+until she has a third time lined the nest with her down is the eider-duck
+left in peace.  The down of the second, and that of the third quality
+especially, are much lighter than that of the first.  I also was
+sufficiently cruel to take a few eggs and some down out of several of the
+nests. {34}
+
+I did not witness the dangerous operation of collecting this down from
+between the clefts of rocks and from unapproachable precipices, where
+people are let down, or to which they are drawn up, by ropes, at peril of
+their lives.  There are, however, none of these break-neck places in the
+neighbourhood of Reikjavik.
+
+
+
+SALMON FISHERY.
+
+
+I made another excursion to a very short distance (two miles) from
+Reikjavik, in the company of Herr Bernhoft and his daughter, to the
+Laxselv (salmon river) to witness the salmon-fishing, which takes place
+every week from the middle of June to the middle of August.  It is
+conducted in a very simple manner.  The fish come up the river in the
+spawning season; the stream is then dammed up with several walls of stone
+loosely piled to the height of some three feet; and the retreat of the
+fish to the sea is thus cut off.  When the day arrives on which the
+salmon are to be caught, a net is spread behind each of these walls.
+Three or four such dams are erected at intervals, of from eighty to a
+hundred paces, so that even if the fishes escape one barrier, they are
+generally caught at the next.  The water is now made to run off as much
+as possible; the poor salmon dart to and fro, becoming every moment more
+and more aware of the sinking of the water, and crowd to the weirs,
+cutting themselves by contact with the sharp stones of which they are
+built.  This is the deepest part of the water; and it is soon so thronged
+with fish, that men, stationed in readiness, can seize them in their
+hands and fling them ashore.
+
+The salmon possess remarkable swiftness and strength.  The fisherman is
+obliged to take them quickly by the head and tail, and to throw them
+ashore, when they are immediately caught by other men, who fling them
+still farther from the water.  If this is not done with great quickness
+and care, many of the fishes escape.  It is wonderful how these creatures
+can struggle themselves free, and leap into the air.  The fishermen are
+obliged to wear woollen mittens, or they would be quite unable to hold
+the smooth salmon.  At every day's fishing, from five hundred to a
+thousand fish are taken, each weighing from five to fifteen pounds.  On
+the day when I was present eight hundred were killed.  This salmon-stream
+is farmed by a merchant of Reikjavik.
+
+The fishermen receive very liberal pay,--in fact, one-half of the fish
+taken.  And yet they are dissatisfied, and show so little gratitude, as
+seldom to finish their work properly.  So, for instance, they only
+brought the share of the merchant to the harbour of Reikjavik, and were
+far too lazy to carry the salmon from the boat to the warehouse, a
+distance certainly not more than sixty or seventy paces from the shore.
+They sent a message to their employer, bidding him "send some fresh
+hands, for they were much too tired."  Of course, in a case like this,
+all remonstrance is unavailing.
+
+As in the rest of the world, so also in Iceland, every occasion that
+offers is seized upon for a feast or a merry-making.  The day on which I
+witnessed the salmon-fishing happened to be one of the few fine days that
+occur during a summer in Iceland.  It was therefore unanimously concluded
+by several merchants, that the day and the salmon-fishing should be
+celebrated by a _dejeuner a la fourchette_.  Every one contributed
+something, and a plentiful and elegant breakfast was soon arranged, which
+quite resembled an entertainment of the kind in our country; this one
+circumstance excepted, that we were obliged to seat ourselves on the
+ground, by reason of a scarcity of tables and benches.  Spanish and
+French wines, as well as cold punch, were there in plenty, and the
+greatest hilarity prevailed.
+
+I made a fourth excursion, but to a very inconsiderable distance,--in
+fact, only a mile and a half from Reikjavik.  It was to see a hot and
+slightly sulphurous spring, which falls into a river of cold water.  By
+this lucky meeting of extremes, water can be obtained at any temperature,
+from the boiling almost to the freezing point.  The townspeople take
+advantage of this good opportunity in two ways, for bathing and for
+washing clothes.  The latter is undoubtedly the more important purpose of
+application, and a hut has been erected, in order to shield the poor
+people from wind and rain while they are at work.  Formerly this hut was
+furnished with a good door and with glazed windows, and the key was kept
+at an appointed place in the town, whence any one might fetch it.  But
+the servants and peasant girls were soon too lazy to go for the key; they
+burst open the lock, and smashed the windows, so that now the hut has a
+very ruinous appearance, and affords but little protection against the
+weather.  How much alike mankind are every where, and how seldom they do
+right, except when it gives them no trouble, and then, unfortunately,
+there is not much merit to be ascribed to them, as their doing right is
+merely the result of a lucky chance!  Many people also bring fish and
+potatoes, which they have only to lay in the hot water, and in a short
+time both are completely cooked.
+
+This spring is but little used for the purpose of bathing; at most
+perhaps by a few children and peasants.  Its medicinal virtues, if it
+possesses any, are completely unknown.
+
+
+
+THE SULPHUR-SPRINGS AND SULPHUR-MOUNTAINS OF KRISUVIK.
+
+
+The 4th of June was fixed for my departure.  I had only to pack up some
+bread and cheese, sugar and coffee, then the horses were saddled, and at
+seven o'clock the journey was happily commenced.  I was alone with my
+guide, who, like the rest of his class, could not be considered as a very
+favourable specimen of humanity.  He was very lazy, exceedingly
+self-interested, and singularly loath to devote any part of his attention
+either to me or to the horses, preferring to concentrate it upon brandy,
+an article which can unfortunately be procured throughout the whole
+country.
+
+I had already seen the district between Reikjavik and Havenfiord at my
+first arrival in Iceland.  At the present advanced season of the year it
+wore a less gloomy aspect: strawberry-plants and violets,--the former,
+however, without blossoms, and the latter inodorous,--were springing up
+between the blocks of lava, together with beautiful ferns eight or ten
+inches high.  In spite of the trifling distance, I noticed, as a rule,
+that vegetation was here more luxuriant than at Reikjavik; for at the
+latter place I had found no strawberry-plants, and the violets were not
+yet in blossom.  This difference in the vegetation is, I think, to be
+ascribed to the high walls of lava existing in great abundance round
+Havenfiord; they protect the tender plants and ferns from the piercing
+winds.  I noticed that both the grass and the plants before mentioned
+throve capitally in the little hollows formed by masses of lava.
+
+A couple of miles beyond Havenfiord I saw the first birch-trees, which,
+however, did not exceed two or three feet in height, also some
+bilberry-plants.  A number of little butterflies, all of one colour, and,
+as it seemed to me, of the same species, fluttered among the shrubs and
+plants.
+
+The manifold forms and varied outline of the lava-fields present a
+remarkable and really a marvellous appearance.  Short as this journey
+is--for ten hours are amply sufficient for the trip to Krisuvik,--it
+presents innumerable features for contemplation.  I could only gaze and
+wonder.  I forgot every thing around me, felt neither cold nor storm, and
+let my horse pick his way as slowly as he chose, so that I had once
+almost become separated from my guide.
+
+One of the most considerable of the streams of lava lay in a spacious
+broad valley.  The lava-stream itself, about two miles long, and of a
+considerable breadth, traversing the whole of the plain, seemed to have
+been called into existence by magic, as there was no mountain to be seen
+in the neighbourhood from which it could have emerged.  It appeared to be
+the covering of an immense crater, formed, not of separate stones and
+blocks, but of a single and slightly porous mass of rock ten or twelve
+feet thick, broken here and there by clefts about a foot in breadth.
+
+Another, and a still larger valley, many miles in circumference, was
+filled with masses of lava shaped like waves, reminding the beholder of a
+petrified sea.  From the midst rose a high black mountain, contrasting
+beautifully with the surrounding masses of light-grey lava.  At first I
+supposed the lava must have streamed forth from this mountain, but soon
+found that the latter was perfectly smooth on all sides, and terminated
+in a sharp peak.  The remaining mountains which shut in the valley were
+also perfectly closed, and I looked in vain for any trace of a crater.
+
+We now reached a small lake, and soon afterwards arrived at a larger one,
+called Kleinfarvatne.  Both were hemmed in by mountains, which frequently
+rose abruptly from the waters, leaving no room for the passage of the
+horses.  We were obliged sometimes to climb the mountains by fearfully
+dizzy paths; at others to scramble downwards, almost clinging to the face
+of the rock.  At some points we were even compelled to dismount from our
+horses, and scramble forward on our hands and knees.  In a word, these
+dangerous points, which extended over a space of about seven miles, were
+certainly quite as bad as any I had encountered in Syria; if any thing,
+they were even more formidable.
+
+I was, however, assured that I should have no more such places to
+encounter during all my further journeys in Iceland, and this information
+quite reconciled me to the roads in this country.  For the rest, the path
+was generally tolerably safe even during this tour, which continually led
+me across fields of lava.
+
+A journey of some eight-and-twenty miles brought us at length into a
+friendly valley; clouds of smoke, both small and great, were soon
+discovered rising from the surrounding heights, and also from the valley
+itself; these were the sulphur-springs and sulphur-mountains.
+
+I could hardly restrain my impatience while we traversed the couple of
+miles which separated us from Krisuvik.  A few small lakes were still to
+be crossed; and at length, at six o'clock in the evening, we reached our
+destination.
+
+With the exception of a morsel of bread and cheese, I had eaten nothing
+since the morning; still I could not spare time to make coffee, but at
+once dismounted, summoned my guide, and commenced my pilgrimage to the
+smoking mountains.  At the outset our way lay across swampy places and
+meadow lands; but soon we had to climb the mountains themselves, a task
+rendered extremely difficult by the elastic, yielding soil, in which
+every footstep imprinted itself deeply, suggesting to the traveller the
+unpleasant possibility of his sinking through,--a contingency rendered
+any thing but agreeable by the neighbourhood of the boiling springs.  At
+length I gained the summit, and saw around me numerous basins filled with
+boiling water, while on all sides, from hill and valley, columns of
+vapour rose out of numberless clefts in the rocks.  From a cleft in one
+rock in particular a mighty column of vapour whirled into the air.  On
+the windward side I could approach this place very closely.  The ground
+was only lukewarm in some places, and I could hold my hand for several
+moments to the gaps from which steam issued.  No trace of a crater was to
+be seen.  The bubbling and hissing of the steam, added to the noise of
+the wind, occasioned such a deafening clamour, that I was very glad to
+feel firmer ground beneath my feet, and to leave the place in haste.  It
+really seemed as if the interior of the mountain had been a boiling
+caldron.  The prospect from these mountains is very fine.  Numerous
+valleys and mountains innumerable offered themselves to my view, and I
+could even discern the isolated black rock past which I had ridden five
+or six hours previously.
+
+I now commenced my descent into the valley; at a few hundred paces the
+bubbling and hissing were already inaudible.  I supposed that I had seen
+every thing worthy of notice; but much that was remarkable still
+remained.  I particularly noticed a basin some five or six feet in
+diameter, filled with boiling mud.  This mud has quite the appearance of
+fine clay dissolved in water; its colour was a light grey.
+
+From another basin, hardly two feet in diameter, a mighty column of steam
+shot continually into the air with so much force and noise that I started
+back half stunned, and could have fancied the vault of heaven would
+burst.  This basin is situated in a corner of the valley, closely shut in
+on three sides by hills.  In the neighbourhood many hot springs gushed
+forth; but I saw no columns of water, and my guide assured me that such a
+phenomenon was never witnessed here.
+
+There is more danger in passing these spots than even in traversing the
+mountains.  In spite of the greatest precautions, I frequently sank in
+above the ankles, and would then draw back with a start, and find my foot
+covered with hot mud.  From the place where I had broken through, steam
+and hot mud, or boiling water, rose into the air.
+
+Though my guide, who walked before me, carefully probed the ground with
+his stick, he several times sank through half-way to the knee.  These men
+are, however, so much accustomed to contingencies of this kind that they
+take little account of them.  My guide would quietly repair to the next
+spring and cleanse his clothes from mud.  As I was covered with it to
+above the ankles, I thought it best to follow his example.
+
+For excursions like these it is best to come provided with a few boards,
+five or six feet in length, with which to cover the most dangerous
+places.
+
+At nine o'clock in the evening, but yet in the full glare of the sun, we
+arrived at Krisuvik.  I now took time to look at this place, which I
+found to consist of a small church and a few miserable huts.
+
+I crept into one of these dens; it was so dark that a considerable time
+elapsed before I could distinguish objects, the light was only admitted
+through a very small aperture.  I found in this hut a few persons who
+were suffering from the eruption called "lepra," a disease but too
+commonly met with in Iceland.  Their hands and faces were completely
+covered with this eruption; if it spreads over the whole body the patient
+languishes slowly away, and is lost without remedy.
+
+Churches are in this country not only used for purposes of public
+worship, but also serve as magazines for provisions, clothes, &c., and as
+inns for travellers.  I do not suppose that a parallel instance of
+desecration could be met with even among the most uncivilised nations.  I
+was assured, indeed, that these abuses were about to be remedied.  A
+reform of this kind ought to have been carried out long ago; and even now
+the matter seems to remain an open point; for wherever I came the church
+was placed at my disposal for the night, and every where I found a store
+of fish, tallow, and other equally odoriferous substances.
+
+The little chapel at Krisuvik is only twenty-two feet long by ten broad;
+on my arrival it was hastily prepared for my reception.  Saddles, ropes,
+clothes, hats, and other articles which lay scattered about, were hastily
+flung into a corner; mattresses and some nice soft pillows soon appeared,
+and a very tolerable bed was prepared for me on a large chest in which
+the vestments of the priest, the coverings of the altar, &c., were
+deposited.  I would willingly have locked myself in, eaten my frugal
+supper, and afterwards written a few pages of my diary before retiring to
+rest; but this was out of the question.  The entire population of the
+village turned out to see me, old and young hastened to the church, and
+stood round in a circle and gazed at me.
+
+Irksome as this curiosity was, I was obliged to endure it patiently, for
+I could not have sent these good people away without seriously offending
+them; so I began quietly to unpack my little portmanteau, and proceeded
+to boil my coffee over a spirit-lamp.  A whispering consultation
+immediately began; they seemed particularly struck by my mode of
+preparing coffee, and followed every one of my movements with eager eyes.
+My frugal meal dispatched, I resolved to try the patience of my audience,
+and, taking out my journal, began to write.  For a few minutes they
+remained quiet, then they began to whisper one to another, "She writes,
+she writes," and this was repeated numberless times.  There was no sign
+of any disposition to depart; I believe I could have sat there till
+doomsday, and failed to tire my audience out.  At length, after this
+scene had lasted a full hour, I could stand it no longer, and was fain to
+request my amiable visitors to retire, as I wished to go to bed.
+
+My sleep that night was none of the sweetest.  A certain feeling of
+discomfort always attaches to the fact of sleeping in a church alone, in
+the midst of a grave-yard.  Besides this, on the night in question such a
+dreadful storm arose that the wooden walls creaked and groaned as though
+their foundations were giving way.  The cold was also rather severe, my
+thermometer inside the church shewing only two degrees above zero.  I was
+truly thankful when approaching day brought with it the welcome hour of
+departure.
+
+                                                                 June 5th.
+
+The heavy sleepiness and extreme indolence of an Icelandic guide render
+departure before seven o'clock in the morning a thing not to be thought
+of.  This is, however, of little consequence, as there is no night in
+Iceland at this time of year.
+
+Although the distance was materially increased by returning to Reikjavik
+by way of Grundivik and Keblevik, I chose this route in order to pass
+through the wildest of the inhabited tracts in Iceland.
+
+The first stage, from Krisuvik to Grundivik, a distance of twelve to
+fourteen miles, lay through fields of lava, consisting mostly of small
+blocks of stone and fragments, filling the valley so completely that not
+a single green spot remained.  I here met with masses of lava which
+presented an appearance of singular beauty.  They were black mounds, ten
+or twelve feet in height, piled upon each other in the most varied forms,
+their bases covered with a broad band of whitish-coloured moss, while the
+tops were broken into peaks and cones of the most fantastic shapes.
+These lava-streams seem to date from a recent period, as the masses are
+somewhat scaly and glazed.
+
+Grundivik, a little village of a few wretched cottages, lies like an
+oasis in this desert of lava.
+
+My guide wished to remain here, asserting that there was no place between
+this and Keblevik where I could pass the night, and that it would be
+impossible for our horses, exhausted as they were with yesterday's march,
+to carry us to Keblevik that night.  The true reason of this suggestion
+was that he wished to prolong the journey for another day.
+
+Luckily I had a good map with me, and by dint of consulting it could
+calculate distances with tolerable accuracy; it was also my custom before
+starting on a journey to make particular inquiries as to how I should
+arrange the daily stages.
+
+So I insisted upon proceeding at once; and soon we were wending our way
+through fields of lava towards Stad, a small village six or seven miles
+distant from Grundivik.
+
+On the way I noticed a mountain of most singular appearance.  In colour
+it closely resembled iron; its sides were perfectly smooth and shining,
+and streaks of the colour of yellow ochre traversed it here and there.
+
+Stad is the residence of a priest.  Contrary to the assertions of my
+guide, I found this place far more cheerful and habitable than Grundivik.
+Whilst our horses were resting, the priest paid me a visit, and conducted
+me, not, as I anticipated, into his house, but into the church.  Chairs
+and stools were quickly brought there, and my host introduced his wife
+and children to me, after which we partook of coffee, bread and cheese,
+&c.  On the rail surrounding the altar hung the clothes of the priest and
+his family, differing little in texture and make from those of the
+peasants.
+
+The priest appeared to be a very intelligent, well-read man.  I could
+speak the Danish language pretty fluently, and was therefore able to
+converse with him on various subjects.  On hearing that I had already
+been in Palestine, he put a number of questions to me, from which I could
+plainly see that he was alike well acquainted with geography, history,
+natural science, &c.  He accompanied me several miles on my road, and we
+chatted away the time very pleasantly.
+
+The distance between Krisuvik and Keblevik is about forty-two miles.  The
+road lies through a most dreary landscape, among vast desert plains,
+frequently twenty-five to thirty miles in circumference, entirely
+divested of all traces of vegetation, and covered throughout their
+extreme area by masses of lava--gloomy monuments of volcanic agency.  And
+yet here, at the very heart of the subterranean fire, I saw only a single
+mountain, the summit of which had fallen in, and presented the appearance
+of a crater.  The rest were all completely closed, terminating sometimes
+in a beautiful round top, and sometimes in sharp peaks; in other
+instances they formed long narrow chains.
+
+Who can tell whence these all-destroying masses of lava have poured
+forth, or how many hundred years they have lain in these petrified
+valleys?
+
+Keblevik lies on the sea-coast; but the harbour is insecure, so that
+ships remain here at anchor only so long as is absolutely necessary;
+there are frequently only two or three ships in the harbour.
+
+A few wooden houses, two of which belong to Herr Knudson, and some
+peasants' cottages, are the only buildings in this little village.  I was
+hospitably received, and rested from the toils of the day at the house of
+Herr Siverson, Herr Knudson's manager.
+
+On the following day (June 6th) I had a long ride to Reikjavik,
+thirty-six good miles, mostly through fields of lava.
+
+The whole tract of country from Grundivik almost to Havenfiord is called
+"The lava-fields of Reikianes."
+
+Tired and almost benumbed with cold, I arrived in the evening at
+Reikjavik, with no other wish than to retire to rest as fast as possible.
+
+In these three days I had ridden 114 miles, besides enduring much from
+cold, storms, and rain.  To my great surprise, the roads had generally
+been good; there were, however, many places highly dangerous and
+difficult.
+
+But what mattered these fatigues, forgotten, as they were, after a single
+night's rest? what were they in comparison to the unutterably beautiful
+and marvellous phenomena of the north, which will remain ever present to
+my imagination so long as memory shall be spared me?
+
+The distances of this excursion were: From Reikjavik to Krisuvik, 37
+miles; from Krisuvik to Keblevik, 39 miles; from Keblevik to Reikjavik,
+38 miles: total, 114 miles.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+
+As the weather continued fine, I wished to lose no time in continuing my
+wanderings.  I had next to make a tour of some 560 miles; it was
+therefore necessary that I should take an extra horse, partly that it
+might carry my few packages, consisting of a pillow, some rye-bread,
+cheese, coffee, and sugar, but chiefly that I might be enabled to change
+horses every day, as one horse would not have been equal to the fatigue
+of so long a journey.
+
+My former guide could not accompany me on my present journey, as he was
+unacquainted with most of the roads.  My kind protectors, Herr Knudson
+and Herr Bernhoft, were obliging enough to provide another guide for me;
+a difficult task, as it is a rare occurrence to find an Icelander who
+understands the Danish language, and who happens to be sober when his
+services are required.  At length a peasant was found who suited our
+purpose; but he considered two florins per diem too little pay, so I was
+obliged to give an additional zwanziger.  On the other hand, it was
+arranged that the guide should also take two horses, in order that he
+might change every day.
+
+The 16th of June was fixed for the commencement of our journey.  From the
+very first day my guide did not shew himself in an amiable point of view.
+On the morning of our departure his saddle had to be patched together,
+and instead of coming with two horses, he appeared with only one.  He
+certainly promised to buy a second when we should have proceeded some
+miles, adding that it would be cheaper to buy one at a little distance
+from the "capital."  I at once suspected this was merely an excuse of the
+guide's, and that he wished thereby to avoid having the care of four
+horses.  The event proved I was right; not a single horse could be found
+that suited, and so my poor little animal had to carry the guide's
+baggage in addition to my own.
+
+Loading the pack-horses is a business of some difficulty, and is
+conducted in the following manner: sundry large pieces of dried turf are
+laid upon the horse's back, but not fastened; over these is buckled a
+round piece of wood, furnished with two or three pegs.  To these pegs the
+chests and packages are suspended.  If the weight is not quite equally
+balanced, it is necessary to stop and repack frequently, for the whole
+load at once gets askew.
+
+The trunks used in this country are massively constructed of wood,
+covered with a rough hide, and strengthened on all sides with nails, as
+though they were intended to last an eternity.  The poor horses have a
+considerable weight to bear in empty boxes alone, so that very little
+real luggage can be taken.  The weight which a horse has to carry during
+a long journey should never exceed 150lbs.
+
+It is impossible to remember how many times our baggage had to be
+repacked during a day's journey.  The great pieces of turf would never
+stay in their places, and every moment something was wrong.  Nothing less
+than a miracle, however, can prevail on an Icelander to depart from his
+regular routine.  His ancestors packed in such and such a manner, and so
+he must pack also. {35}
+
+We had a journey of above forty miles before us the first day, and yet,
+on account of the damaged saddle, we could not start before eight o'clock
+in the morning.
+
+The first twelve or fourteen miles of our journey lay through the great
+valley in which Reikjavik is situated; the valley contains many low
+hills, some of which we had to climb.  Several rivers, chief among which
+was the Laxselv, opposed our progress, but at this season of the year
+they could be crossed on horseback without danger.  Nearly all the
+valleys through which we passed to-day were covered with lava, but
+nevertheless offered many beautiful spots.
+
+Many of the hills we passed seemed to me to be extinct volcanoes; the
+whole upper portion was covered with colossal slabs of lava, as though
+the crater had been choked up with them.  Lava of the same description
+and colour, but in smaller pieces, lay strewed around.
+
+For the first twelve or fourteen miles the sea is visible from the brow
+of every successive hill.  The country is also pretty generally
+inhabited; but afterwards a distance of nearly thirty miles is passed, on
+which there is not a human habitation.  The traveller journeys from one
+valley into another, and in the midst of these hill-girt deserts sees a
+single small hut, erected for the convenience of those who, in the
+winter, cannot accomplish the long distance in one day, and must take up
+their quarters for the night in the valley.  No one must, however, rashly
+hope to find here a human being in the shape of a host.  The little house
+is quite uninhabited, and consists only of a single apartment with four
+naked walls.  The visitor must depend on the accommodation he carries
+with him.
+
+The plains through which we travelled to-day were covered throughout with
+one and the same kind of lava.  It occurs in masses, and also in smaller
+stones, is not very porous, of a light grey colour, and mixed, in many
+instances, with sand or earth.
+
+Some miles from Thingvalla we entered a valley, the soil of which is
+fine, but nevertheless only sparingly covered with grass, and full of
+little acclivities, mostly clothed with delicate moss.  I have no doubt
+that the indolence of the inhabitants alone prevents them from materially
+improving many a piece of ground.  The worst soil is that in the
+neighbourhood of Reikjavik; yet there we see many a garden, and many a
+piece of meadow-land, wrung, as it were, from the barren earth by labour
+and pains.  Why should not the same thing be done here--the more so as
+nature has already accomplished the preliminary work?
+
+Thingvalla, our resting-place for to-night, is situate on a lake of the
+same name, and only becomes visible when the traveller is close upon it.
+The lake is rather considerable, being almost three miles in length, and
+at some parts certainly more than two miles in breadth; it contains two
+small islands,--Sandey and Nesey.
+
+My whole attention was still riveted by the lake and its naked and gloomy
+circle of mountains, when suddenly, as if by magic, I found myself
+standing on the brink of a chasm, into which I could scarcely look
+without a shudder; involuntarily I thought of Weber's _Freyschutz_ and
+the "Wolf's Hollow." {36}
+
+The scene is the more startling from the circumstance that the traveller
+approaching Thingvalla in a certain direction sees only the plains beyond
+this chasm, and has no idea of its existence.  It was a fissure some five
+or six fathoms broad, but several hundred feet in depth; and we were
+forced to descend by a small, steep, dangerous path, across large
+fragments of lava.  Colossal blocks of stone, threatening the unhappy
+wanderer with death and destruction, hang loosely, in the form of
+pyramids and of broken columns, from the lofty walls of lava, which
+encircle the whole long ravine in the form of a gallery.  Speechless, and
+in anxious suspense, we descend a part of this chasm, hardly daring to
+look up, much less to give utterance to a single sound, lest the
+vibration should bring down one of these avalanches of stone, to the
+terrific force of which the rocky fragments scattered around bear ample
+testimony.  The distinctness with which echo repeats the softest sound
+and the lightest footfall is truly wonderful.
+
+The appearance presented by the horses, which are allowed to come down
+the ravine after their masters have descended, is most peculiar.  One
+could fancy they were clinging to the walls of rock.
+
+This ravine is known by the name of Almanagiau.  Its entire length is
+about a mile, but a small portion only can be traversed; the rest is
+blocked up by masses of lava heaped one upon the other.  On the right
+hand, the rocky wall opens, and forms an outlet, over formidable masses
+of lava, into the beautiful valley of Thingvalla.  I could have fancied I
+wandered through the depths of a crater, which had piled around itself
+these stupendous barriers during a mighty eruption in times long gone by.
+
+The valley of Thingvalla is considered one of the most beautiful in
+Iceland.  It contains many meadows, forming, as it were, a place of
+refuge for the inhabitants, and enabling them to keep many head of
+cattle.  The Icelanders consider this little green valley the finest spot
+in the world.  Not far from the opening of the ravine, on the farther
+bank of the river Oxer, lies the little village of Thingvalla, consisting
+of three or four cottages and a small chapel.  A few scattered farms and
+cottages are situated in the neighbourhood.
+
+Thingvalla was once one of the most important places in Iceland; the
+stranger is still shewn the meadow, not far from the village, on which
+the Allthing (general assembly) was held annually in the open air.  Here
+the people and their leaders met, pitching their tents after the manner
+of nomads.  Here it was also that many an opinion and many a decree were
+enforced by the weight of steel.
+
+The chiefs appeared, ostensibly for peace, at the head of their tribe;
+yet many of them returned not again, but beneath the sword-stroke of
+their enemies obtained that peace which no man seeketh, but which all men
+find.
+
+On one side the valley is skirted by the lake, on the other it is bounded
+by lofty mountains, some of them still partly covered with snow.  Not far
+from the entrance of the ravine, the river Oxer rushes over a wall of
+rock of considerable height, forming a beautiful waterfall.
+
+It was still fine clear daylight when I reached Thingvalla, and the sky
+rose pure and cloudless over the far distance.  It seemed therefore the
+more singular to me to see a few clouds skimming over the surface of the
+mountains, now shrouding a part of them in vapour, now wreathing
+themselves round their summits, now vanishing entirely, to reappear again
+at a different point.
+
+This is a phenomenon frequently observed in Iceland during the finest
+days, and one I had often noticed in the neighbourhood of Reikjavik.
+Under a clear and cloudless sky, a light mist would appear on the brow of
+a mountain,--in a moment it would increase to a large cloud, and after
+remaining stationary for a time, it frequently vanished suddenly, or
+soared slowly away.  However often it may be repeated, this appearance
+cannot fail to interest the observer.
+
+Herr Beck, the clergyman at Thingvalla, offered me the shelter of his hut
+for the night; as the building, however, did not look much more promising
+than the peasants' cottages by which it was surrounded, I preferred
+quartering myself in the church, permission to do so being but too easily
+obtained on all occasions.  This chapel is not much larger than that at
+Krisuvik, and stands at some distance from the few surrounding cottages.
+This was perhaps the reason why I was not incommoded by visitors.  I had
+already conquered any superstitious fears derived from the proximity of
+my silent neighbours in the churchyard, and passed the night quietly on
+one of the wooden chests of which I found several scattered about.  Habit
+is certainly every thing; after a few nights of gloomy solitude one
+thinks no more about the matter.
+
+                                                                June 17th.
+
+Our journey of to-day was more formidable than that of yesterday.  I was
+assured that Reikholt (also called Reikiadal) was almost fifty miles
+distant.  Distances cannot always be accurately measured by the map;
+impassable barriers, only to be avoided by circuitous routes, often
+oppose the traveller's progress.  This was the case with us to-day.  To
+judge from the map, the distance from Thingvalla to Reikholt seemed less
+by a great deal than that from Reikjavik to Thingvalla, and yet we were
+full fourteen hours accomplishing it--two hours longer than on our
+yesterday's journey.
+
+So long as our way lay through the valley of Thingvalla there was no lack
+of variety.  At one time there was an arm of the river Oxer to cross, at
+another we traversed a cheerful meadow; sometimes we even passed through
+little shrubberies,--that is to say, according to the Icelandic
+acceptation of the term.  In my country these lovely shrubberies would
+have been cleared away as useless underwood.  The trees trail along the
+ground, seldom attaining a height of more than two feet.  When one of
+these puny stems reaches four feet in height, it is considered a gigantic
+tree.  The greater portion of these miniature forests grow on the lava
+with which the valley is covered.
+
+The formation of the lava here assumes a new character.  Up to this point
+it has mostly appeared either in large masses or in streams lying in
+strata one above the other; but here the lava covered the greater portion
+of the ground in the form of immense flat slabs or blocks of rock, often
+split in a vertical direction.  I saw long fissures of eight or ten feet
+in breadth, and from ten to fifteen feet in depth.  In these clefts the
+flowers blossom earlier, and the fern grows taller and more luxuriantly,
+than in the boisterous upper world.
+
+After the valley of Thingvalla has been passed the journey becomes very
+monotonous.  The district beyond is wholly uninhabited, and we travelled
+many miles without seeing a single cottage.  From one desert valley we
+passed into another; all were alike covered with light-grey or yellowish
+lava, and at intervals also with fine sand, in which the horses sunk
+deeply at every step.  The mountains surrounding these valleys were none
+of the highest, and it was seldom that a jokul or glacier shone forth
+from among them.  The mountains had a certain polished appearance, their
+sides being perfectly smooth and shining.  In some instances, however,
+masses of lava formed beautiful groups, bearing a great resemblance to
+ruins of ancient buildings, and standing out in peculiarly fine relief
+from the smooth walls.
+
+These mountains are of different colours; they are black or brown, grey
+or yellow, &c.; and the different shades of these colours are displayed
+with marvellous effect in the brilliant sunshine.
+
+Nine hours of uninterrupted riding brought us into a large tract of
+moorland, very scantily covered with moss.  Yet this was the first and
+only grazing-place to be met with in all the long distance from
+Thingvalla.  We therefore made a halt of two hours, to let our poor
+horses pick a scanty meal.  Large swarms of minute gnats, which seemed to
+fly into our eyes, nose, and mouth, annoyed us dreadfully during our stay
+in this place.
+
+On this moor there was also a small lake; and here I saw for the first
+time a small flock of swans.  Unfortunately these creatures are so very
+timid, that the most cautious approach of a human being causes them to
+rise with the speed of lightning into the air.  I was therefore obliged
+perforce to be content with a distant view of these proud birds.  They
+always keep in pairs, and the largest flock I saw did not consist of more
+than four such pairs.
+
+Since my first arrival in Iceland I had considered the inhabitants an
+indolent race of people; to-day I was strengthened in my opinion by the
+following slight circumstance.  The moorland on which we halted to rest
+was separated from the adjoining fields of lava by a narrow ditch filled
+with water.  Across this ditch a few stones and slabs had been laid, to
+form a kind of bridge.  Now this bridge was so full of holes that the
+horses could not tell where to plant their feet, and refused obstinately
+to cross it, so that in the end we were obliged to dismount and lead them
+across.  We had scarcely passed this place, and sat down to rest, when a
+caravan of fifteen horses, laden with planks, dried fish, &c. arrived at
+the bridge.  Of course the poor creatures observed the dangerous ground,
+and could only be driven by hard blows to advance.  Hardly twenty paces
+off there were stones in abundance; but rather than devote a few minutes
+to filling up the holes, these lazy people beat their horses cruelly, and
+exposed them to the risk of breaking their legs.  I pitied the poor
+animals, which would be compelled to recross the bridge, so heartily,
+that, after they are gone, I devoted a part of my resting-time to
+collecting stones and filling up the holes,--a business which scarcely
+occupied me a quarter of an hour.
+
+It is interesting to notice how the horses know by instinct the dangerous
+spots in the stony wastes, and in the moors and swamps.  On approaching
+these places they bend their heads towards the earth, and look sharply
+round on all sides.  If they cannot discover a firm resting-place for the
+feet, they stop at once, and cannot be urged forward without many blows.
+
+After a halt of two hours we continued our journey, which again led us
+across fields of lava.  At past nine o'clock in the evening we reached an
+elevated plain, after traversing which for half an hour we saw stretched
+at our feet the valley of Reikholt or Reikiadal; it is fourteen to
+seventeen miles long, of a good breadth, and girt round by a row of
+mountains, among which several jokuls sparkle in their icy garments.
+
+A sunset seen in the sublime wildness of Icelandic scenery has a
+peculiarly beautiful effect.  Over these vast plains, divested of trees
+or shrubs, covered with dark lava, and shut in by mountains almost of a
+sable hue, the parting sun sheds an almost magical radiance.  The peaks
+of the mountains shine in the bright parting rays, the jokuls are
+shrouded in the most delicate roseate hue, while the lower parts of the
+mountains lie in deep shadow, and frown darkly on the valleys, which
+resemble a sheet of dark blue water, with an atmosphere of a bluish-red
+colour floating above it.  The most impressive feature of all is the
+profound silence and solitude; not a sound can be heard, not a living
+creature is to be seen; every thing appears dead.  Throughout the broad
+valleys not a town nor a village, no, not even a solitary house or a tree
+or shrub, varies the prospect.  The eye wanders over the vast desert, and
+finds not one familiar object on which it can rest.
+
+To-night, as at past eleven o'clock we reached the elevated plain, I saw
+a sunset which I shall never forget.  The sun disappeared behind the
+mountains, and in its stead a gorgeous ruddy gleam lighted up hill and
+valley and glacier.  It was long ere I could turn away my eyes from the
+glittering heights, and yet the valley also offered much that was
+striking and beautiful.
+
+Throughout almost its entire length this valley formed a meadow, from the
+extremities of which columns of smoke and boiling springs burst forth.
+The mists had almost evaporated, and the atmosphere was bright and clear,
+more transparent even than I had seen it in any other country.  I now for
+the first time noticed, that in the valley itself the radiance was almost
+as clear as the light of day, so that the most minute objects could be
+plainly distinguished.  This was, however, extremely necessary, for steep
+and dangerous paths lead over masses of lava into the valley.  On one
+side ran a little river, forming many picturesque waterfalls, some of
+them above thirty feet in height.
+
+I strained my eyes in vain to discover any where, in this great valley, a
+little church, which, if it only offered me a hard bench for a couch,
+would at any rate afford me a shelter from the sharp night-wind; for it
+is really no joke to ride for fifteen hours, with nothing to eat but
+bread and cheese, and then not even to have the pleasant prospect of a
+hotel _a la villa de Londres_ or _de Paris_.  Alas, my wishes were far
+more modest.  I expected no porter at the gate to give the signal of my
+arrival, no waiter, and no chambermaid; I only desired a little spot in
+the neighbourhood of the dear departed Icelanders.  I was suddenly
+recalled from these happy delusions by the voice of the guide, who cried
+out: "Here we are at our destination for to-night."  I looked joyfully
+round; alas! I could only see a few of those cottages which are never
+observed until you almost hit your nose against one of them, as the
+grass-covered walls can hardly be distinguished from the surrounding
+meadow.
+
+It was already midnight.  We stopped, and turned our horses loose, to
+seek supper and rest in the nearest meadow.  Our lot was a less fortunate
+one.  The inhabitants were already buried in deep slumbers, from which
+even the barking set up by the dogs at our approach failed to arouse
+them.  A cup of coffee would certainly have been very acceptable to me;
+yet I was loath to rouse any one merely for this.  A piece of bread
+satisfied my hunger, and a draught of water from the nearest spring
+tasted most deliciously with it.  After concluding my frugal meal, I
+sought out a corner beside a cottage, where I was partially sheltered
+from the too-familiar wind; and wrapping my cloak around me, lay down on
+the ground, having wished myself, with all my heart, a good night's rest
+and pleasant dreams, in the broad daylight, {37} under the canopy of
+heaven.  Just dropping off to sleep, I was surprised by a mild rain,
+which, of course, at once put to flight every idea of repose.  Thus,
+after all, I was obliged to wake some one up, to obtain the shelter of a
+roof.
+
+The best room, _i.e._ the store-room, was thrown open for my
+accommodation, and a small wooden bedstead placed at my disposal.
