letters from high latitudes-第17部分

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The　clergy　are　paid　by　tithes；　their　stipends　are　exceedingly　small；　generally　not　averaging　more　than　six　or　seven　pounds　sterling　per　annum；　their　chief　dependence　being　upon　their　farms。　Like　St。　Dunstan；　they　are　invariably　excellent　blacksmiths。

As　we　approached　Reykjavik；　for　the　first　time　during　the　whole　journey　we　began　to　have　some　little　trouble　with　the　relay　of　ponies　in　front。　Whether　it　was　that　they　were　tired；　or　that　they　had　arrived　in　a　district　where　they　had　been　accustomed　to　roam　at　large；　I　cannot　tell；　but　every　ten　minutes；　during　the　last　six　or　seven　miles；　one　or　other　of　them　kept　starting　aside　into　the　rocky　plain；　across　which　the　narrow　bridle…road　was　carried；　and　cost　us　many　a　weary　chase　before　we　could　drive　them　into　the　track　again。　　At　last；　though　not　till　I　had　been　violently　hugged；　kissed；　and　nearly　pulled　off　my　horse　by　an　enthusiastic　and　rather　tipsy　farmer；　who　mistook　me　for　the　Prince；　we　galloped；　about　five　o'clock；　triumphantly　into　the　town；　without　an　accident　having　occurred　to　man　or　horse　during　the　whole　course　of　the　expeditionalways　excepting　one　tremendous　fall　sustained　by　Wilson。　It　was　on　the　evening　of　the　day　we　left　the　Geysirs。　We　were　all　galloping　in　single　file　down　the　lava　pathway；　when　suddenly　I　heard　a　cry　behind　me；　and　then　the　noise　as　of　a　descending　avalanche。　On　turning　round；　behold！　both　Wilson　and　his　pony　lay　stretched　upon　the　ground；　the　first　some　yards　in　advance　of　the　other。　The　poor　fellow　evidently　thought　he　was　killed；　for　he　neither　spoke　nor　stirred；　but　lay　looking　up　at　me；　with　blank；　beady　eyes　as　I　approached　to　his　assistance。　On　further　investigation；　neither　of　the　sufferers　proved　to　be　a　bit　the　worse。

The　cook；　and　the　rest　of　the　party；　did　not　arrive　till　about　midnight；　but　I　make　no　doubt　that　when　that　able　and　spirited　individual　did　at　length　reascend　the　side　of　the　schooner；　his　cheek　must　have　burned　with　pride　at　the　reflection；　that　during　the　short　period　of　his　absence　on　shore　he　had　added　to　his　other　accomplishments　that　of　becoming　a　most　finished　cavalier。　I　do　not　mean　by　that　to　imply　that　he　was　at　all　DONE。　Although　we　had　enjoyed　our　trip　so　much；　I　was　not　sorry　to　find　myself　on　board。　The　descent　again；　after　our　gipsy　life；　into　the　coquettish　little　cabin；　with　its　books　and　dear　home　faces；　quite　penetrated　me　with　that　feeling　of　snug　content　of　which　I　believe　Englishmen　alone　are　susceptible。

I　have　now　to　relate　to　you　a　most　painful　occurrence　which　has　taken　place　during　my　absence　at　the　Geysirs；　no　less　a　catastrophe；　in　fact；　than　a　mutiny　among　my　hitherto　most　exemplary　ship's　company。　I　suppose　they；　too；　had　occasion　to　bear　witness　to　the　proverbial　hospitality　of　Iceland；　salt　junk；　and　the　innocuous　cates　which　generally　compose　ship…board　rations；　could　never　have　produced　such　an　emergency。　Suffice　it　to　say；　that　〃Dyspepsia　and　her　fatal　train〃　having　taken　hold　of　them；　in　a　desperate　hour　they　determined　on　a　desperate　deed；and　rushing　aft　in　a　body；　demanded　of　my　faithful　steward；　not　only　access　to　the　penetralia　of　the　absent　Doctor's　cupboard；　but　that　he　himself　should　administer　to　them　whatever　medicaments　he　could　come　by。　In　vain　Mr。　Grant　threw　himself　across　the　cabin…door。　Remonstrance　was　useless；　my　horny…handed　lambs　were　inexorableunless　he　acceded　to　their　demands；　they　threatened　to　report　him　when　I　returned！　The　Doctor's　sanctuary　was　thrown　open；　and　all　its　sweetsif　such　they　may　be　calledwere　rifled。　A　huge　box　of　pills；　the　first　that　came　to　handthey　happened　to　be　calomelwas　served　out；　share　and　share　alike；　with　concomitant　vials　of　wrath；　of　rhubarb　and　senna；　and　it　was　not　until　the　last　drop　of　castor　oil　had　been　carefully　licked　up　that　the　marauders　suffered　their　unwilling　accomplice　to　retire　to　the　fastnesses　of　his　pantry。

