letters from high latitudes-第9章

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A　couple　of　hours'　ride　across　the　lava　plain　we　had　previously　traversed　brought　us　to　a　river；　where　our　Reykjavik　friends；　after　showing　us　a　salmon　weir；　finally　took　their　leave；　with　many　kind　wishes　for　our　prosperity。　On　looking　through　the　clear　water　that　hissed　and　bubbled　through　the　wooden　sluice；　the　Doctor　had　caught　sight　of　an　apparently　dead　salmon；　jammed　up　against　its　wooden　bars；　but　on　pulling　him　out；　he　proved　to　be　still　breathing；　though　his　tail　was　immovably　twisted　into　his　mouth。　A　consultation　taking　place；　the　Doctors　both　agreed　that　it　was　a　case　of　pleurosthotonos；　brought　on　by　mechanical　injury　to　the　spine　（we　had　just　been　talking　of　Palmer's　trial）；　and　that　he　was　perfectly　fit　for　food。　In　accordance　with　this　verdict；　he　was　knocked　on　the　head；　and　slung　at　Wilson's　saddle…bow。　Left　to　ourselves；　we　now　pushed　on　as　rapidly　as　we　could；　though　the　track　across　the　lava　was　so　uneven；　that　every　moment　I　expected　Snorro　（for　thus　have　I　christened　my　pony）　would　be　on　his　nose。　In　another　hour　we　were　among　the　hills。　The　scenery　of　this　part　of　the　journey　was　not　very　beautiful；　the　mountains　not　being　remarkable　either　for　their　size　or　shape；　but　here　and　there　we　came　upon　pretty　bits；　not　unlike　some　of　the　barren　parts　of　Scotland；　with　quiet　blue　lakes　sleeping　in　the　solitude。

After　wandering　along　for　some　time　in　a　broad　open　valley；　that　gradually　narrowed　to　a　glen；　we　reached　a　grassy　patch。　As　it　was　past　three　o'clock；　Sigurdr　proposed　a　halt。

Unbridling　and　unsaddling　our　steeds；　we　turned　them　loose　upon　the　pasture；　and　sat　ourselves　down　on　a　sunny　knoll　to　lunch。　For　the　first　time　since　landing　in　Iceland　I　felt　hungry；　as；　for　the　first　time；　four　successive　hours　had　elapsed　without　our　having　been　compelled　to　take　a　snack。　　The　appetites　of　the　ponies　seemed　equally　good；　though　probably　with　them　hunger　was　no　such　novelty。　Wilson　alone　looked　sad。　He　confided　to　me　privately　that　he　feared　his　trousers　would　not　last　such　jolting　many　days；　but　his　dolefulness；　like　a　bit　of　minor　in　a　sparkling　melody；　only　made　our　jollity　more　radiant。　In　about　half　an　hour　Sigurdr　gave　the　signal　for　a　start；　and　having　caught；　saddled；　and　bridled　three　unridden　ponies；　we　drove　Snorro　and　his　companions　to　the　front；　and　proceeded　on　our　way　rejoicing。　After　an　hour's　gradual　ascent　through　a　picturesque　ravine；　we　emerged　upon　an　immense　desolate　plateau　of　lava；　that　stretched　away　for　miles　and　miles　like　a　great　stony　sea。　A　more　barren　desert　you　cannot　conceive。　Innumerable　boulders；　relics　of　the　glacial　period；　encumbered　the　track。　We　could　only　go　at　a　foot…pace。　Not　a　blade　of　grass；　not　a　strip　of　green；　enlivened　the　prospect；　and　the　only　sound　we　heard　was　the　croak　of　the　curlew　and　the　wail　of　the　plover。　Hour　after　hour　we　plodded　on；　but　the　grey　waste　seemed　interminable；　boundless；　and　the　only　consolation　Sigurdr　would　vouchsafe　was；　that　our　journey's　end　lay　on　this　side　of　some　purple　mountains　that　peeped　like　the　tents　of　a　demon　leaguer　above　the　stony　horizon。

As　it　was　already　eight　o'clock；　and　we　had　been　told　the　entire　distance　from　Reykjavik　to　Thingvalla　was　only　five…and…thirty　miles；　I　could　not　comprehend　how　so　great　a　space　should　still　separate　us　from　our　destination。　Concluding　more　time　had　been　lost　in　shooting；　lunching；　etc。；　by　the　way　than　we　had　supposed；　I　put　my　pony　into　a　canter；　and　determined　to　make　short　work　of　the　dozen　miles　which　seemed　still　to　lie　between　us　and　the　hills；　on　this　side　of　which　I　understood　from　Sigurdr　our　encampment　for　the　night　was　to　be　pitched。