+Chambers of this kind are luckily found wherever two or three cottages
+lie contiguous to each other; they are certainly far from inviting, as
+dried fish, train-oil, tallow, and many other articles of the same
+description combine to produce a most unsavoury atmosphere.  Yet they are
+infinitely preferable to the dwellings of the peasants, which, by the by,
+are the most filthy dens that can be imagined.  Besides being redolent of
+every description of bad odour, these cottages are infested with vermin
+to a degree which can certainly not be surpassed, except in the dwellings
+of the Greenlanders and Laplanders.
+
+                                                                June 18th.
+
+Yesterday we had been forced to put upon our poor horses a wearisome
+distance of more than fifty miles, as the last forty miles led us through
+desert and uninhabited places, boasting not even a single cottage.
+To-day, however, our steeds had a light duty to perform, for we only
+proceeded seven miles to the little village of Reikiadal, where I halted
+to-day, in order to visit the celebrated springs.
+
+The inconsiderable village called Reikiadal, consisting only of a church
+and a few cottages, is situated amidst pleasant meadows.  Altogether this
+valley is rich in beautiful meadow-lands; consequently one sees many
+scattered homesteads and cottages, with fine herds of sheep, and a
+tolerable number of horses; cows are less plentiful.
+
+The church at Reikiadal is among the neatest and most roomy of those
+which came under my observation.  The dwelling of the priest too, though
+only a turf-covered cottage, is large enough for the comfort of the
+occupants.  This parish extends over a considerable area, and is not
+thinly inhabited.
+
+My first care on my arrival was to beg the clergyman, Herr Jonas Jonason,
+to procure for me, as expeditiously as possible, fresh horses and a
+guide, in order that I might visit the springs.  He promised to provide
+me with both within half an hour; and yet it was not until three hours
+had been wasted, that, with infinite pains, I saw my wish fulfilled.
+Throughout my stay in Iceland, nothing annoyed me more than the slowness
+and unconcern displayed by the inhabitants in all their undertakings.
+Every wish and every request occupies a long time in its fulfilment.  Had
+I not been continually at the good pastor's side, I believe I should
+scarcely have attained my object.  At length every thing was ready, and
+the pastor himself was kind enough to be my guide.
+
+We rode about four miles through this beautiful vale, and in this short
+distance were compelled at least six times to cross the river Sidumule,
+which rolls its most tortuous course through the entire valley.  At
+length the first spring was reached; it emerges from a rock about six
+feet in height, standing in the midst of a moor.  The upper cavity of the
+natural reservoir, in which the water continually boils and seethes, is
+between two and three feet in diameter.  This spring never stops; the jet
+of water rises two, and sometimes even four feet high, and is about
+eighteen inches thick.  It is possible to increase the volume of the jet
+for a few seconds, by throwing large stones or lumps of earth into the
+opening, and thus stirring up the spring.  The stones are cast forcibly
+forth, and the lumps of earth, dissolved by the action of the water,
+impart to the latter a dingy colour.
+
+Whoever has seen the jet of water at Carlsbad, in Bohemia, can well
+imagine the appearance of this spring, which closely resembles that of
+Carlsbad. {38}
+
+In the immediate neighbourhood of the spring is an abyss, in which water
+is continually seething, but never rises into the air.  At a little
+distance, on a high rock, rising out of the river Sidumule, not far from
+the shore, are other springs.  They are three in number, each at a short
+distance from the next, and occupy nearly the entire upper surface of the
+rock.  Lower down we find a reservoir of boiling water; and at the foot
+of the rock, and on the nearest shore, are many more hot springs; but
+most of these are inconsiderable.  Many of these hot springs emerge
+almost from the cold river itself.
+
+The chief group, however, lies still farther off, on a rock which may be
+about twenty feet in height, and fifty in length.  It is called Tunga
+Huer, and rises from the midst of a moor.  On this rock there are no less
+than sixteen springs, some emerging from its base, others rather above
+the middle, but none from the top of the rock.
+
+The construction of the basins and the height and diameter of the jets
+were precisely similar to those I have already described.  All these
+sixteen springs are so near each other that they do not even occupy two
+sides of the rock.  It is impossible to form an idea of the magnificence
+of this singular spectacle, which becomes really fairy-like, if the
+beholder have the courage to climb the rock itself, a proceeding of some
+danger, though of little difficulty.  The upper stratum of the rock is
+soft and warm, presenting almost the appearance of mud thickened with
+sand and small stones.  Every footstep leaves a trace behind it, and the
+visitor has continually before his eyes the fear of breaking through, and
+falling into a hot spring hidden from view by a thin covering.  The good
+pastor walked in advance of me, with a stick, and probed the dangerous
+surface as much as possible.  I was loath to stay behind, and suddenly we
+found ourselves at the summit of the rock.  Here we could take in, at one
+view, the sixteen springs gushing from both its sides.  If the view from
+below had been most interesting and singular, how shall I describe its
+appearance as seen from above?  Sixteen jets of water seen at one glance,
+sixteen reservoirs, in all their diversity of form and construction,
+opening at once beneath the feet of the beholder, seemed almost too
+wonderful a sight.  Forgetting all pusillanimous feelings, I stood and
+honoured the Creator in these his marvellous works.  For a long time I
+stood, and could not tire of gazing into the abysses from whose darkness
+the masses of white and foaming water sprung hissing into the air, to
+fall again, and hasten in quiet union towards the neighbouring river.
+The good pastor found it necessary to remind me several times that our
+position here was neither of the safest nor of the most comfortable, and
+that it was therefore high time to abandon it.  I had ceased to think of
+the insecurity of the ground we trod, and scarcely noticed the mighty
+clouds of hot vapour which frequently surrounded and threatened to
+suffocate us, obliging us to step suddenly back with wetted faces.  It
+was fortunate that these waters contain but a very small quantity of
+brimstone, otherwise we could scarcely have long maintained our elevated
+position.
+
+The rock from which these springs rise is formed of a reddish mass, and
+the bed of the river into which the water flows is also completely
+covered with little stones of the same colour.
+
+On our way back we noticed, near a cottage, another remarkable
+phenomenon.  It was a basin, in whose depths the water boils and bubbles
+violently; and near this basin are two unsightly holes, from which
+columns of smoke periodically rise with a great noise.  Whilst this is
+going on, the basin fills itself more and more with water, but never so
+much as to overflow, or to force a jet of water into the air; then the
+steam and the noise cease in both cavities, and the water in the
+reservoir sinks several feet.
+
+This strange phenomenon generally lasts about a minute, and is repeated
+so regularly, that a bet could almost be made, that the rising and
+falling of the water, and the increased and lessened noise of the steam,
+shall be seen and heard sixty or sixty-five times within an hour.
+
+In communication with this basin is another, situate at a distance of
+about a hundred paces in a small hollow, and filled like the former with
+boiling water.  As the water in the upper basin gradually sinks, and
+ceases to seethe, it begins to rise in the lower one, and is at length
+forced two or three feet into the air; then it falls again, and thus the
+phenomenon is continually repeated in the upper and the lower basin
+alternately.
+
+At the upper spring there is also a vapour-bath.  This is formed by a
+small chamber situate hard by the basin, built of stones and roofed with
+turf.  It is further provided with a small and narrow entrance, which
+cannot be passed in an upright position.  The floor is composed of stone
+slabs, probably covering a hot spring, for they are very warm.  The
+person wishing to use this bath betakes himself to this room, and
+carefully closes every cranny; a suffocating heat, which induces violent
+perspiration over the whole frame, is thus generated.  The people,
+however, seldom avail themselves of this bath.
+
+On my return I had still to visit a basin with a jet of water, in a fine
+meadow near the church; a low wall of stone has been erected round this
+spring to prevent the cattle from scalding themselves if they should
+approach too near in the ardour of grazing.  Some eighty paces off is to
+be seen the wool-bath erected by Snorri Sturluson.  It consists of a
+stone basin three or four feet in depth, and eighteen or twenty in
+diameter.  The approach is by a few steps leading to a low stone bench,
+which runs round the basin.  The water is obtained from the neighbouring
+spring, but is of so high a temperature that it is impossible to bathe
+without previously cooling it.  The bath stands in the open air, and no
+traces are left of the building which once covered it.  It is now used
+for clothes and sheep's wool.
+
+I had now seen all the interesting springs on this side of the valley.
+Some columns of vapour, which may be observed from the opposite end of
+the valley, proceed from thermal springs, that offer no remarkable
+feature save their heat.
+
+On our return the priest took me to the churchyard, which lay at some
+distance from his dwelling, and showed me the principal graves.  Though I
+thought the sight very impressive, it was not calculated to invigorate
+me, when I considered that I must pass the approaching night alone in the
+church, amidst these resting-places of the departed.
+
+The mound above each grave is very high, and the greater part of them are
+surmounted by a kind of wooden coffin, which at first sight conveys the
+impression that the dead person is above ground.  I could not shake off a
+feeling of discomfort; and such is the power of prejudice, that--I
+acknowledge my weakness--I was even induced to beg that the priest would
+remove one of the covers.  Though I knew full well that the dead man was
+slumbering deep in the earth, and not in this coffin, I felt a shudder
+pass over me as the lid was removed, and I saw--as the priest had assured
+me I should do--merely a tombstone with the usual inscription, which this
+coffin-like covering is intended to protect against the rude storms of
+the winter.
+
+Close beside the entrance to the church is the mound beneath which rest
+the bones of Snorri Sturluson, the celebrated poet; {39} over this grave
+stands a small runic stone of the length of the mound itself.  This stone
+is said to have once been completely covered with runic characters; but
+all trace of these has been swept away by the storms of five hundred
+winters, against which the tomb had no protecting coffin.  The stone,
+too, is split throughout its entire length into two pieces.  The mound
+above the grave is often renewed, so that the beholder could often fancy
+he saw a new-made grave.  I picked all the buttercups I could find
+growing on the grave, and preserved them carefully in a book.  Perhaps I
+may be able to give pleasure to several of my countrywomen by offering
+them a floweret from the grave of the greatest of Icelandic poets.
+
+                                                                June 19th.
+
+In order to pursue my journey without interruption, I hired fresh horses,
+and allowed my own, which were rather fatigued, to accompany us unloaded.
+My object in this further excursion was to visit the very remarkable
+cavern of Surthellir, distant a good thirty-three miles from this place.
+The clergyman was again kind enough to make the necessary arrangements
+for me, and even to act as my Mentor on the journey.
+
+Though we were only three strong, we departed with a retinue of seven
+horses, and for nearly ten miles rode back the same way by which I had
+come from Reikholt on the preceding morning; then we turned off to the
+left, and crossing hills and acclivities, reached other valleys, which
+were partly traversed by beautiful streams of lava, and partly
+interspersed with forests--_forests_, as I have already said, according
+to Icelandic notions.  The separate stems were certainly slightly higher
+than those in the valley of Thingvalla.
+
+At Kalmannstunga we left the spare horses, and took with us a man to
+serve as guide in the cavern, from which we were now still some seven
+miles distant.  The great valley in which this cavern lies is reckoned
+among the most remarkable in Iceland.  It is a most perfect picture of
+volcanic devastation.  The most beautiful masses of lava, in the most
+varied and picturesque forms, occupy the whole immeasurable valley.  Lava
+is to be seen there in a rough glassy state, forming exquisite flames and
+arabesques; and in immense slabs, lying sometimes scattered, sometimes
+piled in strata one above the other, as though they had been cast there
+by a flood.  Among these, again, lie mighty isolated streams, which must
+have been frozen in the midst of their course.  From the different
+colours of the lava, and their transitions from light grey to black, we
+can judge of the eruptions which have taken place at different periods.
+The mountains surrounding this valley are mostly of a sombre hue; some
+are even black, forming a striking contrast to the neighbouring jokuls,
+which, in their large expanse, present the appearance almost of a sea of
+ice.  I found one of these jokuls of a remarkable size; its shining
+expanse extended far down into the valley, and its upper surface was
+almost immeasurable.
+
+The other mountains were all smooth, as though polished by art; in the
+foreground I only noticed one which was covered with wonderful forms of
+dried lava.  A deathlike silence weighed on the whole country round, on
+hill and on valley alike.  Every thing seemed dead, all round was barren
+and desert, so that the effect was truly Icelandic.  The greater portion
+of Iceland might be with justice designated the "Northern Desert."
+
+The cavern of Surthellir lies on a slightly elevated extended plain,
+where it would certainly not be sought for, as we are accustomed to see
+natural phenomena of this description only in the bowels of rocks.  It
+is, therefore, with no little surprise that the traveller sees suddenly
+opening before him a large round basin about fifteen fathoms in diameter,
+and four in depth.  It was with a feeling of awe that I looked downwards
+on the countless blocks of rock piled one upon the other, extending on
+one side to the edge of the hollow, across which the road led to the dark
+ravines farther on.
+
+We were compelled to scramble forward on our hands and knees, until we
+reached a long broad passage, which led us at first imperceptibly
+downwards, and then ran underneath the plain, which formed a rocky cavern
+above our heads.  I estimated the different heights of this roof at not
+less than from eighteen to sixty feet; but it seldom reached a greater
+elevation than the latter.  Both roof and walls are in some places very
+pointed and rough: a circumstance to be ascribed to the stalactites which
+adhere to them, without, however, forming figures or long sharp points.
+
+From this principal path several smaller ones lead far into the interior
+of this stony region; but they do not communicate with each other, and
+one is compelled to return from each side-path into the main road.  Some
+of these by-paths are short, narrow, and low; others, on the contrary,
+are long, broad, and lofty.
+
+In one of the most retired of these by-paths I was shewn a great number
+of bones, which, I was told, were those of slaughtered sheep and other
+animals.  I could gather, from the account given by the priest of the
+legend concerning them, that, in days of yore, this cave was the resort
+of a mighty band of robbers.  This must have been a long, long time ago,
+as this is related as a legend or a fable.
+
+For my part, I could not tell what robbers had to do in Iceland.  Pirates
+had often come to the island; but for these gentry this cavern was too
+far from the sea.  I cannot even imagine beasts of prey to have been
+there; for the whole country round about is desert and uninhabited, so
+that they could have found nothing to prey upon.  In fact, I turned over
+in my mind every probability, and can only say that it appeared to me a
+most remarkable circumstance to find in this desert place, so far from
+any living thing, a number of bones, which, moreover, looked as fresh as
+if the poor animals to whom they once belonged had been eaten but a short
+time ago.  Unfortunately I could obtain no satisfactory information on
+this point.
+
+It is difficult to imagine any thing more laborious than to wander about
+in this cavern.  As the road had shewed itself at the entrance of the
+cavern, so it continued throughout its whole extent.  The path consisted
+entirely of loose fragments of lava heaped one upon the other, over which
+we had to clamber with great labour.  None of us could afford to help the
+others; each one was fully occupied with himself.  There was not a single
+spot to be seen on which we could have stood without holding fast at the
+same time with our hands.  We were sometimes obliged to seat ourselves on
+a stone, and so to slide down; at others, to take hands and pull one
+another to the top of high blocks of stone.
+
+We came to several immense basins, or craters, which opened above our
+heads, but were inaccessible, the sides being too steep for us to climb.
+The light which entered through these openings was scarcely enough to
+illumine the principal path, much less the numerous by-paths.
+
+At Kalmannstunga I had endeavoured to procure torches, but was obliged to
+consider myself fortunate in getting a few tapers.  It is necessary to
+provide oneself with torches at Reikjavik.
+
+The parts of the cavern beneath the open craters were still covered with
+a considerable quantity of snow, by which our progress was rendered very
+dangerous.  We frequently sunk in, and at other times caught our feet
+between the stones, so that we could scarcely maintain our balance.  In
+the by-paths situated near these openings an icy rind had formed itself,
+which was now covered with water.  Farther on, the ice had melted; but it
+was generally very dirty, as a stratum of sand mixed with water lay there
+in place of the stones.  The chief path alone was covered with blocks of
+lava; in the smaller paths I found only strata of sand and small pieces
+of lava.
+
+The magical illumination produced by the sun's rays shining through one
+of these craters into the cavern produced a splendid effect.  The sun
+shone perpendicularly through the opening, spread a dazzling radiance
+over the snow, and diffused a pale delicate light around us.  The effect
+of this point of dazzling light was the more remarkable from its
+contrasting strongly with the two dark chasms, from the first of which we
+had emerged to continue our journey through the obscurity of the second.
+
+This subterranean labyrinth is said to extend in different directions for
+many miles.  We explored a portion of the chief path and several
+by-paths, and after a march of two hours returned heartily tired to the
+upper world.  We then rested a quarter of an hour, and afterwards
+returned at a good round pace to Kalmannstunga.
+
+Unfortunately I do not possess sufficient geognostic knowledge to be able
+to set this cavern down as an extinct volcano.  But in travelling in a
+country where every hill and mountain, every thing around, in fact,
+consists of lava, even the uninitiated in science seeks to discover the
+openings whence these immense masses have poured.  The stranger curiously
+regards the top of each mountain, thinking every where to behold a
+crater, but both hill and dale appear smooth and closed.  With what joy
+then does he hail the thought of having discovered, in this cavern,
+something to throw light upon the sources of these things!  I, at least,
+fancied myself walking on the hearth of an extinct volcano; for all I
+saw, from the masses of stone piled beneath my feet and the immense basin
+above my head, were both of lava.  If I am right in my conjecture, I do
+not know; I only speak according to my notions and my views.
+
+I was obliged to pass this night in a cottage.  Kalmannstunga contains
+three such cottages, but no chapel.  Luckily I found one of these houses
+somewhat larger and more cleanly than its neighbours; it could almost
+come under the denomination of a farm.  The occupants, too, had been
+employed during my ride to the cavern in cleansing the best chamber, and
+preparing it, as far as possible, for my reception.  The room in question
+was eleven feet long by seven broad; the window was so small and so
+covered with dirt that, although the sun was shining in its full glory, I
+could scarcely see to write.  The walls, and even the floor, were
+boarded--a great piece of luxury in a country where wood is so scarce.
+The furniture consisted of a broad bedstead, two chests of drawers, and a
+small table.  Chairs and benches are a kind of _terra incognita_ in the
+dwellings of the Icelandic peasantry; besides, I do not know where such
+articles could be stowed in a room of such dimensions as that which I
+occupied.
+
+My hostess, the widow of a wealthy peasant, introduced to me her four
+children, who were very handsome, and very neatly dressed.  I begged the
+good mother to tell me the names of the young ones, so that I might at
+least know a few Icelandic names.  She appeared much flattered at my
+request, and gave me the names as follows: Sigrudur, Gudrun, Ingebor, and
+Lars.
+
+I should have felt tolerably comfortable in my present quarters,
+accustomed as I am to bear privations of all kinds with indifference, if
+they would but have left me in peace.  But the reader may fancy my horror
+when the whole population, not only of the cottage itself, but also of
+the neighbouring dwellings, made their appearance, and, planting
+themselves partly in my chamber and partly at the door, held me in a far
+closer state of siege than even at Krisuvik.  I was, it appeared, quite a
+novel phenomenon in the eyes of these good people, and so they came one
+and all and stared at me; the women and children were, in particular,
+most unpleasantly familiar; they felt my dress, and the little ones laid
+their dirty little countenances in my lap.  Added to this, the confined
+atmosphere from the number of persons present, their lamentable want of
+cleanliness, and their filthy habit of spitting, &c., all combined to
+form a most dreadful whole.  During these visits I did more penance than
+by the longest fasts; and fasting, too, was an exercise I seldom escaped,
+as I could touch few Icelandic dishes.  The cookery of the Icelandic
+peasants is wholly confined to the preparation of dried fish, with which
+they eat fermented milk that has often been kept for months; on very rare
+occasions they have a preparation of barley-meal, which is eaten with
+flat bread baked from Icelandic moss ground fine.
+
+I could not but wonder at the fact that most of these people expected to
+find me acquainted with a number of things generally studied only by men;
+they seemed to have a notion that in foreign parts women should be as
+learned as men.  So, for instance, the priests always inquired if I spoke
+Latin, and seemed much surprised on finding that I was unacquainted with
+the language.  The common people requested my advice as to the mode of
+treating divers complaints; and once, in the course of one of my solitary
+wanderings about Reikjavik, on my entering a cottage, they brought before
+me a being whom I should scarcely have recognised as belonging to the
+same species as myself, so fearfully was he disfigured by the eruption
+called "lepra."  Not only the face, but the whole body also was covered
+with it; the patient was quite emaciated, and some parts of his body were
+covered with sores.  For a surgeon this might have been an interesting
+sight, but I turned away in disgust.
+
+But let us turn from this picture.  I would rather tell of the angel's
+face I saw in Kalmannstunga.  It was a girl, ten or twelve years of age,
+beautiful and lovely beyond description, so that I wished I had been a
+painter.  How gladly would I have taken home with me to my own land, if
+only on canvass, the delicate face, with its roguish dimples and speaking
+eyes!  But perhaps it is better as it is; the picture might by some
+unlucky chance have fallen into the hands of some too-susceptible youth,
+who, like Don Sylvio de Rosalva, in Wieland's _Comical Romance_, would
+immediately have proceeded to travel through half the world to find the
+original of this enchanting portrait.  His spirit of inquiry would
+scarcely have carried him to Iceland, as such an apparition would never
+be suspected to exist in such a country, and thus the unhappy youth would
+be doomed to endless wandering.
+
+                                                                June 20th.
+
+The distance from Kalmannstunga to Thingvalla is fifty-two miles, and the
+journey is certainly one of the most dreary and fatiguing of all that can
+be made in Iceland.  The traveller passes from one desert valley into
+another; he is always surrounded by high mountains and still higher
+glaciers, and wherever he turns his eyes, nature seems torpid and dead.
+A feeling of anxious discomfort seizes upon the wanderer, he hastens with
+redoubled speed through the far-stretched deserts, and eagerly ascends
+the mountains piled up before him, in the hope that better things lie
+beyond.  It is in vain; he only sees the same solitudes, the same
+deserts, the same mountains.
+
+On the elevated plateaux several places were still covered with snow;
+these we were obliged to cross, though we could frequently hear the
+rushing of the water beneath its snowy covering.  We were compelled also
+to pass over coatings of ice spread lightly over rivers, and presenting
+that blue colour which is a certain sign of danger.
+
+Our poor horses were sometimes very restive; but it was of no use; they
+were beaten without mercy until they carried us over the dangerous
+places.  The pack-horse was always driven on in front with many blows; it
+had to serve as pioneer, and try if the road was practicable.  Next came
+my guide, and I brought up the rear.  Our poor horses frequently sank up
+to their knees in the snow, and twice up to the saddle-girths.  This was
+one of the most dangerous rides I have ever had.  I could not help
+continually thinking what I should do if my guide were to sink in so
+deeply that he could not extricate himself; my strength would not have
+been sufficient to rescue him, and whither should I turn to seek for
+help?  All around us was nothing but a desert and snow.  Perhaps my lot
+might have been to die of hunger.  I should have wandered about seeking
+dwellings and human beings, and have entangled myself so completely among
+these wastes that I could never have found my way.
+
+When at a distance I descried a new field of snow (and unfortunately we
+came upon them but too frequently), I felt very uncomfortable; those
+alone who have themselves been in a similar situation can estimate the
+whole extent of my anxiety.
+
+If I had been travelling in company with others, these fears would not
+have disturbed me; for there reciprocal assistance can be rendered, and
+the consciousness of this fact seems materially to diminish the danger.
+
+During the season in which the snow ceases to form a secure covering,
+this road is but little travelled.  We saw nowhere a trace of footsteps,
+either of men or animals; we were the only living beings in this dreadful
+region.  I certainly scolded my guide roundly for bringing me by such a
+road.  But what did I gain by this?  It would have been as dangerous to
+turn back as to go on.
+
+A change in the weather, which till now had been rather favourable,
+increased the difficulties of this journey.  Already when we left
+Kalmannstunga, the sky began to be overcast, and the sun enlivened us
+with its rays only for a few minutes at a time.  On our reaching the
+higher mountains the weather became worse; for here we encountered clouds
+and fog, which wreaked their vengeance upon us, and which only careered
+by to make room for others.  An icy storm from the neighbouring glaciers
+was their constant companion, and made me shiver so much that I could
+scarcely keep my saddle.  We had now ridden above thirteen hours.  The
+rain poured down incessantly, and we were half dead with cold and wet; so
+I at length determined to halt for the night at the first cottage: at
+last we found one between two or three miles from Thingvalla.  I had now
+a roof above my head; but beyond this I had gained nothing.  The cottage
+consisted of a single room, and was almost completely filled by four
+broad bedsteads.  I counted seven adults and three children, who had all
+to be accommodated in these four beds.  In addition to this, the kvef, a
+kind of croup, prevailed this spring to such an extent that scarcely any
+one escaped it.  Wherever I went, I found the people afflicted with this
+complaint; and here this was also the case; the noise of groaning and
+coughing on all sides was quite deplorable.  The floor, moreover, was
+revoltingly dirty.
+
+The good people were so kind as immediately to place one of their beds at
+my disposal; but I would rather have passed the night on the threshold of
+the door than in this disgusting hole.  I chose for my lodging-place the
+narrow passage which separated the kitchen from the room; I found there a
+couple of blocks, across which a few boards had been laid, and this
+constituted the milk-room: it might have been more properly called the
+smoke-room; for in the roof were a few air-holes, through which the smoke
+escaped.  In this smoke or milk-room--whichever it may be called--I
+prepared to pass the night as best I could.  My cloak being wet through,
+I had been compelled to hang it on a stick to dry; and thus found myself
+under the necessity of borrowing a mattress from these unhealthy people.
+I laid myself down boldly, and pretended sleepiness, in order to deliver
+myself from the curiosity of my entertainers.  They retired to their
+room, and so I was alone and undisturbed.  But yet I could not sleep; the
+cold wind, blowing in upon me through the air-holes, chilled and wetted
+as I already was, kept me awake against my will.  I had also another
+misfortune to endure.  As often as I attempted to sit upright on my
+luxurious couch, my head would receive a severe concussion.  I had
+forgotten the poles which are fixed across each of these antechambers,
+for the purpose of hanging up fish to dry, &c.  Unfortunately I could not
+bear this arrangement in mind until after I had received half a dozen
+salutations of this description.
+
+                                                                June 21st.
+
+At length the morning so long sighed for came; the rain had indeed
+ceased; but the clouds still hung about the mountains, and promised a
+speedy fall; I nevertheless resolved rather to submit myself to the fury
+of the elements than to remain longer in my present quarters, and so
+ordered the horses to be saddled.
+
+Before my departure roast lamb and butter were offered me.  I thanked my
+entertainers; but refrained from tasting any thing, excusing myself on
+the plea of not feeling hungry, which was in reality the case; for if I
+only looked at the dirty people who surrounded me, my appetite vanished
+instantly.  So long as my stock of bread and cheese lasted, I kept to it,
+and ate nothing else.
+
+Taking leave of my good hosts, we continued our journey to Reikjavik, by
+the same road on which I had travelled on my journey hither.  This had
+not been my original plan on starting from Reikjavik; I had intended to
+proceed from Thingvalla directly to the Geyser, to Hecla, &c.; but the
+horses were already exhausted, and the weather so dreadfully bad, without
+prospect of speedy amendment, that I preferred returning to Reikjavik,
+and waiting for better times in my pleasant little room at the house of
+the good baker.
+
+We rode on as well as we could amidst ceaseless storms of wind and rain.
+The most disagreeable circumstance of all was our being obliged to spend
+the hours devoted to rest in the open air, under a by no means cloudless
+sky, as during our whole day's journey we saw not a single hut, save the
+solitary one in the lava desert, which serves as a resting-place for
+travellers during the winter.  So we continued our journey until we
+reached a scanty meadow.  Here I had my choice either to walk about for
+two hours, or to sit down upon the wet grass.  I could find nothing
+better to do than to turn my back upon the wind and rain, to remain
+standing on one spot, to have patience, and for amusement to observe the
+direction in which the clouds scudded by.  At the same time I discussed
+my frugal meal, more for want of something to do than from hunger; if I
+felt thirsty, I had only to turn round and open my mouth.
+
+If there are natures peculiarly fitted for travelling, I am fortunate in
+being blessed with such an one.  No rain or wind was powerful enough to
+give me even a cold.  During this whole excursion I had tasted no warm or
+nourishing food; I had slept every night upon a bench or a chest; had
+ridden nearly 255 miles in six days; and had besides scrambled about
+bravely in the cavern of Surthellir; and, in spite of all this privation
+and fatigue, I arrived at Reikjavik in good health and spirits.
+
+Short summary of this journey:
+
+
+                                    Miles
+First day, from Reikjavik to        46
+Thingvalla
+Second day, from Thingvalla to      51
+Reikholt
+Third day, from Reikholt to the     19
+different springs, and back again
+Fourth day, from Reikholt to        40
+Surthellir, and back to
+Kalmannstunga
+Fifth day, from Kalmannstunga to    51
+Thingvalla
+Sixth day, from Thingvalla to       46
+Reikjavik
+Total                               253
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+
+The weather soon cleared up, and I continued my journey to the Geyser and
+to Mount Hecla on the 24th June.  On the first day, when we rode to
+Thingvalla, we passed no new scenery, but saw instead an extremely
+beautiful atmospheric phenomenon.
+
+                          [Picture: The Geysers]
+
+As we approached the lake, some thin mist-clouds lowered over it and over
+the earth, so that it seemed as if it would rain.  One portion of the
+firmament glowed with the brightest blue; while the other part was
+obscured by thick clouds, through which the sun was just breaking.  Some
+of its rays reached the clouds of mist, and illuminated them in a
+wonderfully beautiful manner.  The most delicate shades of colour seemed
+breathed, as it were, over them like a dissolving rainbow, whose glowing
+colours were intermingled and yet singly perceptible.  This play of
+colours continued for half an hour, then faded gradually till it vanished
+entirely, and the ordinary atmosphere took its place.  It was one of the
+most beautiful appearances I had ever witnessed.
+
+                                                                June 25th.
+
+The roads separate about a mile behind the little town of Thingvalla; the
+one to the left goes to Reikholt, the right-hand one leads to the Geyser.
+We rode for some time along the shores of the lake, and found at the end
+of the valley an awful chasm in the rock, similar to the one of
+Almanagiau, which we had passed on such a wretched road.
+
+The contiguous valley bore a great resemblance to that of Thingvalla; but
+the third one was again fearful.  Lava covered it, and was quite
+overgrown with that whitish moss, which has a beautiful appearance when
+it only covers a portion of the lava, and when black masses rise above
+it, but which here presented a most monotonous aspect.
+
+We also passed two grottoes which opened at our feet.  At the entrance of
+one stood a pillar of rock supporting an immense slab of lava, which
+formed an awe-inspiring portal.  I had unfortunately not known of the
+existence of these caves, and was consequently unprepared to visit them.
+Torches, at least, would have been requisite.  But I subsequently heard
+that they were not at all deep, and contained nothing of interest.
+
+In the course of the day we passed through valleys such as I had seen
+nowhere else in Iceland.  Beautiful meadow-lawns, perfectly level,
+covered the country for miles.  These rich valleys were, of course,
+tolerably well populated; we frequently passed three or four contiguous
+cottages, and saw horses, cows, and sheep grazing on these fields in
+considerable numbers.
+
+The mountains which bounded these valleys on the left seemed to me very
+remarkable; they were partly brown, black, or dark blue, like the others;
+but the bulk of which they were composed I considered to be fine
+loam-soil layers, if I may trust my imperfect mineralogical knowledge.
+Some of these mountains were topped by large isolated lava rocks, real
+giants; and it seemed inexplicable to me how they could stand on the soft
+soil beneath.
+
+In one of these valleys we passed a considerable lake, on and around
+which rose circling clouds of steam proceeding from hot springs, but of
+no great size.  But after we had already travelled about twenty-five
+miles, we came to the most remarkable object I had ever met with; this
+was a river with a most peculiar bed.
+
+This river-bed is broad and somewhat steep; it consists of lava strata,
+and is divided lengthwise in the middle by a cleft eighteen to twenty
+feet deep, and fifteen to eighteen feet broad, towards which the bubbling
+and surging waters rush, so that the sound is heard at some distance.  A
+little wooden bridge, which stands in the middle of the stream, and over
+which the high waves constantly play, leads over the chasm.  Any one not
+aware of the fact can hardly explain this appearance to himself, nor
+understand the noise and surging of the stream.  The little bridge in the
+centre would be taken for the ruins of a fallen bridge, and the chasm is
+not seen from the shore, because the foaming waves overtop it.  An
+indescribable fear would seize upon the traveller when he beheld the
+venturous guide ride into the stream, and was obliged to follow without
+pity or mercy.
+
+The priest of Thingvalla had prepared me for the scene, and had advised
+me to _walk_ over the bridge; but as the water at this season stood so
+high that the waves from both sides dashed two feet above the bridge, I
+could not descend from my horse, and was obliged to ride across.
+
+The whole passage through the stream is so peculiar, that it must be
+seen, and can scarcely be described.  The water gushes and plays on all
+sides with fearful force; it rushes into the chasm with impetuous
+violence, forms waterfalls on both sides, and breaks itself on the
+projecting rocks.  Not far from the bridge the cleft terminates; and the
+whole breadth of the waters falls over rocks thirty to forty feet high.
+The nearer we approached the centre, the deeper, more violent, and
+impetuous grew the stream, and the more deafening was the noise.  The
+horses became restless and shy; and when we came to the bridge, they
+began to tremble, they reared, they turned to all sides but the right
+one, and refused to obey the bridle.  With infinite trouble we at last
+succeeded in bringing them across this dangerous place.
+
+The valley which is traversed by this peculiar river is narrow, and quite
+enclosed by lava mountains and hills; the inanimate, silent nature around
+is perfectly adapted to imprint this scene for ever on the traveller's
+memory.
+
+This remarkable stream had been the last difficulty; and now we proceeded
+quietly and safely through the beautiful valleys till we approached the
+Geyser, which a projecting hillock enviously concealed from my anxiously
+curious gaze.  At last this hillock was passed; and I saw the Geyser with
+its surrounding scenery, with its immense steam pillars, and the clouds
+and cloudlets rising from it.  The hill was about two miles distant from
+the Geyser and the other hot springs.  There they were, boiling and
+bubbling all around, and through the midst lay the road to the basin.
+Eighty paces from it we halted.
+
+And now I stood before the chief object of my journey; I saw it, it was
+so near me, and yet I did not venture to approach it.  But a peasant who
+had followed us from one of the neighbouring cottages, and had probably
+guessed my anxiety and my fear, took me by the hand and constituted
+himself my cicerone.  He had unfortunately, it being Sunday, paid too
+great a devotion to the brandy-bottle, so that he staggered rather than
+walked, and I hesitated to trust myself to the guidance of this man, not
+knowing whether he had reason enough left to distinguish how far we might
+with safety venture.  My guide, who had accompanied me from Reikjavik,
+assured me indeed that I might trust him in spite of his intoxication,
+and that he would himself go with us to translate the peasant's Icelandic
+jargon into Danish; but nevertheless I followed with great trepidation.
+
+He led me to the margin of the basin of the great Geyser, which lies on
+the top of a gentle elevation of about ten feet, and contains the outer
+and the inner basins.  The diameter of the outer basin may be about
+thirty feet; that of the inner one six to seven feet.  Both were filled
+to the brim, the water was pure as crystal, but boiled and bubbled only
+slightly.  We soon left this spot; for when the basins are quite filled
+with water it is very dangerous to approach them, as they may empty
+themselves any moment by an eruption.  We therefore went to inspect the
+other springs.
+
+My unsteady guide pointed those out which we might unhesitatingly
+approach, and warned me from the others.  Then we returned to the great
+Geyser, where he gave me some precautionary rules, in case of an
+intervening eruption, and then left me to prepare some accommodation for
+my stay.  I will briefly enumerate the rules he gave me.
+
+"The pillar of water always rises perpendicularly, and the overflowing
+water has its chief outlets on one and the same side.  The water does
+indeed escape on the other side, but only in inconsiderable quantities,
+and in shapeless little ducts, which one may easily evade.  On this side
+one may therefore approach within forty paces even during the most
+violent eruptions.  The eruption announces itself by a dull roaring; and
+as soon as this is heard, the traveller must hastily retire to the
+above-named distance, as the eruption always follows very quickly after
+the noise.  The water, however, does not rise high every time, often only
+very inconsiderably, so that, to see a very fine explosion, it is often
+necessary to stay some days here."
+
+The French scholar, M. P. Geimard, has provided for the accommodation of
+travellers with a truly noble disinterestedness.  He traversed the whole
+of Iceland some years ago and left two large tents behind him; one here,
+and the other in Thingvalla.  The one here is particularly appropriate,
+as travellers are frequently obliged, as stated above, to wait several
+days for a fine eruption.  Every traveller certainly owes M. Geimard the
+warmest thanks for this convenience.  A peasant, the same who guides
+travellers to the springs, has the charge of it, and is bound to pitch it
+for any one for a fee of one or two florins.
+
+When my tent was ready it was nearly eleven o'clock.  My companions
+retired, and I remained alone.
+
+It is usual to watch through the night in order not to miss an eruption.
+Now, although an alternate watching is no very arduous matter for several
+travellers, it became a very hard task for me alone, and an Icelandic
+peasant cannot be trusted; an eruption of Mount Hecla would scarcely
+arouse him.
+
+I sat sometimes before and sometimes in my tent, and listened with
+anxious expectation for the coming events; at last, after midnight--the
+witching hour--I heard some hollow sounds, as if a cannon were being
+fired at a great distance, and its echoing sounds were borne by the
+breeze.  I rushed from my tent and expected subterranean noises, violent
+cracking and trembling of the earth, according to the descriptions I had
+read.  I could scarcely repress a slight sensation of fear.  To be alone
+at midnight in such a scene is certainly no joke.
+
+Many of my friends may remember my telling them, before my departure,
+that I expected I should need the most courage on my Icelandic journey
+during the nights at the Geyser.
+
+These hollow sounds were repeated, at very short intervals, thirteen
+times; and each time the basin overflowed and ejected a considerable
+quantity of water.  The sounds did not seem to proceed from subterranean
+ragings, but from the violent agitation of the waters.  In a minute and a
+half all was over; the water no longer overflowed, the caldron and basin
+remained filled, and I returned to my tent disappointed in every way.
