letters from high latitudes-第13部分

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etrating；　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　plain　a　vast　volume　of　fetid　waters　mixed　with　sand；　suddenly　disappeared。

Two　days　afterwards　a　stream　of　lava；　issuing　from　sources　to　which　no　one　has　ever　been　able　to　penetrate；　came　sliding　down　the　bed　of　the　dried…up　river；　and　in　a　little　time；though　the　channel　was　six　hundred　feet　deep　and　two　hundred　broad；the　glowing　deluge　overflowed　its　banks；　crossed　the　low　country　of　Medalland；　ripping　the　turf　up　before　it　like　a　table…cloth；　and　poured　into　a　great　lake　whose　affrighted　waters　flew　hissing　and　screaming　into　the　air　at　the　approach　of　the　fiery　intruder。　Within　a　few　more　days　the　basin　of　the　lake　itself　was　completely　filled；　and　having　separated　into　two　streams；　the　unexhausted　torrent　again　recommenced　its　march；　in　one　direction　overflowing　soiree　ancient　lava　fields；in　the　other；　re…entering　the　channel　of　the　Skapta；　and　leaping　down　the　lofty　cataract　of　Stapafoss。　　But　this　was　not　all；　while　one　lava　flood　had　chosen　the　Skapta　for　its　bed；　another；　descending　in　a　different　direction；　was　working　like　ruin　within　and　on　either　side　the　banks　of　the　Hverfisfliot；　rushing　into　the　plain；　by　all　accounts；　with　even　greater　fury　and　velocity。　Whether　the　two　issued　from　the　same　crater　it　is　impossible　to　say；　as　the　sources　of　both　were　far　away　within　the　heart　of　the　unapproachable　desert；　and　even　the　extent　of　the　lava　flow　can　only　be　measured　from　the　spot　where　it　entered　the　inhabited　districts。　The　stream　which　flowed　down　Skapta　is　calculated　to　be　about　fifty　miles　in　length　by　twelve　or　fifteen　at　its　greatest　breadth；　that　which　rolled　down　the　Hverfisfliot；　at　forty　miles　in　length　by　seven　in　breadth。　　Where　it　was　imprisoned；　between　the　high　banks　of　Skapta；　the　lava　is　five　or　six　hundred　feet　thick；　but　as　soon　as　it　spread　out　into　the　plain　its　depth　never　exceeded　one　hundred　feet。　The　eruption　of　sand；　ashes；　pumice；　and　lava；　continued　till　the　end　of　August；　when　the　Plutonic　drama　concluded　with　a　violent　earthquake。

For　a　whole　year　a　canopy　of　cinder…laden　cloud　hung　over　the　island。　Sand　and　ashes　irretrievably　overwhelmed　thousands　of　acres　of　fertile　pasturage。　The　Faroe　islands；　the　Shetlands；　and　the　Orkneys　were　deluged　with　volcanic　dust；　which　perceptibly　contaminated　even　the　pure　skies　of　England　and　Holland。　Mephitic　vapours　tainted　the　atmosphere　of　the　entire　island；even　the　grass；　which　no　cinder　rain　had　stifled；　completely　withered　up；　the　fish　perished　in　the　poisoned　sea。　A　murrain　broke　out　among　the　cattle；　and　a　disease　resembling　scurvy　attacked　the　inhabitants　themselves。　Stephenson　has　calculated　that　9；000　men；　28；000　horses；　11；000　cattle；　190；000　sheep；　died　from　the　effects　of　this　one　eruption。　The　most　moderate　calculation　puts　the　number　of　human　deaths　at　upwards　of　1；300；　and　of　cattle；　etc。　at　about　156；000。

The　whole　of　this　century　had　proved　most　fatal　to　the　unfortunate　people　of　Iceland。　At　its　commencement　smallpox　destroyed　more　than　16；000　persons；　nearly　20；000　more　perished　by　a　famine　consequent　on　a　succession　of　inclement　seasons；　while　from　time　to　time　the　southern　coasts　were　considerably　depopulated　by　the　incursions　of　English　and　even　Algerine　pirates。