Judge　then　of　my　astonishment　when；　a　few　minutes　afterwards；　I　was　arrested　in　full　career　by　a　tremendous　precipice；　or　rather　chasm；　which　suddenly　gaped　beneath　my　feet；　and　completely　separated　the　barren　plateau　we　had　been　so　painfully　traversing　from　a　lovely；　gay；　sunlit　flat；　ten　miles　broad；　that　laysunk　at　a　level　lower　by　a　hundred　feetbetween　us　and　the　opposite　mountains。　I　was　never　so　completely　taken　by　surprise；　Sigurdr's　purposely　vague　description　of　our　halting…place　was　accounted　for。

We　had　reached　the　famous　Almanna　Gja。　Like　a　black　rampart　in　the　distance；　the　corresponding　chasm　of　the　Hrafna　Gja　cut　across　the　lower　slope　of　the　distant　hills；　and　between　them　now　slept　in　beauty　and　sunshine　the　broad　verdant　＇Footnote：　The　plain　of　Thingvalla　is　in　a　great　measure　clothed　with　birch　brushwood。＇　plain　of　Thingvalla。

Ages　ago；who　shall　say　how　long？some　vast　commotion　shook　the　foundations　of　the　island；　and　bubbling　up　from　sources　far　away　amid　the　inland　hills；　a　fiery　deluge　must　have　rushed　down　between　their　ridges；　until；　escaping　from　the　narrower　gorges；　it　found　space　to　spread　itself　into　one　broad　sheet　of　molten　stone　over　an　entire　district　of　country；　reducing　its　varied　surface　to　one　vast　blackened　level。

One　of　two　things　then　occurred：　either　the　vitrified　mass　contracting　as　it　cooled；the　centre　area　of　fifty　square　miles　burst　asunder　at　either　side　from　the　adjoining　plateau；　and　sinking　down　to　its　present　level；　left　the　two　parallel　Gjas；　or　chasms；　which　form　its　lateral　boundaries；　to　mark　the　limits　of　the　disruption；　or　else；　while　the　pith　or　marrow　of　the　lava　was　still　in　a　fluid　state；　its　upper　surface　became　solid；　and　formed　a　roof　beneath　which　the　molten　stream　flowed　on　to　lower　levels；　leaving　a　vast　cavern　into　which　the　upper　crust　subsequently　plumped　down。　＇Footnote：　I　feel　it　is　very　presumptuous　in　me　to　hazard　a　conjecture　on　a　subject　with　which　my　want　of　geological　knowledge　renders　me　quite　incompetent　to　deal；　but　however　incorrect　either　of　the　above　suppositions　may　be　justly　considered　by　the　philosophers；　they　will　perhaps　serve　to　convey　to　the　unlearned　reader；　for　whose　amusement　（not　instruction）　these　letters　are　intended；　the　impression　conveyed　to　my　mind　by　what　I　saw；　and　so　help　out　the　picture　I　am　trying　to　fill　in　for　him。＇

＇Figure：　fig…p050a。gif＇

The　enclosed　section　will　perhaps　help　you　a　little　to　comprehend　what　I　am　afraid　my　description　will　have　failed　to　bring　before　you。

＇Figure：　fig…p050。gif　with　following　caption：　　　　1　　Gjas。　　　　2　　Lava　deluge。　　　　3　　Original　surface。　　　　4　　Thingvalla　sunk　to　a　lower　level。　　　　5　　Astonished　traveller。＇

1。　Are　the　two　chasms　called　respectively　Almanna　Gja；　＇Footnote：　　Almanna　may　be　translated　main；　it　means　literally　all　men's；　when　applied　to　a　road；　it　would　mean　the　road　along　which　all　the　world　travel。＇　or　Main　Gja；　and　Hrafna　Gja；　or　Raven's　Gja。　In　the　act　of　disruption　the　sinking　mass　fell　in；　as　it　were；　upon　itself；　so　that　one　side　of　the　Gja　slopes　a　good　deal　back　as　it　ascends；　the　other　side　is　perfectly　perpendicular；　and　at　the　spot　I　saw　it　upwards　of　one　hundred　feet　high。　In　the　lapse　of　years　the　bottom　of　the　Almanna　Gja　has　become　gradually　filled　up　to　an　even　surface；　covered　with　the　most　beautiful　turf；　except　where　a　river；　leaping　from　the　higher　plateau　over　the　precipice；　has　chosen　it　for　a　bed。　You　must　not　suppose；　however；　that　the　disruption　and　land…slip　of　Thingvalla　took　place　quite　in　the　spick　and　span　manner　the　section　might　lead　you　to　imagine；　in　some　places　the　rock　has　split　asunder　very　unevenly；　and　the　Hrafna　Gja　is　altogether　a　very　untidy　rent；　the　sides　having　fallen　in　in　many　places；　and　almost　filled　up　the　ravine　with　ruins。　On　the　other　hand；　in　the　Almanna　Gja；　you　can　easily　distinguish　on　the　one　face　marks　and　formations　exactly　corresponding；　though　at　a　different　level；　with　those　on　the　face　opposite；　so　cleanly　were　they　separated。