+This phenomenon was repeated every two hours and a half, or, at the
+latest, every three hours and a half.  I saw and heard nothing else all
+night, the next day, or the second night.  I waited in vain for an
+eruption.
+
+When I had accustomed myself to these temporary effusions of my
+neighbour, I either indulged in a gentle slumber in the intermediate
+time, or I visited the other springs and explored.  I wished to discover
+the boiling vapour and the coloured springs which many travellers assert
+they have seen here.
+
+All the hot-springs are united with a circumference of 800 to 900 paces:
+several of them are very remarkable, but the majority insignificant.
+
+They are situated in the angle of an immense valley at the foot of a
+hill, behind which extends a chain of mountains.  The valley is entirely
+covered with grass, and the vegetation only decreases a little in the
+immediate vicinity of the springs.  Cottages are built every where in the
+neighbourhood; the nearest to the springs are only about 700 to 800 paces
+distant.
+
+I counted twelve large basins with boiling and gushing springs; of
+smaller ones there were many more.
+
+Among the gushing springs the Strokker is the most remarkable.  It boils
+and bubbles with most extraordinary violence at a depth of about twenty
+feet, shoots up suddenly, and projects its waters into the air.  Its
+eruptions sometimes last half an hour, and the column occasionally
+ascends to a height of forty feet.  I witnessed several of its eruptions;
+but unfortunately not one of the largest.  The highest I saw could not
+have been above thirty feet, and did not last more than a quarter of an
+hour.  The Strokker is the only spring, except the Geyser, which has to
+be approached with great caution.  The eruptions sometimes succeed each
+other quickly, and sometimes cease for a few hours, and are not preceded
+by any sign.  Another spring spouts constantly, but never higher than
+three to four feet.  A third one lies about four or five feet deep, in a
+rather broad basin, and produces only a few little bubbles.  But this
+calmness is deceptive: it seldom lasts more than half a minute, rarely
+two or three minutes; then the spring begins to bubble, to boil, and to
+wave and spout to a height of two or three feet; without, however,
+reaching the level of the basin.  In some springs I heard boiling and
+foaming like a gentle bellowing; but saw no water, sometimes not even
+steam, rising.
+
+Two of the most remarkable springs which can perhaps be found in the
+world are situated immediately above the Geyser, in two openings, which
+are separated by a wall of rock scarcely a foot wide.  This partition
+does not rise above the surface of the soil, but descends into the earth;
+the water boils slowly, and has an equable, moderate discharge.  The
+beauty of these springs consists in their remarkable transparency.  All
+the varied forms and caves, the projecting peaks, and edges of rock, are
+visible far down, until the eye is lost in the depths of darkness.  But
+the greatest beauty of the spring is the splendid colouring proceeding
+from the rock; it is of the tenderest, most transparent, pale blue and
+green, and resembles the reflection of a Bengal flame.  But what is most
+strange is, that this play of colour proceeds from the rock, and only
+extends eight to ten inches from it, while the other water is colourless
+as common water, only more transparent, and purer.
+
+I could not believe it at first, and thought it must be occasioned by the
+sun; I therefore visited the springs at different times, sometimes when
+the sun shone brightly, sometimes when it was obscured by clouds, once
+even after its setting; but the colouring always remained the same.
+
+One may fearlessly approach the brink of these springs.  The platform
+which projects directly from them, and under which one can see in all
+directions, is indeed only a thin ledge of rock, but strong enough to
+prevent any accident.  The beauty consists, as I have said, in the
+magical illumination, and in the transparency, by which all the caves and
+grottoes to the greatest depths become visible to the eye.  Involuntarily
+I thought of Schiller's _Diver_. {40}  I seemed to see the goblet hang on
+the peaks and jags of the rock; I could fancy I saw the monsters rise
+from the bottom.  It must be a peculiar pleasure to read this splendid
+poem in such an appropriate spot.
+
+I found scarcely any basins of Brodem or coloured waters.  The only one
+of the kind which I saw was a small basin, in which a brownish-red
+substance, rather denser than water, was boiling.  Another smaller
+spring, with dirty brown water, I should have quite overlooked, if I had
+not so industriously searched for these curiosities.
+
+At last, after long waiting, on the second day of my stay, on the 27th
+June, at half-past eight in the morning, I was destined to see an
+eruption of the Geyser in its greatest perfection.  The peasant, who came
+daily in the morning and in the evening to inquire whether I had already
+seen an eruption, was with me when the hollow sounds which precede it
+were again heard.  We hastened out, and I again despaired of seeing any
+thing; the water only overflowed as usual, and the sound was already
+ceasing.  But all at once, when the last sounds had scarcely died away,
+the explosion began.  Words fail me when I try to describe it: such a
+magnificent and overpowering sight can only be seen once in a lifetime.
+
+All my expectations and suppositions were far surpassed.  The water
+spouted upwards with indescribable force and bulk; one pillar rose higher
+than the other; each seemed to emulate the other.  When I had in some
+measure recovered from the surprise, and regained composure, I looked at
+the tent.  How little, how dwarfish it seemed as compared to the height
+of these pillars of water!  And yet it was about twenty feet high.  It
+did, indeed, lie ten feet lower than the basin of the Geyser; but if tent
+had been raised above tent, these ten feet could only be deducted once,
+and I calculated, though my calculation may not be correct, that one
+would need to pile up five or six tents to have the height of one of the
+pillars.  Without exaggeration, I think the largest spout rose above one
+hundred feet high, and was three to four feet in diameter.
+
+Fortunately I had looked at my watch at the beginning of the hollow
+sounds, the forerunners of the eruption, for during its continuance I
+should probably have forgotten to do so.  The whole lasted four minutes,
+of which the greater half must have been taken up by the eruption itself.
+
+When this wonderful scene was over, the peasant accompanied me to the
+basin.  We could now approach it and the boiler without danger, and
+examine both at leisure.  There was now nothing to fear; the water had
+entirely disappeared from the outer basin.  We entered it and approached
+the inner basin, in which the water had sunk seven or eight feet, where
+it boiled and bubbled fiercely.
+
+With a hammer I broke some crust out of the outer as well as out of the
+inner basin; the former was white, the latter brown.  I also tasted the
+water; it had not an unpleasant taste, and can only contain an
+inconsiderable proportion of sulphur, as the steam does not even smell of
+it.
+
+I went to the basin of the Geyser every half hour to observe how much
+time was required to fill it again.  After an hour I could still descend
+into the outer basin; but half an hour later the inner basin was already
+full, and commenced to overflow.  As long as the water only filled the
+inner basin it boiled violently; but the higher it rose in the outer one,
+the less it boiled, and nearly ceased when the basin was filled: it only
+threw little bubbles here and there.
+
+After a lapse of two hours--it was just noon--the basin was filled nearly
+to the brim; and while I stood beside it the water began again to bubble
+violently, and to emit the hollow sounds.  I had scarcely time to
+retreat, for the pillars of water rose immediately.  This time they
+spouted during the noise, and were more bulky than those of the first
+explosion, which might proceed from their not rising so high, and
+therefore remaining more compact.  Their height may have been from forty
+to fifty feet.  The basins this time remained nearly as full after the
+eruption as before.
+
+I had now seen two eruptions of the Geyser, and felt amply compensated
+for my persevering patience and watchfulness.  But I was destined to be
+more fortunate, and to experience its explosions in all their variety.
+The spring spouted again at seven o'clock in the evening, ascended higher
+than at noon, and brought up some stones, which looked like black spots
+and points in the white frothy water-column.  And during the third night
+it presented itself under another phase: the water rose in dreadful,
+quickly-succeeding waves, without throwing rays; the basin overflowed
+violently, and generated such a mass of steam as is rarely seen.  The
+wind accidentally blew it to the spot where I stood, and it enveloped me
+so closely that I could scarcely see a few feet off.  But I perceived
+neither smell nor oppression, merely a slight degree of warmth.
+
+                                                                June 28th.
+
+As I had now seen the Geyser play so often and so beautifully, I ordered
+my horses for nine o'clock this morning, to continue my journey.  I made
+the more haste to leave, as a Dutch prince was expected, who had lately
+arrived at Reikjavik, with a large retinue, in a splendid man-of-war.
+
+I had the luck to see another eruption before my departure at half-past
+eight o'clock; and this one was nearly as beautiful as the first.  This
+time also the outer basin was entirely emptied, and the inner one to a
+depth of six or seven feet.  I could therefore again descend into the
+basin, and bid farewell to the Geyser at the very brink of the crater,
+which, of course, I did.
+
+I had now been three nights and two days in the immediate vicinity of the
+Geyser, and had witnessed five eruptions, of which two were of the most
+considerable that had ever been known.  But I can assure my readers that
+I did not find every thing as I had anticipated it according to the
+descriptions and accounts I had read.  I never heard a greater noise than
+I have mentioned, and never felt any trembling of the earth, although I
+paid the greatest attention to every little circumstance, and held my
+head to the ground during an eruption.
+
+It is singular how many people repeat every thing they hear from
+others--how some, with an over-excited imagination, seem to see, hear,
+and feel things which do not exist; and how others, again, tell the most
+unblushing falsehoods.  I met an example of this in Reikjavik, in the
+house of the apothecary Moller, in the person of an officer of a French
+frigate, who asserted that he had "ridden to the very edge of the crater
+of Mount Vesuvius."  He probably did not anticipate meeting any one in
+Reikjavik who had also been to the crater of Vesuvius.  Nothing irritates
+me so much as such falsehoods and boastings; and I could not therefore
+resist asking him how he had managed that feat.  I told him that I had
+been there, and feared danger as little as he could do; but that I had
+been compelled to descend from my donkey near the top of the mountain,
+and let my feet carry me the remainder of the journey.  He seemed rather
+embarrassed, and pretended he had meant to say _nearly_ to the crater;
+but I feel convinced he will tell this story so often that he will at
+last believe it himself.
+
+I hope I do not weary my readers by dwelling so long on the subject of
+the Geyser.  I will now vary the subject by relating a few circumstances
+that came under my notice, which, though trifling in themselves, were yet
+very significant.  The most unimportant facts of an almost unknown
+country are often interesting, and are often most conclusive evidences of
+the general character of the nation.
+
+I have already spoken of my intoxicated guide.  It is yet inexplicable to
+me how he could have conducted me so safely in such a semi-conscious
+state; and had he not been the only one, I should certainly not have
+trusted myself to his guidance.
+
+Of the want of cleanliness of the Icelanders, no one who has not
+witnessed it can have any idea; and if I attempted to describe some of
+their nauseous habits, I might fill volumes.  They seem to have no
+feeling of propriety, and I must, in this respect, rank them as far
+inferior to the Bedouins and Arabs--even to the Greenlanders.  I can,
+therefore, not conceive how this nation could once have been
+distinguished for wealth, bravery, and civilisation.
+
+On this day I proceeded on my journey about twenty-eight miles farther to
+Skalholt.
+
+For the first five miles we retraced our former road; then we turned to
+the left and traversed the beautiful long valley in which the Geyser is
+situated.  For many miles we could see its clouds of steam rising to the
+sky.  The roads were tolerable only when they passed along the sides of
+hills and mountains; in the plains they were generally marshy and full of
+water.  We sometimes lost all traces of a road, and only pushed on
+towards the quarter in which the place of our destination was situated;
+and feared withal to sink at every pace into the soft and unresisting
+soil.
+
+I found the indolence of the Icelandic peasants quite unpardonable.  All
+the valleys through which we passed were large morasses richly overgrown
+with grass.  If the single parishes would unite to dig trenches and drain
+the soil, they would have the finest meadows.  This is proved near the
+many precipices where the water has an outlet; in these spots the grass
+grows most luxuriantly, and daisies and herbs flourish there, and even
+wild clover.  A few cottages are generally congregated on these oases.
+
+Before arriving at the village of Thorfastadir, we already perceived
+Hecla surrounded by the beautiful jokuls.
+
+I arrived at Thorfastadir while a funeral was going on.  As I entered the
+church the mourners were busily seeking courage and consolation in the
+brandy-bottle.  The law commands, indeed, that this be not done in the
+church; but if every one obeyed the law, what need would there be of
+judges?  The Icelanders must think so, else they would discontinue the
+unseemly practice.
+
+When the priest came, a psalm or a prayer--I could not tell which it was,
+being Icelandic--was so earnestly shouted by peasants under the
+leadership of the priest and elders, that the good people waxed quite
+warm and out of breath.  Then the priest placed himself before the
+coffin, which, for want of room, had been laid on the backs of the seats,
+and with a very loud voice read a prayer which lasted more than half an
+hour.  With this the ceremony within the church was concluded, and the
+coffin was carried round the church to the grave, followed by the priest
+and the rest of the company.  This grave was deeper than any I had ever
+seen.  When the coffin had been lowered, the priest threw three handfuls
+of earth upon it, but none of the mourners followed his example.  Among
+the earth which had been dug out of the grave I noticed four skulls,
+several human bones, and a board of a former coffin.  These were all
+thrown in again upon the coffin, and the grave filled in presence of the
+priest and the people.  One man trod the soil firm, then a little mound
+was made and covered with grass-plots which were lying ready.  The whole
+business was completed with miraculous speed.
+
+The little town of Skalholt, my station this night, was once as
+celebrated in religious matters as Thingvalla had been politically
+famous.  Here, soon after the introduction of Christianity, the first
+bishopric was founded in 1098, and the church is said to have been one of
+the largest and richest.  Now Skalholt is a miserable place, and consists
+of three or four cottages, and a wretched wooden church, which may
+perhaps contain a hundred persons; it has not even its own priest, but
+belongs to Thorfastadir.
+
+My first business on arriving was to inspect the yet remaining relics of
+past ages.  First I was shewn an oil-picture which hangs in the church,
+and is said to represent the first bishop of Skalholt, Thorlakur, who was
+worshipped almost as a saint for his strict and pious life.
+
+After this, preparations were made to clear away the steps of the altar
+and several boards of the flooring.  I stood expectantly looking on,
+thinking that I should now have to descend into a vault to inspect the
+embalmed body of the bishop.  I must confess this prospect was not the
+most agreeable, when I thought of the approaching night which I should
+have to spend in this church, perhaps immediately over the grave of the
+old skeleton.  I had besides already had too much to do with the dead for
+one day, and could not rid myself of the unpleasant grave-odour which I
+had imbibed in Thorfastadir, and which seemed to cling to my dress and my
+nose. {41}  I was therefore not a little pleased when, instead of the
+dreaded vault and mummy, I was only shewn a marble slab, on which were
+inscribed the usual notifications of the birth, death, &c. of this great
+bishop.  Besides this, I saw an old embroidered stole and a simple golden
+chalice, both of which are said to be relics of the age of Thorlakar.
+
+Then we ascended into the so-called store-room, which is only separated
+from the lower portion of the church by a few boards, and which extends
+to the altar.  Here are kept the bells and the organ, if the church
+possesses one, the provisions, and a variety of tools.  They opened an
+immense chest for me there, which seemed to contain only large pieces of
+tallow made in the form of cheeses; but under this tallow I found the
+library, where I discovered an interesting treasure.  This was, besides
+several very old books in the Icelandic tongue, three thick folio
+volumes, which I could read very easily; they were German, and contained
+Luther's doctrines, letters, epistles, &c.
+
+I had now seen all there was to be seen, and began to satisfy my physical
+wants by calling for some hot water to make coffee, &c.  As usual, all
+the inhabitants of the place ranged themselves in and before the church,
+probably to increase their knowledge of the human race by studying my
+peculiarities.  I soon, however, closed the door, and prepared a splendid
+couch for myself.  At my first entrance into the church, I had noticed a
+long box, quite filled with sheep's wool.  I threw my rugs over this, and
+slept as comfortably as in the softest bed.  In the morning I carefully
+teased the wool up again, and no one could then have imagined where I had
+passed the night.
+
+Nothing amused me more, when I had lodgings of this description, than the
+curiosity of the people, who would rush in every morning, as soon as I
+opened the door.  The first thing they said to each other was always,
+"Krar hefur hun sovid" (Where can she have slept?).  The good people
+could not conceive how it was possible to spend a night _alone_ in a
+church surrounded by a churchyard; they perhaps considered me an evil
+spirit or a witch, and would too gladly have ascertained how such a
+creature slept.  When I saw their disappointed faces, I had to turn away
+not to laugh at them.
+
+                                                                June 29th.
+
+Early the next morning I continued my journey.  Not far from Skalholt we
+came to the river Thiorsa, which is deep and rapid.  We crossed in a
+boat; but the horses had to swim after us.  It is often very troublesome
+to make the horses enter these streams; they see at once that they will
+have to swim.  The guide and boatmen cannot leave the shore till the
+horses have been forced into the stream; and even then they have to throw
+stones, to threaten them with the whip, and to frighten them by shouts
+and cries, to prevent them from returning.
+
+When we had made nearly twelve miles on marshy roads, we came to the
+beautiful waterfall of the Huitha.  This fall is not so remarkable for
+its height, which is scarcely more than fifteen to twenty feet, as for
+its breadth, and for its quantity of water.  Some beautiful rocks are so
+placed at the ledge of the fall, that they divide it into three parts;
+but it unites again immediately beneath them.  The bed of the river, as
+well as its shores, is of lava.
+
+The colour of the water is also a remarkable feature in this river; it
+inclines so much to milky white, that, when the sun shines on it, it
+requires no very strong imaginative power to take the whole for milk.
+
+Nearly a mile above the fall we had to cross the Huitha, one of the
+largest rivers in Iceland.  Thence the road lies through meadows, which
+are less marshy than the former ones, till it comes to a broad stream of
+lava, which announces the vicinity of the fearful volcano of Hecla.
+
+I had hitherto not passed over such an expanse of country in Iceland as
+that from the Geyser to this place without coming upon streams of lava.
+And this lava-stream seemed to have felt some pity for the beautiful
+meadows, for it frequently separated into two branches, and thus enclosed
+the verdant plain.  But it could not withstand the violence of the
+succeeding masses; it had been carried on, and had spread death and
+destruction everywhere.  The road to it, through plains covered with dark
+sand, and over steep hills intervening, was very fatiguing and laborious.
+
+We proceeded to the little village of Struvellir, where we stopped to
+give our horses a few hours' rest.  Here we found a large assembly of men
+and animals. {42}  It happened to be Sunday, and a warm sunny day, and so
+a very full service was held in the pretty little church.  When it was
+over, I witnessed an amusing rural scene.  The people poured out of the
+church,--I counted ninety-six, which is an extraordinarily numerous
+assemblage for Iceland,--formed into little groups, chatting and joking,
+not forgetting, however, to moisten their throats with brandy, of which
+they had taken care to bring an ample supply.  Then they bridled their
+horses and prepared for departure; now the kisses poured in from all
+sides, and there was no end of leave-taking, for the poor people do not
+know whether they shall ever meet again, and when.
+
+In all Iceland welcome and farewell is expressed by a loud kiss,--a
+practice not very delightful for a non-Icelander, when one considers
+their ugly, dirty faces, the snuffy noses of the old people, and the
+filthy little children.  But the Icelanders do not mind this.  They all
+kissed the priest, and the priest kissed them; and then they kissed each
+other, till the kissing seemed to have no end.  Rank is not considered in
+this ceremony; and I was not a little surprised to see how my guide, a
+common farm-labourer, kissed the six daughters of a judge, or the wife
+and children of a priest, or a judge and the priest themselves, and how
+they returned the compliment without reserve.  Every country has its
+peculiar customs!
+
+The religious ceremonies generally begin about noon, and last two or
+three hours.  There being no public inn in which to assemble, and no
+stable in which the horses can be fastened, all flock to the open space
+in front of the church, which thus becomes a very animated spot.  All
+have to remain in the open air.
+
+When the service was over, I visited the priest, Herr Horfuson; he was
+kind enough to conduct me to the Salsun, nine miles distant, principally
+to engage a guide to Hecla for me.
+
+I was doubly rejoiced to have this good man at my side, as we had to
+cross a dangerous stream, which was very rapid, and so deep that the
+water rose to the horses' breasts.  Although we raised our feet as high
+as possible, we were yet thoroughly wet.  This wading across rivers is
+one of the most unpleasant modes of travelling.  The horse swims more
+than it walks, and this creates a most disagreeable sensation; one does
+not know whither to direct one's eyes; to look into the stream would
+excite giddiness, and the sight of the shore is not much better, for that
+seems to move and to recede, because the horse, by the current, is forced
+a little way down the river.  To my great comfort the priest rode by my
+side to hold me, in case I should not be able to keep my seat.  I passed
+fortunately through this probation; and when we reached the other shore,
+Herr Horfuson pointed out to me how far the current had carried us down
+the river.
+
+The valley in which Salsun and the Hecla are situated is one of those
+which are found only in Iceland.  It contains the greatest contrasts.
+Here are charming fields covered with a rich green carpet of softest
+grass, and there again hills of black, shining lava; even the fertile
+plains are traversed by streams of lava and spots of sand.  Mount Hecla
+notoriously has the blackest lava and the blackest sand; and it may be
+imagined how the country looks in its immediate neighbourhood.  One hill
+only to the left of Hecla is reddish brown, and covered with sand and
+stones of a similar colour.  The centre is much depressed, and seems to
+form a large crater.  Mount Hecla is directly united with the
+lava-mountains piled round it, and seems from the plain only as a higher
+point.  It is surrounded by several glaciers, whose dazzling fields of
+snow descend far down, and whose brilliant plains have probably never
+been trod by human feet; several of its sides were also covered with
+snow.  To the left of the valley near Salsun, and at the foot of a
+lava-hill, lies a lovely lake, on whose shores a numerous flock of sheep
+were grazing.  Near it rises another beautiful hill, so solitary and
+isolated, that it looks as if it had been cast out by its neighbours and
+banished hither.  Indeed, the whole landscape here is so peculiarly
+Icelandic, so strange and remarkable, that it will ever remain impressed
+on my memory.
+
+Salsun lies at the foot of Mount Hecla, but is not seen before one
+reaches it.
+
+Arrived at Salsun, our first care was to seek a guide, and to bargain for
+every thing requisite for the ascension of the mountain.  The guide was
+to procure a horse for me, and to take me and my former guide to the
+summit of Hecla.  He demanded five thaler and two marks (about fifteen
+shillings), a most exorbitant sum, on which he could live for a month.
+But what could we do?  He knew very well that there was no other guide to
+be had, and so I was forced to acquiesce.  When all was arranged, my kind
+companion left me, wishing me success on my arduous expedition.
+
+I now looked out for a place in which I could spend the night, and a
+filthy hole fell to my lot.  A bench, rather shorter that my body, was
+put into it, to serve as my bed; beside it hung a decayed fish, which had
+infected the whole room with its smell.  I could scarcely breathe; and as
+there was no other outlet, I was obliged to open the door, and thus
+receive the visits of the numerous and amiable inhabitants.  What a
+strengthening and invigorating preparation for the morrow's expedition!
+
+At the foot of Mount Hecla, and especially in this village, every thing
+seems to be undermined.  Nowhere, not even on Mount Vesuvius, had I heard
+such hollow, droning sounds as here,--the echoes of the heavy footsteps
+of the peasants.  These sounds made a very awful impression on me as I
+lay all night alone in that dark hole.
+
+My Hecla guide, as I shall call him to distinguish him from my other
+guide, advised me to start at two o'clock in the morning, to which I
+assented, well knowing, however, that we should not have mounted our
+horses before five o'clock.
+
+As I had anticipated, so it happened.  At half-past five we were quite
+prepared and ready for departure.  Besides bread and cheese, a bottle of
+water for myself, and one of brandy for my guides, we were also provided
+with long sticks, tipped with iron points to sound the depth of the snow,
+and to lean upon.
+
+We were favoured by a fine warm sunny morning, and galloped briskly over
+the fields and the adjoining plains of sand.  My guide considered the
+fine weather a very lucky omen, and told me that M. Geimard, the
+before-mentioned French scholar, had been compelled to wait three days
+for fine weather.  Nine years had elapsed, and no one had ascended the
+mountain since then.  A prince of Denmark, who travelled through Iceland
+some years before, had been there, but had returned without effecting his
+purpose.
+
+Our road at first led us through beautiful fields, and then over plains
+of black sand enclosed on all sides by streams, hillocks, and mountains
+of piled-up lava.  Closer and closer these fearful masses approach, and
+scarcely permit a passage through a narrow cleft; we had to climb over
+blocks and hills of lava, where it is difficult to find a firm
+resting-place for the foot.  The lava rolled beside and behind us, and we
+had to proceed carefully not to fall or be hit by the rolling lava.  But
+most dangerous were the chasms filled with snow over which we had to
+pass; the snow had been softened by the warmth of the season, so that we
+sank into it nearly every step, or, what was worse, slipped back more
+than we had advanced.  I scarcely think there can be another mountain
+whose ascent offers so many difficulties.
+
+After a labour of about three hours and a half we neared the summit of
+the mountain, where we were obliged to leave our horses.  I should,
+indeed, have preferred to do so long before, as I was apprehensive of the
+poor animals falling as they climbed over these precipices--one might
+almost call them rolling mountains--but my guide would not permit it.
+Sometimes we came to spots where they were useful, and then he maintained
+that I must ride as far as possible to reserve my strength for the
+remaining difficulties.  And he was right; I scarcely believe I should
+have been able to go through it on foot, for when I thought we were near
+the top, hills of lava again rose between us, and we seemed farther from
+our journey's end than before.
+
+My guide told me that he had never taken any one so far on horseback, and
+I can believe it.  Walking was bad enough--riding was fearful.
+
+At every fresh declivity new scenes of deserted, melancholy districts
+were revealed to us; every thing was cold and dead, every where there was
+black burnt lava.  It was a painful feeling to see so much, and behold
+nothing but a stony desert, an immeasurable chaos.
+
+There were still two declivities before us,--the last, but the worst.  We
+had to climb steep masses of lava, sharp and pointed, which covered the
+whole side of the mountain.  I do not know how often I fell and cut my
+hands on the jagged points of the lava.  It was a fearful journey!
+
+The dazzling whiteness of the snow contrasted with the bright black lava
+beside it had an almost blinding effect.  When crossing fields of snow I
+did not look at the lava; for having tried to do so once or twice, I
+could not see my way afterwards, and had nearly grown snow-blind.
+
+                             [Picture: Hecla]
+
+After two hours' more labour we reached the summit of the mountain.  I
+stood now on Mount Hecla, and eagerly sought the crater on the snowless
+top, but did not find it.  I was the more surprised, as I had read
+detailed accounts of it in several descriptions of travel.
+
+I traversed the whole summit of the mountain and climbed to the adjoining
+jokul, but did not perceive an opening, a fissure, a depressed space, nor
+any sign of a crater.  Lower down in the sides of the mountain, but not
+in the real cone, I saw some clefts and fissures from which the streams
+of lava probably poured.  The height of the mountain is said to be 4300
+feet.
+
+During the last hour of our ascent the sun had grown dim.  Clouds of mist
+blown from the neighbouring glaciers enshrouded the hill-tops, and soon
+enveloped us so closely that we could scarcely see ten paces before us.
+At last they dissolved, fortunately not in rain but in snow, which
+profusely covered the black uneven lava.  The snow remained on the
+ground, and the thermometer stood at one degree of cold.
+
+In a little while the clear blue sky once more was visible, and the sun
+again shone over us.  I remained on the top till the clouds had separated
+beneath us, and afforded me a better distant view over the country.
+
+My pen is unfortunately too feeble to bring vividly before my readers the
+picture such as I beheld it here, and to describe to them the desolation,
+the extent and height of these lava-masses.  I seemed to stand in a
+crater, and the whole country appeared only a burnt-out fire.  Here lava
+was piled up in steep inaccessible mountains; there stony rivers, whose
+length and breadth seemed immeasurable, filled the once-verdant fields.
+Every thing was jumbled together, and yet the course of the last eruption
+could be distinctly traced.
+
+I stood there, in the centre of horrible precipices, caves, streams,
+valleys, and mountains, and scarcely comprehended how it was possible to
+penetrate so far, and was overcome with terror at the thought which
+involuntarily obtruded itself--the possibility of never finding my way
+again out of these terrible labyrinths.
+
+Here, from the top of Mount Hecla, I could see far into the uninhabited
+country, the picture of a petrified creation, dead and motionless, and
+yet magnificent,--a picture which once seen can never again fade from the
+memory, and which alone amply compensates for all the previous troubles
+and dangers.  A whole world of glaciers, lava-mountains, snow and
+ice-fields, rivers and lakes, into which no human foot has ever ventured
+to penetrate.  How nature must have laboured and raged till these forms
+were created!  And is it over now?  Has the destroying element exhausted
+itself; or does it only rest, like the hundred-headed Hydra, to break
+forth with renewed strength, and desolate those regions which, pushed to
+the verge of the sea-shore, encircle the sterile interior as a modest
+wreath?  I thank God that he has permitted me to behold this chaos in his
+creation; but I thank him more heartily that he has placed me to dwell in
+regions where the sun does more than merely give light; where it inspires
+and fertilises animals and plants, and fills the human heart with joy and
+thankfulness towards its Creator. {43}
+
+The Westmann Isles, which are said to be visible from the top of Hecla, I
+could not see; they were probably covered by clouds.
+
+During the ascent of the Hecla I had frequently touched lava,--sometimes
+involuntarily, when I fell; sometimes voluntarily, to find a hot or at
+least a warm place.  I was unfortunate enough only to find cold ones.
+The falling snow was therefore most welcome, and I looked anxiously
+around to see a place where the subterranean heat would melt it.  I
+should then have hastened thither and found what I sought.  But
+unfortunately the snow remained unmelted every where.  I could neither
+see any clouds of smoke, although I gazed steadily at the mountain for
+hours, and could from my post survey it far down the sides.
+
+As we descended we found the snow melting at a depth of 500 to 600 feet;
+lower down, the whole mountain smoked, which I thought was the
+consequence of the returning warmth of the sun, for my thermometer now
+stood at nine degrees of heat.  I have noticed the same circumstance
+often on unvolcanic mountains.  The spots from which the smoke rose were
+also cold.
+
+The smooth jet-black, bright, and dense lava is only found on the
+mountain itself and in its immediate vicinity.  But all lava is not the
+same: there is jagged, glassy, and porous lava; the former is black, and
+so is the sand which covers one side of Hecla.  The farther the lava and
+sand are from the mountain, the more they lose this blackness, and their
+colour plays into iron-colour and even into light-grey; but the
+lighter-coloured lava generally retains the brightness and smoothness of
+the black lava.
+
+After a troublesome descent, having spent twelve hours on this excursion,
+we arrived safely at Salsun; and I was on the point of returning to my
+lodging, somewhat annoyed at the prospect of spending another night in
+such a hole, when my guide surprised me agreeably by the proposition to
+return to Struvellir at once.  The horses, he said, were sufficiently
+rested, and I could get a good room there in the priest's house.  I soon
+packed, and in a short time we were again on horseback.  The second time
+I came to the deep Rangaa, I rode across fearlessly, and needed no
+protection at any side.  Such is man: danger only alarms him the first
+time; when he has safely surmounted it once, he scarcely thinks of it the
+second time, and wonders how he can have felt any fear.
+
+I saw five little trees standing in a field near the stream.  The stems
+of these, which, considering the scarcity of trees in Iceland, may be
+called remarkable phenomena, were crooked and knotty, but yet six or
+seven feet high, and about four or five inches in diameter.
+
+As my guide had foretold, I found a very comfortable room and a good bed
+in the priest's house.  Herr Horfuson is one of the best men I have ever
+met with.  He eagerly sought opportunities for giving me pleasure, and to
+him I owe several fine minerals and an Icelandic book of the year 1601.
+May God reward his kindness and benevolence!
+
+                                                                 July 1st.
+
+We retraced our steps as far as the river Huitha, over which we rowed,
+and then turned in another direction.  Our journey led us through
+beautiful valleys, many of them producing abundance of grass; but
+unfortunately so much moss grew among it, that these large plains were
+not available for pastures, and only afforded comfort to travellers by
+their aspect of cheerfulness.  They were quite dry.
+
+The valley in which Hjalmholm, our resting-place for this night, was
+situated, is traversed by a stream of lava, which had, however, been
+modest enough not to fill up the whole valley, but to leave a space for
+the pretty stream Elvas, and for some fields and hillocks, on which many
+cottages stood.  It was one of the most populous valleys I had seen in
+Iceland.
+
+Hjalmholm is situated on a hill.  In it lives the Sysselmann of the
+Rangaar district, in a large and beautiful house such as I saw no where
+in Iceland except in Reikjavik.  He had gone to the capital of the island
+as member of the Allthing; but his daughters received me very hospitably
+and kindly.
+
+We talked and chatted much; I tried to display my knowledge of the Danish
+language before them, and must often have made use of curious phrases,
+for the girls could not contain their laughter.  But that did not abash
+me; I laughed with them, applied to my dictionary, which I carried with
+me, and chatted on.  They seemed to gather no very high idea of the
+beauty of my countrywomen from my personal appearance; for which I humbly
+crave the forgiveness of my countrywomen, assuring them that no one
+regrets the fact more than I do.  But dame Nature always treats people of
+my years very harshly, and sets a bad example to youth of the respect due
+to age.  Instead of honouring us and giving us the preference, she
+patronises the young folks, and every maiden of sixteen can turn up her
+nose at us venerable matrons.  Besides my natural disqualifications, the
+sharp air and the violent storms to which I had been subjected had
+disfigured my face very much.  They had affected me more than the burning
+heat of the East.  I was very brown, my lips were cracked, and my nose,
+alas, even began to rebel against its ugly colour.  It seemed anxious to
+possess a new, dazzling white, tender skin, and was casting off the old
+one in little bits.
+
+The only circumstance which reinstated me in the good opinion of the
+young girls was, that having brushed my hair unusually far out of my
+face, a white space became visible.  The girls all cried out
+simultaneously, quite surprised and delighted: "Hun er quit" (she is
+white).  I could not refrain from laughing, and bared my arm to prove to
+them that I did not belong to the Arab race.
+
+A great surprise was destined me in this house; for, as I was ransacking
+the Sysselmann's book-case, I found Rotteck's Universal History, a German
+Lexicon, and several poems and writings of German poets.
+
+                                                                  July 2d.
+
+The way from Kalmannstunga to Thingvalla leads over nothing but lava, and
+the one to-day went entirely through marshes.  As soon as we had crossed
+one, another was before us.  Lava seemed to form the soil here, for
+little portions of this mineral rose like islands out of the marshes.
+
+The country already grew more open, and we gradually lost sight of the
+glaciers.  The high mountains on the left seemed like hills in the
+distance, and the nearer ones were really hills.  After riding about nine
+miles we crossed the large stream of Elvas in a boat, and then had to
+tread carefully across a very long, narrow bank, over a meadow which was
+quite under water.  If a traveller had met us on this bank, I do not know
+what we should have done; to turn round would have been as dangerous as
+to sink into the morass.  Fortunately one never meets any travellers in
+Iceland.
+
+Beyond the dyke the road runs for some miles along the mountains and
+hills, which all consist of lava, and are of a very dark, nearly black
+colour.  The stones on these hills were very loose; in the plain below
+many colossal pieces were lying, which must have fallen down; and many
+others threatened to fall every moment.  We passed the dangerous spot
+safely, without having had to witness such a scene.
+
+I often heard a hollow sound among these hills; I at first took it for
+distant thunder, and examined the horizon to discover the approaching
+storm.  But when I saw neither clouds nor lightning, I perceived that I
+must seek the origin of the sounds nearer, and that they proceeded from
+the falling portions of rock.
+
+The higher mountains to the left fade gradually more and more from view;
+but the river Elvas spreads in such a manner, and divides into so many
+branches, that one might mistake it for a lake with many islands.  It
+flows into the neighbouring sea, whose expanse becomes visible after
+surmounting a few more small hills.
+
+The vale of Reikum, which we now entered, is, like that of Reikholt, rich
+in hot springs, which are congregated partly in the plain, partly on or
+behind the hills, in a circumference of between two and three miles.
+
+When we had reached the village of Reikum I sent my effects at once to
+the little church, took a guide, and proceeded to the boiling springs.  I
+found very many, but only two remarkable ones; these, however, belong to
+the most noteworthy of their kind.  The one is called the little Geyser,
+the other the Bogensprung.
+
+The little Geyser has an inner basin of about three feet diameter.  The
+water boils violently at a depth of from two to three feet, and remains
+within its bounds till it begins to spout, when it projects a beautiful
+voluminous steam of from 20 to 30 feet high.
+
+At half-past eight in the evening I had the good fortune to see one of
+these eruptions, and needed not, as I had done at the great Geyser, to
+bivouac near it for days and nights.  The eruption lasted some time, and
+was tolerably equable; only sometimes the column of water sank a little,
+to rise to its former height with renewed force.  After forty minutes it
+fell quite down into the basin again.  The stones we threw in, it
+rejected at once, or in a few seconds, shivered into pieces, to a height
+of about 12 to 15 feet.  Its bulk must have been 1 to 1.5 feet in
+diameter.  My guide assured me that this spring generally plays only
+twice, rarely thrice, in twenty-four hours, and not, as I have seen it
+stated, every six minutes.  I remained near it till midnight, but saw no
+other eruption.
+
+This spring very much resembles the Strukker near the great Geyser, the
+only difference being that the water sinks much lower in the latter.
+
+The second of the two remarkable springs, the arched spring, is situated
+near the little Geyser, on the declivity of a hill.  I had never seen
+such a curious formation for the bed of a spring as this is.  It has no
+basin, but lies half open at your feet, in a little grotto, which is
+separated into various cavities and holes, and which is half-surrounded
+by a wall of rock bending over it slightly at a height of about 2 feet,
+and then rises 10 to 12 feet higher.  This spring never is at rest more
+than a minute; then it begins to rise and boil quickly, and emits a
+voluminous column, which, striking against the projecting rock, is
+flattened by it, and rises thence like an arched fan.  The height of this
+peculiarly-spread jet of water may be about 12 feet, the arch it
+describes 15 to 20 feet, and its breadth 3 to 8 feet.  The time of
+eruption is often longer than that of repose.  After an eruption the
+water always sinks a few feet into the cave, and for 15 or 20 seconds
+admits of a glance into this wonderful grotto.  But it rises again
+immediately, fills the grotto and the basin, which is only a continuation
+of the grotto, and springs again.
