letters from high latitudes-第11章

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ontinue　out　for　challenges；　until　the　sun　comes　on　Thingvalla　on　the　Lord's…day。〃　And　again；　〃The　power　of　challenging　shall　cease　as　soon　as　the　sun　can　no　longer　be　seen　above　the　western　brink　of　the　chasm；　from　the　Logberg。〃

Turning　aside　from　what；　I　dare　say；　was　the　scene　of　many　an　unrecorded　tragedy；　we　descended　the　gorge　of　the　Almanna　Gja；　towards　the　lake；　and　I　took　advantage　of　the　opportunity　again　to　examine　its　marvellous　construction。　　The　perpendicular　walls　of　rock　rose　on　either　hand　from　the　flat　greensward　that　carpeted　its　bottom；　pretty　much　as　the　waters　of　the　Red　Sea　must　have　risen　on　each　side　of　the　fugitive　Israelites。　A　blaze　of　light　smote　the　face　of　one　cliff；　while　the　other　lay　in　the　deepest　shadow；　and　on　the　rugged　surface　of　each　might　still　be　traced　corresponding　articulations；　that　once　had　dovetailed　into　each　other；　ere　the　igneous　mass　was　rent　asunder。　So　unchanged；　so　recent　seemed　the　vestiges　of　this　convulsion；　that　I　felt　as　if　I　had　been　admitted　to　witness　one　of　nature's　grandest　and　most　violent　operations；　almost　in　the　very　act　of　its　execution。　A　walk　of　about　twenty　minutes　brought　us　to　the　borders　of　the　lakea　glorious　expanse　of　water；　fifteen　miles　long；　by　eight　miles　broad；　occupying　a　basin　formed　by　the　same　hills；　which　must　also；　I　imagine；　have　arrested　the　further　progress　of　the　lava　torrent。　A　lovelier　scene　I　have　seldom　witnessed。　In　the　foreground　lay　huge　masses　of　rock　and　lava；　tossed　about　like　the　ruins　of　a　world；　and　washed　by　waters　as　bright　and　green　as　polished　malachite。　　Beyond；　a　bevy　of　distant　mountains；　robed　by　the　transparent　atmosphere　in　tints　unknown　to　Europe；　peeped　over　each　other's　shoulders　into　the　silver　mirror　at　their　feet；　while　here　and　there　from　among　their　purple　ridges　columns　of　white　vapour　rose　like　altar　smoke　toward　the　tranquil　heaven。

On　returning　home　we　found　dinner　waiting　for　us。　I　had　invited　the　clergyman；　and　a　German　gentleman　who　was　lodging　with　him；　to　give　us　the　pleasure　of　their　company；　and　in　ten　minutes　we　had　all　become　the　best　of　friends。　It　is　true　the　conversation　was　carried　on　in　rather　a　wild　jargon；　made　up　of　six　different　languagesIcelandic；　English；　German；　Latin；　Danish；　Frenchbut　in　spite　of　the　difficulty　with　which　he　expressed　himself；　it　was　impossible　not　to　be　struck　with　the　simple　earnest　character　of　my　German　convive。　He　was　about　five…and…twenty；　a　〃doctor　philosophiae；〃　and　had　come　to　Iceland　to　catch　gnats。　After　having　caught　gnats　in　Iceland；　he　intended；　he　said；　to　spend　some　years　in　catching　gnats　in　Spain。the　privacy　of　Spanish　gnats；　as　it　appears；　not　having　been　hitherto　invaded。　The　truth　is；　my　guest　was　an　entomologist；　and　in　the　pursuit　of　the　objects　of　his　study　was　evidently　prepared　to　approach　hardships　and　danger　with　a　serenity　that　would　not　have　been　unworthy　of　the　apostle　of　a　new　religion。　It　was　almost　touching　to　hear　him　describe　the　intensity　of　his　joy　when　perhaps　days　and　nights　of　fruitless　labours　were　at　last　rewarded　by　the　discovery　of　some　hitherto　unknown　little　fly；　and　it　was　with　my　whole　heart　that；　at　parting；　I　wished　him　success　in　his　career；　and　the　fame　that　so　much　conscientious　labour　merited。　From　my　allusion　to　this　last　reward；　however；　he　seemed　almost　to　shrink；　and；　with　a　sincerity　it　was　impossible　to　doubt；　disclaimed　as　ignoble　so　poor　a　motive　as　a　thirst　for　fame。　　His　was　one　of　those　calm　laborious　minds；　seldom　found　but　among　the　Teutonic　race；　thatpursuing　day　by　day　with　single…minded　energy　some　special　objectlive　in　a　noble　obscurity；　and　die　at　last　content　with　the　consciousness　of　having　added　one　other　stone　to　that　tower　of　knowledge　men　are　building　up　toward　heaven；　even　though　the　world　should　never　learn　what　strong　and　patient　hands　have　placed　it　there。