An　avenging　Nemesis；　however；　hovered　over　the　violated　shrine　of　Esculapius。　By　the　time　I　returned　the　exigencies　of　justice　had　been　more　than　satisfied；　and　the　outrage　already　atoned　for。　The　rebellious　HANDS　were　become　most　penitent　STOMACHS；　and　fresh　from　the　Oriental　associations　suggested　by　our　last　day's　ride；　I　involuntarily　dismissed　the　disconsolate　culprits；　with　the　Asiatic　form　of　condonation：　〃Mashallah；　you　have　made　your　faces　white！　Go　in　peace！〃

During　our　expedition　to　the　interior；　the　harbour　of　Reykjavik　had　become　populous　with　new　arrivals。　First　of　all；　there　was　my　old　friend；　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　the　Emperor's　yacht；　a　magnificent　screw　corvette　of　1；100　tons。　　I　had　last　parted　with　her　three　years　ago　in　the　Baltic；　after　she　had　towed　me　for　eighty　miles　on　our　way　from　Bomarsund　to　Stockholm。　Then　there　were　two　English　screw　steamers；　of　about　700　tons　each；　taken　up　by　the　French　Government　as　tenders　to　the　yacht；　not　to　mention　a　Spanish　brig；　and　one　or　two　other　foreigners；　which；　together　with　the　frigate；　the　barque；　and　the　vessels　we　had　found　here　on　our　first　arrival；　made　the　usually　deserted　bay　look　quite　lively。　Until　this　year　no　steamers　had　ever　cockneyfied　its　secluded　waters。

This　morning；　directly　after　breakfast；　I　went　on　board　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　to　pay　my　respects　to　Prince　Napoleon；　and　H。I。H。　has　just　done　me　the　honour　of　coming　to　inspect　the　〃Foam。〃　When　I　was　first　presented　to　him　at　the　Geysirs；　he　asked　me　what　my　plans　might　be；　and　on　my　mentioning　my　resolution　of　sailing　to　the　North；　he　most　kindly　proposed　that　I　should　come　with　him　West　to　Greenland　instead。　My　anxiety；　however；　to　reach；　if　it　were　possible；　Jan　Mayen　and　Spitzbergen；　prevented　my　accepting　this　most　tempting　offer；　but　in　the　meantime；　H。I。H。　has；　it　seems；　himself　determined　to　come　to　Jan　Mayen；　and　he　is　kind　enough　to　say　that　if　I　can　get　ready　for　a　start　by　six　o'clock　to…morrow　morning；　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　shall　take　me　in　tow。　To　profit　by　this　proposal　would　of　course　entail　the　giving　up　my　plan　of　riding　across　the　interior　of　Iceland；　which　I　should　be　very　loth　to　do；　at　the　same　time；　the　season　is　so　far　advanced；　the　mischances　of　our　first　start　from　England　have　thrown　us　so　far　behind　in　our　programme；　that　it　would　seem　almost　a　pity　to　neglect　such　an　opportunity　of　overrunning　the　time　that　has　been　lost；　and　after　all；　these　Polar　islands；　which　so　few　have　visited；　are　what　I　am　chiefly　bent　on　seeing。　Before　I　close　this　letter　the　thing　will　have　been　settled　one　way　or　another；　for　I　am　to　have　the　honour　of　dining　with　the　Prince　this　evening；　and　between　this　and　then　I　shall　have　made　up　my　mind。　After　dinner　there　is　to　be　a　ball　on　board　the　frigate；　to　which　all　the　rank；　fashion；　and　beauty　of　Reykjavik　have　been　invited。