+
+I watched this miraculous play of nature for more than an hour, and could
+not tear myself from it.  This spring, which is certainly the only one of
+its kind, gratified me much more than the little Geyser.
+
+There is another spring called the roaring Geyser; but it is nothing more
+than a misshapen hole, in which one hears the water boil, but cannot see
+it.  The noise is, also, not at all considerable.
+
+                                                                  July 3d.
+
+Near Reikum we crossed a brook into which all the hot springs flow, and
+which has a pretty fall.  We then ascended the adjoining mountain, and
+rode full two hours on the high plain.  The plain itself was monotonous,
+as it was only covered with lava-stones and moss, but the prospect into
+the valley was varied and beautiful.  Vale and sea were spread before me,
+and I saw the Westmann Islands, with their beautiful hills, which the
+envious clouds had concealed from me on the Hecla, lying in the distance.
+Below me stood some houses in the port-town, Eierbach, and near them the
+waters of the Elvas flow into the sea.
+
+At the end of this mountain-level a valley was situated, which was also
+filled with lava, but with that jagged black lava which presents such a
+beautiful appearance.  Immense streams crossed it from all sides, so that
+it almost resembled a black lake separated from the sea by a chain of
+equally black mountains.
+
+We descended into this sombre vale through piles of lava and fields of
+snow, and went on through valleys and chasms, over fields of lava, plains
+of meadow-land, past dark mountains and hills, till we reached the chief
+station of my Icelandic journey, the town of Reikjavik.
+
+The whole country between Reikum and Reikjavik, a distance of 45 to 50
+miles, is, for the most part, uninhabited.  Here and there, in the fields
+of lava, stand little pyramids of the same substance, which serve as
+landmarks; and there are two houses built for such persons as are obliged
+to travel during the winter.  But we found much traffic on the road, and
+often overtook caravans of 15 to 20 horses.  Being the beginning of
+August, it was the time of trade and traffic in Iceland.  Then the
+country people travel to Reikjavik from considerable distances, to change
+their produce and manufactures, partly for money, partly for necessaries
+and luxuries.  At this period the merchants and factors have not hands
+enough to barter the goods or close the accounts which the peasants wish
+to settle for the whole year.
+
+At this season an unusual commotion reigns in Reikjavik.  Numerous groups
+of men and horses fill the streets; goods are loaded and unloaded;
+friends who have not met for a year or more welcome each other, others
+take leave.  On one spot curious tents {44} are erected, before which
+children play; on another drunken men stagger along, or gallop on
+horseback, so that one is terrified, and fears every moment to see them
+fall.
+
+This unusual traffic unfortunately only lasts six or eight days.  The
+peasant hastens home to his hay-harvest; the merchant must quickly
+regulate the produce and manufactures he has purchased, and load his
+ships with them, so that they may sail and reach their destination before
+the storms of the autumnal equinox.
+
+
+                                    Miles.
+From Reikjavik to Thingvalla is     45
+From Thingvalla to the Geyser       36
+From the Geyser to Skalholt         28
+From Skalholt to Salsun             36
+From Salsun to Struvellir           9
+From Struvellir to Hjalmholm        28
+From Hjalmholm to Reikum            32
+From Reikum to Reikjavik            45
+                                    259
+CHAPTER VII
+
+
+During my travels in Iceland I had of course the opportunity of becoming
+acquainted with its inhabitants, their manners and customs.  I must
+confess that I had formed a higher estimate of the peasants.  When we
+read in the history of that country that the first inhabitants had
+emigrated thither from civilised states; that they had brought knowledge
+and religion with them; when we hear of the simple good-hearted people,
+and their patriarchal mode of life in the accounts of former travellers,
+and which we know that nearly every peasant in Iceland can read and
+write, and that at least a Bible, but generally other religions books
+also, are found in every cot,--one feels inclined to consider this nation
+the best and most civilised in Europe.  I deemed their morality
+sufficiently secured by the absence of foreign intercourse, by their
+isolated position, and the poverty of the country.  No large town there
+affords opportunity for pomp or gaiety, or for the commission of smaller
+or greater sins.  Rarely does a foreigner enter the island, whose
+remoteness, severe climate, inhospitality, and poverty, are uninviting.
+The grandeur and peculiarity of its natural formation alone makes it
+interesting, and that does not suffice for the masses.
+
+I therefore expected to find Iceland a real Arcadia in regard to its
+inhabitants, and rejoiced at the anticipation of seeing such an Idyllic
+life realised.  I felt so happy when I set foot on the island that I
+could have embraced humanity.  But I was soon undeceived.
+
+I have often been impatient at my want of enthusiasm, which must be
+great, as I see every thing in a more prosaic form than other travellers.
+I do not maintain that my view is _right_, but I at least possess the
+virtue of describing facts as I see them, and do not repeat them from the
+accounts of others.
+
+I have already described the impoliteness and heartlessness of the
+so-called higher classes, and soon lost the good opinion I had formed of
+them.  I now came to the working classes in the vicinity of Reikjavik.
+The saying often applied to the Swiss people, "No money, no Swiss," one
+may also apply to the Icelanders.  And of this fact I can cite several
+examples.
+
+Scarcely had they heard that I, a foreigner, had arrived, than they
+frequently came to me, and brought quite common objects, such as can be
+found any where in Iceland, and expected me to pay dearly for them.  At
+first I purchased from charity, or to be rid of their importunities, and
+threw the things away again; but I was soon obliged to give this up, as I
+should else have been besieged from morning to night.  Their anxiety to
+gain money without labour annoyed me less than the extortionate prices
+with which they tried to impose on a stranger.  For a beetle, such as
+could be found under every stone, they asked 5 kr. (about 2d.); as much
+for a caterpillar, of which thousands were lying on the beach; and for a
+common bird's egg, 10 to 20 kr. (4d. to 8d.)  Of course, when I declined
+buying, they reduced their demand, sometimes to less than half the
+original sum; but this was certainly not in consequence of their honesty.
+The baker in whose house I lodged also experienced the selfishness of
+these people.  He had engaged a poor labourer to tar his house, who, when
+he had half finished his task, heard of other employment.  He did not
+even take the trouble to ask the baker to excuse him for a few days; he
+went away, and did not return to finish the interrupted work for a whole
+week.  This conduct was the more inexcusable as his children received
+bread, and even butter, twice a week from the baker.
+
+I was fortunate enough to experience similar treatment.  Herr Knudson had
+engaged a guide for me, with whom I was to take my departure in a few
+days.  But it happened that the magistrate wished also to take a trip,
+and sent for my guide.  The latter expected to be better paid by him, and
+went; he did not come to me to discharge himself, but merely sent me word
+on the eve of my departure, that he was ill, and could therefore not go
+with me.  I could enumerate many more such examples, which do not much
+tend to give a high estimate of Icelandic morality.
+
+I consoled myself with the hope of finding simplicity and honesty in the
+more retired districts, and therefore anticipated a twofold pleasure from
+my journey into the interior.  I found many virtues, but unfortunately so
+many faults, that I am no longer inclined to exalt the Icelandic peasants
+as examples.
+
+The best of their virtues is their honesty.  I could leave my baggage
+unguarded any where for hours, and never missed the least article, for
+they did not even permit their children to touch any thing.  In this
+point they are so conscientious, that if a peasant comes from a distance,
+and wishes to rest in a cottage, he never fails to knock at the door,
+even if it is open.  If no one calls "come in," he does not enter.  One
+might fearlessly sleep with open doors.
+
+Crimes are of such rare occurrence here, that the prison of Reikjavik was
+changed into a dwelling-house for the chief warden many years since.
+Small crimes are punished summarily, either in Reikjavik or at the seat
+of the Sysselmann.  Criminals of a deeper dye are sent to Copenhagen, and
+are sentenced and punished there.
+
+My landlord at Reikjavik, the master-baker Bernhoft, told me that only
+one crime had been committed in Iceland during the thirteen years that he
+had resided there.  This was the murder of an illegitimate child
+immediately after its birth.  The most frequently occurring crime is
+cow-stealing.
+
+I was much surprised to find that nearly all the Icelanders can read and
+write.  The latter quality only was somewhat rarer with the women.
+Youths and men often wrote a firm, good hand.  I also found books in
+every cottage, the Bible always, and frequently poems and stories,
+sometimes even in the Danish language.
+
+They also comprehend very quickly; when I opened my map before them, they
+soon understood its use and application.  Their quickness is doubly
+surprising, if we consider that every father instructs his own children,
+and sometimes the neighbouring orphans.  This is of course only done in
+the winter; but as winter lasts eight months in Iceland, it is long
+enough.
+
+There is only one school in the whole island, which originally was in
+Bessestadt, but has been removed to Reikjavik since 1846.  In this school
+only youths who can read and write are received, and they are either
+educated for priests, and may complete their studies here, or for
+doctors, apothecaries, or judges, when they must complete their studies
+in Copenhagen.
+
+Besides theology, geometry, geography, history, and several languages,
+such as Latin, Danish, and, since 1846, German and also French, are
+taught in the school of Reikjavik.
+
+The chief occupation of the Icelandic peasants consists in fishing, which
+is most industriously pursued in February, March, and April.  Then the
+inhabitants of the interior come to the coasting villages and hire
+themselves to the dwellers on the beach, the real fishermen, as
+assistants, taking a portion of the fish as their wages.  Fishing is
+attended to at other times also, but then exclusively by the real
+fishermen.  In the months of July and August many of the latter go into
+the interior and assist in the hay-harvest, for which they receive
+butter, sheep's wool, and salt lamb.  Others ascend the mountains and
+gather the Iceland moss, of which they make a decoction, which they drink
+mixed with milk, or they grind it to flour, and bake flat cakes of it,
+which serve them in place of bread.
+
+The work of the women consists in the preparation of the fish for drying,
+smoking, or salting; in tending the cattle, in knitting, sometimes in
+gathering moss.  In winter both men and women knit and weave.
+
+As regards the hospitality of the Icelanders, {45} I do not think one can
+give them so very much credit for it.  It is true that priests and
+peasants gladly receive any European traveller, and treat him to every
+thing in their power; but they know well that the traveller who comes to
+their island is neither an adventurer nor a beggar, and will therefore
+pay them well.  I did not meet one peasant or priest who did not accept
+the proffered gift without hesitation.  But I must say of the priests
+that they were every where obliging and ready to serve me, and satisfied
+with the smallest gift; and their charges, when I required horses for my
+excursions, were always moderate.  I only found the peasant less
+interested in districts where a traveller scarcely ever appeared; but in
+such places as were more visited, their charges were often exorbitant.
+For example, I had to pay 20 to 30 kr. (8d. to 1s.) for being ferried
+over a river; and then my guide and I only were rowed in the boat, and
+the horses had to swim.  The guide who accompanied me on the Hecla also
+overcharged me; but he knew that I was forced to take him, as there is no
+choice of guides, and one does not give up the ascent for the sake of a
+little money.
+
+This conduct shows that the character of the Icelanders does not belong
+to the best; and that they take advantage of travellers with as much
+shrewdness as the landlords and guides on the continent.
+
+A besetting sin of the Icelanders is their drunkenness.  Their poverty
+would probably not be so great if they were less devoted to brandy, and
+worked more industriously.  It is dreadful to see what deep root this
+vice has taken.  Not only on Sundays, but also on week-days, I met
+peasants who were so intoxicated that I was surprised how they could keep
+in their saddle.  I am, however, happy to say that I never saw a woman in
+this degrading condition.
+
+Another of their passions is snuff.  They chew and snuff tobacco with the
+same infatuation as it is smoked in other countries.  But their mode of
+taking it is very peculiar.  Most of the peasants, and even many of the
+priests, have no proper snuff-box, but only a box turned of bone, shaped
+like a powder-flask.  When they take snuff, they throw back their head,
+insert the point of the flask in their nose, and shake a dose of tobacco
+into it.  They then, with the greatest amiability, offer it to their
+neighbour, he to his, and so it goes round till it reaches the owner
+again.
+
+I think, indeed, that the Icelanders are second to no nation in
+uncleanliness; not even to the Greenlanders, Esquimaux, or Laplanders.
+If I were to describe a portion only of what I experienced, my readers
+would think me guilty of gross exaggeration; I prefer, therefore, to
+leave it to their imagination; merely saying that they cannot conceive
+any thing too dirty for Iceland delicacy.
+
+Beside this very estimable quality, they are also insuperably lazy.  Not
+far from the coast are immense meadows, so marshy that it is dangerous to
+cross them.  The fault lies less in the soil than the people.  If they
+would only make ditches, and thus dry the ground, they would have the
+most splendid grass.  That this would grow abundantly is proved by the
+little elevations which rise from above the marshes, and which are
+thickly covered with grass, herbage, and wild clover.  I also passed
+large districts covered with good soil, and some where the soil was mixed
+with sand.
+
+I frequently debated with Herr Boge, who has lived in Iceland for forty
+years, and is well versed in farming matters, whether it would not be
+possible to produce important pasture-grounds and hay-fields with
+industry and perseverance.  He agreed with me, and thought that even
+potato-fields might be reclaimed, if only the people were not so lazy,
+preferring to suffer hunger and resign all the comforts of cleanliness
+rather than to work.  What nature voluntarily gives, they are satisfied
+with, and it never occurs to them to force more from her.  If a few
+German peasants were transported hither, what a different appearance the
+country would soon have!
+
+The best soil in Iceland is on the Norderland.  There are a few
+potato-grounds there, and some little trees, which, without any
+cultivation, have reached a height of seven to eight feet.  Herr Boge,
+established here for thirty years, had planted some mountain-ash and
+birch-trees, which had grown to a height of sixteen feet.
+
+In the Norderland, and every where except on the coast, the people live
+by breeding cattle.  Many a peasant there possesses from two to four
+hundred sheep, ten to fifteen cows, and ten to twelve horses.  There are
+not many who are so rich, but at all events they are better off than the
+inhabitants of the sea-coast.  The soil there is for the most part bad,
+and they are therefore nearly all compelled to have recourse to fishing.
+
+Before quitting Iceland, I must relate a tradition told me by many
+Icelanders, not only by peasants, but also by people of the so-called
+higher classes, and who all implicitly believe it.
+
+It is asserted that the inhospitable interior is likewise populated, but
+by a peculiar race of men, to whom alone the paths through these deserts
+are known.  These savages have no intercourse with their
+fellow-countrymen during the whole year, and only come to one of the
+ports in the beginning of July, for one day at the utmost, to buy several
+necessaries, for which they pay in money.  They then vanish suddenly, and
+no one knows in which direction they are gone.  No one knows them; they
+never bring their wives or children with them, and never reply to the
+question whence they come.  Their language, also, is said to be more
+difficult than that of the other inhabitants of Iceland.
+
+One gentleman, whom I do not wish to name, expressed a wish to have the
+command of twenty to twenty-five well-armed soldiers, to search for these
+wild men.
+
+The people who maintain that they have seen these children of nature,
+assert that they are taller and stronger than other Icelanders; that
+their horses' hoofs, instead of being shod earth iron, have shoes of
+horn; and that they have much money, which they can only have acquired by
+pillage.  When I inquired what respectable inhabitants of Iceland had
+been robbed by these savages, and when and where, no one could give me an
+answer.  For my part, I scarcely think that one man, certainly not a
+whole race, could live by pillage in Iceland.
+
+
+
+DEPARTURE FROM ICELAND.--JOURNEY TO COPENHAGEN.
+
+
+I had seen all there was to be seen in Iceland, had finished all my
+excursions, and awaited with inexpressible impatience the sailing of the
+vessel which was destined to bring me nearer my beloved home.  But I had
+to stay four very long weeks in Reikjavik, my patience being more
+exhausted from day to day, and had after this long delay to be satisfied
+with the most wretched accommodation.
+
+The delay was the more tantalising, as several ships left the port in the
+mean time, and Herr Knudson, with whom I had crossed over from
+Copenhagen, invited me to accompany him on his return; but all the
+vessels went to England or to Spain, and I did not wish to visit either
+of these countries.  I was waiting for an opportunity to go to
+Scandinavia, to have at least a glance at these picturesque districts.
+
+At last there were two sloops which intended to sail towards the end of
+July.  The better of the two went to Altona; the destination of the other
+was Copenhagen.  I had intended to travel in the former; but a merchant
+of Reikjavik had already engaged the only berth,--for there rarely is
+more than one in such a small vessel,--and I deemed myself lucky to
+obtain the one in the other ship.  Herr Bernhoft thought, indeed, that
+the vessel might be too bad for such a long journey, and proposed to
+examine it, and report on its condition.  But as I had quite determined
+to go to Denmark, I requested him to waive the examination, and agree
+with the captain about my passage.  If, as I anticipated, he found the
+vessel too wretched, his warnings might have shaken my resolution, and I
+wished to avoid that contingency.
+
+We heard, soon, that a young Danish girl, who had been in service in
+Iceland, wished to return by the same vessel.  She had been suffering so
+much from home-sickness, that she was determined, under any
+circumstances, to see her beloved fatherland again.  If, thought I to
+myself, the home-sickness is powerful enough to make this girl
+indifferent to the danger, longing must take its place in my breast and
+effect the same result.
+
+Our sloop bore the consolatory name of Haabet (hope), and belonged to the
+merchant Fromm, in Copenhagen.
+
+Our departure had been fixed for the 26th of July, and after that day I
+scarcely dared to leave my house, being in constant expectation of a
+summons on board.  Violent storms unfortunately prevented our departure,
+and I was not called till the 29th of July, when I had to bid farewell to
+Iceland.
+
+This was comparatively easy.  Although I had seen many wonderful views,
+many new and interesting natural phenomena, I yet longed for my
+accustomed fields, in which we do not find magnificent and overpowering
+scenes, but lovelier and more cheerful ones.  The separation from Herr
+Knudson and the family of Bernhoft was more difficult.  I owed all the
+kindness I had experienced in the island, every good advice and useful
+assistance in my travels, only to them.  My gratitude to these kind and
+good people will not easily fade from my heart.
+
+At noon I was already on board, and had leisure to admire all the gay
+flags and streamers with which the French frigate anchoring here had been
+decked, to celebrate the anniversary of the July revolution.
+
+I endeavoured to turn my attention as much as possible to exterior
+objects, and not to look at our ship, for all that I had involuntarily
+seen had not impressed me very favourably.  I determined also not to
+enter the cabin till we were in the open sea and the pilots had left our
+sloop, so that all possibility of return would be gone.
+
+Our crew consisted of captain, steersman, two sailors, and a cabin-boy,
+who bore the title of cook; we added that of valet, as he was appointed
+to wait on us.
+
+When the pilots had left us, I sought the entrance of the cabin,--the
+only, and therefore the common apartment.  It consisted of a hole two
+feet broad, which gaped at my feet, and in which a perpendicular ladder
+of five steps was inserted.  I stood before it puzzled to know which
+would be the best mode of descent, but knew no other way than to ask our
+host the captain.  He shewed it me at once, by sitting at the entrance
+and letting his feet down.  Let the reader imagine such a proceeding with
+our long dresses, and, above all, in bad weather, when the ship was
+pitched about by storms.  But the thought that many other people are
+worse off, and can get on, was always the anchor of consolation to which
+I held; I argued with myself that I was made of the same stuff as other
+human beings, only spoiled and pampered, but that I could bear what they
+bore.  In consequence of this self-arguing, I sat down at once, tried the
+new sliding-ladder, and arrived below in safety.
+
+I had first to accustom my eyes to the darkness which reigned here, the
+hatches being constructed to admit the light very sparingly.  I soon,
+however, saw too much; for all was raggedness, dirt, and disorder.  But I
+will describe matters in the order in which they occurred to me; for, as
+I flatter myself that many of my countrywomen will in spirit make this
+journey with me, and as many of them probably never had the opportunity
+of being in such a vessel, I wish to describe it to them very accurately.
+All who are accustomed to the sea will testify that I have adhered
+strictly to the truth.  But to return to the sloop.  Its age emulated
+mine, she being a relic of the last century.  At that time little regard
+was paid to the convenience of passengers, and the space was all made
+available for freight; a fact which cannot surprise us, as the seaman's
+life is passed on deck, and the ship was not built for travellers.  The
+entire length of the cabin from one berth to the other was ten feet; the
+breadth was six feet.  The latter space was made still narrower by a box
+on one side, and by a little table and two little seats on the other, so
+that only sufficient space remained to pass through.
+
+At dinner or supper, the ladies--the Danish girl and myself--sat on the
+little benches, where we were so squeezed, that we could scarcely move;
+the two cavaliers--the captain and the steersman--were obliged to stand
+before the table, and eat their meals in that position.  The table was so
+small that they were obliged to hold their plates in their hands.  In
+short, every thing shewed the cabin was made only for the crew, not for
+the passengers.
+
+The air in this enclosure was also not of the purest; for, besides that
+it formed our bed-room, dining-room, and drawing-room, it was also used
+as store-room, for in the side cupboards provisions of various kinds were
+stored, also oil-colours, and a variety of other matter.  I preferred to
+sit on the deck, exposed to the cold and the storm, or to be bathed by a
+wave, than to be half stifled below.  Sometimes, however, I was obliged
+to descend, either when rain and storms were too violent, or when the
+ship was so tossed by contrary winds that the deck was not safe.  The
+rolling and pitching of our little vessel was often so terrible, that we
+ladies could neither sit nor stand, and were therefore obliged to lie
+down in the miserable berths for many a weary day.  How I envied my
+companion! she could sleep day and night, which I could not.  I was
+nearly always awake, much to my discomfort; for the hatches and the
+entrance were closed during the storm, and an Egyptian darkness, as well
+as a stifling atmosphere, filled the cabin.
+
+In regard to food, all passengers, captain and crew, ate of the same
+dish.  The morning meal consisted of miserable tea, or rather of nauseous
+water having the colour of tea.  The sailors imbibed theirs without
+sugar, but the captain and the steersman took a small piece of candied
+sugar, which does not melt so quickly as the refined sugar, in their
+mouth, and poured down cup after cup of tea, and ate ship's biscuit and
+butter to it.
+
+The dinner fare varied.  The first day we had salt meat, which is soaked
+the evening before, and boiled the next day in sea-water.  It was so
+salt, so hard, and so tough, that only a sailor's palate can possibly
+enjoy it.  Instead of soup, vegetables, and pudding, we had pearl-barley
+boiled in water, without salt or butter; to which treacle and vinegar was
+added at the dinner-table.  All the others considered this a delicacy,
+and marvelled at my depraved taste when I declared it to be unpalatable.
+
+The second day brought a piece of bacon, boiled in sea-water, with the
+barley repeated.  On the third we had cod-fish with peas.  Although the
+latter were boiled hard and without butter, they were the most eatable of
+all the dishes.  On the fourth day the bill of fare of the first was
+repeated, and the same course followed again.  At the end of every dinner
+we had black coffee.  The supper was like the breakfast,--tea-water,
+ship's biscuit and butter.
+
+I wished to have provided myself with some chickens, eggs, and potatoes
+in Reikjavik, but I could not obtain any of these luxuries.  Very few
+chickens are kept--only the higher officials or merchants have them; eggs
+of eider-ducks and other birds may often be had, but more are never
+collected than are wanted for the daily supply, and then only in spring;
+for potatoes the season was not advanced enough.  My readers have now a
+picture of the luxurious life I led on board the ship.  Had I been
+fortunate enough to voyage in a better vessel, where the passengers are
+more commodiously lodged and better fed, the seasickness would certainly
+not have attacked me; but in consequence of the stifling atmosphere of
+the cabin and the bad food, I suffered from it the first day.  But on the
+second I was well again, regained my appetite, and ate salt meat, bacon,
+and peas as well as a sailor; the stockfish, the barley, and the coffee
+and tea, I left untouched.
+
+A real sailor never drinks water; and this observation of mine was
+confirmed by our captain and steersman: instead of beer or wine, they
+took tea, and, except at meals, cold tea.
+
+On Sunday evenings we had a grand supper, for the captain had eight eggs,
+which he had brought from Denmark, boiled for us four people.  The crew
+had a few glasses of punch-essence mixed in their tea.
+
+As my readers are now acquainted with the varied bill of fare in such a
+ship, I will say a few words of the table-linen.  This consisted only of
+an old sailcloth, which was spread over the table, and looked so dirty
+and greasy that I thought it would be much better and more agreeable to
+leave the table uncovered.  But I soon repented the unwise thought, and
+discovered how important this cloth was.  One morning I saw our valet
+treating a piece of sailcloth quite outrageously: he had spread it upon
+the deck, stood upon it, and brushed it clean with the ship's broom.  I
+recognised our tablecloth by the many spots of dirt and grease, and in
+the evening found the table bare.  But what was the consequence?
+Scarcely had the tea-pot been placed on the table than it began to slip
+off; had not the watchful captain quickly caught it, it would have fallen
+to the ground and bathed our feet with its contents.  Nothing could stand
+on the polished table, and I sincerely pitied the captain that he had not
+another tablecloth.
+
+My readers will imagine that what I have described would have been quite
+sufficient to make my stay in the vessel any thing but agreeable; but I
+discovered another circumstance, which even made it alarming.  This was
+nothing less than that our little vessel was constantly letting in a
+considerable quantity of water, which had to be pumped out every few
+hours.  The captain tried to allay my uneasiness by asserting that every
+ship admitted water, and ours only leaked a little more because it was so
+old.  I was obliged to be content with his explanation, as it was now too
+late to think of a change.  Fortunately we did not meet with any storms,
+and therefore incurred less danger.
+
+Our journey lasted twenty days, during twelve of which we saw no land;
+the wind drove us too far east to see the Feroe or the Shetland Isles.  I
+should have cared less for this, had I seen some of the monsters of the
+deep instead, but we met with scarcely any of these amiable animals.  I
+saw the ray of water which a whale emitted from his nostrils, and which
+exactly resembled a fountain; the animal itself was unfortunately too far
+from our ship for us to see its body.  A shark came a little nearer; it
+swam round our vessel for a few moments, so that I could easily look at
+him: it must have been from sixteen to eighteen feet long.
+
+The so-called flying-fish afforded a pretty sight.  The sea was as calm
+as a mirror, the evening mild and moonlight; and so we remained on deck
+till late, watching the gambols of these animals.  As far as we could
+see, the water was covered with them.  We could recognise the younger
+fishes by their higher springs; they seemed to be three to four feet
+long, and rose five to six feet above the surface of the sea.  Their
+leaping looked like an attempt at flying, but their gills did not do them
+good service in the trial, and they fell back immediately.  The old fish
+did not seem to have the same elasticity; they only described a small
+arch like the dolphins, and only rose so far above the water that we
+could see the middle part of their body.
+
+These fish are not caught; they have little oil, and an unpleasant taste.
+
+On the thirteenth day we again saw land.  We had entered the Skagerrak,
+and saw the peninsula of Jutland, with the town of Skaggen.  The
+peninsula looks very dreary from this side; it is flat and covered with
+sand.
+
+On the sixteenth day we entered the Cattegat.  For some time past we had
+always either been becalmed or had had contrary winds, and had been
+tossed about in the Skagerrak, the Cattegat, and the Sound for nearly a
+week.  On some days we scarcely made fifteen to twenty leagues a day.  On
+such calm days I passed the time with fishing; but the fish were wise
+enough not to bite my hook.  I was daily anticipating a dinner of
+mackerel, but caught only one.
+
+The multitude of vessels sailing into the Cattegat afforded me more
+amusement; I counted above seventy.  The nearer we approached the
+entrance of the Sound, the more imposing was the sight, and the more
+closely were the vessels crowded together.  Fortunately we were favoured
+by a bright moonlight; in a dark or stormy night we should not with the
+greatest precaution and skill have been able to avoid a collision.
+
+The inhabitants of more southern regions have no idea of the
+extraordinary clearness and brilliancy of a northern moonlight night; it
+seems almost as if the moon had borrowed a portion of the sun's lustre.
+I have seen splendid nights on the coast of Asia, on the Mediterranean;
+but here, on the shores of Scandinavia, they were lighter and brighter.
+
+I remained on deck all night; for it pleased me to watch the forests of
+masts crowded together here, and endeavouring simultaneously to gain the
+entrance to the Sound.  I should now be able to form a tolerable idea of
+a fleet, for this number of ships must surely resemble a merchant-fleet.
+
+On the twentieth day of our journey we entered the port of Helsingor.
+The Sound dues have to be paid here, or, as the sailor calls it, the ship
+must be cleared.  This is a very tedious interruption, and the stopping
+and restarting of the ship very incommodious.  The sails have to be
+furled, the anchor cast, the boat lowered, and the captain proceeds on
+shore; hours sometimes elapse before he has finished.  When he returns to
+the ship, the boat has to be hoisted again, the anchor raised, and the
+sails unfurled.  Sometimes the wind has changed in the mean time; and in
+consequence of these formalities, the port of Copenhagen cannot be
+reached at the expected time.
+
+If a ship is unfortunate enough to reach Helsingor on a dark night, she
+may not enter at all for fear of a collision.  She has to anchor in the
+Cattegat, and thus suffer two interruptions.  If she arrives at Helsingor
+in the night before four o'clock, she has to wait, as the custom-house is
+not opened till that time.
+
+The skipper is, however, at liberty to proceed direct to Copenhagen, but
+this liberty costs five thalers (fifteen shillings).  If, however, the
+toll may thus be paid in Copenhagen just as easily, the obligation to
+stop at Helsingor is only a trick to gain the higher toll; for if a
+captain is in haste, or the wind is too favourable to be lost, he
+forfeits the five thalers, and sails on to Copenhagen.
+
+Our captain cared neither for time nor trouble; he cleared the ship here,
+and so we did not reach Copenhagen until two o'clock in the afternoon.
+After my long absence, it seemed so familiar, so beautiful and grand, as
+if I had seen nothing so beautiful in my whole life.  My readers must
+bear in mind, however, where I came from, and how long I had been
+imprisoned in a vessel in which I scarcely had space to move.  When I put
+foot on shore again, I could have imitated Columbus, and prostrated
+myself to kiss the earth.
+
+
+
+DEPARTURE FROM COPENHAGEN.--CHRISTIANIA.
+
+
+On the 19th August, the day after my arrival from Iceland, at two o'clock
+in the afternoon, I had already embarked again; this time in the fine
+royal Norwegian steamer _Christiania_, of 170 horsepower, bound for the
+town of Christiania, distant 304 sea-miles from Copenhagen.  We had soon
+passed through the Sound and arrived safely in the Cattegat, in which we
+steered more to the right than on the journey to Iceland; for we not only
+intended to see Norway and Sweden, but to cast anchor on the coast.
+
+We could plainly see the fine chain of mountains which bound the Cattegat
+on the right, and whose extreme point, the Kulm, runs into the sea like a
+long promontory.  Lighthouses are erected here, and on the other numerous
+dangerous spots of the coast, and their lights shine all around in the
+dark night.  Some of the lights are movable, and some stationary, and
+point out to the sailor which places to avoid.
+
+                                                              August 20th.
+
+Bad weather is one of the greatest torments of a traveller, and is more
+disagreeable when one passes through districts remarkable for beauty and
+originality.  Both grievances were united to-day; it rained, almost
+incessantly; and yet the passage of the Swedish coast and of the little
+fiord to the port of Gottenburg was of peculiar interest.  The sea here
+was more like a broad stream which is bounded by noble rocks, and
+interspersed by small and large rocks and shoals, over which the waters
+dashed finely.  Near the harbour, some buildings lie partly on and partly
+between the rocks; these contain the celebrated royal Swedish
+iron-foundry, called the new foundry.  Even numerous American ships were
+lying here to load this metal. {46}
+
+The steamer remains more than four hours in the port of Gottenburg, and
+we had therefore time to go into the town, distant about two miles, and
+whose suburbs extend as far as the port.  On the landing-quay a captain
+lives who has always a carriage and two horses ready to drive travellers
+into the town.  There are also one-horse vehicles, and even an omnibus.
+The former were already engaged; the latter, we were told, drives so
+slowly, that nearly the whole time is lost on the road; so I and two
+travelling companions hired the captain's carriage.  The rain poured in
+torrents on our heads; but this did not disturb us much.  My two
+companions had business to transact, and curiosity attracted me.  I did
+not at that time know that I should have occasion to visit this pretty
+little town again, and would not leave without seeing it.
+
+The suburbs are built entirely of wood, and contain many pretty one-story
+houses, surrounded, for the most part, by little gardens.  The situation
+of the suburbs is very peculiar.  Rocks, or little fields and meadows,
+often lie between the houses; the rocks even now and then cross the
+streets, and had to be blasted to form a road.  The view from one of the
+hills over which the road to the town lies is truly beautiful.
+
+The town has two large squares: on the smaller one stands the large
+church; on the larger one the town-hall, the post-office, and many pretty
+houses.  In the town every thing is built of bricks.  The river Ham flows
+through the large square, and increases the traffic by the many ships and
+barks running into it from the sea, and bringing provisions, but
+principally fuel, to market.  Several bridges cross it.  A visit to the
+well-stocked fish-market is also an interesting feature in a short visit
+to this town.
+
+I entered a Swedish house for the first time here.  I remarked that the
+floor was strewed over with the fine points of the fir-trees, which had
+an agreeable odour, a more healthy one probably than any artificial
+perfume.  I found this custom prevalent all over Sweden and Norway, but
+only in hotels and in the dwellings of the poorer classes.
+
+About eleven o'clock in the forenoon we continued our journey.  We
+steered safely through the many rocks and shoals, and soon reached the
+open sea again.  We did not stand out far from the shore, and saw several
+telegraphs erected on the rocks.  We soon lost sight of Denmark on the
+left, and arrived at the fortress Friedrichsver towards evening, but
+could not see much of it.  Here the so-called Scheren begin, which extend
+sixty leagues, and form the Christian's Sound.  By what I could see in
+the dim twilight, the scene was beautiful.  Numerous islands, some merely
+consisting of bare rocks, others overgrown with slender pines, surrounded
+us on all sides.  But our pilot understood his business perfectly, and
+steered us safely through to Sandesund, spite of the dark night.  Here we
+anchored, for it would have been too dangerous to proceed.  We had to
+wait here for the steamer from Bergen, which exchanged passengers with
+us.  The sea was very rough, and this exchange was therefore extremely
+difficult to effect.  Neither of the steamers would lower a boat; at last
+our steamer gave way, after midnight, and the terrified and wailing
+passengers were lowered into it.  I pitied them from my heart, but
+fortunately no accident happened.
+
+                                                               August 21st
+
+I could see the situation of Sandesund better by day; and found it to
+consist only of a few houses.  The water is so hemmed in here that it
+scarcely attains the breadth of a stream; but it soon widens again, and
+increases in beauty and variety with every yard.  We seemed to ride on a
+beautiful lake; for the islands lie so close to the mountains in the
+background, that they look like a continent, and the bays they form like
+the mouths of rivers.  The next moment the scene changes to a succession
+of lakes, one coming close on the other; and when the ship appears to be
+hemmed in, a new opening is suddenly presented to the eye behind another
+island.  The islands themselves are of a most varied character: some only
+consist of bare rocks, with now and then a pine; some are richly covered
+with fields and groves; and the shore presents so many fine scenes, that
+one hardly knows where to look in order not to miss any of the beauties
+of the scenery.  Here are high mountains overgrown from the bottom to the
+summit with dark pine-groves; there again lovely hills, with verdant
+meadows, fertile fields, pretty farmsteads and yards; and on another side
+the mountains separate and form a beautiful perspective of precipices and
+valleys.  Sometimes I could follow the bend of a bay till it mingled with
+the distant clouds; at others we passed the most beautiful valleys,
+dotted with little villages and towns.  I cannot describe the beauties of
+the scenery in adequate terms: my words are too weak, and my knowledge
+too insignificant; and I can only give an idea of my emotions, but not
+describe them.
+
+Near Walloe the country grows less beautiful; the mountains decrease into
+hills, and the water is not studded with islands.  The little town itself
+is almost concealed behind the hills.  A remarkable feature is the long
+row of wooden huts and houses adjoining, which all belong to a salt-work
+established there.
+
+We entered one of the many little arms of the sea to reach the town of
+Moss.  Its situation is beautiful, being built amphi-theatrically on a
+hillock which leans against a high mountain.  A fine building on the
+sea-shore, whose portico rests upon pillars, is used for a bathing
+institution.
+
+A dock-yard, in which men-of-war are built at the expense of the state,
+is situated near the town of Horten, which is also picturesquely placed.
+There does not seem to be much work doing here, for I only saw one ship
+lying at anchor, and none on the stocks.  About eight leagues beyond
+Horten a mountain rises in the middle of the sea, and divides it into two
+streams, uniting again beyond it, and forming a pretty view.
+
+We did not see Christiania till we were only ten leagues from it.  The
+town, the suburbs, the fortress, the newly-erected royal palace, the
+freemasons' lodge, &c., lie in a semicircle round the port, and are
+bounded by fields, meadows, woods, and hills, forming a delightful
+_coup-d'oeil_.  It seems as if the sea could not part from such a lovely
+view, and runs in narrow streams, through hills and plains, to a great
+distance beyond the town.
+
+Towards eleven o'clock in the forenoon we reached the port of
+Christiania.  We had come from Sandesund in seven hours, and had stopped
+four times on the way; but the boats with new-comers, with merchandise
+and letters, had always been ready, had been received, and we had
+proceeded without any considerable delay.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+
+My first care on arriving in this town was to find a countrywoman of mine
+who had been married to a lawyer here.  It is said of the Viennese that
+they cannot live away from their Stephen's steeple; but here was a proof
+of the contrary, for there are few couples living so happily as these
+friends, and yet they were nearly one thousand miles from St. Stephen's
+steeple. {47}
+
+I passed through the whole town on the way from the quay to the hotel,
+and thence to my friend.  The town is not large, and not very pretty.
+The newly-built portion is the best, for it at least has broad, tolerably
+long streets, in which the houses are of brick, and sometimes large.  In
+the by-streets I frequently found wooden barracks ready to fall.  The
+square is large, but irregular; and as it is used as a general
+market-place, it is also very dirty.