The　rest　of　our　day's　journey　lay　through　a　country　less　interesting　than　the　district　we　had　traversed　before　luncheon。　　For　the　most　part　we　kept　on　along　the　foot　of　the　hills；　stopping　now　and　then　for　a　drink　of　milk　at　the　occasional　farms　perched　upon　their　slopes。　Sometimes　turning　up　a　green　and　even　bushy　glen；　（there　are　no　trees　in　Iceland；　the　nearest　approach　to　anything　of　the　kind　being　a　low　dwarf　birch；　hardly　worthy　of　being　called　a　shrub；）　we　would　cut　across　the　shoulder　of　some　projecting　spur；　and　obtain　a　wider　prospect　of　the　level　land　upon　our　right；　or　else　keeping　more　down　in　the　flat；　we　had　to　flounder　for　half　an　hour　up　to　the　horses'　shoulders　in　an　Irish　bog。　　After　about　five　hours　of　this　work　we　reached　the　banks　of　a　broad　and　rather　singular　river；　called　the　Bruara。　　Halfway　across　it　was　perfectly　fordable；　but　exactly　in　the　middle　was　a　deep　cleft；　into　which　the　waters　from　either　side　spilt　themselves；　and　then　in　a　collected　volume　roared　over　a　precipice　a　little　lower　down。　Across　this　cleft　some　wooden　planks　were　thrown；　giving　the　traveller　an　opportunity　of　boasting　that　he　had　crossed　a　river　on　a　bridge　which　itself　was　under　water。　By　this　time　we　had　all　begun　to　be　very　tired；　and　very　hungry；it　was　11　o'clock　P。M。　　We　had　been　twelve　or　thirteen　hours　on　horseback；　not　to　mention　occasional　half…hours　of　pretty　severe　walking　after　the　ptarmigan　and　plover。　Many　were　the　questions　we　addressed　to　Sigurdr　on　the　distance　yet　remaining；　and　many　the　conjectures　we　hazarded　as　to　whether　the　cook　would　have　arrived　in　time　to　get　dinner　ready　for　us。　　At　last；　after　another　two　hours'　weary　jogging；　we　descried；　straight　in　front；　a　low　steep　brown　rugged　hill；　standing　entirely　detached　from　the　range　at　the　foot　of　which　we　had　been　riding；　and　in　a　few　minutes　more；　wheeling　round　its　outer　end；　we　found　ourselves　in　the　presence　of　the　steaming　Geysirs。

I　do　not　know　that　I　can　give　you　a　better　notion　of　the　appearance　of　the　place　than　by　saying　that　it　looked　as　iffor　about　a　quarter　of　a　milethe　ground　had　been　honey…combed　by　disease　into　numerous　sores　and　orifices；　not　a　blade　of　grass　grew　on　its　hot；　inflamed　surface；　which　consisted　of　unwholesome…looking　red　livid　clay；　or　crumpled　shreds　and　shards　of　slough…like　incrustations。　Naturally　enough；　our　first　impulse　on　dismounting　was　to　scamper　off　at　once　to　the　Great　Geysir。　As　it　lay　at　the　furthest　end　of　the　congeries　of　hot　springs；　in　order　to　reach　it　we　had　to　run　the　gauntlet　of　all　the　pools　of　boiling　water　and　scalding　quagmires　of　soft　clay　that　intervened；　and　consequently　arrived　on　the　spot　with　our　ankles　nicely　poulticed。　　But　the　occasion　justified　our　eagerness。　A　smooth　silicious　basin；　seventy…two　feet　in　diameter　and　four　feet　deep；　with　a　hole　at　the　bottom　as　in　a　washing…basin　on　board　a　steamer；　stood　before　us　brimful　of　water　just　upon　the　simmer；　while　up　into　the　air　above　our　heads　rose　a　great　column　of　vapour；　looking　as　if　it　was　going　to　turn　into　the　Fisherman's　Genie。　The　ground　about　the　brim　was　composed　of　layers　of　incrusted　silica；　like　the　outside　of　an　oyster；　sloping　gently　down　on　all　sides　from　the　edge　of　the　basin。