The　next　morning　we　started　for　the　Geysirs：　this　time　dividing　the　baggage…train；　and　sending　on　the　cook　in　light　marching　order；　with　the　materials　for　dinner。　The　weather　still　remained　unclouded；　and　each　mile　we　advanced　disclosed　some　new　wonder　in　the　unearthly　landscape。　A　three　hours'　ride　brought　us　to　the　Rabna　Gja；　the　eastern　boundary　of　Thingvalla；　and；　winding　up　its　rugged　face；　we　took　our　last　look　over　the　lovely　plain　beneath　us；　and　then　manfully　set　forward　across　the　same　kind　of　arid　lava　plateau　as　that　which　we　had　already　traversed　before　arriving　at　the　Almanna　Gja。　But　instead　of　the　boundless　immensity　which　had　then　so　much　disheartened　us；　the　present　prospect　was　terminated　by　a　range　of　quaint　parti…coloured　hills；　which　rose　before　us　in　such　fantastic　shapes　that　I　could　not　take　my　eyes　off　them。　I　do　not　know　whether　it　was　the　strong　coffee　or　the　invigorating　air　that　stimulated　my　imagination；　but　I　certainly　felt　convinced　I　was　coming　to　some　mystical　spotout　of　space；　out　of　timewhere　I　should　suddenly　light　upon　a　green…scaled　griffin；　or　golden…haired　princess；　or　other　bonnie　fortune　of　the　olden　days。　Certainly　a　more　appropriate　scene　for　such　an　encounter　could　not　be　conceived；　than　that　which　displayed　itself；　when　we　wheeled　at　last　round　the　flank　of　the　scorched　ridge　we　had　been　approaching。　A　perfectly　smooth　grassy　plain；　about　a　league　square；　and　shaped　like　a　horse…shoe；　opened　before　us；　encompassed　by　bare　cinder…like　hills；　that　rose　roundred；　black；　and　yellowin　a　hundred　uncouth　peaks　of　ash　and　slag。　Not　a　vestige　of　vegetation　relieved　the　aridity　of　their　vitrified　sides；　while　the　verdant　carpet　at　their　feet　only　made　the　fire…moulded　circle　seem　more　weird　and　impassable。　Had　I　had　a　trumpet　and　a　lance；　I　should　have　blown　a　blast　of　defiance　on　the　one；　and　having　shaken　the　other　toward　the　foul　corners　of　the　world；　would　have　calmly　waited　to　see　what　next　might　betide。　Three　arrows　shot　bravely　forward　would　have　probably　resulted　in　the　discovery　of　a　trap…door　with　an　iron　ring；　but　having　neither　trumpet；　lance；　nor　arrow；　we　simply　alighted　and　lunched：　yet　even　then　I　could　not　help　thinking　how　lucky　it　was　that；　not　eating　dates；　we　could　not　inadvertently　fling　their　stones　into　the　eye　of　any　inquisitive　genie　who　might　be　in　the　neighbourhood。

After　the　usual　hour's　rest　and　change　of　horses；　we　galloped　away　to　the　other　side　of　the　plain；　and；　doubling　the　further　horn　of　the　semicircle；　suddenly　found　ourselves　in　a　district　as　unlike　the　cinder　mountains　we　had　quitted　as　they　had　differed　from　the　volcanic　scenery　of　the　day　before。　On　the　left　lay　a　long　rampart　of　green　hills；　opening　up　every　now　and　then　into　Scottish　glens　and　gorges；　while　from　their　roots　to　the　horizon　stretched　a　vast　breadth　of　meadowland；　watered　by　two　or　three　rivers；　that　wound；　and　twisted；　and　coiled　about；　like　blue　serpents。　Here　and　there；　white　volumes　of　vapour；　that　rose　in　endless　wreaths　from　the　ground；　told　of　mighty　cauldrons　at　work　beneath　that　moist　cool　verdant　carpet；　while　large　silvery　lakes；　and　flat…topped　isolated　hills；　relieved　the　monotony　of　the　level　land；　and　carried　on　the　eye　to　where　the　three　snowy　peaks　of　Mount　Hecla　shone　cold　and　clear　against　the　sky。