+
+                          [Picture: Christiania]
+
+In the suburbs the houses are mostly built of wood.  There are some
+rather pretty public buildings; the finest among them are the royal
+castle and the fortress.  They are built on little elevations, and afford
+a beautiful view.  The old royal palace is in the town, but not at all
+distinguishable from a common private house.  The house in which the
+Storthing {48} assembles is large, and its portico rests on pillars; but
+the steps are of wood, as in all stone houses in Scandinavia.  The
+theatre seemed large enough for the population; but I did not enter it.
+The freemasons' lodge is one of the most beautiful buildings in the town;
+it contains two large saloons, which are used for assemblies or
+festivities of various kinds, besides serving as the meeting-place of the
+freemasons.  The university seemed almost too richly built; it is not
+finished yet, but is so beautiful that it would be an ornament to the
+largest capital.  The butchers' market is also very pretty.  It is of a
+semi-circular shape, and is surrounded by arched passages, in which the
+buyers stand, sheltered from the weather.  The whole edifice is built of
+bricks, left in their natural state, neither stuccoed with mortar nor
+whitewashed.  There are not many other palaces or fine public buildings,
+and most of the houses are one-storied.
+
+One of the features of the place--a custom which is of great use to the
+traveller, and prevails in all Scandinavian towns--is, that the names of
+the streets are affixed at every corner, so that the passer-by always
+knows where he is, without the necessity of asking his way.
+
+Open canals run through the town; and on such nights as the almanac
+announces a full or bright moon the streets are not lighted.
+
+Wooden quays surround the harbour, on which several large warehouses,
+likewise built of wood, are situated; but, like most of the houses, they
+are roofed with tiles.
+
+The arrangement and display of the stores are simple, and the wares very
+beautiful, though not of home manufacture.  Very few factories exist
+here, and every thing has to be imported.
+
+I was much shocked at the raggedly-clad people I met every where in the
+streets; the young men especially looked very ragged.  They rarely
+begged; but I should not have been pleased to meet them alone in a
+retired street.
+
+I was fortunate enough to be in Christiania at the time when the
+Storthing was sitting.  This takes place every three years; the sessions
+commence in January or February, and usually last three months; but so
+much business had this time accumulated, that the king proposed to extend
+the length of the session.  To this fortunate accident I owed the
+pleasure of witnessing some of the meetings.  The king was expected to
+close the proceedings in September. {49}
+
+The hall of meeting is long and large.  Four rows of tapestried seats,
+one rising above the other, run lengthways along the hall, and afford
+room for eighty legislators.  Opposite the benches a table stands on a
+raised platform, and at this table the president and secretary sit.  A
+gallery, which is open to the public, runs round the upper portion of the
+hall.
+
+Although I understood but little of the Norwegian language, I attended
+the meetings daily for an hour.  I could at least distinguish whether
+long or short speeches were made, or whether the orator spoke fluently.
+Unfortunately, the speakers I heard spoke the few words they mustered
+courage to deliver so slowly and hesitatingly, that I could not form a
+very favourable idea of Norwegian eloquence.  I was told that the
+Storthing only contained three or four good speakers, and they did not
+display their talents during my stay.
+
+I have never seen such a variety of carriages as I met with here.  The
+commonest and most incommodious are called Carriols.  A carriol consists
+of a narrow, long, open box, resting between two immensely high wheels,
+and provided with a very small seat.  You are squeezed into this
+contrivance, and have to stretch your feet forward.  You are then buckled
+in with a leather apron as high as the hips, and must remain in this
+position, without moving a limb, from the beginning to the end of your
+ride.  A board is hung on behind the box for the coachman; and from this
+perch he, in a kneeling or standing position, directs the horses, unless
+the temporary resident of the box should prefer to take the reins
+himself.  As it is very unpleasant to hear the quivering of the reins on
+one side and the smacking of the whip on the other, every one, men and
+women, can drive.  Besides these carriols, there are phaetons, droschkas,
+but no closed vehicles.
+
+The carts which are used for the transport of beer are of a very peculiar
+construction.  The consumption of beer in Christiania is very great, and
+it is at once bottled when made, and not sold in casks.  The carts for
+the transport of these bottles consist of roomy covered boxes a foot and
+a half high, which are divided into partitions like a cellaret, in which
+many bottles can be easily and safely transported from one part to
+another.
+
+Another species of basket, which the servants use to carry such articles
+as are damp or dirty, and which my readers will excuse my describing, is
+made of fine white tin, and provided with a handle.  Straw baskets are
+only used for bread, and for dry and clean provisions.
+
+There are no public gardens or assemblies in Christiania, but numerous
+promenades; indeed, every road from the town leads to the most beautiful
+scenery, and every hill in the neighbourhood affords the most delightful
+prospects.
+
+Ladegardoen is the only spot which is often resorted to by the citizens
+by carriage or on foot.  It affords many and splendid views of the sea
+and its islands, of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and pine and fir
+groves.  The majority of the country-houses are built here.  They are
+generally small, but pretty, and surrounded by flower-gardens and
+orchards.  While there, I seemed to be far in the south, so green and
+verdant was the scenery.  The corn-fields alone betrayed the north.  Not
+that the corn was poor; on the contrary, I found many ears bending to the
+ground under their weight; but now, towards the end of August, most of it
+was standing uncut in the fields.
+
+Near the town stands a pine-grove, from which one has splendid views; two
+monuments are raised in it, but neither of them are of importance: one is
+raised to the memory of a crown-prince of Sweden, Christian Augustus; the
+other to Count Hermann Wenel Jarlsberg.
+
+
+
+JOURNEY TO DELEMARKEN.
+
+
+All I had hitherto seen in Norway had gratified me so much, that I could
+not resist the temptation of a journey to the wildly romantic regions of
+Delemarken.  I was indeed told that it would be a difficult undertaking
+for a female, alone and almost entirely ignorant of the language, to make
+her way through the peasantry.  But I found no one to accompany me, and
+was determined to go; so I trusted to fate, and went alone.
+
+According to the inquires I had instituted in respect to this journey, I
+anticipated that my greatest difficulties would arise from the absence of
+all institutions for the speedy and comfortable progress of travellers.
+One is forced to possess a carriage, and to hire horses at every station.
+It is sometimes possible to hire a vehicle, but this generally consists
+only of a miserable peasant's cart.  I hired, therefore, a carriol for
+the whole journey, and a horse to the next station, the townlet of
+Drammen, distant about twenty-four miles.
+
+On the 25th August, at three o'clock in the afternoon, I left
+Christiania, squeezed myself into my carriage, and, following the example
+of Norwegian dames, I seized the reins.  I drove as if I had been used to
+it from infancy.  I turned right and left, and my horse galloped and
+trotted gaily on.
+
+The road to Drammen is exquisite, and would afford rich subjects for an
+artist.  All the beauties of nature are here combined in most perfect
+harmony.  The richness and variety of the scenery are almost oppressive,
+and would be an inexhaustible subject for the painter.  The vegetation is
+much richer than I had hoped to find it so far north; every hill, every
+rock, is shaded by verdant foliage; the green of the meadows was of
+incomparable freshness; the grass was intermingled with flowers and
+herbs, and the corn-fields bent under their golden weight.
+
+I have been in many countries, and have seen beautiful districts; I have
+been in Switzerland, in Tyrol, in Italy, and in Salzburg; but I never saw
+such peculiarly beautiful scenery as I found here: the sea every where
+intruding and following us to Drammen; here forming a lovely lake on
+which boats were rocking, there a stream rushing through hills and
+meadows; and then again, the splendid expanse dotted with proud
+three-masters and with countless islets.  After a five hours' ride
+through rich valleys and splendid groves, I reached the town of Drammen,
+which lies on the shores of the sea and the river Storri Elf, and whose
+vicinity was announced by the beautiful country-houses ornamenting the
+approach to it.
+
+A long, well-built wooden bridge, furnished with beautiful iron
+palisadings, leads over the river.  The town of Drammen has pretty
+streets and houses, and above 6000 inhabitants.  The hotel where I lodged
+was pretty and clean.  My bedroom was a large room, with which the most
+fastidious might have been contented.  The supper which they provided for
+me was, however, most frugal, consisting only of soft-boiled eggs.  They
+gave me neither salt nor bread with them, nor a spoon; nothing but a
+knife and fork.  And it is a mystery to me how soft eggs can be eaten
+without bread, and with a knife and fork.
+
+                                                              August 25th.
+
+I hired a fresh horse here, with which I proceeded to Kongsberg, eighteen
+miles farther.  The first seven miles afforded a repetition of the
+romantic scenery of the previous day, with the exception of the sea.  But
+instead I had the beautiful river, until I had ascended a hill, from
+whose summit I overlooked a large and apparently populous valley, filled
+with groups of houses and single farms.  It is strange that there are
+very few large towns in Norway; every peasant builds his house in the
+midst of his fields.
+
+Beyond this hill the scenery grows more monotonous.  The mountains are
+lower, the valley narrower, and the road is enclosed by wood or rocks.
+One peculiarity of Norwegian rocks is their humidity.  The water
+penetrates through countless fissures, but only in such small quantities
+as to cover the stones with a kind of veil.  When the sun shines on these
+wet surfaces of rock, of which there are many and large ones, they shine
+like mirrors.
+
+Delemarken seems to be tolerably populous.  I often met with solitary
+peasant-huts in the large gloomy forests, and they gave some life to the
+monotonous landscape.  The industry of the Norwegian peasant is very
+great; for every spot of earth, even on the steepest precipices, bore
+potatoes, barley, or oats; their houses also look cheerful, and were
+painted for the most part of a brick-red colour.
+
+I found the roads very good, especially the one from Christiania to
+Drammen; and the one from Drammen to Kongsberg was not very
+objectionable.  There is such an abundance of wood in Norway, that the
+streets on each side are fenced by wooden enclosures; and every field and
+meadow is similarly protected against the intrusion of cattle, and the
+miserable roads through the woods are even covered with round trunks of
+trees.
+
+The peasantry in this district have no peculiar costume; only the
+head-covering of the females is curious.  They wear a lady's hat, such as
+was fashionable in the last century, ornamented with a bunch behind, and
+with an immense shade in front.  They are made of any material, generally
+of the remains of old garments; and only on Sundays better ones, and
+sometimes even silk ones, make their appearance.
+
+In the neighbourhood of Kongsberg this head-dress is no longer worn.
+There they wear little caps like the Suabian peasantry, petticoats
+commencing under the shoulders, and very short spencers: a very ugly
+costume, the whole figure being spoilt by the short waist.
+
+The town of Kongsberg is rather extended, and is beautifully situated on
+a hill in the centre of a splendid wooded valley.  It is, like all the
+towns in Norway except Christiania, built of wood; but it has many
+pretty, neat houses and some broad streets.
+
+The stream Storri Elf flows past the town, and forms a small but very
+picturesque waterfall a little below the bridge.  What pleased me most
+was the colour of the water as it surged over the rock.  It was about
+noon as I drove across the bridge; the sun illuminated the whole country
+around, and the waves breaking against the rocks seemed by this light of
+a beautiful pale-yellow colour, so that they resembled thick masses of
+pure transparent amber.
+
+Two remarkable sights claimed my attention at Kongsberg,--a rich
+silver-mine, and a splendid waterfall called the Labrafoss.  But as my
+time was limited and I could only remain a few hours in Kongsberg, I
+preferred to see the waterfall and believe the accounts of the
+silver-mine; which were, that the deepest shaft was eight hundred feet
+below the surface, and that it was most difficult to remain there, as the
+cold, the smoke, and the powder-smell had a very noxious effect on the
+traveller accustomed to light and air.
+
+I therefore hired a horse and drove to the fall, which is situated in a
+narrow pass about four miles from Kongsberg.  The river collects in a
+quiet calm basin a little distance above the fall, and then rushes over
+the steep precipice with a sudden bound.  The considerable depth of the
+fall and the quality of water make it a very imposing sight.  This is
+increased by a gigantic rock planted like a wall in the lower basin, and
+opposing its body to the progress of the hurrying waters.  The waves
+rebound from the rock, and, collecting in mighty masses, rush over it,
+forming several smaller waterfalls in their course.
+
+I watched it from a high rock, and was nevertheless covered by the spray
+to such a degree, that I sometimes could scarcely open my eyes.  My guide
+then took me to the lower part of the fall, so that I might have a view
+of it from all sides; and each view seemed different and more splendid.
+I perceived the same yellow transparent colour which I had remarked in
+the fall at Kongsberg in the waters which dashed over the rock and were
+illuminated by the sun.  I imagine it arises from the rock, which is
+every where of a brownish-red colour, for the water itself was clear and
+pure.
+
+At four o'clock in the afternoon I left Kongsberg, and drove to Bolkesoe,
+a distance of eighteen miles.  It was by no means a beautiful or an
+agreeable drive; for the road was very bad, and took me through passes
+and valleys, across woods and over steep mountains, while the night was
+dark and unilluminated by the moon.  The thought involuntarily entered my
+mind, how easily my guide, who sat close behind me on the vehicle, could
+put me out of the world by a gentle blow, and take possession of my
+effects.  But I had confidence in the upright character of the
+Norwegians, and drove on quietly, devoting my attention entirely to the
+reins of my little steed, which I had to lead with a sure hand over hill
+and valley, over ruts and stones, and along precipices.  I heard no sound
+but the rushing of the mountain-river, which leaped, close beside us,
+over the rocks, and was heard rushing in the far distance.
+
+We did not arrive at Bolkesoe until ten o'clock at night.  When we
+stopped before an insignificant-looking peasant's cot, and I remembered
+my Icelandic night-accommodations, whose exterior this resembled, my
+courage failed me; but I was agreeably disappointed when the peasant's
+wife led me up a broad staircase into a large clean chamber furnished
+with several good beds, some benches, a table, a box, and an iron stove.
+I found equal comforts on all the stations of my journey.
+
+There are no proper hotels or posthouses on the little-frequented
+Norwegian roads; but the wealthy peasants undertake the duties of both.
+I would, however, advise every traveller to provide himself with bread
+and other provisions for the trip; for his peasant-host rarely can
+furnish him with these.  His cows are on the hills during the summer;
+fowls are far too great a luxury for him; and his bread is scarcely
+eatable: it consists of large round cakes, scarcely half an inch thick,
+and very hard; or of equally large cakes scarcely as thick as a knife,
+and quite dry.  The only eatables I found were fish and potatoes; and
+whenever I could stay for several hours, they fetched milk for me from
+the hills.
+
+The travelling conveniences are still more unattainable; but these I will
+mention in a future chapter, when my experience will be a little more
+extensive.
+
+                                                              August 26th.
+
+I could not see the situation of the town of Bolkesoe till daylight
+to-day, for when I arrived the darkness of night concealed it.  It is
+situated in a pretty wooded vale, on a little hill at whose foot lies a
+beautiful lake of the same name.
+
+The road from here to Tindosoe, about sixteen miles, is not practicable
+for vehicles, and I therefore left my carriol here and proceeded on
+horseback.  The country grows more quiet and uninhabited, and the valleys
+become real chasms.  Two lakes of considerable size form an agreeable
+variety to the wildness of the scenery.  The larger one, called the
+Foelsoe, is of a regular form, and above two miles in diameter; it is
+encircled by picturesque mountains.  The effect of the shadows which the
+pine-covered mountain-tops throw on the lakes is particularly attractive.
+I rode along its shores for more than an hour, and had leisure to see and
+examine every thing very accurately, for the horses here travel at a very
+slow pace.  The reason of this is partly that the guide has no horse, and
+walks beside you in a very sleepy manner; the horse knows its master's
+peculiarities by long experience, and is only too willing to encourage
+him in his slow, dull pace.  I spent more than five hours in reaching
+Tindosoe.  My next object of interest was the celebrated waterfall of
+Rykanfoss, to reach which we had to cross a large lake.  Although it had
+rained incessantly for an hour, and the sky looked threatening, I at once
+hired a boat with two rowers to continue my journey without interruption;
+for I anticipated a storm, and then I should not have found a boatman who
+would have ventured a voyage of four or five hours on this dangerous
+lake.  In two hours my boat was ready, and I started in the pouring rain,
+but rejoiced at least at the absence of fog, which would have concealed
+the beauties of nature which surrounded me.  The lake is eighteen miles
+long, but in many parts only from two to three miles wide.  It is
+surrounded by mountains, which rise in terraces without the least gap to
+admit a distant view.  As the mountains are nearly all covered with dark
+fir-groves, and overshadow the whole breadth of the narrow lake, the
+water seems quite dark, and almost black.  This lake is dangerous to
+navigate on account of the many rocks rising perpendicularly out of the
+water, which, in a storm, shatter a boat dashed against them to pieces,
+and the passengers would find an inevitable grave in the deep waters.  We
+had a flesh and a favourable breeze, which blew us quickly to our
+destination.  One of the rocks on the coast has a very loud echo.
+
+An island about a mile long divides the lake into equal parts; and when
+we had passed it, the landscape became quite peculiar.  The mountains
+seemed to push before each other, and try whose foot should extend
+farthest into the sea.  This forms numerous lovely bays; but few of them
+are adapted for landing, as the dangerous rocks seem to project every
+where.
+
+The little dots of field and meadow which seem to hang against the rock,
+and the modest cottages of the peasants, which are built on the points of
+the most dangerous precipices, and over which rocks and stones tower as
+mountains, present a very curious appearance.  The most fearful rocks
+hang over the huts, and threaten to crush them by falling, which would
+inevitably carry cottage and field with them into the sea.  It is
+difficult to say whether the boldness or the stupidity of the peasants
+induces them to choose such localities for their dwellings.
+
+From the mountains many rivers flow into the lake, and form beautiful
+falls.  This might only have been the case at that time, because it was
+raining incessantly, and the water poured down from all sides, so that
+the mountains seemed embroidered with silver threads.  It was a beautiful
+sight; but I would willingly have relinquished it for a day of sunshine.
+It is no trifle to be exposed to such a shower-bath from morning till
+night; I was wet through, and had no hope for better weather, as the sky
+was clouded all round.  My perseverance was nearly exhausted; and I was
+on the point of relinquishing the purpose of my journey,--the sight of
+the highest Norwegian waterfall,--when it occurred to me that the bad
+weather was most favourable for my plan, as each drop of water would
+increase the splendour of the waterfall.
+
+After three hours and a half's rowing we reached Haukaness-am-See, where
+it is usual to stop a night as there is a pretty farm here, and the
+distance from the fall is still considerable.
+
+                                                              August 27th.
+
+My first care in the morning was the weather; it was unchanged, and the
+experienced peasants prophesied that it would remain wet.  As I would not
+return nor wait for better weather, I could only take to my boat again,
+put on my half-dried cloak, and row on boldly.
+
+The termination of the lake, which we soon reached, was already
+sufficient to compensate for my perseverance.  A high mountain advances
+into the lake, and divides it into two beautiful bays.  We entered the
+left bay, and landed at Mael, which lies at the mouth of the river
+Rykaness.  The distance from Haukaness is a little more than two miles.
+I had to mount a horse to reach the waterfall, which was yet eleven miles
+distant.  The road runs through a narrow valley, which gradually narrows
+still more until it can only contain the river; and the traveller is
+obliged to ascend the heights and grope on along the sides of the
+mountains.  Below in the vale he sees the foam of the waves surging
+against the rocks; they flow like a narrow band of silver in the deep
+chasm.  Sometimes the path is so high that one neither sees nor hears the
+river.  The last half mile has to be journeyed on foot, and goes past
+spots which are really dangerous; numerous waterfalls rush from the
+mountain-sides, and have to be crossed on paths of tree-trunks laid
+alongside each other; and roads scarcely a foot wide lead along giddy
+precipices.  But the traveller may trust unhesitatingly to his guide's
+arm, who has hitherto led every one in safety to his destination.
+
+The road from Haukaness to the waterfall must be the finest that can be
+imagined on a bright sunny day; for I was enchanted with the
+wildly-romantic scenery in spite of the incessant rain and my wet
+clothes, and would on no consideration have missed this sight.
+Unfortunately the bad weather increased, and thick fogs rolled down into
+the valleys.  The water flowed down from the mountains, and transformed
+our narrow path into a brook, through which we had to wade ankle-deep in
+water.  At last we reached the spot which afforded the best view of the
+fall.  It was yet free from mist, and I could still admire the
+extraordinary beauty of the fall and its quantity of water.  I saw the
+immense mountain-rock which closes the valley, the tremendous pillar of
+water which dashes over it, and rebounds from the rock projecting in the
+centre of the fall, filling the whole valley with clouds of spray, and
+concealing the depth to which it descends.  I saw this, one of the rarest
+and of the most magnificent of natural beauties; but alas, I saw it only
+for a moment, and had scarcely time to recover from the surprise of the
+first view when I lost it for ever!  I was not destined to see the single
+grandeurs of the fall and of the surrounding scenery, and was fain to be
+content with one look, one glance.  Impenetrable mists rolled from all
+sides into the wild glen, and shrouded every thing in complete darkness;
+I sat on a piece of rock, and gazed for two hours stedfastly at the spot
+where a faint outline of the fall was scarcely distinguishable through
+the mist sometimes this faint trace even was lost, and I could perceive
+its vicinity only by the dreadful sounds of the fall, and by the
+trembling of the rock beneath my feet.
+
+After I had gazed, and hoped, and raised my eyes entreatingly to heaven
+for a single ray of sunshine, all in vain, I had at last to determine on
+my return.  I left my post almost with tears in my eyes, and turned my
+head more backwards than forwards as we left the spot.  At the least
+indication of a clearing away of the fog I should have returned.
+
+But I retired farther and farther from it till I reached Mael again,
+where I sadly entered my boat, and proceeded uninterruptedly to Tindosoe.
+I arrived there towards ten o'clock at night.  The wet, the cold, the
+want of food, and, above all, the depressed and disappointed state of my
+mind, had so affected me, that I went to bed with a slight attack of
+fever, and feared that I should not be able to continue my journey on the
+following day.  But my strong constitution triumphed over every thing,
+and at five o'clock in the morning I was ready to continue my journey to
+Bolkesoe on horseback.
+
+I was obliged to hurry for fear of missing the departure of the steamer
+from Christiania.  The journey to Delemarken had been represented to me
+as much shorter than I found it in reality; for the constant waiting for
+horses, boats, guides, &c. takes up very much time.
+
+                                                              August 28th.
+
+I had ordered my horse to be ready at five o'clock, but was obliged to
+wait for it until seven o'clock.
+
+Although I made only a short trip into the interior, I had sufficient
+opportunities for experiencing the extortions and inconveniences to which
+a traveller is liable in Norway.  No country in Europe is so much in its
+infancy as regards all conveniences for locomotion.  It is true that
+horses, carriages, boats, &c. can be had at every station, and the law
+has fixed the price of these commodities; but every thing is in the hands
+of the peasants and the publicans, and they are so skilled in tormenting
+the traveller by their intentional slowness, that he is compelled to pay
+the two-fold tax, in order to proceed a little more quickly.  The
+stations are short, being rarely above five or six miles, and one is
+therefore constantly changing horses.  Arrived at a station, it either
+happens that there is really no horse to be had, or that this is an
+ostensible excuse.  The traveller is told that the horse has to be
+fetched from the mountain, and that he can be served in one and a half or
+two hours.  Thus he rides one hour, and waits two.  It is also necessary
+to keep the tariff, as every trifle, the saddle, the carriage, the
+harness, fetching the horse, the boat, &c., has to be paid for extra; and
+when the traveller does not know the fixed prices, he is certain to be
+dreadfully imposed upon.  At every station a book lies, containing the
+legal prices; but it is written in the language of the district, and
+utterly unintelligible to the stranger.  Into this book, which is
+examined by the judge of the district every month, one may enter
+complaints against the peasant or publican; but they do not seem to fear
+it, for the guide who accompanied me to the fall of Rykanfoss endeavoured
+to cheat me twice in the most barefaced manner, by charging me six-fold
+for the use of the saddles and the fetching of the horse.  When I
+threatened to inscribe my complaint in the book, he seemed not to care,
+and insisted on his demand, till I was obliged to pay him.  On my return
+to Mael, I kept my word, asked for the book, and entered my complaint,
+although I was alone with all the peasants.  It was not so much the money
+which annoyed me, as the shameless imposition.  I am of opinion that
+every one should complain when he is wronged; if it does not benefit him,
+it will make the matter more easy for his successor.
+
+I must confess, in justice to the peasants, that they were very indignant
+when I told them of the dishonesty of their countryman, and did not
+attempt to prevent my complaint.
+
+To conclude my journey, I need only remark that, although the rain had
+ceased, the sky was still covered with clouds, and the country shrouded
+in mist.  I therefore took the shorter road to Christiania, by which I
+had come, although I thereby missed a beautiful district, where I should,
+as I was told, have seen the most splendid perspective views in Norway.
+This would have been on the road from Kongsberg over Kroxleben to
+Christiania.  The finest part is near Kroxleben.
+
+But the time was too short to take this round, and I returned by way of
+Drammen.  In the village of Muni, about five miles from Kongsberg, where
+I arrived at seven o'clock in the evening, the amiable host wished to
+keep me waiting again two hours for a horse; and as this would probably
+have happened at every station, I was obliged to hire a horse for the
+whole distance to Christiania, at a threefold price.  I slept here for a
+few hours, left in the night at one o'clock, and arrived at Christiania
+the following afternoon at two.
+
+On this journey I found all those people very kind and obliging with whom
+I came into no sort of pecuniary relation; but the hosts, the boatmen,
+the drivers, the guides, were as selfish and grasping as in any other
+country.  I believe that kindness and disinterestedness would only be
+found in any district by him who has the good fortune to be the first
+traveller.
+
+This little excursion was very dear; and yet I think I could now travel
+cheaply even in this country, universally acknowledged to be dear.  I
+would go with the steamer along the coast to Hammerfest, buy a little
+vehicle and a good horse there, and then travel pleasantly, and without
+annoyance, through the whole country.  But for a family who wished to
+travel in a comfortable covered carriage, it would be incalculably dear,
+and in many parts impossible, on account of the bad roads.
+
+The Norwegian peasantry are strong and robust, but their features are not
+the most comely, and they seemed neither wealthy nor cleanly.  They were
+generally very poorly clad, and always barefooted.  Their cottages, built
+of wood and covered with tiles, are more roomy than those of the
+Icelanders; but they are nevertheless dirty and wretched.  A weakness of
+the Norwegians is their fondness for coffee, which they drink without
+milk or sugar.  The old women, as well as the men, smoke their pipes
+morning and night.
+
+
+                                    Miles.
+From Christiania to Kongsberg is    41
+about
+From Kongsberg to the waterfall     5
+Labrafoss
+From Kongsberg to Bolkosoe          14
+From Bolkosoe to Tindosoe           16
+From Tindosoe across the lake to    16
+Mael
+From Mael to the waterfall          11
+Rykanfoss
+                                    103
+CHAPTER IX
+
+
+                                                              August 30th.
+
+At seven o'clock this morning I left Christiania, accompanied by the good
+wishes of my countrywoman and her husband, and went back to Gottenburg by
+the same steamer which had brought me thence ten days before.  I need
+only mention the splendid view of a portion of Christian's Sound--also
+called Fiord--which I lost on the former journey from the darkness of the
+night.  We passed it in the afternoon.  The situation of the little town
+of Lauervig is superb.  It is built on a natural terrace, bordered in the
+background by beautiful mountains.  In front, the fortress of
+Friedrichsver lies on a mountain surrounded by rocks, on which little
+watch-towers are erected; to the left lies the vast expanse of sea.
+
+We were delayed an hour at Friedrichsver to transfer the travellers for
+Bergen {50} to a vessel waiting for them, as we had stopped on our
+previous journey at Sandesund for the same purpose.
+
+This is the last view in the fiord; for now we steered into the open sea,
+and in a few hours we had lost sight of land.  We saw nothing but land
+and water till we arrived the next morning at the Scheren, and steered
+for Gottenburg.
+
+                                                              August 31st.
+
+The sea had been rough all night, and we therefore reached Gottenburg
+three hours later than usual.  In this agitated sea, the surging of the
+breakers against the many rocks and islets near Gottenburg has a very
+curious effect.
+
+The few travellers who could keep on their feet, who did not suffer from
+sea-sickness, and remained on deck, spoke much of the dangerous storm.  I
+had frequently marvelled to hear people who had made a journey, if it
+were even only a short one of forty to sixty leagues, relate of some
+fearful storm they had witnessed.  Now I comprehended the reason, when I
+heard the travellers beside me call the brisk breeze, which only
+occasioned what seamen call a little swell, a dreadful storm; and they
+will probably tell at home of the dangers they have passed.  Storms are,
+fortunately, not so frequent.  I have travelled many thousand leagues,
+and have often met with stormy weather, especially on the passage from
+Copenhagen to Iceland; but I only experienced one real storm, but a
+violent and dangerous one, as I was crossing the Black Sea to
+Constantinople in April 1842.
+
+We arrived at Gottenburg at nine instead of at six o'clock in the
+morning.  I landed at once, to make the celebrated trip through the
+locks, over the waterfalls of Trollhatta, with the next Stockholm
+steamer.  By the junction of the river Gotha with some of the interior
+lakes, this great construction crosses the whole country, and connects
+the North Sea with the Baltic.
+
+I found the town of Gottenburg very animated, on account of the presence
+of the king of Sweden, who was spending a few days here on his way to
+Christiania to prorogue the Storthing.  I arrived on a Sunday, and the
+king, with his son, were in the church.  The streets swarmed with human
+beings, all crowding towards the cathedral to catch a glimpse of his
+majesty on his departure.  I, of course, mingled with the crowd, and was
+fortunate enough to see the king and prince come out of the church, enter
+their carriage, and drive away very near to me.  Both were handsome,
+amiable-looking men.  The people rushed after the carriage, and eagerly
+caught the friendly bows of the intelligent father and his hopeful son;
+they followed him to his palace, and stationed themselves in front of it,
+impatiently longing for the moment when the royal pair would appear at a
+window.
+
+I could not have arrived at a more favourable time; for every one was in
+holiday attire, and the military, the clergy, the officials, citizens and
+people, were all exerting themselves to the utmost to do honour to their
+king.
+
+I noticed two peasant-girls among the crowd who were peculiarly dressed.
+They wore black petticoats reaching half way down the calf of the leg,
+red stockings, red spensers, and white chemises, with long white sleeves;
+a kerchief was tied round the head.  Some of the citizens' wives wore
+caps like the Suabian caps, covered by a little black, embroidered veil,
+which, however, left the face free.
+
+Here, as in Copenhagen, I noticed boys of ten to twelve years of age
+among the drummers, and in the bands of the military.
+
+The king remained this day and the next in Gottenburg, and continued his
+journey on the Tuesday.  On the two evenings of his stay the windows in
+the town were ornamented with wreaths of fresh flowers, interspersed with
+lighted tapers.  Some houses displayed transparencies, which, however,
+did not place the inventive powers of the amiable Gottenburgers in a very
+favourable light.  They were all alike, consisting of a tremendous O
+(Oscar), surmounted by a royal crown.
+
+I was detained four days in Gottenburg; and small consideration seems to
+be paid to the speedy transport of travellers in Sweden.  The steamer for
+Stockholm started on the day I arrived from Christiania, but
+unfortunately at five o'clock in the morning; and as in the month of
+September only two steamers go in the week to Stockholm, I was compelled
+to wait till Thursday.  The time hung heavily on my hands; for I had seen
+the town itself, and the splendid views on the hills between the suburbs,
+during my former visit to the town, and the other portions only consisted
+of bare rocks and cliffs, which were of no interest.
+
+                                                            September 4th.
+
+The press of travellers was so great this time, that two days before the
+departure the cabins were all engaged; several ladies and gentlemen who
+would not wait for the next steamer were compelled to be satisfied with
+the deck, and I was among them; for the probability of such a crowd of
+passengers had not occurred to me, and I applied for a place only two
+days before our departure.  During the journey fresh passengers were
+taken in at every station, and the reader may conceive the misery of the
+poor citizens unused to such hardships.  Every one sought a shelter for
+the night, and the little cabins of the engineer and steersman were given
+up to some, while others crept into the passages, or squatted down on the
+steps of the stairs leading to the cabins.  A place was offered to me in
+the engineer's cabin; but as three or four other persons were to share
+the apartment calculated only for one person, I preferred to bivouac
+night and day upon deck.  One of the gentlemen was kind enough to lend me
+a thick cloak, in which I could wrap myself; and so I slept much more
+comfortably under the high canopy of heaven than my companions did in
+their sweating-room.
+
+The arrangements in the vessels navigating the Gotha canal are by no
+means the best.  The first class is very comfortable, and the cabin-place
+is divided into pretty light divisions for two persons; but the second
+class is all the more uncomfortable: its cabin is used for a common
+dining-room by day, and by night hammocks are slung up in it for sleeping
+accommodation.  The arrangements for the luggage are worse still.  The
+canal-boats, having only a very small hold, trunks, boxes, portmanteaus,
+&c. are heaped up on the deck, not fastened at all, and very
+insufficiently protected against rain.  The consequence of this
+carelessness on a journey of five or six days was, that the rain and the
+high waves of the lakes frequently put the after-deck several inches
+under water, and then the luggage was wetted through.  It was worse still
+in a squall on the Wenner lake; for while the ship was rather roughly
+tossed about, many a trunk lost its equilibrium and fell from its high
+position, frequently endangering the safety of the passengers' heads.
+The fares are, however, very cheap, which seemed doubly strange, as the
+many locks must cause considerable expense.
+
+And now for the journey itself.  We started at five o'clock in the
+morning, and soon arrived in the river Gotha, whose shores for the first
+few miles are flat and bare.  The valley itself is bounded by bare, rocky
+hills.  After about nine miles we came to the town of Kongelf, which is
+said to have 1000 inhabitants.  It is so situated among rocks, that it is
+almost hidden from view.  On a rock opposite the town are the ruins of
+the fortress Bogus.  Now the scenery begins to be a little more
+diversified, and forests are mingled with the bleak rocks; little valleys
+appear on both the shores; and the river itself, here divided by an
+islet, frequently expands to a considerable breadth.  The peasants'
+cottages were larger and better than those in Norway; they are generally
+painted brick-red, and are often built in groups.
+
+The first lock is at Lilla Edet: there are five here; and while the ship
+passes through them, the passengers have leisure to admire the contiguous
+low, but broad and voluminous fall of the Gotha.
+
+This first batch of locks in the canal extends over some distance past
+the fall, and they are partly blasted out of the rock, or built of stone.
+The river past Akestron flows as through a beautiful park; the valley is
+hemmed in by fertile hills, and leaves space only for the stream and some
+picturesque paths winding along its shores, and through the pine-groves
+descending to its banks.
+
+In the afternoon we arrived at the celebrated locks near Trollhatta.
+They are of gigantic construction, which the largest states would be
+honoured in completing, and which occasion surprise when found in a
+country ranking high neither in extent nor in influence.  There are
+eleven locks here, which rise 112 feet in a space of 3500 feet.  They are
+broad, deep, blasted out of the rock, and walled round with fine
+freestone.  They resemble the single steps of a giant's staircase; and by
+this name they might fitly rank as one of the wonders of the world.  Lock
+succeeds lock, mighty gates close them, and the large vessel rises
+miraculously to the giddy heights in a wildly romantic country.
+
+                      [Picture: Falls of Trollhatta]
+
+Scarcely arrived at the locks, the traveller is surrounded by a crowd of
+boys, who offer their services as guides to the waterfalls near
+Trollhatta.  There is abundance of time for this excursion; for the
+passage of the ship through the many locks occupies three to four hours,
+and the excursion can be made in half the time.  Before starting, it is,
+however, advisable to climb the rock to which the locks ascend.  A
+pavilion is erected on its summit, and the view from it down over all the
+locks is exceedingly fine.
+
+Pretty paths hewn out of the wood lead to Trollhatta, which is charmingly
+situated in a lovely valley, surrounded by woods and hills, on the shore
+of a river, whose white foaming waves contrast strongly with the dark
+foliage of the overshadowing groves.  The canal, which describes a large
+semicircle round the chief stream, glitters in the distance; but the
+highest locks are quite concealed behind rocks; we could neither observe
+the opening of the gates nor the rising of the water in them, and were
+therefore surprised when suddenly the masts and then the ship itself rose
+from the depth.  An invisible hand seemed to raise it up between the
+rocks.
+
+The falls of the river are less distinguished for their height than for
+their diversity and their volumes of water.  The principal arm of the
+river is divided at the point of decline into two equal falls by a little
+island of rock.  A long narrow suspension-bridge leads to this island,
+and hangs over the fall; but it is such a weak, frail construction, that
+one person only can cross it at a time.  The owner of this dangerous path
+keeps it private, and imposes a toll of about 3.5d. on all passengers.
+
+A peculiar sensation oppresses the traveller crossing the slender path.
+He sees the stream tearing onwards, breaking itself on the projecting
+rock, and fall surging into the abyss; he sees the boiling waves beneath,
+and feels the bridge vibrate at every footstep, and timidly hastens to
+reach the island, not taking breath to look around until he has found
+footing; on the firm island.  A solid rock projects a little over the
+fall, and affords him a safe position, whence he sees not only the two
+falls on either side, but also several others formed above and below his
+point of view.  The scene is so enchanting, that it is difficult to tear
+oneself away.
+
+Beyond Trollhatta the river expands almost to a lake, and is separated
+into many arms by the numerous islands.  The shores lose their beauty,
+being flat and uninteresting.
+
+We unfortunately did not reach the splendid Wennersee, which is from
+forty-five to sixty-five miles long, and proportionally broad, until
+evening, when it was already too dark to admire the scenery.  Our ship
+remained some hours before the insignificant village Wennersborg.
+
+We had met six or seven steamers on our journey, which all belonged to
+Swedish or Norwegian merchants; and it afforded us a peculiarly
+interesting sight to see these ships ascend and descend in the high
+locks.
+
+                                                            September 5th.
+
+As we were leaving Wennersborg late on the previous night, and were
+cruising about the sea, a contrary wind, or rather a squall, arose, which
+would have signified little to a good vessel, but to which our small ship
+was not equal.  The poor captain tried in vain to navigate the steamer
+across the lake; he was at last compelled to give up the attempt, to
+return and to cast anchor.  We lost our boat during this storm; a high
+wave dashed over the deck and swept it away: it had probably been as well
+fastened as our boxes and trunks.
