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