Of　course　it　was　rather　tantalizing　to　pass　so　near　this　famous　burning　mountain　without　having　an　opportunity　of　ascending　it；　but　the　expedition　would　have　taken　up　too　much　time。　In　appearance　Hecla　differs　very　little　from　the　innumerable　other　volcanic　hills　with　which　the　island　is　studded。　Its　cone　consists　of　a　pyramid　of　stone　and　scoriae；　rising　to　the　height　of　about　five　thousand　feet；　and　welded　together　by　bands　of　molten　matter　which　have　issued　from　its　sides。　From　A。D。　1004　to　1766　there　have　been　twenty…three　eruptions；　occurring　at　intervals　which　have　varied　in　duration；　from　six　to　seventy…six　years。　The　one　of　1766　was　remarkably　violent。　It　commenced　on　the　5th　of　April　by　the　appearance　of　a　huge　pillar　of　black　sand　mounting　slowly　into　the　heavens；　accompanied　by　subterranean　thunders；　and　all　the　other　symptoms　which　precede　volcanic　disturbances。　Then　a　coronet　of　flame　encircled　the　crater；　masses　of　red　rock；　pumice；　and　magnetic　stones　were　flung　out　with　tremendous　violence　to　an　incredible　distance；　and　in　such　continuous　multitudes　as　to　resemble　a　swarm　of　bees　clustering　over　the　mountain。　One　boulder　of　pumice　six　feet　in　circumference　was　pitched　twenty　miies　away；　another　of　magnetic　iron　fell　at　a　distance　of　fifteen。　The　surface　of　the　earth　was　covered；　for　a　circuit　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　with　a　layer　of　sand　four　inches　deep；　the　air　was　so　darkened　by　it；　that　at　a　place　one　hundred　and　forty　miles　off；　white　paper　held　up　at　a　little　distance　could　not　be　distinguished　from　black。　The　fishermen　could　not　put　to　sea　on　account　of　the　darkness；　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　Orkney　islands　were　frightened　out　of　their　senses　by　showers　of　what　they　thought　must　be　black　snow。　On　the　9th　of　April；　the　lava　began　to　overflow；　and　ran　for　five　miles　in　a　southwesterly　direction；　whilst；　some　days　later；in　order　that　no　element　might　be　wanting　to　mingle　in　this　devil's　charivari；a　vast　column　of　water；　like　Robin　Hood's　second　arrow；　split　up　through　the　cinder　pillar　to　the　height　of　several　hundred　feet；　the　horror　of　the　spectacle　being　further　enhanced　by　an　accompaniment　of　subterranean　cannonading　and　dire　reports；　heard　at　a　distance　of　fifty　miles。

Striking　as　all　this　must　have　been；　it　sinks　into　comparative　tameness　and　insignificance；　beside　the　infinitely　more　terrible　phenomena　which　attended　the　eruption　of　another　volcano；　called　Skapta　jokul。

Of　all　countries　in　Europe；　Iceland　is　the　one　which　has　been　the　most　minutely　mapped；　not　even　excepting　the　ordnance　survey　of　Ireland。　The　Danish　Government　seem　to　have　had　a　hobby　about　it；　and　the　result　has　been　a　chart　so　beautifully　executed；　that　every　little　crevice；　each　mountain　torrent；　each　flood　of　lava；　is　laid　down　with　an　accuracy　perfectly　astonishing。　One　huge　blank；　however；　in　the　south…west　corner　of　this　map　of　Iceland；　mars　the　integrity　of　its　almost　microscopic　delineations。　To　every　other　part　of　the　island　the　engineer　has　succeeded　in　penetrating；　one　vast　space　alone　of　about　four　hundred　square　miles　has　defied　his　investigation。　Over　the　area　occupied　by　the　Skapta　Jokul；　amid　its　mountain…cradled　fields　of　snow　and　icy　ridges；　no　human　foot　has　ever　wandered。　Yet　it　is　from　the　bosom　of　this　desert　district　that　has　descended　the　most　frightful　visitation　ever　known　to　have　desolated　the　island。

This　event　occurred　in　the　year　1783。　The　preceding　winter　and　spring　had　been　unusually　mild。　Toward　the　end　of　May；　a　light　bluish　fog　began　to　float　along　the　confines　of　the　untrodden　tracts　of　Skapta；　accompanied　in　the　beginning　of　June　by　a　great　trembling　of　the　earth。　On　the　8th　of　that　month；　immense　pillars　of　smoke　collected　over　the　hill　country　towards　the　north；　and　coming　down　against　the　wind　in　a　southerly　direction；　enveloped　the　whole　district　of　Sida　in　darkness。　A　whirlwind　of　ashes　then　swept　over　the　face　of　the　country；　and　on　the　10th；　innumerable　fire　spouts　were　seen　leaping　and　flaring　amid　the　icy　hollows　of　the　mountain；　while　the　river　Skapta；　one　of　the　largest　in　the　island；　having　first　rolled　down　to　the　pl