+
+Though it was but nine o'clock in the morning, our captain declared that
+he could not proceed during the day, but that if the weather became more
+favourable, he would start again about midnight.  Fortunately a
+fishing-boat ventured to come alongside, and some of the passengers
+landed.  I was among them, and made use of this opportunity to visit some
+cottages lying at the edge of a wood near the lake.  They were very
+small, but consisted of two chambers, which contained several beds and
+other furniture; the people were also somewhat better clad than the
+Norwegians.  Their food too was not so unpalatable; they boiled a thick
+mess of coarse black flour, which was eaten with sweet milk.
+
+                                                            September 6th.
+
+We raised anchor at one o'clock in the morning, and in about five hours
+arrived at the island Eken, which consists entirely of rock, and is
+surrounded by a multitude of smaller islets and cliffs.  This is one of
+the most important stations in the lake.  A large wooden warehouse stands
+on the shore, and in it is stored the merchandise of the vicinity
+intended for export; and in return it receives the cargo from the ships.
+There are always several vessels lying at anchor here.
+
+We had now to wind through a cluster of islands, till we again reached
+the open lake, which, however, was only remarkable for its size.  Its
+shores are bare and monotonous, and only dotted here and there with woods
+or low hills; the distant view even is not at all noteworthy.  One of the
+finest views is the tolerably large castle of Leko, which lies on a rock,
+and is surrounded by fertile groves.
+
+Further off rises the Kinne Kulle, {51} to which the traveller's
+attention is directed, because it is said to afford an extended view, not
+only over the lake, but far into the country.  A curious grotto is said
+to exist in this hill; but unfortunately one loses these sights since the
+establishment of steamers, for we fly past every object of interest, and
+the longest journey will soon be described in a few words.
+
+A large glass-factory is established at Bromoe, which fabricates
+window-glass exclusively.  We stopped a short time, and took a
+considerable cargo of the brittle material on board.
+
+The factory and the little dwellings attached to it are prettily situated
+on the undulating ground.
+
+Near Sjotorp we entered the river again through several locks.  The
+passage of the Wennersee is calculated at about ten or eleven hours.
+
+The river at first winds through woods; and while the ship slowly passes
+through the locks, it is pleasanter to walk a portion of the distance in
+their shade.  Farther on it flows through broad valleys, which, however,
+present no very attractive features.
+
+                                                            September 7th.
+
+Early in the morning we crossed the pretty Vikensee, which distinguishes
+itself, like all Swedish lakes, by the multitude of its islands, cliffs,
+and rocks.  These islands are frequently covered with trees, which make
+the view more interesting.
+
+The lake is 306 feet above the level of the North Sea, and is the highest
+point of the journey; from thence the locks begin to descend.  The number
+of ascending and descending locks amounts to seventy-two.
+
+A short canal leads into the Boltensee, which is comparatively free from
+islands.  The passage across this little lake is very charming; the
+shores are diversified by hills, woods, meadows, and fields.  After it
+comes the Weltersee, which can be easily defended by the beautiful
+fortress of Karlsborg.  This lake has two peculiarities: one being the
+extraordinary purity and transparency of its waters; the other, the
+number of storms which prevail in it.  I was told that it frequently
+raged and stormed on the lake while the surrounding country remained calm
+and free.  The storm sometimes overtakes the ship so suddenly and
+violently, that escape is impossible; and the sagas and fables told of
+the deceitful tricks of these waves are innumerable.
+
+We fortunately escaped, and crossed its surface cheerfully and merrily.
+On its shores are situated the beautiful ladies' pensionary, Wadstena,
+and the celebrated mountain Omberg, at whose foot a battle was fought.
+
+The next canal is short, and leads through a lovely wood into the little
+lake of Norbysee.  It is customary to walk this distance, and inspect the
+simple monument of Count Platen, who made the plans for the locks and
+canals,--a lasting, colossal undertaking.  The monument is surrounded by
+an iron railing, and consists of a slab bearing an inscription, simply
+stating in Swedish his name, the date of his death, &c.  Nearly opposite
+the monument, on the other side of the canal, is the town of Motala,
+distinguished principally for its large iron factories, in which the
+spacious work-rooms are especially remarkable.
+
+Fifteen locks lead from the Norbysee into the Roxersee, which is a
+descent of 116 feet.  The canal winds gracefully through woods and
+meadows, crossed by pretty roads, and studded with elegant little houses
+and larger edifices.  Distant church-steeples point out the village of
+Norby, which sometimes peeps forth behind little forests, and then
+vanishes again from the view of the traveller.  When the sun shines on
+the waters of this canal, it has a beautiful, transparent, pea-green
+colour, like the purest chrysolite.
+
+The view from the hill which rises immediately before the lake of Roxen
+is exceedingly fine.  It looks down upon an immense valley, covered with
+the most beautiful woods and rocks, and upon the broad lake, whose arm
+flows far in land.  The evening sun shed its last rays over a little town
+on the lake-shore, and its newly-painted tiles shone brightly in its
+light beams.
+
+While the ship descended through the many locks, we visited the
+neighbouring church of the village of Vretakloster, which contains the
+skeletons of several kings in beautifully-made metal coffins.
+
+We then crossed the lake, which is from four to five miles broad, and
+remained all night before the entrance of the canal leading into a bay of
+the Baltic.
+
+                                                            September 8th.
+
+This canal is one of the longest; its environs are very pretty, and the
+valley through which it runs is one of the largest we had passed.  The
+town of Soderkoping is situated at the foot of high, picturesque groups
+of rocks, which extend to a considerable distance.
+
+Every valley and every spot of soil in Sweden are carefully cultivated.
+
+The people in general are well dressed, and inhabit small but very pretty
+houses, whose windows are frequently decorated with clean white
+draperies.  I visited several of these houses, as we had abundance of
+time for such excursions while the ship was going through the locks.  I
+think one might walk the whole distance from Gottenburg to Stockholm in
+the same time that the ship takes for the journey.  We lose some hours
+daily with the locks, and are obliged to lie still at night on their
+account.  The distance is calculated at from 180 to 250 miles, and the
+journey takes five days.
+
+In the evening we approached the Baltic, which has the same character as
+the Scheren of the North Sea.  The ship threads its way through a shoal
+of islands and islets, of rocks and cliffs; and it is as difficult to
+imagine here as there how it is possible to avoid all the projecting
+cliffs, and guide the ship so safely through them.  The sea divides
+itself into innumerable arms and bays, into small and large lakes, which
+are formed between the islands and rocks, and are hemmed in by beautiful
+hills.  But nothing can exceed the beauty of the view of the castle
+Storry Husby, which lies on a high mountain, in a bay.  In front of the
+mountain a beautiful meadow-lawn reaches to the shores of the sea, while
+the back is surrounded in the distance by a splendid pine-forest.  Near
+this picturesque castle a steeple rises on a neighbouring island, which
+is all that remains of the ancient castle of Stegeborg.  Nothing can be
+more romantic than the scenery here, and on the whole journey over the
+fiord; for it presents itself in ever-varying pictures to the traveller's
+notice.
+
+But gradually the hills become lower, the islands more rare; the sea
+supersedes every thing, and seems jealously anxious to exclude other
+objects from the traveller's attention, as if it wished to monopolise it.
+Now we were in the open sea, and saw only water and sky; and then again
+we were so hemmed in by the rocks and cliffs, that it would be impossible
+to extricate the ship without the assistance of an experienced pilot.
+
+                                                            September 9th.
+
+We left the sea, and entered another lake, the Malarsee, celebrated for
+its numerous islands, by a short canal.  The town of Sotulje lies at its
+entrance, charmingly situated in a narrow valley at the foot of a rather
+steep hill.  This lake at first resembles a broad river, but widens at
+every step, and soon shews itself in its whole expanse.  The passage of
+the Malarsee takes four hours, and is one of the most charming excursions
+that can be made.  It is said to contain about a thousand islets of
+various sizes; and it may be imagined how varied in form and feature the
+scenery must be, and, like the fiord of the Baltic, what a constant
+succession of new scenes it must present.
+
+The shores also are very beautiful: in some spots hills descend sharply
+to the water's edge, the steep rocks forming dangerous points; on others
+dark, sombre pine-forests grow; and again there are gay valleys and
+meadows, with villages or single cottages.  Many travellers assert that
+this lake is, after all, very monotonous; but I cannot agree with their
+opinion.  I found it so attractive, that I could repeat the journey many
+times without wearying of this lovely sameness.  It certainly has not the
+majestic backgrounds of the Swiss lakes; but this profusion of small
+islands is a pleasing peculiarity which can be found on no other lake.
+
+On the summit of a steep precipice of the shore the hat of the
+unfortunate Eric is hoisted, fastened to a long pole.  History tells that
+this king fled from the enemy in a battle; that one of his soldiers
+pursued him, and reproached him for his cowardice, whereupon Eric, filled
+with shame and despair, gave spurs to his horse and leaped into the
+fearful abyss.  At his fall his hat was blown from his head, and was left
+on this spot.
+
+Not far from this point the suburbs of Stockholm make their appearance,
+being spread round one of the broad arms of the lake.  With increasing
+curiosity we gazed towards the town as we gradually approached it.  Many
+of the pretty villas, which are situated in the valleys or on the sides
+of the hills as forerunners of the town, come into view, and the suburbs
+rise amphi-theatrically on the steep shores.  The town itself closes the
+prospect by occupying the whole upper shore of the lake, and is flanked
+by the suburbs at either side.  The Ritterholm church, with its cast-iron
+perforated towers, and the truly grand royal palace, which is built
+entirely in the Italian style, can be seen and admired from this
+distance.
+
+We had scarcely cast anchor in the port of Stockholm, when a number of
+Herculean women came and offered us their services as porters.  They were
+Delekarliers, {52} who frequently come to Stockholm to earn a livelihood
+as porters, water-carriers, boatwomen, &c.  They easily find employment,
+because they possess two excellent qualities: they are said to be
+exceedingly honest and hard-working, and, at the same time, have the
+strength and perseverance of men.
+
+Their dress consists of black petticoats, which come half way over the
+calf of the leg, red bodices, white chemises with long sleeves, short
+narrow aprons of two colours, red stockings, and shoes with wooden soles
+an inch thick.  They twist a handkerchief round their head, or put on a
+little close black cap, which fits close on the back part of the head.
+
+In Stockholm there are entire houses, as well as single rooms, which, as
+in a hotel, are let by the day.  They are much cheaper than hotels, and
+are therefore more in demand.  I at once hired one of these rooms, which
+was very clean and bright, and for which, with breakfast, I only paid one
+riksdaler, which is about one shilling.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+
+As my journey was ostensibly only to Iceland, and as I only paid a flying
+visit to this portion of Scandinavia, my readers will pardon me if I
+treat it briefly.  This portion of Europe has been so frequently and so
+excellently described by other travellers, that my observations would be
+of little importance.
+
+I remained in Stockholm six days, and made as good use of my time as I
+could.  The town is situated on the shores of the Baltic Sea and the
+Malar lake.  These two waters are connected by a short canal, on whose
+shores the most delightful houses are erected.
+
+                           [Picture: Stockholm]
+
+My first visit was to the beautiful church of Ritterholm, which is used
+more for a cemetery and an armory than for a place of worship.  The
+vaults serve as burial-places for the kings, and their monuments are
+erected in the side-chapels.  On each side of the nave of the church are
+placed effigies of armed knights on horseback, whose armour belonged to
+the former kings of Sweden.  The walls and angles of the church are
+profusely decorated with flags and standards, said to number five
+thousand.  In addition to this, the keys of conquered towns and
+fortresses hang along the side-walls, and drums are piled upon the floor;
+trophies taken from different nations with which Sweden has been at war.
+
+Besides these curiosities, several coats of armour and garments of
+Swedish regents are displayed behind glass-cases in the side-chapels.
+Among them, the dress which Charles XII. wore on the day of his death,
+and his hat perforated by a ball, interested me most.  His riding-boots
+stand on the ground beside it.  The modern dress and hat, embroidered
+with gold and ornamented with feathers, of the last king, the founder of
+the new dynasty, is not less interesting, partly perhaps from the great
+contrast.
+
+The church of St. Nicholas stands on the same side of the canal, and is
+one of the finest Protestant churches I had seen; it is very evident that
+it was built in Catholic times, and that its former decorations have been
+allowed to remain.  It contains several large and small oil-paintings,
+some ancient and some modern monuments, and a profusion of gilding.  The
+organ is fine and large; flanking the entrance of the church are
+beautiful reliefs, hewn in stone; and above it, carved in wood, a statue
+of the archangel Michael, larger than life, sitting on horseback on a
+bridge, in the act of killing the dragon.
+
+Near the church is situated the royal palace, which needs a more fluent
+pen than mine to describe it.  It would fill a volume were I to enumerate
+and describe the treasures, curiosities, and beauties of its
+construction, or its interior arrangement; I can only say that I never
+saw any thing to equal it, except the royal palace of Naples.  Such an
+edifice is the more surprising in the north, and in a country which has
+never been overstocked with wealth.
+
+The church of Shifferholm is remarkable only for its position and its
+temple-like form; it stands on the ledge of a rock facing the royal
+palace, on the opposite shore of the same indentation of the Baltic.  A
+long bridge of boats leads from the one to the other.
+
+The church of St. Catharine is large and beautiful.  In an outer angle of
+the church is shewn the stone on which one of the brothers Sturre was
+beheaded. {53}
+
+On the Ritterplatz stands the Ritterhouse, a very fine palace; also the
+old royal palace, and several other royal and private mansions; but they
+are not nearly so numerous nor so fine as in Copenhagen, and the streets
+and squares also cannot be compared with those of the capital of Denmark.
+
+The finest prospect is from a hill in one of the suburbs called the Great
+Mosbecken; it affords a magnificent view of the sea and the lake, of the
+town and its suburbs, as far as the points of the mountains, and of the
+lovely country-houses which border the shores of lake and sea.  The town
+and its environs are so interspersed with islets and rocks, that these
+seem to be part of the town; and this gives Stockholm such a curious
+appearance, that I can compare it to no other city I have seen.  Wooded
+hills and naked rocks prolong the view, and their ridges extend into the
+far distance; while level fields and lawns take up but a very small
+proportion of the magnificent scenery.
+
+On descending from this hill the traveller should not fail to go to
+Sodermalm, and to inspect the immense iron-stores, where iron is heaped
+up in countless bars.  The corn-market of Stockholm is insignificant.
+The principal buildings besides those already enumerated are, the bank,
+the mint, the guard-house, the palace of the crown-prince, the theatre,
+&c.  The latter is interesting, partly because Gustavus III. was shot in
+it.  He fell on the stage, while a grand masquerade was taking place, for
+which the theatre had been changed into a ball-room.  The king was shot
+by a mask, and died in a few hours.
+
+There is not a representation in the theatre every night; and on the one
+evening of performance during my visit a festival was to be celebrated in
+the hall of antiquities.  The esteemed artist Vogelberg, a native of
+Sweden, had beautifully sculptured the three heathen gods, Thor, Balder,
+and Odin, in colossal size, and brought them over from Rome.  The statues
+had only been lately placed, and a large company had been invited to meet
+in the illuminated saloon, and do honour to the artist.  Solemn hymns
+were to be sung at the uncovering of the statues, beside other
+festivities.  I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to this
+festival, which was to commence a little past seven.  Before that I went
+to the theatre, which, I was told, would open at half-past six.  I
+intended to remain there half an hour, and then drive to the palace,
+where my friends would meet me to accompany me to the festival.  I went
+to the theatre at six, and anxiously waited half an hour for the
+commencement of the overture; it was after half-past six, and no signs of
+the commencement.  I looked again at the bill, and saw, to my annoyance,
+that the opera did not begin till seven.  But as I would not leave until
+I had seen the stage, I spent the time in looking at the theatre itself.
+It is tolerably large, and has five tiers of boxes, but is neither
+tastefully nor richly decorated.  I was most surprised at the exorbitant
+price and the variety of seats.  I counted twenty-six different kinds; it
+seems that every row has a different price, else I don't understand how
+they could make such a variety.
+
+At last the overture began; I listened to it, saw the curtain rise,
+looked at the fatal spot, and left after the first air.  The door-keeper
+followed me, took my arm, and wished to give me a return-ticket; and when
+I told him that I did not require one, as I did not intend to return, he
+said that it had only just commenced, and that I ought to stop, and not
+have spent all the money for nothing.  I was unfortunately too little
+acquainted with the Swedish language to explain the reason of my
+departure, so I could give him no answer, but went away.  I, however,
+heard him say to some one, "I never met with such a woman before; she sat
+an hour looking at the curtain, and goes away as soon as it rises."  I
+looked round and saw how he shook his head thoughtfully, and pointed with
+his forefinger to his forehead.  I could not refrain from smiling, and
+enjoyed the scene as much as I should have done the second act of
+Mozart's _Don Giovanni_.
+
+I called for my friends at the royal palace, and spent the evening very
+agreeably in the brilliantly-illuminated galleries of antiquities and of
+pictures.  I had the pleasure also of being introduced to Herr Vogelberg.
+His modest, unpretending manners must inspire every one with respect,
+even if one does not know what distinguished talent he possesses.
+
+The royal park is one of the finest sights in the neighbourhood of
+Stockholm, and is one of the best of its kind.  It is a fine large
+natural park, with an infinity of groves, meadows, hills, and rocks; here
+and there lies a country-house with its fragrant flower-garden, or
+tasteful coffee and refreshment houses, which on fine Sundays are filled
+with visitors from the town.  Good roads are made through the park, and
+commodious paths lead to the finest points of view over sea and land.
+
+The bust of the popular poet Bellmann stands on an open sunny spot, and
+an annual festival is given here in his honour.
+
+Deeper in the park lies the so-called Rosenthal (Rose valley), a real
+Eden.  The late king was so partial to this spot, that he spent many
+hours in the little royal country-house here, which is built on a retired
+spot in the midst of groves and flower-beds.  In front of the palace
+stands a splendid vase made of a single piece of porphyry.  I was told
+that it was the largest in Europe, but I consider the one in the Museum
+of Naples much larger.
+
+I spent the last hours of my visit to Stockholm in this spot, with the
+amiable family of Herr Boje from Finnland, whose acquaintance I had made
+on the journey from Gottenburg to Stockholm.  I shall therefore never
+forget this beautiful park and the agreeable associations connected with
+it.
+
+I made a very agreeable excursion also to the royal palace of Haga, to
+the large cemetery, and to the military school Karlberg.
+
+The royal castle of Haga is surrounded by a magnificent park, which owes
+little to art; it contains some of the finest trees, with here and there
+a hill, and is crossed by majestic alleys and well-kept roads for driving
+and walking.  The palace itself is so small, that I could not but admire
+the moderation of the royal family; but I was informed that this is the
+smallest of their summer palaces.
+
+Nearly opposite to this park is the great cemetery; but as it has only
+existed for about seventeen years, the trees in it are yet rather young.
+This would be of little consequence in other countries, but in Sweden the
+cemeteries serve as promenades, and are crossed by alleys, ornamented
+with groves, and provided with seats for the accommodation of visitors.
+This cemetery is surrounded by a dark pine-forest, and really seems quite
+shut off from the outer world.  It is the only burial-place out of the
+town; the others all lie between the churches and the neighbouring
+houses, whose fronts often form the immediate boundary.  Burials take
+place there constantly, so that the inhabitants are quite familiar with
+the aspect of death.
+
+From the great cemetery a road leads to the neighbouring Karlberg, which
+is the academy for military and naval cadets.  The extensive buildings
+attached to this seminary are built on the slope of a mountain, which is
+washed on one side by the waters of the lake, and surrounded on the other
+by the beautiful park-plantations.
+
+Before leaving Stockholm I had the honour of being introduced to her
+majesty the Queen of Sweden.  She had heard of my travels, and took a
+particular interest in my account of Palestine.  In consequence of this
+favour, I received the special permission to inspect the whole interior
+of the palace.  Although it was inhabited, I was conducted, not only
+through the state-rooms, but through all the private rooms of the court.
+It would be impossible to describe the splendour which reigns here, the
+treasures of art, the magnificent appointments, and the evident taste
+every where displayed.  I was delighted with all the treasures and
+splendour, but still more with the warm interest with which her majesty
+conversed with me about Palestine.  This interview will ever dwell on my
+memory as the bright salient point of my northern expedition.
+
+
+
+EXCURSION TO THE OLD ROYAL CASTLE OF GRIPTHOLM ON THE MALARSEE
+
+
+Every Sunday morning, at eight o'clock, a little steamer leaves Stockholm
+for this castle; the distance is about forty-five miles, and is passed in
+four hours; four hours more are allowed for the stay, and in the evening
+the steamer returns to Stockholm.  This excursion is very interesting,
+although we pass the greater part of the time on that portion of the lake
+which we had seen on our arrival, but for the last few miles the ship
+turned into a pretty bay, at whose apex the castle is situated.  It is
+distinguished for its size, its architecture, and its colossal turrets.
+It is unfortunately, however, painted with the favourite brick-red colour
+of the Swedes.
+
+Two immense cannons, which the Swedes once gained in battle from the
+Russians, stand in the courtyard.  The apartments in the castle, which
+are kept in good condition, display neither splendour nor profusion of
+appointments, indeed almost the contrary.  The pretty theatre is,
+however, an exception: for its walls are inlaid from top to bottom with
+mirrors, its pillars are gilt, and the royal box tapestried with rich red
+velvet.  There has been no performance here since the death of Gustavus
+III.
+
+The immensely massive walls are a remarkable feature of this palace, and
+must measure about three yards in thickness in the lower stories.
+
+The upper apartments are all large and high, and afford a splendid view
+of the lake from their windows.  But it is impossible to enjoy these
+beautiful scenes when one thinks of the sad events which have taken place
+here.
+
+Two kings, John III. and Eric XIV., the latter with four of his
+ministers, who were subsequently beheaded, were imprisoned here for many
+years.  The captivity of John III. would not have been so bad, if
+captivity were not bad enough in itself.  He was confined in a large
+splendid saloon, but which he was not permitted to quit, and which he
+would therefore probably have gladly exchanged for the poorest hut and
+liberty.  His wife inhabited two smaller apartments adjoining; she was
+not treated as a prisoner, and could leave the castle at will.  His son
+Sigismund was born here in the year 1566, and the room and bed in which
+he was born are still shewn as curiosities.
+
+Eric's fate was much more unfortunate, for he was kept in narrow and dark
+confinement.  A small rudely-furnished apartment, with narrow,
+iron-barred windows, in one of the little turrets was his prison.  The
+entrance was closed by a solid oaken door, in which a small opening had
+been made, through which his food was given him.  For greater security
+this oaken door was covered by an iron one.  Round the outside of the
+apartment a narrow gallery had been made, on which the guards were
+posted, and could at all times see their prisoner through the barred
+windows.  The spot is still shewn at one of the windows where the king
+sat for hours looking into the distance, his head leaning on his hand.
+What must have been his feelings as he gazed on the bright sky, the
+verdant turf, and the smiling lake!  How many sighs must have been echoed
+from these walls, how many sleepless nights must he have passed during
+those two long years in anxious expectation of the future!
+
+The guide who took us round the castle maintained that the floor was more
+worn on this spot than any where else, and that the window-sash had been
+hollowed by the elbow of the miserable king; but I could not perceive any
+difference.  Eric was kept imprisoned here for two years, and was then
+taken to another prison.
+
+There is a large picture-gallery in this castle; but it contains
+principally portraits of kings, not only of Sweden, but of other
+countries, from the Middle Ages down to the present time; also portraits
+of ministers, generals, painters, poets, and learned men; of celebrated
+Swedish females, who have sacrificed themselves for their country, and of
+the most celebrated female beauties.  The name and date of birth of each
+person are affixed to his or her portrait, so that each visitor may find
+his favourite without guide or catalogue.  In many of them the colouring
+and drawing are wretched enough, but we will hope that the resemblance is
+all the more striking.
+
+On our return several gentlemen were kind enough to direct my attention
+to the most interesting points of the lake.  Among these I must mention
+Kakeholm, its broadest point; the island of Esmoi, on which a Swedish
+female gained a battle; Norsberg, also celebrated for a battle which took
+place there; and Sturrehof, the property of a great Swedish family.  Near
+Bjarkesoe a simple cross is erected, ostensibly on the spot where
+Christianity was first introduced.  Indeed the Malarsee has so many
+historical associations, in addition to the attractions of its scenery,
+that it is one of the most interesting seas not only of Sweden but of
+Europe.
+
+
+
+JOURNEY FROM STOCKHOLM TO UPSALA AND TO THE IRON-MINES OF DANEMORA
+
+
+                                                           September 12th.
+
+The intercourse between Stockholm and Upsala is very considerable.  A
+steamer leaves both places every day except Sunday, and traverses the
+distance in six hours.
+
+Tempted by this convenient opportunity of easily and quickly reaching the
+celebrated town of Upsala, and by the unusually fine weather, I took my
+passage one evening, and was greatly disappointed when, on the following
+morning, the rain poured down in torrents.  But if travellers paid much
+attention to the weather, they would not go far; so I nevertheless
+embarked at half-past seven, and arrived safely in Upsala.  I remained in
+the cabin during the passage, and could not even enjoy the prospect from
+the cabin-windows, for the rain beat on them from the outside, while
+inside they were obscured by the heat.  But I did not venture on deck,
+hoping to be favoured by better weather on my return.
+
+At last, about three o'clock, when I had been in Upsala more than an
+hour, the weather cleared up, and I sallied out to see the sights.
+
+First I visited the cathedral.  I entered, and stood still with
+astonishment at the chief portal, on looking up at the high roof resting
+on two rows of pillars, and covering the whole church.  It is formed in
+one beautiful straight line, unbroken by a single arch.  The church
+itself is simple: behind the grand altar a handsome chapel is erected,
+the ceiling of which is painted azure blue, embossed with golden stars.
+In this chapel Gustavus I. is interred between his two wives.  The
+monument which covers the grave is large, and made of marble, but clumsy
+and void of taste.  It represents a sarcophagus, on which three bodies,
+the size of life, are laid; a marble canopy is raised over them.  The
+walls of the chapel are covered with pretty frescoes, representing the
+most remarkable scenes in the life of this monarch.  The most interesting
+among them are, one in which he enters a peasant's hut in peasant's
+attire, at the same moment that his pursuers are eagerly inquiring after
+him in front of the hut; the other, when he stands on a barrel, also
+dressed as a peasant, and harangues his people.  Two large tablets in a
+broad gold frame contain in Swedish, and not in the Latin language, the
+explanation of the different pictures, so that every Swede may easily
+learn the monarch's history.
+
+Several other monuments are erected in the side-chapels; those of
+Catharine Magelone, John III., Gustavus Erichson, who was beheaded, and
+of the two brothers Sturre, who were murdered.  The monument of
+Archbishop Menander, in white marble, is a tasteful and artistic modern
+production.  The great Linnaeus is buried under a simple marble slab in
+this church; but his monument is in one of the side-chapels, and not over
+his grave, and consists of a beautiful dark-brown porphyry slab, on which
+his portrait is sculptured in relief.
+
+The splendid organ, which reaches nearly to the roof of the church, also
+deserves special attention.  The treasure-chamber does not contain great
+treasures; the blood-stained and dagger-torn garments of the unfortunate
+brothers Sturre are kept in a glass case here; and here also stands a
+wooden statue of the heathen god Thor.  This wooden affair seems to have
+originally been an Ecce Homo, which was perhaps the ornament of some
+village church, then carried off by some unbeliever, and made more
+shapeless than its creator, not proficient in art, had made it.  It has a
+greater resemblance now to a frightful scarecrow than to any thing else.
+
+The churchyard near the church is distinguished for its size and beauty.
+It is surrounded by a wall of stone two feet high, surmounted by an iron
+palisading of equal height, broken by stone pillars.  On several sides,
+steps are made into the burying-ground over this partition.  In this
+cemetery, as in the one of Stockholm, one seems to be in a lovely garden,
+laid out with alleys, arbours, lawns, &c.; but it is more beautiful than
+the other, because it is older.  The graves are half concealed by
+arbours; many were ornamented with flowers and wreaths, or hedged by
+rose-bushes.  The whole aspect of this cemetery, or rather of this
+garden, seems equally adapted for the amusement of the living or the
+repose of the dead.
+
+The monuments are in no way distinguished; only two are rather
+remarkable, for they consist of tremendous pieces of rock in their
+natural condition, standing upright on the graves.  One of these
+monuments resembles a mountain; it covers the ashes of a general, and is
+large enough to have covered his whole army; his relatives probably took
+the graves of Troy as a specimen for their monument.  It is moreover
+inscribed by very peculiar signs, which seemed to me to be runic
+characters.  The good people have united in this monument two
+characteristics of the ancients of two entirely distinct empires.
+
+The university or library building in Upsala is large and beautiful; it
+is situated on a little hill, with a fine front facing the town.  The
+park, which is, however, still somewhat young, forms the background. {54}
+
+Near this building, on the same hill, stands a royal palace, conspicuous
+for its brick-red colour.  It is very large, and the two wings are
+finished by massive round towers.
+
+In the centre of the courtyard, behind the castle, is placed a colossal
+bust of Gustavus I., and a few paces from it two artificial hills serve
+as bastions, on which cannons are planted.  This being the highest point
+of the town, affords the best view over it, and over the surrounding
+country.
+
+The town itself is built half of wood and half of stone, and is very
+pretty, being crossed by broad streets, and ornamented with tastefully
+laid-out gardens.  It has one disadvantage, which is the dark
+brownish-red colour of the houses, which has a peculiarly sombre
+appearance in the setting sun.
+
+An immense and fertile plain, diversified by dark forests contrasting
+with the bright green meadows and the yellow stubble-fields, surrounds
+the town, and in the distance the silvery river Fyris flows towards the
+sea.  Forests close the distant view with their dark shadows.  I saw but
+few villages; they may, however, have been hidden by the trees, for that
+they exist seems to be indicated by the well-kept high roads crossing the
+plain in all directions.
+
+Before quitting my position on the bastions of the royal palace I cast a
+glance on the castle-gardens, which were lying lower down the hill, and
+are separated from the castle by a road; they do not seem to be large,
+but are very pretty.
+
+I should have wished to be able to visit the botanic garden near the
+town, which was the favourite resort of Linnaeus, whose
+splendidly-sculptured bust is said to be its chief ornament; but the sun
+was setting behind the mountains, and I repaired to my chamber, to
+prepare for my journey to Danemora.
+
+                                                           September 13th.
+
+I left Upsala at four o'clock in the morning, to proceed to the far-famed
+iron-mines of Danemora, upwards of thirty miles distant, and where I
+wished to arrive before twelve, as the blasting takes place at that hour,
+after which the pits are closed.  As I had been informed how slowly
+travelling is done in this country, and how tedious the delays are when
+the horses are changed, I determined to allow time enough for all
+interruptions, and yet arrive at the appointed hour.
+
+A few miles behind Upsala lies Old Upsala (Gamla Upsala).  I saw the old
+church and the grave-hills in passing; three of the latter are remarkably
+large, the others smaller.  It is presumed that the higher ones cover the
+graves of kings.  I saw similar tumuli during my journey to Greece, on
+the spot where Troy is said to have stood.  The church is not honoured as
+a ruin; it has yet to do service; and it grieved me to see the venerable
+building propped up and covered with fresh mortar on many a time-worn
+spot.
+
+Half way between Upsala and Danemora we passed a large castle, not
+distinguished for its architecture, its situation, or any thing else.
+Then we neared the river Fyris, and the long lake of Danemora; both are
+quite overgrown with reeds and grass, and have flat uninteresting shores;
+indeed the whole journey offers little variety, as the road lies through
+a plain, only diversified by woods, fields, and pieces of rock.  These
+are interesting features, because one cannot imagine how they came there,
+the mountains being at a great distance, and the soil by no means rocky.
+
+The little town of Danemora lies in the midst of a wood, and only
+consists of a church and a few large and small detached houses.  The
+vicinity of the mines is indicated before arriving at the place by
+immense heaps of stones, which are brought by horse-gins from the pits,
+and which cover a considerable space.
+
+I had fortunately arrived in time to see the blastings.  Those in the
+great pit are the most interesting; for its mouth is so very large, that
+it is not necessary to descend in order to see the pit-men work; all is
+visible from above.  This is a very peculiar and interesting sight.  The
+pit, 480 feet deep, with its colossal doors and entrances leading into
+the galleries, looks like a picture of the lower world, from which
+bridges of rocks, projections, arches and caverns formed in the walls,
+ascend to the upper world.  The men look like pigmies, and one cannot
+follow their movements until the eye has accustomed itself to the depth
+and to the darkness prevailing below.  But the darkness is not very
+dense; I could distinguish most of the ladders, which seemed to me like
+children's toys.
+
+It was nearly twelve, and the workmen left the pits, with the exception
+of those in charge of the mines.  They ascended by means of little tubs
+hanging by ropes, and were raised by a windlass.  It is a terrible sight
+to see the men soaring up on the little machine, especially when two or
+three ascend at once; for then one man stands in the centre, while the
+other two ride on the edge of the tub.
+
+                       [Picture: Mines of Danemora]
+
+I should have liked to descend into the great pit, but it was too late on
+this day, and I would not wait another.  I should not have feared the
+descent, as I was familiar with such adventures, having explored the
+salt-mines of Wieliczka and Bochnia, in Gallicia, some years before, in
+which I had had to let myself down by a rope, which is a much more
+dangerous method than the tub.
+
+With the stroke of twelve, four blasting trains in the large pit were
+fired.  The man whose business it was to apply the match ran away in
+great haste, and sheltered himself behind a wall of rock.  In a few
+moments the powder flashed, some stones fell, and then a fearful crash
+was heard all around, followed by the rolling and falling of the blasted
+masses.  Repeated echoes announced the fearful explosion in the interior
+of the pits: the whole left a terrible impression on me.  Scarcely had
+one mine ceased to rage, when the second began, then the third, and so
+on.  These blastings take place daily in different mines.
+
+The other pits are deeper, the deepest being 600 feet; but the mouths are
+smaller, and the shafts not perpendicular, so that the eye is lost in
+darkness, which is a still more unpleasant sensation.  I gazed with
+oppressed chest into the dark space, vainly endeavouring to distinguish
+something.  I should not like to be a miner; I could not endure life
+without the light of day; and when I turned from the dark pits, I cast my
+eyes thankfully on the cheerful landscape basking in the sun.
+
+I returned to Upsala on the same day, having made this little journey by
+post.  I can merely narrate the facts, without giving an opinion on the
+good or bad conveniences for locomotion, as this was more a pleasure-trip
+than a journey.
+
+As I had hired no carriage, I had a different vehicle at every station,
+and these vehicles consisted of ordinary two-wheeled wooden carts.  My
+seat was a truss of hay covered with the horse-cloth.  If the roads had
+not been so extremely good, these carts would have shaken terribly; but
+as it was, I must say that I rode more comfortably than in the carriols
+of the Norwegians, although they were painted and vanished; for in them I
+had to be squeezed in with my feet stretched out, and could not change my
+position.
+
+The stations are unequal,--sometimes long, sometimes short.  The
+post-horses are provided here, as in Norway, by wealthy peasants, called
+Dschns-peasants.  These have to collect a certain number of horses every
+evening for forwarding the travellers the next morning.  At every
+post-house a book is kept, in which the traveller can see how many horses
+the peasant has, how many have already been hired, and how many are left
+in the stable.  He must then inscribe his name, the hour of his
+departure, and the number of horses he requires.  By this arrangement
+deception and extortion are prevented, as every thing is open, and the
+prices fixed. {55}
+
+Patience is also required here, though not so much as in Norway.  I had
+always to wait from fifteen to twenty minutes before the carriage was
+brought and the horses and harness prepared, but never longer; and I must
+admit that the Swedish post-masters hurried as much as possible, and
+never demanded double fare, although they must have known that I was in
+haste.  The pace of the horse depends on the will of the coachman and the
+powers of his steed; but in no other country did I see such consideration
+paid to the strength of the horses.  It is quite ridiculous to see what
+small loads of corn, bricks, or wood, are allotted to two horses, and how
+slowly and sleepily they draw their burdens.
+
+The number of wooden gates, which divide the roads into as many parts as
+there are common grounds on it, are a terrible nuisance to travellers.
+The coachman has often to dismount six or eight times in an hour to open
+and close these gates.  I was told that these delectable gates even exist
+on the great high road, only not quite in such profusion as on the
+by-roads.
+
+Wood must be as abundant here as in Norway, for every thing is enclosed;
+even fields which seem so barren as not to be worth the labour or the
+wood.
+
+The villages through which I passed were generally pretty and cheerful,
+and I found the cottages, which I entered while the horses were changed,
+neatly and comfortably furnished.
+
+The peasants of this district wear a peculiar costume.  The men, and
+frequently also the boys, wear long dark-blue cloth surtouts, and cloth
+caps on their heads; so that, at a distance, they look like gentlemen in
+travelling dress.  It seems curious to a foreigner to see these apparent
+gentlemen following the plough or cutting grass.  At a nearer view, of
+course the aspect changes, and the rents and dirt appear, or the leathern
+apron worn beneath the coat, like carpenters in Austria, becomes visible.
+The female costume was peculiar only in so far that it was poor and
+ragged.  In dress and shoes the Norwegian and Swedes are behind the
+Icelanders, but they surpass them in the comfort of their dwellings.
+
+                                                           September 14th.
+
+To-day I returned to Stockholm on the Malarsee, and the weather being
+more favourable than on my former passage, I could remain on deck the
+whole time.  I saw now that we sailed for several miles on the river
+Fyris, which flows through woods and fields into the lake.
+
+The large plain on which old and new Upsala lie was soon out of sight,
+and after passing two bridges, we turned into the Malar.  At first there
+are no islands on its flat expanse, and its shores are studded with low
+tree-covered hills; but we soon, however, arrived at the region of
+islands, where the passage becomes more interesting, and the beauty of
+the shores increases.  The first fine view we saw was the pretty estate
+Krusenberg, whose castle is romantically situated on a fertile hill.  But
+much more beautiful and surprising is the splendid castle of Skukloster,
+a large, beautiful, and regular pile, ornamented with four immense round
+turrets at the four corners, and with gardens stretching down to the
+water's edge.