＇Figure：　fig…p067。gif　with　caption　　　　A　　Basin。　　　　B　　Funnel。＇

Having　satisfied　our　curiosity　with　this　cursory　inspection　of　what　we　had　come　so　far　to　see；　hunger　compelled　us　to　look　about　with　great　anxiety　for　the　cook；　and　you　may　fancy　our　delight　at　seeing　that　functionary　in　the　very　act　of　dishing　up　dinner　on　a　neighbouring　hillock。　Sent　forward　at　an　early　hour；　under　the　chaperonage　of　a　guide；　he　had　arrived　about　two　hours　before　us；　and　seizing　with　a　general's　eye　the　key　of　the　position；　at　once　turned　an　idle　babbling　little　Geysir　into　a　camp…kettle；　dug　a　bake…house　in　the　hot　soft　clay；　and　improvising　a　kitchen…range　at　a　neighbouring　vent；　had　made　himself　completely　master　of　the　situation。　It　was　about　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　we　sat　down　to　dinner；　and　as　light　as　day。

As　the　baggage…train　with　our　tents　and　beds　had　not　yet　arrived；　we　fully　appreciated　our　luck　in　being　treated　to　so　dry　a　night；　and　having　eaten　everything　we　could　lay　hands　on；　were　sat　quietly　down　to　chess；　and　coffee　brewed　in　Geysir　water；　when　suddenly　it　seemed　as　if　beneath　our　very　feet　a　quantity　of　subterraneous　cannon　were　going　off；　the　whole　earth　shook；　and　Sigurdr；　starting　to　his　feet；　upset　the　chess…board　（I　was　just　beginning　to　get　the　best　of　the　game）；　and　flung　off　full　speed　towards　the　great　basin。　　By　the　time　we　reached　its　brim；　however；　the　noise　had　ceased；　and　all　we　could　see　was　a　slight　movement　in　the　centre；　as　if　an　angel　had　passed　by　and　troubled　the　water。　　Irritated　at　this　false　alarm；　we　determined　to　revenge　ourselves　by　going　and　tormenting　the　Strokr。　Strokror　the　churnyou　must　know；　is　an　unfortunate　Geysir；　with　so　little　command　over　his　temper　and　his　stomach；　that　you　can　get　a　rise　out　of　him　whenever　you　like。　All　that　is　necessary　is　to　collect　a　quantity　of　sods；　and　throw　them　down　his　funnel。　As　he　has　no　basin　to　protect　him　from　these　liberties；　you　can　approach　to　the　very　edge　of　the　pipe；　about　five　feet　in　diameter；　and　look　down　at　the　boiling　water　which　is　perpetually　seething　at　the　bottom。　In　a　few　minutes　the　dose　of　turf　you　have　just　administered　begins　to　disagree　with　him；　he　works　himself　up　into　an　awful　passiontormented　by　the　qualms　of　incipient　sickness；　he　groans　and　hisses；　and　boils　up；　and　spits　at　you　with　malicious　vehemence；　until　at　last；　with　a　roar　of　mingled　pain　and　rage；　he　throws　up　into　the　air　a　column　of　water　forty　feet　high；　which　carries　with　it　all　the　sods　that　have　been　chucked　in；　and　scatters　them　scalded　and　half…digested　at　your　feet。　So　irritated　has　the　poor　thing's　stomach　become　by　the　discipline　it　has　undergone；　that　even　long　after　all　the　foreign　matter　has　been　thro