　　　3　A。M。

I　give　up　seeing　the　rest　of　Iceland；　and　go　North　at　once。　It　has　cost　me　a　struggle　to　come　to　this　conclusion；　but　on　the　whole　I　think　it　will　be　better。　Ten　or　fifteen　days　of　summer…time　become　very　precious　in　these　latitudes；　and　are　worth　a　sacrifice。　At　this　moment　we　have　just　brought　up　astern　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　and　are　getting　our　hawsers　bent；　ready　for　a　start　in　half　an　hour's　time。　My　next　letter；　please　God；　will　be　dated　from　Hammerfest。　I　suppose　I　shall　be　about　fifteen　or　twenty　days　getting　there；　but　this　will　depend　on　the　state　of　the　ice　about　Jan　Mayen。　If　the　anchorage　is　clear；　I　shall　spend　a　few　days　in　examining　the　island；　which　by　all　accounts　would　appear　to　be　most　curious。

I　happened　first　to　hear　of　its　existence　from　a　very　intelligent　whaling　Captain　I　fell　in　with　among　the　Shetlands　four　years　ago。　He　was　sailing　home　to　Hull；　after　fishing　the　Spitzbergen　waters；　and　had　sighted　the　huge　mountain　which　forms　the　northern　extremity　of　Jan　Mayen；　on　his　way　south。　Luckily；　the　weather　was　fine　while　he　was　passing；　and　the　sketch　he　made　of　it　at　the　time　so　filled　me　with　amazement；　that　I　then　determined；　if　ever　I　got　the　chance；　to　go　and　see　with　my　own　eyes　so　great　a　marvel。　Imagine　a　spike　of　igneous　rock　（the　whole　island　is　volcanic）；　shooting　straight　up　out　of　the　sea　to　the　height　of　6；870　feet；　not　broad…based　like　a　pyramid；　nor　round…topped　like　a　sugar…loaf；　but　needle…shaped；　pointed　like　the　spire　of　a　church。　If　only　my　Hull　skipper　were　as　good　a　draughtsman　as　he　seemed　to　be　a　seaman；　we　should　now　be　on　our　way　to　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　world。　Most　people　here　hold　out　rather　a　doleful　prospect；　and　say　that；　in　the　first　place；　it　is　probable　the　whole　island　will　be　imprisoned　within　the　eternal　fields　of　ice；　that　lie　out　for　upwards　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles　along　the　eastern　coast　of　Greenland；　and　next；　that　if　even　the　sea　should　be　clear　in　its　vicinity；　the　fogs　up　there　are　so　dense　and　constant　that　the　chances　are　very　much　against　our　hitting　the　land。　　But　the　fact　of　the　last　French　man…of…war　which　sailed　in　that　direction　never　having　returned；　has　made　those　seas　needlessly　unpopular　at　Reykjavik。

It　was　during　one　of　these　fogs　that　Captain　Fotherby；　the　original　discoverer　of　Jan　Mayen；　stumbled　upon　it　in　1614。　While　sailing　southwards　in　a　mist　too　thick　to　see　a　ship's　length　off；　he。　suddenly　heard　the　noise　of　waters　breaking　on　a　great　shore；　and　when　the　gigantic　bases　of　Mount　Beerenberg　gradually　disclosed　themselves；　he　thought　he　had　discovered　some　new　continent。　Since　then　it　has　been　often　sighted　by　homeward…bound　whalers；　but　rarely　landed　upon。　About　the　year　1633　the　Dutch　Government；　wishing　to　establish　a　settlement　in　the　actual　neighbourhood　of　the　fishing…grounds；　where　the　blubber　might　be　boiled　down；　and　the　spoils　of　each　season　transported　home　in　the　smallest　bulk；actually　induced　seven　seamen　to　volunteer　remaining　the　whole　winter　on　the　island。　＇Footnote：　　The　names　of　the　seven　Dutch　seamen　who　attempted　to　winter　in　Jan　Mayen's　Island　were：　Outgert　Jacobson；　of　Grootenbrook；　their　commander；　Adrian　Martin　Carman；　of　Schiedam；　clerk；　Thauniss　Thaunissen；　of　Schermehem；　cook；　Dick　Peterson；　of　Veenhuyse；　Peter　Peterson；　of　Harlem；　Sebastian　Gyse；　of　Defts…Haven；　Gerard　Beautin；　of　Bruges。＇　Huts　were　built　for　them；　and　having　been　furnished　with　an　ample　supply　of　salt　provisions；　they　were　left　to　resolve　the　problem；　as　to　whether　or　no　human　being