+
+From this place the scenery is full of beauty and variety; every moment
+presents another and a more lovely view.  Sometimes the waters expand,
+sometimes they are hemmed in by islands, and become as narrow as canals.
+I was most charmed with those spots where the islands lie so close
+together that no outlet seems possible, till another turn shews an
+opening between them, with a glimpse of the lake beyond.  The hills on
+the shores are higher, and the promontories larger, the farther the ship
+advances; and the islands appear to be merely projections of the
+continent, till a nearer approach dispels the illusion.
+
+The village of Sixtuna lies in a picturesque and charming little valley,
+filled with ruins, principally of round towers, which are said to be the
+remains of the Roman town of Sixtum; the name being retained by the new
+town with a slight modification.
+
+After this follow cliffs and rocks rising perpendicularly from the sea,
+and whose vicinity would be by no means desirable in a storm.  Of the
+castle of Rouse only three beautiful domes rise above the trees; a
+frowning bleak hill conceals the rest from the eye.  Then comes a palace,
+the property of a private individual, only remarkable for its size.  The
+last of the notabilities is the Rokeby bridge, said to be one of the
+longest in Sweden.  It unites the firm land with the island on which the
+royal castle of Drottingholm stands.  The town of Stockholm now becomes
+visible; we turn into the portion of the lake on which it lies, and
+arrive there again at two o'clock in the afternoon.
+
+
+
+FROM STOCKHOLM TO TRAVEMUNDE AND HAMBURGH
+
+
+I bade farewell to Stockholm on the 18th September, and embarked in the
+steamer _Svithiold_, of 100-horse power, at twelve o'clock at noon, to go
+to Travemunde.
+
+Few passages can be more expensive than this one is.  The distance is
+five hundred leagues, and the journey generally occupies two and a half
+to three days; for this the fare, without food, is four pounds.  The food
+is also exorbitantly dear; in addition to which the captain is the
+purveyor; so that there is no appeal for the grossest extortion or
+insufficiency.
+
+It pained me much when one of the poorer travellers, who suffered greatly
+from sea-sickness, having applied for some soup to the steward, who
+referred him to the amiable captain, to hear him declare he would make no
+exception, and that a basin of soup would be charged the whole price of a
+complete dinner.  The poor man was to do without the soup, of which he
+stood so much in need, or scrape every farthing together to pay a few
+shillings daily for his dinner.  Fortunately for him some benevolent
+persons on deck paid for his meals.  Some of the gentlemen brought their
+own wine with them, for which they had to pay as much duty to the captain
+as the wine was worth.
+
+To these pleasures of travelling must be added the fact, that a Swedish
+vessel does not advance at all if the weather is unfavourable.  Most of
+the passengers considered that the engines were inefficient.  However
+this may be, we were delayed twenty-four hours at the first half of our
+journey, from Stockholm to Calmar, although we had only a slight breeze
+against us and a rather high sea, but no storm.  In Calmar we cast
+anchor, and waited for more favourable wind.  Several gentlemen, whose
+business in Lubeck was pressing, left the steamer, and continued their
+journey by land.
+
+At first the Baltic very much resembles the Malarsee; for islands, rocks,
+and a variety of scenery make it interesting.  To the right we saw the
+immensely long wooden bridge of Lindenborg, which unites one of the
+larger islands with the continent.
+
+At the end of one of the turns of the sea lies the town of Wachsholm; and
+opposite to it, upon a little rocky island, a splendid fortress with a
+colossal round tower.  Judging by the number of cannons planted along the
+walls, this fortress must be of great importance.  A few hours later we
+passed a similar fortress, Friedrichsborg; it is not in such an open
+situation as the other, but is more surrounded by forests.  We passed at
+a considerable distance, and could not see much of it, nor of the castle
+lying on the opposite side, which seems to be very magnificent, and is
+also surrounded by woods.
+
+The boundaries of the right shore now disappear, but then again appear as
+a terrible heap of naked rocks, at whose extreme edge is situated the
+fine fortress Dolero.  Near it groups of houses are built on the bare
+rocks projecting into the sea, and form an extensive town.
+
+September 19th.
+
+To-day we were on the open, somewhat stormy sea.  Towards noon we arrived
+at the Calmar Sound, formed by the flat, uniform shores of the long
+island Oland on the left, and on the right by Schmoland.  In front rose
+the mountain-island the Jungfrau, to which every Swede points with
+self-satisfied pride.  Its height is only remarkable compared with the
+flatness around; beside the proud giant-mountain of the same name in
+Switzerland it would seem like a little hill.
+
+                                                           September 20th.
+
+On account of the contrary wind, we had cast anchor here last night, and
+this morning continued the journey to Calmar, where we arrived about two
+in the forenoon.  The town is situated on an immense plain, and is not
+very interesting.  A few hours may be agreeably spent here in visiting
+the beautiful church and the antiquated castle, and we had more than
+enough leisure for it.  Wind and weather seemed to have conspired against
+us, and the captain announced an indefinite stay at this place.  At first
+we could not land, as the waves were too high; but at last one of the
+larger boats came alongside, and the more curious among us ventured to
+row to the land in the unsteady vessel.
+
+The exterior of the church resembles a fine antiquated castle from its
+four corner towers and the lowness of its dome, which rises very little
+above the building, and also because the other turrets here and there
+erected for ornament are scarcely perceptible.  The interior of the
+church is remarkable for its size, its height, and a particularly fine
+echo.  The tones of the organ are said to produce a most striking effect.
+We sent for the organist, but he was nowhere to be found; so we had to
+content ourselves with the echo of our own voices.  We went from this
+place to the old royal castle built by Queen Margaret in the sixteenth
+century.  The castle is so dilapidated inside that a tarrying in the
+upper chambers is scarcely advisable.  The lower rooms of the castle have
+been repaired, and are used as prisons; and as we passed, arms were
+stretched forth from some of the barred windows, and plaintive voices
+entreated the passers-by to bestow some trifle upon the poor inmates.
+Upwards of 140 prisoners are said to be confined here. {56}
+
+About three o'clock in the afternoon the wind abated, and we continued
+our journey.  The passage is very uniform, and we saw only flat, bare
+shores; a group of trees even was a rarity.
+
+                                                           September 21st.
+
+When I came on deck this morning the Sound was far behind us.  To the
+left we had the open sea; on the right, instead of the bleak Schmoland,
+we had the bleaker Schonen, which was so barren, that we hardly saw a
+paltry fishing-village between the low sterile hills.
+
+At nine o'clock in the morning we anchored in the port of Ystadt.  The
+town is pretty, and has a large square, in which stand the house of the
+governor, the theatre, and the town-hall.  The streets are broad, and the
+houses partly of wood and partly of stone.  The most interesting feature
+is the ancient church, and in it a much-damaged wooden altar-piece, which
+is kept in the vestry.  Though the figures are coarse and
+disproportionate, one must admire the composition and the carving.  The
+reliefs on the pulpit, and a beautiful monument to the right of the
+altar, also deserve admiration.  These are all carved in wood.
+
+In the afternoon we passed the Danish island Malmo.
+
+At last, after having been nearly four days on the sea instead of two
+days and a half, we arrived safely in the harbour of Travemunde on the
+22d September at two o'clock in the morning.  And now my sea-journeys
+were over; I parted sorrowfully from the salt waters, for it is so
+delightful to see the water's expanse all around, and traverse its
+mirror-like surface.  The sea presents a beautiful picture, even when it
+storms and rages, when waves tower upon waves, and threaten to dash the
+vessel to pieces or to engulf it--when the ship alternately dances on
+their points, or shoots into the abyss; and I frequently crept for hours
+in a corner, or held fast to the sides of the ship, and let the waves
+dash over me.  I had overcome the terrible sea-sickness during my
+numerous journeys, and could therefore freely admire these fearfully
+beautiful scenes of excited nature, and adore God in His grandest works.
+
+We had scarcely cast anchor in the port when a whole array of coachmen
+surrounded us, volunteering to drive us overland to Hamburgh, a journey
+of thirty-six miles, which it takes eight hours to accomplish.
+
+Travemunde is a pretty spot, which really consists of only one street, in
+which the majority of the houses are hotels.  The country from here to
+Lubeck, a distance of ten miles, is very pretty.  A splendid road, on
+which the carriages roll smoothly along, runs through a charming wood
+past a cemetery, whose beauty exceeds that of Upsala; but for the
+monuments, one might take it for one of the most splendid parks or
+gardens.
+
+I regretted nothing so much as being unable to spend a day in Lubeck, for
+I felt very much attracted by this old Hanse town, with its
+pyramidically-built houses, its venerable dome, and other beautiful
+churches, its spacious squares, &c.; but I was obliged to proceed, and
+could only gaze at and admire it as I hurried through.  The pavement of
+the streets is better than I had seen it in any northern town; and on the
+streets, in front of the houses, I saw many wooden benches, on which the
+inhabitants probably spend their summer evenings.  I saw here for the
+first time again the gay-looking street-mirrors used in Hamburgh.  The
+Trave, which flows between Travemunde and Lubeck, has to be crossed by
+boat.  Near Oldesloe are the salt-factories, with large buildings and
+immensely high chimneys; an old romantic castle, entirely surrounded by
+water, lies near Arensburg.
+
+Past Arensburg the country begins to be uninteresting, and remains so as
+far as Hamburgh; but it seems to be very fertile, as there is an
+abundance of green fields and fine meadows.
+
+The little journey from Lubeck to Hamburgh is rather dear, on account of
+the almost incredible number of tolls and dues the poor coachmen have to
+pay.  They have first to procure a license to drive from Lubeck into
+Hamburgh territory, which costs about 1_s._ 3_d._; then mine had to pay
+twice a double toll of 8_d._, because we passed through before five
+o'clock in the morning, and the gates, which are not opened till five
+o'clock, were unfastened especially for us; besides these, there was a
+penny toll on nearly every mile.
+
+This dreadful annoyance of the constant stopping and the toll-bars is
+unknown in Norway and in Sweden.  There, an annual tax is paid for every
+horse, and the owner can then drive freely through the whole country, as
+no toll-bars are erected.
+
+The farm-houses here are very large and far-spread, but the reason is,
+that stable, barn, and shippen are under the same roof: the walls of the
+houses are of wood filled in with bricks.
+
+After passing Arensburg, we saw the steeples of Wandsbeck and Hamburgh in
+the distance; the two towns seem to be one, and are, in fact, only
+separated by pretty country-houses.  But Wandsbeck compared to Hamburgh
+is a village, not a town.
+
+I arrived in Hamburgh about two o'clock in the afternoon; and my
+relatives were so astonished at my arrival, that they almost took me for
+a ghost.  I was at first startled by their reception, but soon understood
+the reason of it.
+
+At the time I left Iceland another vessel went to Altona, by which I sent
+a box of minerals and curiosities to my cousin in Hamburgh.  The sailor
+who brought the box gave such a description of the wretched vessel in
+which I had gone to Copenhagen, that, after having heard nothing of me
+for two months, he thought I must have gone to the bottom of the sea with
+the ship.  I had indeed written from Copenhagen, but the letter had been
+lost; and hence their surprise and delight at my arrival.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+
+I had not much time to spare, so that I could only stay a few days with
+my relatives in Hamburgh; on the 26th September, I went in a little
+steamer from Hamburgh to Harburg, where we arrived in three quarters of
+an hour.  From thence I proceeded in a stage-carriage to Celle, about
+sixty-five miles.
+
+The country is not very interesting; it consists for the most part of
+plains, which degenerate into heaths and marshes; but there are a few
+fertile spots peeping out here and there.
+
+                                                           September 27th.
+
+We arrived at Celle in the night.  From here to Lehrte, a distance of
+about seven miles, I had to hire a private conveyance, but from Lehrte
+the railway goes direct to Berlin. {57}  Many larger and smaller towns
+are passed on this road; but we saw little of them, as the stations all
+lie at some distance, and the railway-train only stops a few minutes.
+
+The first town we passed was Brunswick.  Immediately beyond the town lies
+the pretty ducal palace, built in the Gothic style, in the centre of a
+fine park.  Wolfenbuttel seems to be a considerable town, judging by the
+quantity of houses and church-steeples.  A pretty wooden bridge, with an
+elegantly-made iron balustrade, is built here across the Ocker.  From the
+town, a beautiful lane leads to a gentle hill, on whose top stands a
+lovely building, used as a coffee-house.
+
+As soon as one has passed the Hanoverian domains the country, though it
+is not richer in natural curiosities, is less abundant in marshes and
+heaths, and is very well-cultivated land.  Many villages are spread
+around, and many a charming town excites the wish to travel through at a
+slower pace.
+
+We passed Schepenstadt, Jersheim, and Wegersleben, which latter town
+already belongs to Prussia.  In Ashersleben and in Magdeburg we changed
+carriages.  Near Salze we saw some fine buildings which belong to the
+extensive saltworks existing here.  Jernaudau is a colony of Moravians.
+I should have wished to visit the town of Kotten,--for nothing can be
+more charming than the situation of the town in the midst of fragrant
+gardens,--but we unfortunately only stopped there a few minutes.  The
+town of Dessau is also surrounded by pretty scenery: several bridges
+cross the various arms of the Elbe; that over the river itself rests on
+solid stone columns.  Of Wittenberg we only saw house tops and
+church-steeples; the same of Juterbog, which looks as if it were newly
+built.  Near Lukewalde the regions of sand begin, and the uniformity is
+only broken by a little ridge of wooded hills near Trebbin; but when
+these are past, the railway passes on to Berlin through a melancholy,
+unmitigated desert of sand.
+
+I had travelled from six o'clock this morning until seven in the evening,
+over a distance of about two hundred and twenty miles, during which time
+we had frequently changed carriages.
+
+The number of passengers we had taken up on the road was very great, on
+account of the Leipzic fairs; sometimes the train had thirty-five to
+forty carriages, three locomotives, and seven to eight hundred
+passengers; and yet the greatest order had prevailed.  It is a great
+convenience that one can take a ticket from Lehrte to Berlin, although
+the railway passes through so many different states, because then one
+needs not look after the luggage or any thing else.  The officials on the
+railway are all very civil.  As soon as the train stopped, the guards
+announced with a loud voice the time allowed, however long or short it
+might be; so that the passengers could act accordingly, and take
+refreshments in the neighbouring hotels.  The arrangements for alighting
+are very convenient: the carriages run into deep rails at the stations,
+so that the ground is level with the carriages, and the entrance and exit
+easy.  The carriages are like broad coaches; two seats ran breadthwise
+across them, with a large door at each side.  The first and second class
+contain eight persons in each division, the third class ten.  The
+carriages are all numbered, so that every passenger can easily find his
+seat.
+
+By these simple arrangements the traveller may descend and walk about a
+little, even though the train should only stop two minutes, or even
+purchase some refreshments, without any confusion or crowding.
+
+These conveniences are, of course, impossible when the carriages have the
+length of a house, and contain sixty or seventy persons within locked
+doors, and where the doors are opened by the guards, who only call out
+the name of the station without announcing how long the stay is.  In such
+railways it is not advisable for travellers to leave their seats; for
+before they can pass from one end of the carriage to the other, through
+the narrow door and down the steep steps, the horn is sounded, and at the
+same time the train moves on; the sound being the signal for the
+engine-driver, the passengers having none.
+
+In these states there was also not the least trouble with the passport
+and the intolerable pass-tickets.  No officious police-soldier comes to
+the carriage, and prevents the passengers alighting before they have
+answered all his questions.  If passports had to be inspected on this
+journey, it would take a few days, for they must always be taken to the
+passport-office, as they are never examined on the spot.
+
+Such annoying interruptions often occur several times in the same state.
+And one need not even come from abroad to experience them, as a journey
+from a provincial to a capital town affords enough scope for annoyance.
+
+I had no reason to complain of such annoyances in any of the countries
+through which I had hitherto passed.  My passport was only demanded in my
+hotel in the capitals of the countries, if I intended to remain several
+days.  In Stockholm, however, I found a curious arrangement; every
+foreigner there is obliged to procure a Swedish passport, and pay
+half-a-crown for it, if he only remains a few hours in the town.  This
+is, in reality, only a polite way of taking half-a-crown from the
+strangers, as they probably do not like to charge so much for a simple
+_vise_!
+
+
+
+STAY IN BERLIN--RETURN TO VIENNA
+
+
+I have never seen a town more beautifully or regularly built than
+Berlin,--I mean, the town of Berlin itself,--only the finest streets,
+palaces, and squares of Copenhagen would bear a comparison with it.
+
+I spent but a few days here, and had therefore scarcely time to see the
+most remarkable and interesting sights.
+
+The splendid royal palace, the extensive buildings for the
+picture-gallery and museums, the great dome--all these are situated very
+near each other.
+
+The Dome church is large and regularly built; a chapel, surrounded by an
+iron enclosure, stands at each side of the entrance.  Several kings are
+buried here, and antiquated sarcophagi cover their remains, known as the
+kings' graves.  Near them stands a fine cast-iron monument, beneath which
+Count Brandenburg lies.
+
+The Catholic church is built in the style of the Rotunda in Rome; but,
+unlike it, the light falls from windows made around the walls, and not
+from above.  Beautiful statues and a simple but tasteful altar are the
+only ornaments of this church.  The portico is ornamented by beautiful
+reliefs.
+
+The Werder church is a modern erection, built in the Gothic style, and
+its turrets are ornamented by beautiful bronze reliefs.  The walls inside
+are inlaid with coloured wood up to the galleries, where they terminate
+in Gothic scroll-work.  The organ has a full, clear tone; in front of it
+stands a painting which, at first sight, resembles a scene from heathen
+mythology more than a sacred subject.  A number of cupids soar among
+wreaths of flowers, and surround three beautiful female figures.
+
+The mint and the architectural college stand near this church.  The
+former is covered with fine sculptures; the latter is square, of a
+brick-red colour, without any architectural embellishment, and perfectly
+resembling an unusually large private house.  The ground-floor is turned
+into fine shops.
+
+Near the palace lies the Opera Square, in which stand the celebrated
+opera-house, the arsenal, the university, the library, the academy, the
+guardhouse, and several royal palaces.  Three statues ornament the
+square: those of General Count Bulov, General Count Scharnhorst, and
+General Prince Blucher.  They are all three beautifully sculptured, but
+the drapery did not please me; it consisted of the long military cloth
+cloak, which, opening in front, afforded a glimpse of the splendid
+uniforms.
+
+The arsenal is one of the finest buildings in Berlin, and forms a square;
+at the time of my stay some repairs were being made, so that it was
+closed.  I had to be content with glimpses through the windows of the
+first floor, which showed me immense saloons filled by tremendous
+cannons, ranged in rows.
+
+The guardhouse is contiguous, and resembles a pretty temple, with its
+portico of columns.
+
+The opera-house forms a long detached square.  It would have a much
+better effect if the entrances were not so wretched.  The one at the
+grand portal looks like a narrow, miserable church-door, low and gloomy.
+The other entrances are worse still, and one would not suppose that they
+could lead to such a splendid interior, whose appointments are
+indescribably luxurious and commodious.  The pit is filled by rows of
+comfortably-cushioned chairs with cushioned backs, numbered, but not
+barred.  The boxes are divided by very low partitions, so that the
+aristocratic world seems to sit on a tribune.  The seats in the pit and
+the first and second tiers are covered with dark-red silk damask; the
+royal box is a splendid saloon, the floor of which is covered with the
+finest carpets.  Beautiful oil-paintings, in tasteful gold frames,
+ornament the plafond; but the magnificent chandelier is the greatest
+curiosity.  It looks so massively worked in bronze, that it is painful to
+see the heavy mass hang so loosely over the heads of the spectators.  But
+it is only a delusion; for it is made of paste-board, and bronzed over.
+Innumerable lamps light the place; but one thing which I miss in such
+elegant modern theatres is a clock, which has a place in nearly every
+Italian theatre.
+
+The other buildings on this square are also distinguished for their size
+and the beauty of their architecture.
+
+An unusually broad stone bridge, with a finely-made iron balustrade, is
+built over a little arm of the Spree, and unites the square of the opera
+with that on which the palace stands.
+
+The royal museum is one of the finest architectural piles, and its high
+portal is covered with beautiful frescoes.  The picture-gallery contains
+many _chefs-d'oeuvre_; and I regretted that I had not more time to
+examine it and the hall of antiquities, having only three hours for the
+two.
+
+From the academy runs a long street lined with lime-trees, and which is
+therefore called Under-the-limes (_unter den Linden_).  This alley forms
+a cheerful walk to the Brandenburg-gate, beyond which the
+pleasure-gardens are situated.  The longest and finest streets which run
+into the lime-alley are the Friedrichs Street and the Wilhelms Street.
+The Leipziger Street also belongs to the finest, but does not run into
+this promenade.
+
+The Gens-d'arme Square is distinguished by the French and German
+churches, at least by their exterior,--by their high domes, columns, and
+porticoes.  The interiors are small and insignificant.  On this square
+stands also the royal theatre, a tasteful pile of great beauty, with many
+pillars, and statues of muses and deities.
+
+I ascended the tower on which the telegraph works, on account of the view
+over the town and the flat neighbourhood.  A very civil official was
+polite enough to explain the signs of the telegraph to me, and to permit
+me to look at the other telegraphs through his telescope.
+
+The Konigstadt, situated on the opposite shore of the Spree, not far from
+the royal palace, contains nothing remarkable.  Its chief street, the
+Konigsstrasse, is long, but narrow and dirty.  Indeed it forms a great
+contrast to the town of Berlin in every thing; the streets are narrow,
+short, and winding.  The post-office and the theatres are the most
+remarkable buildings.
+
+The luxury displayed in the shop-windows is very great.  Many a mirror
+and many a plate-glass window reminded me of Hamburgh's splendour, which
+surpasses that of Berlin considerably.
+
+There are not many excursions round Berlin, as the country is flat and
+sandy.  The most interesting are to the pleasure-gardens, Charlottenburg,
+and, since the opening of the railway, to Potsdam.
+
+The park or pleasure-garden is outside the Brandenburg-gate; it is
+divided into several parts, one of which reminded me of our fine Prater
+in Vienna.  The beautiful alleys were filled with carriages, riders, and
+pedestrians; pretty coffee-houses enlivened the woody portions, and merry
+children gambolled on the green lawns.  I felt so much reminded of my
+beloved Prater, that I expected every moment to see a well-known face, or
+receive a friendly greeting.  Kroll's Casino, sometimes called the
+Winter-garden, is built on this side of the park.  I do not know how to
+describe this building; it is quite a fairy palace.  All the splendour
+which fancy can invent in furniture, gilding, painting, or tapestry, is
+here united in the splendid halls, saloons, temples, galleries, and
+boxes.  The dining-room, which will dine 1800 persons, is not lighted by
+windows, but by a glass roof vaulted over it.  Rows of pillars support
+the galleries, or separate the larger and smaller saloons.  In the
+niches, and in the corners, round the pillars, abound fragrant flowers,
+and plants in chaste vases or pots, which transform this place into a
+magical garden in winter.  Concerts and _reunions_ take place here every
+Sunday, and the press of visitors is extraordinary, although smoking is
+prohibited.  This place will accommodate 5000 persons.
+
+That side of the park which lies in the direction of the Potsdam-gate
+resembles an ornamental garden, with its well-kept alleys, flower-beds,
+terraces, islets, and gold-fish ponds.  A handsome monument to the memory
+of Queen Louise is erected on the Louise island here.
+
+On this side, the coffee-house Odeon is the best, but cannot be compared
+to Kroll's casino.  Here also are rows of very elegant country-houses,
+most of which are built in the Italian style.
+
+
+
+CHARLOTTENBURG
+
+
+This place is about half an hour's distance from the Brandenburg-gate,
+where the omnibuses that depart every minute are stationed.  The road
+leads through the park, beyond which lies a pretty village, and adjoining
+it is the royal country-palace of Charlottenburg.  The palace is built in
+two stories, of which the upper one is very low, and is probably only
+used for the domestics.  The palace is more broad than deep; the roof is
+terrace-shaped, and in its centre rises a pretty dome.  The garden is
+simple, and not very large, but contains a considerable orangery.  In a
+dark grove stands a little building, the mausoleum in which the image of
+Queen Louise has been excellently executed by the famed artist Rauch.
+Here also rest the ashes of the late king.  There is also an island with
+statues in the midst of a large pond, on which some swans float proudly.
+It is a pity that dirt does not stick to these white-feathered animals,
+else they would soon be black swans; for the pond or river surrounding
+the island is one of the dirtiest ditches I have ever seen.
+
+Fatigue would be very intolerable in this park, for there are very few
+benches, but an immense quantity of gnats.
+
+
+
+POTSDAM.
+
+
+The distance from Berlin to Potsdam is eighteen miles, which is passed by
+the railroad in three-quarters of an hour.  The railway is very
+conveniently arranged; the carriages are marked with the names of the
+station, and the traveller enters the carriage on which the place of his
+destination is marked.  Thus, the passengers are never annoyed by the
+entrance or exit of passengers, as all occupying the same carriage
+descend at the same time.
+
+The road is very uninteresting; but this is compensated for by Potsdam
+itself, for which a day is scarcely sufficient.
+
+Immediately in front of the town flows the river Havel, crossed by a
+long, beautiful bridge, whose pillars are of stone, and the rest of the
+bridge of iron.  The large royal palace lies on the opposite shore, and
+is surrounded by a garden.  The garden is not very extensive, but large
+enough for the town, and is open to the public.  The palace is built in a
+splendid style, but is unfortunately quite useless, as the court has
+beautiful summer-palaces in the neighbourhood of Potsdam, and spends the
+winter in Berlin.
+
+The castle square is not very good; it is neither large nor regular, and
+not even level.  On it stands the large church, which is not yet
+completed, but promises to be a fine structure.  The town is tolerably
+large, and has many fine houses.  The streets, especially the Nauner
+Street, are wide and long, but badly paved; the stones are laid with the
+pointed side upwards, and for foot-passengers there is a stone pavement
+two feet broad on one side of the street only.  The promenade of the
+townspeople is called Am Kanal (beside the canal), and is a fine square,
+through which the canal flows, and is ornamented with trees.
+
+Of the royal pleasure-palaces I visited that of Sans Souci first.  It is
+surrounded by a pretty park, and lies on a hill, which is divided into
+six terraces.  Large conservatories stand on each side of these; and in
+front of them are long alleys of orange and lemon-trees.
+
+The palace has only a ground floor, and is surrounded by arbours, trees,
+and vines, so that it is almost concealed from view.  I could not inspect
+the interior, as the royal family was living there.
+
+A side-path leads from here to the Ruinenberg, on which the ruins of a
+larger and a smaller temple, raised by the hand of art, are tastefully
+disposed.  The top of the hill is taken up by a reservoir of water.  From
+this point one can see the back of the palace of Sans Souci, and the
+so-called new palace, separated from the former by a small park, and
+distant only about a quarter of an hour.
+
+The new palace, built by Frederick the Great, is as splendid as one can
+imagine.  It forms a lengthened square, with arabesques and flat columns,
+and has a flat roof, which is surrounded by a stone balustrade, and
+ornamented by statues.
+
+The apartments are high and large, and splendidly painted, tapestried,
+and furnished.  Oil-paintings, many of them very good, cover the walls.
+One might fill a volume with the description of all the wonders of this
+place, which is, however, not inhabited.
+
+Behind the palace, and separated from it by a large court, are two
+beautiful little palaces, connected by a crescent-shaped hall of pillars;
+broad stone steps lead to the balconies surrounding the first story of
+the edifices.  They are used as barracks, and are, as such, the most
+beautiful I have ever seen.
+
+From here a pleasant walk leads to the lovely palace of Charlottenburg.
+Coming from the large new palace it seemed too small for the dwelling
+even of the crown-prince.  I should have taken it for a splendid pavilion
+attached to the new palace, to which the royal family sometimes walked,
+and perhaps remained there to take refreshment.  But when I had inspected
+it more closely, and seen all the comfortable little rooms, furnished
+with such tasteful luxury, I felt that the crown-prince could not have
+made a better choice.
+
+Beautiful fountains play on the terraces; the walls of the corridors and
+anterooms are covered with splendid frescoes, in imitation of those found
+in Pompeii.  The rooms abound in excellent engravings, paintings, and
+other works of art; and the greatest taste and splendour is displayed
+even in the minor arrangements.
+
+A pretty Chinese chiosque, filled with good statues, which have been
+unfortunately much damaged and broken, stands near the palace.
+
+These three beautiful royal residences are situated in parks, which are
+so united that they seem only as one.  The parks are filled with fine
+trees, and verdant fields crossed by well-kept paths and drives; but I
+saw very few flower-beds in them.
+
+When I had contemplated every thing at leisure, I returned to the palace
+of Sans Souci, to see the beautiful fountains, which play twice a week,
+on Tuesday and Friday, from noon till evening.  The columns projected
+from the basin in front of the castle are so voluminous, and rise with
+such force, that I gazed in amazement at the artifice.  It is real
+pleasure to be near the basin when the sun shines in its full splendour,
+forming the most beautiful rainbows in the falling shower of drops.
+Equally beautiful is a fountain rising from a high vase, enwreathed by
+living flowers, and falling over it, so that it forms a quick, brisk
+fountain, transparent, and pure as the finest crystal.  The lid of the
+vase, also enwreathed with growing flowers, rises above the fountain.
+The Neptune's grotto is of no great beauty; the water falls from an urn
+placed over it, and forms little waterfalls as it flows over
+nautilus-shells.
+
+The marble palace lies on the other side of Potsdam, and is half an
+hour's distance from these palaces; but I had time enough to visit it.
+
+Entering the park belonging to this palace, a row of neat peasants'
+cottages is seen on the left; they are all alike, but separated by fruit,
+flower, or kitchen-gardens.  The palace lies at the extreme end of the
+park, on a pretty lake formed by the river Havel.  It certainly has some
+right to the name of marble palace; but it seems presumption to call it
+so when compared to the marble palaces of Venice, or the marble mosques
+of Constantinople.
+
+The walls of the building are of brick left in its natural colour.  The
+lower and upper frame-work, the window-sashes, and the portals, are all
+of marble.  The palace is partly surrounded by a gallery supported on
+marble columns.  The stairs are of fine white marble, and many of the
+apartments are laid with this mineral.  The interior is not nearly so
+luxurious as the other palaces.
+
+This was the last of the sights I saw in Potsdam or the environs of
+Berlin; for I continued my journey to Vienna on the following day.
+
+Before quitting Berlin, I must mention an arrangement which is
+particularly convenient for strangers--namely, the fares for
+hackney-carriages. One need ask no questions, but merely enter the
+carriage, tell the coachman where to drive, and pay him six-pence.  This
+moderate fare is for the whole town, which is somewhat extensive.  At all
+the railway stations there are numbers of these vehicles, which will
+drive to any hotel, however far it may be from the station, for the same
+moderate fare.  If only all cab-drivers were so accommodating!
+
+                                                              October 1st.
+
+The railway goes through Leipzic to Dresden, where I took the mail-coach
+for Prague at eight o'clock the same evening, and arrived there in
+eighteen hours.
+
+As it was night when we passed, we did not enjoy the beautiful views of
+the Nollendorf mountain.  In the morning we passed two handsome
+monuments, one of them, a pyramid fifty-four feet high, to the memory of
+Count Colloredo, the other to the memory of the Russian troops who had
+fallen here; both have been erected since the wars of Napoleon.
+
+On we went through charming districts to the famed bathing-place Teplitz,
+which is surrounded by the most beautiful scenery; and can bear
+comparison with the finest bathing-places of the world.
+
+Further on we passed a solitary basaltic rock, Boren, which deserves
+attention for its beauty and as a natural curiosity.  We unfortunately
+hurried past it, as we wished to reach Prague before six o'clock, so that
+we might not miss the train to Vienna.
+
+My readers may imagine our disappointment on arriving at the gates of
+Prague, when our passports were taken from us and not returned.  In vain
+we referred to the _vise_ of the boundary-town Peterswalde; in vain we
+spoke of our haste.  The answer always was, "That is nothing to us; you
+can have your papers back to-morrow at the police-office."  Thus we were
+put off, and lost twenty-four hours.
+
+I must mention a little joke I had on the ride from Dresden to Prague.
+Two gentlemen and a lady beside myself occupied the mail-coach; the lady
+happened to have read my diary of Palestine, and asked me, when she heard
+my name, if I were that traveller.  When I had acknowledged I was that
+same person, our conversation turned on that and on my present journey.
+One of the gentlemen, Herr Katze, was very intelligent, and conversed in
+a most interesting manner on countries, nationalities, and scientific
+subjects.  The other gentleman was probably equally well informed, but he
+made less use of his acquirements.  Herr Katze remained in Teplitz, and
+the other gentleman proceeded with us to Vienna.  Before arriving at our
+destination, he asked me if Herr Katze had not requested me to mention
+his name in my next book, and added, that if I would promise to do the
+same, he would tell me his name.  I could not refrain from smiling, but
+assured him that Herr Katze had not thought of such a thing, and begged
+him not to communicate his name to me, so that he might see that we
+females were not so curious as we are said to be.  But the poor man could
+not refrain from giving me his name--Nicholas B.--before we parted.  I do
+not insert it for two reasons: first, because I did not promise to name
+him; and secondly, because I do not think it would do him any service.
+
+The railway from Prague to Vienna goes over Olmutz, and makes such a
+considerable round, that the distance is now nearly 320 miles, and the
+arrangements on the railway are very imperfect.
+
+There were no hotels erected on the road, and we had to be content with
+fruit, beer, bread, and butter, &c. the whole time.  And these provisions
+were not easily obtained, as we could not venture to leave the carriages.
+The conductor called out at every station that we should go on directly,
+although the train frequently stood upwards of half an hour; but as we
+did not know that before, we were obliged to remain on our seats.  The
+conductors were not of the most amiable character, which may perhaps be
+ascribed to the climate; for when we approached the boundary of the
+Austrian states at Peterswalde, the inspector received us very gruffly.
+We wished him good evening twice, but he took no notice of it, and
+demanded our papers in a loud and peremptory tone; he probably thought us
+as deaf as we thought him.  At Ganserndorf, twenty-five miles from
+Vienna, they took our papers from us in a very uncivil, uncourteous
+manner.
+
+On the 4th of October, 1845, after an absence of six months, I arrived
+again in sight of the dear Stephen's steeple, as most of my countrywomen
+would say.
+
+I had suffered many hardships; but my love of travelling would not have
+been abated, nor would my courage have failed me, had they been ten times
+greater.  I had been amply compensated for all.  I had seen things which
+never occur in our common life, and had met with people as they are
+rarely met with--in their natural state.  And I brought back with me the
+recollections of my travels, which will always remain, and which will
+afford me renewed pleasure for years.
+
+And now I take leave of my dear readers, requesting them to accept with
+indulgence my descriptions, which are always true, though they may not be
+amusing.  If I have, as I can scarcely hope, afforded them some
+amusement, I trust they will in return grant me a small corner in their
+memories.
+
+In conclusion, I beg to add an Appendix, which may not be uninteresting
+to many of my readers, namely:
+
+1.  A document which I procured in Reikjavik, giving the salaries of the
+royal Danish officials, and the sources from whence they are paid.
+
+2.  A list of Icelandic insects, butterflies, flowers, and plants, which
+I collected and brought home with me.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX A
+
+
+Salaries of the Royal Danish Officials in Iceland, which they receive
+from the Icelandic land-revenues.
+
+
+
+                                    Florins {58}
+The Governor of Iceland             2000
+   Office expenses                  600
+The deputy for the western          1586
+district
+   Office expenses                  400
+   Rent                             200
+The deputy for the northern and     1286
+eastern districts
+   Office expenses                  400
+The bishop of Iceland, who draws    800
+his salary from the
+school-revenues, has paid him
+from this treasury
+The members of the Supreme Court:
+   One judge                        1184
+   First assessor                   890
+   Second assessor                  740
+The land-bailiff of Iceland         600
+   Office expenses                  200
+   Rent                             150
+The town-bailiff of Reikjavik       300
+The first police-officer of         200
+Reikjavik, who is at the same
+time gaoler, and therefore has 50
+_fl._ more than the second
+officer
+The second police-officer           150
+The mayor of Reikjavik only draws   150
+from this treasury his
+house-rent, which is
+The sysselman of the Westmanns      296
+Islands
+The other sysselmen, each           230
+Medical department and midwifery:
+   The physician                    900
+      House-rent                    150
+   Apothecary of Reikjavik          185
+      House-rent                    150
+   The second apothecary at         90
+Sikkisholm
+   Six surgeons in the country,     300
+each
+      House-rent for some           30
+         For others                 25
+   A medical practitioner on the    110
+Northland
+   Reikjavik has two midwives,      50
+each receives
+   The other midwives in Iceland,   100
+amounting to thirty, each
+receives
+   These midwives are instructed
+and examined by the land
+physician, who has the charge of
+paying them annually.
+Organist of Reikjavik               100
+From the school-revenues
+   The bishop receives              1200
+   The teachers at the high
+school:
+   The teacher of theology          800
+   The head assistant, besides      500
+free lodging
+   The second assistant             500
+      House-rent                    50
+   The third assistant              500
+      House-rent                    50
+   The resident at the school       170
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS collected in Iceland
+
+
+1.  CRUSTACEA.
+
+Pagarus Bernhardus, _Linnaeus_.
+
+2.  INSECTA.
+
+a.  _Coleoptera_.  Nebria rubripes, _Dejean_.  Patrobus hyperboreus.
+Calathus melanocephalus, _Fabr_.  Notiophilus aquaticus.  Amara vulgaris,
+_Duftsihm_.  Ptinus fur, _Linn_.  Aphodius Lapponum, _Schh_.
+Otiorhynchus laevigatus, _Dhl_.  Otiorhynchus Pinastri, _Fabr_.
+Otiorhynchus ovatus.  Staphylinus maxillosus.  Byrrhus pillula.
+
+b.  _Neuroptera_.  Limnophilus lineola, _Schrank_.
+
+c.  _Hymenoptera_.  Pimpla instigator, _Gravh_.  Bombus subterraneus,
+_Linn_.