＇Figure：　fig…p051。gif　with　the　following　caption：　　　　1　　Plain　of　Thingvalla。　　　　2　　Lake。　　　　3　　Lava　plateau。　　　　4　　Almanna　Gja。　　　　5　　Rabna　Gja。＇

2。　Is　the　sea　of　lava　now　lying　on　the　top　of　the　original　surface。　Its　depth　I　had　no　means　of　ascertaining。

3。　Is　the　level　of　the　surface　first　formed　when　the　lava　was　still　hot。

4。　Is　the　plain　of　Thingvalla；　eight　miles　broad；　its　surface　shattered　into　a　network　of　innumerable　crevices　and　fissures　fifty　or　sixty　feet　deep；　and　each　wide　enough　to　have　swallowed　the　entire　company　of　Korah。　At　the　foot　of　the　plain　lies　a　vast　lake；　into　which；　indeed；　it　may　be　said　to　slope；　with　a　gradual　inclination　from　the　north；　the　imprisoned　waters　having　burst　up　through　the　lava　strata；　as　it　subsided　beneath　them。　Gazing　down　through　their　emerald　depths；　you　can　still　follow　the　pattern　traced　on　the　surface　of　the　bottom；　by　cracks　and　chasms　similar　to　those　into　which　the　dry　portion　of　Thingvalla　has　been　shivered。

The　accompanying　ground　plan　will；　I　trust；　complete　what　is　wanting　to　fill　up　the　picture　I　so　long　to　conjure　up　before　the　mind's　eye。　It　is　the　last　card　I　have　to　play；　and；　if　unsuccessful；　I　must　give　up　the　task　in　despair。　　But　to　return　to　where　I　left　myself；　on　the　edge　of　the　cliff；　gazing　down　with　astonished　eyes　over　the　panorama　of　land　and　water　embedded　at　my　feet。　I　could　scarcely　speak　for　pleasure　and　surprise；　Fitz　was　equally　taken　aback；　and　as　for　Wilson；　he　looked　as　if　he　thought　we　had　arrived　at　the　end　of　the　world。　After　having　allowed　us　sufficient　time　to　admire　the　prospect　Sigurdr　turned　to　the　left；　along　the　edge　of　the　precipice；　until　we　reached　a　narrow　pathway　accidentally　formed　down　a　longitudinal　niche　in　the　splintered　face　of　the　cliff；　which　led　across　the　bottom；　and　up　the　opposite　side　of　the　Gja；　into　the　plain　of　Thingvalla。　　By　rights　our　tents　ought　to　have　arrived　before　us；　but　when　we　reached　the　little　glebe　where　we　expected　to　find　them　pitched；　no　signs　of　servants；　guides；　or　horses　were　to　be　seen。　　As　we　had　not　overtaken　them　ourselves；　their　non…appearance　was　inexplicable。　Wilson　suggested　that；　the　cook　having　died　on　the　road；　the　rest　of　the　party　must　have　turned　aside　to　bury　him；　and　that　we　had　passed　unperceived　during　the　interesting　ceremony。　Be　the　cause　what　it　might；　the　result　was　not　agreeable。　We　were　very　tired；　very　hungry；　and　it　had　just　begun　to　rain。

It　is　true　there　was　a　clergyman's　house　and　a　church；　both　built　of　stones　covered　with　turf　sods；　close　by；　at　the　one；　perhaps；　we　could　get　milk；　and　in　the　other　we　could　sleep；　as　our　bettersincluding　Madame　Pfeifferhad　done　before　us；　but　its　inside　looked　so　dark；　and　damp；　and　cold；　and　charnel…like；　that　one　really　doubted　whether　lying　in　the　churchyard　would　not　be　snugger。　You　may　guess；　then；　how　great　was　my　relief　when　our　belated　baggage…train　was　descried　against　the　sky…line；　as　it　slowly　wended　its　way　along　the　purple　edge　of　the　precipice　towards　the　staircase　by　which　we　had　already　descended。

Half　an　hour　afterwards　the　little　plot　of　grass　selected　for　the　site　of　our　encampment　was　covered　over　with　poles；　boxes；　cauldrons；　tea…kettles；　and　all　the　paraphernalia　of　a　gipsy　settlement。　Wilson's　Kaffir　experience　came　at　once　into　play；　and　under　his　solemn　but　effective　superintendence；　in　less　than　twenty　minutes　the　horn…headed　tent　rose；　dry　and　taut；　upon　the　sward。　Having　carpeted　the　floor　with　oil…skin　rugs；　and　arranged　our　three　beds　with　their　clean　crisp　sheets；　blankets；　and　coverlets　complete；　at　the　back；　he　proceeded　to　lay　out　the　di