+
+d.  _Lepidoptera_.  Geometra russata, Hub.  Geom. alche millata.  Geom.
+spec. nov.
+
+e.  _Diptera_.  Tipula lunata, _Meig_.  Scatophaga stercoraria.  Musca
+vomitaria.  Musca mortuorum.  Helomyza serrata.  Lecogaster islandicus,
+_Scheff_. {59}  Anthomyia decolor, _Fallin_.
+
+
+
+LIST OF ICELANDIC PLANTS _collected by Ida Pfeiffer in the Summer of the
+year_ 1845
+
+
+_Felices_.  Cystopteris fragilis.
+
+_Equisetaceae_.  Equisetum Teltamegra.
+
+_Graminae_.  Festuca uniglumis.
+
+_Cyperaceae_.  Carea filiformis.  Carea caespitosa.  Eriophorum
+caespitosum.
+
+_Juncaceae_.  Luzula spicata.  Luzula campestris.
+
+_Salicineae_.  Salix polaris.
+
+_Polygoneae_.  Remux arifolus.  Oxyria reniformes.
+
+_Plumbagineae_.  Armeria alpina (in the interior mountainous districts).
+
+_Compositae_.  Chrysanthemum maritimum (on the sea-shore, and on marshy
+fields).  Hieracium alpinum (on grassy plains).  Taraxacum alpinum.
+Erigeron uniflorum (west of Havenfiord, on rocky soil).
+
+_Rubiaceae_.  Gallium pusillum.  Gallium verum.
+
+_Labiatae_.  Thynus serpyllum.
+
+_Asperifoliae_.  Myosotis alpestris.  Myosotis scorpioicles.
+
+_Scrophularineae_.  Bartsia alpina (in the interior north-western
+valleys).  Rhinanthus alpestris.
+
+_Utricularieae_.  Pinguicula alpina.  Pinguicula vulgaris.
+
+_Umbelliferae_.  Archangelica officinalis (Havenfiord).
+
+_Saxifrageae_.  Saxifraga caespitosa (the real Linnaean plant: on rocks
+round Hecla).
+
+_Ranunculaceae_.  Ranunculus auricomus.  Ranunculus nivalis.  Thalictrum
+alpinum (growing between lava, near Reikjavik).  Caltha palustris.
+
+_Cruciferae_.  Draba verna.  Cardamine pratensis.
+
+_Violariceae_.  Viola hirta.
+
+_Caryophylleae_.  Sagina stricta.  Cerastium semidecandrum.  Lepigonum
+rubrum.  Silene maritima.  Lychnis alpina (on the mountain-fields round
+Reikjavik).
+
+_Empetreae_.  Empetrum nigrum.
+
+_Geraniaceae_.  Geranium sylvaticum (in pits near Thingvalla).
+
+_Troseaceae_.  Parnassia palustris.
+
+_OEnothereae_.  Epilobium latifolium (in clefts of the mountain at the
+foot of Hecla).  Epilobium alpinum (in Reiker valley, west of
+Havenfiord).
+
+_Rosaceae_.  Rubus arcticus.  Potentilla anserina.  Potentilla
+gronlandica (on rocks near Kallmanstunga and Kollismola).  Alchemilla
+montana.  Sanguisorba officinalis.  Geum rivale.  Dryas octopela (near
+Havenfiord).
+
+_Papilionaceae_.  Trifolium repens.
+
+
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+
+{1}  In this Gutenberg eText only Madame Pfeiffer's work appears--DP.
+
+{2}  Madame Pfeiffer's first journey was to the Holy Land in 1842; and on
+her return from Iceland she started in 1846 on a "Journey round the
+World," from which she returned in the end of 1848.  This adventurous
+lady is now (1853) travelling among the islands of the Eastern
+Archipelago.
+
+{3}  A florin is worth about 2_s._ 1_d._; sixty kreutzers go to a florin.
+
+{4}  At Kuttenberg the first silver groschens were coined, in the year
+1300.  The silver mines are now exhausted, though other mines, of copper,
+zinc, &c. are wrought in the neighbourhood.  The population is only half
+of what it once was. --ED.
+
+{5}  The expression of Madame Pfeiffer's about Frederick "paying his
+score to the Austrians," is somewhat vague.  The facts are these.  In
+1757 Frederick the Great of Prussia invaded Bohemia, and laid siege to
+Prague.  Before this city an Austrian army lay, who were attacked with
+great impetuosity by Frederick, and completely defeated.  But the town
+was defended with great valour; and during the time thus gained the
+Austrian general Daun raised fresh troops, with which he took the field
+at Collin.  Here he was attacked by Frederick, who was routed, and all
+his baggage and cannon captured.  This loss was "paying his score;" and
+the defeat was so complete, that the great monarch sat down by the side
+of a fountain, and tracing figures in the sand, was lost for a long time
+in meditation on the means to be adopted to retrieve his fortune.
+
+{6}  I mention this little incident to warn the traveller against parting
+with his effects.
+
+{7}  The true version of this affair is as follows.  John of Nepomuk was
+a priest serving under the Archbishop of Prague.  The king, Wenceslaus,
+was a hasty, cruel tyrant, who was detested by all his subjects, and
+hated by the rest of Germany.  Two priests were guilty of some crime, and
+one of the court chamberlains, acting under royal orders, caused the
+priests to be put to death.  The archbishop, indignant at this, placed
+the chamberlain under an interdict.  This so roused the king that he
+attempted to seize the archbishop, who took refuge in flight.  John of
+Nepomuk, however, and another priest, were seized and put to the torture
+to confess what were the designs of the archbishop.  The king seems to
+have suspected that the queen was in some way connected with the line of
+conduct pursued by the archbishop.  John of Nepomuk, however, refused,
+even though the King with his own hand burned him with a torch.
+Irritated by his obstinate silence, the king caused the poor monk to be
+cast over the bridge into the Moldau.  This monk was afterwards
+canonised, and made the patron saint of bridges.--ED.
+
+{8}  Albert von Wallenstein (or Waldstein), the famous Duke of Friedland,
+is celebrated as one of the ablest commanders of the imperial forces
+during the protracted religious contest known in German history as the
+"Thirty Years' War."  During its earlier period Wallenstein greatly
+distinguished himself, and was created by the Emperor Ferdinand Duke of
+Friedland and generalissimo of the imperial forces.  In the course of a
+few months Wallenstein raised an army of forty thousand men in the
+Emperor's service.  The strictest discipline was preserved _within_ his
+camp, but his troops supported themselves by a system of rapine and
+plunder unprecedented even in those days of military license.  Merit was
+rewarded with princely munificence, and the highest offices were within
+the reach of every common soldier who distinguished himself;--trivial
+breaches of discipline were punished with death.  The dark and ambitious
+spirit of Wallenstein would not allow him to rest satisfied with the
+rewards and dignities heaped upon him by his imperial master.  He
+temporised and entered into negotiations with the enemy; and during an
+interview with a Swedish general (Arnheim), is even said to have proposed
+an alliance to "hunt the Emperor to the devil."  It is supposed that he
+aspired to the sovereignty of Bohemia.  Ferdinand was informed of the
+ambitious designs of his general, and at length determined that
+Wallenstein should die.  He despatched one of his generals, Gallas, to
+the commander-in-chief, with a mandate depriving him of his dignity of
+generalissimo, and nominating Gallas as his successor.  Surprised before
+his plans were ripe, and deserted by many on whose support he had relied,
+Wallenstein retired hastily upon Egra.  During a banquet in the castle,
+three of his generals who remained faithful to their leader were murdered
+in the dead of night.  Roused by the noise, Wallenstein leapt from his
+bed, and encountered three soldiers who had been hired to despatch him.
+Speechless with astonishment and indignation, he stretched forth his
+arms, and receiving in his breast the stroke of a halbert, fell dead
+without a groan, in the fifty-first year of his age.
+
+The following anecdote, curiously illustrative of the state of affairs in
+Wallenstein's camp, is related by Schiller in his _History of the Thirty
+Years' War_, a work containing a full account of the life and actions of
+this extraordinary man.  "The extortions of Wallenstein's soldiers from
+the peasants had at one period reached such a pitch, that severe
+penalties were denounced against all marauders; and every soldier who
+should be convicted of theft was threatened with a halter.  Shortly
+afterwards, it chanced that Wallenstein himself met a soldier straying in
+the field, whom he caused to be seized, as having violated the law, and
+condemned to the gallows without a trial, by his usual word of doom: "Let
+the rascal be hung!"  The soldier protested, and proved his innocence.
+"Then let them hang the innocent," cried the inhuman Wallenstein; "and
+the guilty will tremble the more."  The preparations for carrying this
+sentence into effect had already commenced, when the soldier, who saw
+himself lost without remedy, formed the desperate resolution that he
+would not die unrevenged.  Rushing furiously upon his leader, he was
+seized and disarmed by the bystanders before he could carry his intention
+into effect.  "Now let him go," said Wallenstein; "it will excite terror
+enough.""--ED.
+
+{9}  Poniatowski was the commander of the Polish legion in the armies of
+Napoleon, by whom he was highly respected.  At the battle of Leipzig,
+fought in October 1813, Poniatowski and Marshal MacDonald were appointed
+to command the rear of Napoleon's army, which, after two days hard
+fighting, was compelled to retreat before the Allies.  These generals
+defended the retreat of the army so gallantly, that all the French
+troops, except those under their immediate command, had evacuated the
+town.  The rear-guard was preparing to follow, when the only bridge over
+the Elster that remained open to them was destroyed, through some
+mistake.  This effectually barred the escape of the rear of Napoleon's
+army.  A few, among whom was Marshal MacDonald, succeeded in swimming
+across; but Poniatowski, after making a brave resistance, and refusing to
+surrender, was drowned in making the same attempt.--ED.
+
+{10}  Leipzig has long been famous as the chief book-mart of Germany.  At
+the great Easter meetings, publishers from all the different states
+assemble at the "Buchhandler Borse," and a large amount of business is
+done.  The fairs of Leipzig have done much towards establishing the
+position of this city as one of the first trading towns in Germany.  They
+take place three times annually: at New-year, at Easter, and at
+Michaelmas; but the Easter fair is by far the most important.  These
+commercial meetings last about three weeks, and during this time the town
+presents a most animated appearance, as the streets are thronged with the
+costumes of almost every nation, the smart dress of the Tyrolese
+contrasting gaily with the sombre garb of the Polish Jews.  The amount of
+business transacted at these fairs is very considerable; on several
+occasions, above twenty thousand dealers have assembled.  The trade is
+principally in woollen cloths; but lighter wares, and even ornaments of
+every description, are sold to a large extent.  The manner in which every
+available place is taken advantage of is very curious: archways, cellars,
+passages, and courtyards are alike filled with merchandise, and the
+streets are at times so crowded as to be almost impassable.  When the
+three weeks have passed, the wooden booths which have been erected in the
+market-place and the principal streets are taken down, the buyers and
+sellers vanish together, and the visitor would scarcely recognise in the
+quiet streets around him the bustling busy city of a few days ago.--ED.
+
+{11}  The fire broke out on 4th May 1842, and raged with the utmost fury
+for three days.  Whole streets were destroyed, and at least 2000 houses
+burned to the ground.  Nearly half a million of money was raised in
+foreign countries to assist in rebuilding the city, of which about a
+tenth was contributed by Britain.  Such awful fires, fearful though they
+are at the time, seem absolutely necessary to great towns, as they cause
+needful improvements to be made, which the indolence or selfishness of
+the inhabitants would otherwise prevent.  There is not a great city that
+has not at one time or another suffered severely from fire, and has risen
+out of the ruins greater than before.--ED.
+
+{12}  There are no docks at Hamburgh, consequently all the vessels lie in
+the river Elbe, and both receive and discharge their cargoes there.
+Madame Pfeiffer, however, is mistaken in supposing that only London could
+show a picture of so many ships and so much commercial activity
+surpassing that of Hamburgh.  Such a picture, more impressive even than
+that seen in the Elbe, is exhibited every day in the Mersey or the
+Hudson.--ED.
+
+{13}  Kiel, however, is a place of considerable trade; and doubtless the
+reason why Madame Pfeiffer saw so few vessels at it was precisely the
+same reason why she saw so many at Hamburgh.  Kiel contains an excellent
+university.--ED.
+
+{14}  At sea I calculate by sea-miles, of which sixty go to a degree.
+
+{15}  This great Danish sculptor was born of poor parents at Copenhagen,
+on the 19th November, 1770; his father was an Icelander, and earned his
+living by carving figure-heads for ships.  Albert, or "Bertel," as he is
+more generally called, was accustomed during his youth to assist his
+father in his labours on the wharf.  At an early age he visited the
+Academy at Copenhagen, where his genius soon began to make itself
+conspicuous.  At the age of sixteen he had won a silver, and at twenty a
+gold medal.  Two years later he carried off the "great" gold medal, and
+was sent to study abroad at the expense of the Academy.  In 1797 we find
+him practising his art at Rome under the eye of Zoega the Dane, who does
+not, however, seem to have discovered indications of extraordinary genius
+in the labours of his young countryman.  But a work was soon to appear
+which should set all questions as to Thorwaldsen's talent for ever at
+rest.  In 1801 he produced his celebrated statue of "Jason," which was at
+once pronounced by the great Canova to be "a work in a new and a grand
+style."  After this period the path of fame lay open before the young
+sculptor; his bas-reliefs of "Summer" and "Autumn," the "Dance of the
+Muses," "Cupid and Psyche," and numerous other works, followed each other
+in rapid succession; and at length, in 1812, Thorwaldsen produced his
+extraordinary work, "The Triumph of Alexander."  In 1819 Thorwaldsen
+returned rich and famous to the city he had quitted as a youth
+twenty-three years before; he was received with great honour, and many
+feasts and rejoicings were held to celebrate his arrival.  After a
+sojourn of a year Thorwaldsen again visited Rome, where he continued his
+labours until 1838, when, wealthy and independent, he resolved to rest in
+his native country.  This time his welcome to Copenhagen was even more
+enthusiastic than in 1819.  The whole shore was lined with spectators,
+and amid thundering acclamations the horses were unharnessed from his
+carriage, and the sculptor was drawn in triumph by the people to his
+_atelier_.  During the remainder of his life Thorwaldsen passed much of
+his time on the island of Nyso, where most of his latest works were
+executed.  On Sunday, March 9th, 1842, he had been conversing with a
+circle of friends in perfect health.  Halm's tragedy of _Griselda_ was
+announced for the evening, and Thorwaldsen proceeded to the theatre to
+witness the performance.  During the overture he rose to allow a stranger
+to pass, then resumed his seat, and a moment afterwards his head sunk on
+his breast--he was dead!
+
+His funeral was most sumptuous.  Rich and poor united to do honour to the
+memory of the great man, who had endeared himself to them by his virtues
+as by his genius.  The crown-prince followed the coffin, and the people
+of Copenhagen stood in two long rows, and uncovered their heads as the
+coffin of the sculptor was carried past.  The king himself took part in
+the solemnity.  At the time of his decease Thorwaldsen had completed his
+seventy-second year.--ED.
+
+{16}  Tycho de Brahe was a distinguished astronomer, who lived between
+1546 and 1601.  He was a native of Denmark.  His whole life may be said
+to have been devoted to astronomy.  A small work that he published when a
+young man brought him under the notice of the King of Denmark, with whose
+assistance he constructed, on the small island of Hulln, a few miles
+north of Copenhagen, the celebrated Observatory of Uranienburg.  Here,
+seated in "the ancient chair" referred to in the text, and surrounded by
+numerous assistants, he directed for seventeen years a series of
+observations, that have been found extremely accurate and useful.  On the
+death of his patron he retired to Prague in Bohemia, where he was
+employed by Rodolph II. then Emperor of Germany.  Here he was assisted by
+the great Kepler, who, on Tycho's death in 1601, succeeded him.--ED.
+
+{17}  The fisheries of Iceland have been very valuable, and indeed the
+chief source of the commerce of the country ever since it was discovered.
+The fish chiefly caught are cod and the tusk or cat-fish.  They are
+exported in large quantities, cured in various ways.  Since the discovery
+of Newfoundland, however, the fisheries of Iceland have lost much of
+their importance.  So early as 1415, the English sent fishing vessels to
+the Icelandic coast, and the sailors who were on board, it would appear,
+behaved so badly to the natives that Henry V. had to make some
+compensation to the King of Denmark for their conduct.  The greatest
+number of fishing vessels from England that ever visited Iceland was
+during the reign of James I., whose marriage with the sister of the
+Danish king might probably make England at the time the most favoured
+nation.  It was in his time that an English pirate, "Gentleman John," as
+he was called, committed great ravages in Iceland, for which James had
+afterwards to make compensation.  The chief markets for the fish are in
+the Catholic countries of Europe.  In the seventeenth century, a great
+traffic in fish was carried on between Iceland and Spain.--ED.
+
+{18}  The dues charged by the Danish Government on all vessels passing
+through the Sound have been levied since 1348, and therefore enjoy a
+prescriptive right of more than five hundred years.  They bring to the
+Danish Government a yearly revenue of about a quarter of a million; and,
+in consideration of the dues, the Government has to support certain
+lighthouses, and otherwise to render safe and easy the navigation of this
+great entrance to the Baltic.  Sound-dues were first paid in the palmy
+commercial days of the Hanseatic League.  That powerful combination of
+merchants had suffered severely from the ravages of Danish pirates, royal
+and otherwise; but ultimately they became so powerful that the rich
+merchant could beat the royal buccaneer, and tame his ferocity so
+effectually as to induce him to build and maintain those beacon-lights on
+the shores of the Sound, for whose use they and all nations and merchants
+after them have agreed to pay certain duties.--ED.
+
+{19}  The Feroe Islands consist of a great many islets, some of them mere
+rocks, lying about halfway between the north coast of Scotland and
+Iceland.  At one time they belonged to Norway, but came into the
+possession of Denmark at the same time as Iceland.  They are exceedingly
+mountainous, some of the mountains attaining an elevation of about 2800
+feet.  The largest town or village does not contain more than 1500 or
+1600 inhabitants.  The population live chiefly on the produce of their
+large flocks of sheep, and on the down procured, often at great risk to
+human life, from the eider-duck and other birds by which the island is
+frequented.--ED.
+
+{20}  I should be truly sorry if, in this description of our "life aboard
+ship," I had said any thing which could give offence to my kind friend
+Herr Knudson.  I have, however, presumed that every one is aware that the
+mode of life at sea is different to life in families.  I have only to
+add, that Herr Knudson lived most agreeably not only in Copenhagen, but
+what is far more remarkable, in Iceland also, and was provided with every
+comfort procurable in the largest European towns.
+
+{21}  It is not only at sea that ingenious excuses for drinking are
+invented.  The lovers of good or bad liquor on land find these reasons as
+"plenty as blackberries," and apply them with a marvellous want of stint
+or scruple.  In warm climates the liquor is drank to keep the drinker
+cool, in cold to keep him warm; in health to prevent him from being sick,
+in sickness to bring him back to health.  Very seldom is the real reason,
+"because I like it," given; and all these excuses and reasons must be
+regarded as implying some lingering sense of shame at the act, and as
+forming part of "the homage that vice always pays to virtue."--ED.
+
+{22}  The sailors call those waves "Spanish" which, coming from the west,
+distinguish themselves by their size.
+
+{23}  These islands form a rocky group, only one of which is inhabited,
+lying about fifteen miles from the coast.  They are said to derive their
+name from some natives of Ireland, called West-men, who visited Iceland
+shortly after its discovery by the Norwegians.  In this there is nothing
+improbable, for we know that during the ninth and tenth centuries the
+Danes and Normans, called Easterlings, made many descents on the Irish
+coast; and one Norwegian chief is reported to have assumed sovereign
+power in Ireland about the year 866, though he was afterwards deposed,
+and flung into a lough, where he was drowned: rather an ignominious death
+for a "sea-king."--ED.
+
+{24}  This work, which Madame Pfeiffer does not praise too highly, was
+first published in 1810.  After passing through two editions, it was
+reprinted in 1841, at a cheap price, in the valuable people's editions of
+standard works, published by Messrs. Chambers of Edinburgh.
+
+{25}  It is related of Ingold that he carried with him on his voyage the
+door of his former house in Ireland, and that when he approached the
+coast he cast it into the sea, watching the point of land which it
+touched; and on that land he fixed his future home.  This land is the
+same on which the town of Reikjavik now stands.  These old sea-kings,
+like the men of Athens, were "in all things too superstitious."--ED.
+
+{26}  These sea-rovers, that were to the nations of Europe during the
+middle ages what the Danes, Norwegians, and other northmen were at an
+earlier period, enjoyed at this time the full flow of their lawless
+prosperity.  Their insolence and power were so great that many nations,
+our own included, were glad to purchase, by a yearly payment, exemption
+from the attacks of these sea-rovers.  The Americans paid this tribute so
+late as 1815.  The unfortunate Icelanders who were carried off in the
+seventeenth century nearly all died as captives in Algiers.  At the end
+of ten years they were liberated; but of the four hundred only
+thirty-seven were alive when the joyful intelligence reached the place of
+their captivity; and of these twenty-four died before rejoining their
+native land.--ED.
+
+{27}  This town, the capital of Iceland, and the seat of government, is
+built on an arm of the sea called the Faxefiord, in the south-west part
+of the island.  The resident population does not exceed 500, but this is
+greatly increased during the annual fairs.  It consists mainly of two
+streets at right angles to each other.  It contains a large church built
+of stone, roofed with tiles; an observatory; the residences of the
+governor and the bishop, and the prison, which is perhaps the most
+conspicuous building in the town.--ED.
+
+{28}  As Madame Pfeiffer had thus no opportunity of attending a ball in
+Iceland, the following description of one given by Sir George Mackenzie
+may be interesting to the reader.
+
+"We gave a ball to the ladies of Reikjavik and the neighbourhood.  The
+company began to assemble about nine o'clock.  We were shewn into a small
+low-roofed room, in which were a number of men, but to my surprise I saw
+no females.  We soon found them, however, in one adjoining, where it is
+the custom for them to wait till their partners go to hand them out.  On
+entering this apartment, I felt considerable disappointment at not
+observing a single woman dressed in the Icelandic costume.  The dresses
+had some resemblance to those of English chambermaids, but were not so
+smart.  An old lady, the wife of the man who kept the tavern, was habited
+like the pictures of our great-grandmothers.  Some time after the dancing
+commenced, the bishop's lady, and two others, appeared in the proper
+dress of the country.
+
+"We found ourselves extremely awkward in dancing what the ladies were
+pleased to call English country dances.  The music, which came from a
+solitary ill-scraped fiddle, accompanied by the rumbling of the same
+half-rotten drum that had summoned the high court of justice, and by the
+jingling of a rusty triangle, was to me utterly unintelligible.  The
+extreme rapidity with which it was necessary to go through many
+complicated evolutions in proper time, completely bewildered us; and our
+mistakes, and frequent collisions with our neighbours, afforded much
+amusement to our fair partners, who found it for a long time
+impracticable to keep us in the right track.  When allowed to breathe a
+little, we had an opportunity of remarking some singularities in the
+state of society and manners among the Danes of Reikjavik.  While
+unengaged in the dance, the men drink punch, and walk about with
+tobacco-pipes in their mouths, spitting plentifully on the floor.  The
+unrestrained evacuation of saliva seems to be a fashion all over Iceland;
+but whether the natives learned it from the Danes, or the Danes from the
+natives, we did not ascertain.  Several ladies whose virtue could not
+bear a very strict scrutiny were pointed out to us.
+
+"During the dances, tea and coffee were handed about; and negus and punch
+were ready for those who chose to partake of them.  A cold supper was
+provided, consisting of hams, beef, cheese, &c., and wine.  While at
+table, several of the ladies sang, and acquitted themselves tolerably
+well.  But I could not enjoy the performance, on account of the incessant
+talking, which was as fashionable a rudeness in Iceland as it is now in
+Britain.  This, however, was not considered as in the least unpolite.
+One of the songs was in praise of the donors of the entertainment; and,
+during the chorus, the ceremony of touching each other's glasses was
+performed.  After supper, waltzes were danced, in a style that reminded
+me of soldiers marching in cadence to the dead march in Saul.  Though
+there was no need of artificial light, a number of candles were placed in
+the rooms.  When the company broke up, about three o'clock, the sun was
+high above the horizon."
+
+{29}  A man of eighty years of age is seldom seen on the
+island.--_Kerguelen_.
+
+{30}  Kerguelen (writing in 1768) says: "They live during the summer
+principally on cod's heads.  A common family make a meal of three or four
+cods' heads boiled in sea-water."--ED.
+
+{31}  This bakehouse is the only one in Iceland, and produces as good
+bread and biscuit as any that can be procured in Denmark.  [In
+Kerguelen's time (1768) bread was very uncommon in Iceland.  It was
+brought from Copenhagen, and consisted of broad thin cakes, or
+sea-biscuits, made of rye-flour, and extremely black.--ED.]
+
+{32}  In all high latitudes fat oily substances are consumed to a vast
+extent by the natives.  The desire seems to be instinctive, not acquired.
+A different mode of living would undoubtedly render them more susceptible
+to the cold of these inclement regions.  Many interesting anecdotes are
+related of the fondness of these hyperborean races for a kind of food
+from which we would turn in disgust.  Before gas was introduced into
+Edinburgh, and the city was lighted by oil-lamps, several Russian
+noblemen visited that metropolis; and it is said that their longing for
+the luxury of train-oil became one evening so intense, that, unable to
+procure the delicacy in any other way, they emptied the oil-lamps.  Parry
+relates that when he was wintering in the Arctic regions, one of the
+seamen, who had been smitten with the charms of an Esquimaux lady, wished
+to make her a present, and knowing the taste peculiar to those regions,
+he gave her with all due honours a pound of candles, six to the pound!
+The present was so acceptable to the lady, that she eagerly devoured the
+lot in the presence of her wondering admirer.--ED.
+
+{33}  An American travelling in Iceland in 1852 thus describes, in a
+letter to the _Boston Post_, the mode of travelling:--"All travel is on
+horseback.  Immense numbers of horses are raised in the country, and they
+are exceedingly cheap.  As for travelling on foot, even short journeys,
+no one ever thinks of it.  The roads are so bad for walking, and
+generally so good for riding that shoe-leather, to say nothing of
+fatigue, would cost nearly as much as horse-flesh.  Their horses are
+small, compact, hardy little animals, a size larger than Shetland ponies,
+but rarely exceeding from 12 or 13.5 hands high.  A stranger in
+travelling must always have a 'guide,' and if he does go equipped for a
+good journey and intends to make good speed, he wants as many as six
+horses; one for himself, one for the guide, one for the luggage, and
+three relay horses.  Then when one set of horses are tired the saddles
+are exchanged to the others.  The relay horses are tied together and are
+either led or driven before the others.  A tent is often carried, unless
+a traveller chooses to chance it for his lodgings.  Such an article as an
+hotel is not kept in Iceland out of the capital.  You must also carry
+your provisions with you, as you will be able to get but little on your
+route.  Plenty of milk can be had, and some fresh-water fish.  The
+luggage is carried in trunks that are hung on each side of the horse, on
+a rude frame that serves as a pack-saddle.  Under this, broad pieces of
+turf are placed to prevent galling the horse's back."
+
+{34}  The down of the eider-duck forms a most important and valuable
+article of Icelandic commerce.  It is said that the weight of down
+procurable from each nest is about half a pound, which is reduced
+one-half by cleansing.  The down is sold at about twelve shillings per
+pound, so that the produce of each nest is about three shillings.  The
+eider-duck is nearly as large as the common goose; and some have been
+found on the Fern Islands, off the coast of Northumberland.--ED.
+
+{35}  The same remark applies with equal force to many people who are not
+Icelanders.  It was once the habit among a portion of the population of
+Lancashire, on returning from market, to carry their goods in a bag
+attached to one end of a string slung over their shoulders, which was
+balanced by a bag containing a stone at the other.  Some time ago, it was
+pointed out to a worthy man thus returning from market, that it would be
+easier for him to throw away the stone, and make half of his load balance
+the other half, but the advice was rejected with disdain; the plan he had
+adopted was that of his forefathers, and he would on no account depart
+from it.--ED.
+
+{36}  The description of the Wolf's Hollow occurs in the second act of
+_Der Freyschutz_, when Rodolph sings:
+
+    "How horrid, dark, and wild, and drear,
+    Doth this gaping gulf appear!
+    It seems the hue of hell to wear.
+    The bellowing thunder bursts yon clouds,
+       The moon with blood has stained her light!
+    What forms are those in misty shrouds,
+       That stalk before my sight?
+    And now, hush! hush!
+    The owl is hooting in yon bush;
+    How yonder oak-tree's blasted arms
+       Upon me seem to frown!
+    My heart recoils, but all alarms
+       Are vain: fate calls, I must down, down."
+
+{37}  The reader must bear in mind that, during the season of which I
+speak, there is no twilight, much less night, in Iceland.
+
+{38}  The springs of Carlsbad are said to have been unknown until about
+five hundred years ago, when a hunting-dog belonging to one of the
+emperors of Germany fell in, and by his howling attracted the hunters to
+the spot.  The temperature of the chief spring is 165 degrees.--ED.
+
+{39}  History tells of this great Icelandic poet, that owing to his
+treachery the free island of Iceland came beneath the Norwegian sceptre.
+For this reason he could never appear in Iceland without a strong guard,
+and therefore visited the Allthing under the protection of a small army
+of 600 men.  Being at length surprised by his enemies in his house at
+Reikiadal, he fell beneath their blows, after a short and ineffectual
+resistance.  [Snorri Sturluson, the most distinguished name of which
+Iceland can boast, was born, in 1178, at Hoam.  In his early years he was
+remarkably fortunate in his worldly affairs.  The fortune he derived from
+his father was small, but by means of a rich marriage, and by
+inheritance, he soon became proprietor of large estates in Iceland.  Some
+writers say that his guard of 600 men, during his visit to the Allthing,
+was intended not as a defence, as indicated in Madame Pfeiffer's note,
+but for the purposes of display, and to impress the inhabitants with
+forcible ideas of his influence and power.  He was invited to the court
+of the Norwegian king, and there he either promised or was bribed to
+bring Iceland under the Norwegian power.  For this he has been greatly
+blamed, and stigmatised as a traitor; though it would appear from some
+historians that he only undertook to do by peaceable means what otherwise
+the Norwegian kings would have effected by force, and thus saved his
+country from a foreign invasion.  But be this as it may, it is quite
+clear that he sunk in the estimation of his countrymen, and the feeling
+against him became so strong, that he was obliged to fly to Norway.  He
+returned, however, in 1239, and in two years afterwards he was
+assassinated by his own son-in-law.  The work by which he is chiefly
+known is the _Heimskringla_, or Chronicle of the Sea-Kings of Norway, one
+of the most valuable pieces of northern history, which has been admirably
+translated into English by Mr. Samuel Laing.  This curious name of
+Heimskringla was given to the work because it contains the words with
+which begins, and means literally _the circle of the world_.--ED.]
+
+{40}  A translation of this poem will be found in the Appendix.  [Not
+included in this Gutenberg eText--DP]
+
+{41}  In Iceland, as in Denmark, it is the custom to keep the dead a week
+above ground.  It may be readily imagined that to a non-Icelandic sense
+of smell, it is an irksome task to be present at a burial from beginning
+to end, and especially in summer.  But I will not deny that the continued
+sensation may have partly proceeded from imagination.
+
+{42}  Every one in Iceland rides.
+
+{43}  I cannot forbear mentioning a curious circumstance here.  When I
+was at the foot of Mount Etna in 1842, the fiery element was calmed; some
+months after my departure it flamed with renewed force.  When, on my
+return from Hecla, I came to Reikjavik, I said jocularly that it would be
+most strange if this Etna of the north should also have an eruption now.
+Scarcely had I left Iceland more than five weeks when an eruption, more
+violent than the former one, really took place.  This circumstance is the
+more remarkable, as it had been in repose for eighty years, and was
+already looked upon as a burnt-out volcano.  If I were to return to
+Iceland now, I should be looked upon as a prophetess of evil, and my life
+would scarcely be safe.
+
+{44}  Every peasant in tolerably good circumstances carries a little tent
+with him when he leaves home for a few days.  These tents are, at the
+utmost, three feet high, five or six feet long, and three broad.
+
+{45}  "Though their poverty disables them from imitating the hospitality
+of their ancestors in all respects, yet the desire of doing it still
+exists: they cheerfully give away the little they have to spare, and
+express the utmost joy and satisfaction if you are pleased with the
+gift."  _Uno von Troil_, 1772.--ED.
+
+{46}  The presence of American ships in the port of Gottenburg is not to
+be wondered at, seeing that nearly three-fourths of all the iron exported
+from Gottenburg is to America.--ED.
+
+{47}  "St. Stephen's steeple" is 450 feet high, being about 40 feet
+higher than St. Paul's, and forms part of St. Stephen's Cathedral in
+Vienna, a magnificent Gothic building, that dates as far back as the
+twelfth century.  It has a great bell, that weighs about eighteen tons,
+being more than double the weight of the bell in St. Peter's at Rome, and
+four times the weight of the "Great Tom of Lincoln."  The metal used
+consisted of cannons taken from the Turks during their memorable sieges
+of Vienna.  The cathedral is 350 feet long and 200 wide, being less than
+St. Paul's in London, which is 510 feet long and 282 wide.--ED.
+
+{48}  The _Storthing_ is the name given to the Norwegian parliament,
+which assembles once every three years at Christiania.  The time and
+place of meeting are fixed by law, and the king has no power to prevent
+or postpone its assembly.  It consists of about a hundred members, who
+divide themselves into two houses.  The members must not be under thirty
+years of age, and must have lived for ten years in Norway.  The electors
+are required to be twenty-five years of age, and to be either burgesses
+of a town, or to possess property of the annual value of 30_l._  The
+members must possess the same qualification.  The members of the
+Storthing are usually plain-spoken, sensible men, who have no desire to
+shine as orators, but who despatch with great native sagacity the
+business brought before them.  This Storthing is the most independent
+legislative assembly in Europe; for not only has the king no power to
+prevent its meeting at the appointed time, but should he refuse to assent
+to any laws that are passed, these laws come into force without his
+assent, provided they are passed by three successive parliaments.--ED.
+
+{49}  The present king of Sweden and Norway is Oscar, one of the few
+fortunate scions of those lowly families that were raised to royal power
+and dignity by Napoleon.  His father, Bernadotte, was the son of an
+advocate, and entered the French army as a common soldier; in that
+service he rose to the rank of marshal, and then became crown-prince, and
+ultimately king of Sweden.  He died in 1844.  The mother of Oscar was
+Desiree Clary, a sister of Julie Clary, wife of Joseph Bonaparte, the
+elder brother of Napoleon.  This lady was asked in marriage by Napoleon
+himself, but her father refused his assent; and instead of becoming an
+unfortunate empress of France, she became a fortunate queen of Sweden and
+Norway.  Oscar was born at Paris in 1799, and received his education
+chiefly in Hanover.  He accompanied his father to Sweden in 1810, and
+ascended the throne on his father's death in 1844.  In 1824 he married
+Josephine Beauharnois, daughter of Prince Eugene, and granddaughter of
+the brilliant and fascinating Josephine, the first and best wife of
+Napoleon.  Oscar is much beloved by his subjects; his administration is
+mild, just, and equable; and his personal abilities and acquirements are
+far beyond the average of crowned heads.--ED.
+
+{50}  Bergen is a town of about twenty-five thousand inhabitants,
+situated near the Kons Fiord, on the west coast of Norway, and distant
+about 350 miles from Christiania.  It is the seat of a bishopric, and a
+place of very considerable trade, its exports being chiefly fish.  It has
+given its name to a county and a township in the state of New Jersey.
+There are three other Bergens,--one in the island of Rugen, one in the
+Netherlands, and another in the electorate of Hesse.
+
+{51}  _Kulle_ is the Swedish for hill.
+
+{52}  Delekarlien is a Swedish province, situated ninety or one hundred
+miles north of Stockholm.
+
+{53}  The family of Sturre was one of the most distinguished in Sweden.
+Sten Sturre introduced printing into Sweden, founded the University of
+Upsala, and induced many learned men to come over.  He was mortally
+wounded in a battle against the Danes, and died in 1520.
+
+His successors as governors, Suante, Nilson Sturre, and his son, Sten
+Sturre the younger, still live in the memory of the Swedish nation, and
+are honoured for their patriotism and valour.
+
+{54}  The University of Upsala is the most celebrated in the north.  It
+owes its origin to Sten Sturre, the regent of the kingdom, by whom it was
+founded in 1476, on the same plan as the University of Paris.  Through
+the influence of the Jesuits, who wished to establish a new academy in
+Stockholm, it was dissolved in 1583, but re-established in 1598.
+Gustavus Vasa, who was educated at Upsala, gave it many privileges, and
+much encouragement; and Gustavus Adolphus reconstituted it, and give it
+very liberal endowments.  There are twenty-four professors, and the
+number of students is between four and five hundred.--ED.
+
+{55}  See novel of _Ivar_, _the Skjuts Boy_, by Miss Emilie Carlen.
+
+{56}  At Calmar was concluded, in 1397, the famous treaty which bears its
+name, by which Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were united under one crown,
+that crown placed nominally on the head of Eric Duke of Pomerania, but
+virtually on that of his aunt Margaret, who has received the name of "the
+Semiramis of the North." --ED.
+
+{57}  There is now a railway direct from Hamburgh to Berlin.--ED.
+
+{58}  A florin is about two shillings sterling.--_Tr._
+
+{59}  Herr T. Scheffer of Modling, near Vienna, gives the following
+characteristic of this new dipteral animal, which belongs to the family
+muscidae, and resembles the species borborus:
+
+_Antennae_ deflexae, breves, triarticulatae, articulo ultimo phoereco;
+seda nuda.
+
+_Hypoctoma_ subprominulum, fronte lata, setosa.  _Oculi_ rotundi, remoti.
+Abdomen quinque annulatum, dorso nudo.  _Tarsi_ simplices.  _Alae_
+incumbentes, abdomine longiores, nervo primo simplici.
+
+Niger, abdomine nitido, antennis pedibusque rufopiceis.
+
+
+
+
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