letters from high latitudes-第4部分

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m；　at　starting；　three　consecrated　ravensas　an　M。P。　would　take　three　well…trained　pointers　to　his　moor。　Having　sailed　a　certain　distance；　he　let　loose　one；　which　flew　back：　by　this　he　judged　he　had　not　got　half…way。　Proceeding　onwards；　he　loosed　the　second；　which；　after　circling　in　the　air　for　some　minutes　in　apparent　uncertainty；　also　made　off　home；　as　though　it　still　remained　a　nice　point　which　were　the　shorter　course　toward　terra　firma。　But　the　third；　on　obtaining　his　liberty　a　few　days　later；　flew　forward；　and　by　following　the　direction　in　which　he　had　disappeared；　Rabna　Floki；　or　Floki　of　the　Ravens；　as　he　came　to　be　called；　triumphantly　made　the　land。

The　real　colonists　did　not　arrive　till　some　years　later；　for　I　do　not　much　believe　a　story　they　tell　of　Christian　relics；　supposed　to　have　been　left　by　Irish　fishermen；　found　on　the　Westmann　islands。　A　Scandinavian　king；　named　Harold　Haarfager　（a　contemporary　of　our　own　King　Alfred's）；　having　murdered；　burnt；　and　otherwise　exterminated　all　his　brother　kings　who　at　that　time　grew　as　thick　as　blackberries　in　Norway；　first　consolidated　their　dominions　into　one　realm；　as　Edgar　did　the　Heptarchy；　and　then　proceeded　to　invade　the　Udal　rights　of　the　landholders。　Some　of　them；　animated　with　that　love　of　liberty　innate　in　the　race　of　the　noble　Northmen；　rather　than　submit　to　his　oppressions；　determined　to　look　for　a　new　home　amid　the　desolate　regions　of　the　icy　sea。　Freighting　a　dragon…shaped　galleythe　〃Mayflower〃　of　the　periodwith　their　wives　and　children；　and　all　the　household　monuments　that　were　dear　to　them；　they　saw　the　blue　peaks　of　their　dear　Norway　hills　sink　down　into　the　sea　behind；　and　manfully　set　their　faces　towards　the　west；　wheresome　vague　report　had　whispereda　new　land　might　be　found。　Arrived　in　sight　of　Iceland；　the　leader　of　the　expedition　threw　the　sacred　pillars　belonging　to　his　former　dwelling　into　the　water；　in　order　that　the　gods　might　determine　the　site　of　his　new　home：　carried　by　the　tide；　no　one　could　say　in　what　direction；　they　were　at　last　discovered；　at　the　end　of　three　years；　in　a　sheltered　bay　on　the　west　side　of　the　island；　and　Ingolf　＇Footnote：　It　was　in　consequence　of　a　domestic　feud　that　Ingolf　himself　was　forced　to　emigrate。＇　came　and　abode　there；　and　the　place　became　in　the　course　of　years　Reykjavik；　the　capital　of　the　country。

Sigurdr　having　scouted　the　idea　of　acting　Iphigenia；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　steadily　to　beat　over　the　remaining　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　which　still　separated　us　from　Cape　Reikianess。　After　going　for　two　days　hard　at　it；　and　sighting　the　Westmann　islands；　we　ran　plump　into　a　fog；　and　lay　to。　In　a　few　hours；　however；　it　cleared　up　into　a　lovely　sunny　day；　with　a　warm　summer　breeze　just　rippling　up　the　water。　　Before　us　lay　the　long　wished…for　Cape；　with　the　Meal…sack；a　queer　stump　of　basalt；　that　flops　up　out　of　the　sea；　fifteen　miles　south…west　of　Cape　Reikianess；　its　flat　top　white　with　guano；　like　the　mouth　of　a　bag　of　flour；five　miles　on　our　port　bow；　and　seldom　have　I　remembered　a　pleasanter　four…and…twenty　hours　than　those　spent　stealing　up　along　the　gnarled　and　crumpled　lava　flat　that　forms　the　western　coast　of　Guldbrand　Syssel。　Such　fishing；　shooting；　looking　through　telescopes；　and　talking　of　what　was　to　be　done　on　our　arrival！　Like　Antaeus；　Sigurdr　seemed　twice　the　man　he　was　before；　at　sight　of　his　native　land；　and　the　Doctor　grew　nearly　lunatic　when　after　stalking　a　solent　goose　asleep　on　the　water；　the　bird　flew　away　at　the　moment　the　schooner　hove　within　shot。

The　panorama　of　the　bay　of　Faxa　Fiord　is　magnificent；　with　a　width　of　fifty　miles　from　horn　to　horn；　the　one　running　down　into　a　rocky　ridge　of　pumice；　the　other　towering　to　the　height　of　five　thousand　feet　in　a　pyramid　of　eternal　snow；　while　round　the　intervening　semicircle　crowd　the　peaks　of　a　hundred　noble　mountains。　As　you　approach　the　shore；　you　are　very　much　reminded　of　the　west　coast　of　Scotland；　except　that　everything　is　more　INTENSEthe　atmosphere　clearer；　the　light　more　vivid；　the　air　more　bracing；　the　hills　steeper；　loftier；　more　tormented；　as　the　French　say；　and　more　gaunt；　while　between　their　base　and　the　sea　stretches　a　dirty　greenish　slope；　patched　with　houses　which　themselves；　both　roof　and　walls；　are　of　a　mouldy　green；　as　if　some　long…since　inhabited　country　had　been　fished　up　out　of　the　bottom　of　the　sea。

The　effects　of　light　and　shadow　are　the　purest　I　ever　saw；　the　contrasts　of　colour　most　astonishing；one　square　front　of　a　mountain　jutting　out　in　a　blaze　of　gold　against　the　flank　of　another；　dyed　of　the　darkest　purple；　while　up　against　the　azure　sky　beyond；　rise　peaks　of　glittering　snow　and　ice。　The　snow；　however；　beyond　serving　as　an　ornamental　fringe　to　the　distance；　plays　but　a　very　poor　part　at　this　season　of　the　year　in　Iceland。　While　I　write；　the　thermometer　is　above　70。　Last　night　we　remained　playing　at　chess　on　deck　till　bedtime；　without　thinking　of　calling　for　coats；　and　my　people　live　in　their　shirt…sleeves；　andastonishment　at　the　climate。

And　now；　good…bye。　I　cannot　tell　you　how　I　am　enjoying　myself；　body　and　soul。　Already　I　feel　much　stronger；　and　before　I　return　I　trust　to　have　laid　in　a　stock　of　health　sufficient　to　last　the　family　for　several　generations。

Remember　me　to　；　and　tell　her　she　looks　too　lovely；　her　face　has　become　of　a　beautiful　bright　greena　complexion　which　her　golden　crown　sets　off　to　the　greatest　advantage。　I　wish　she　could　have　seen；　as　we　sped　across；　how　passionately　the　waves　of　the　Atlantic　flung　their　liquid　arms　about　her　neck；　and　how　proudly　she　broke　through　their　embraces；　leaving　them　far　behind；　moaning　and　lamenting。


LETTER　VI。

REYKJAVIKLATIN　CONVERSATIONI　BECOME　THE　PROPRIETOR　OF　TWENTY…SIX　HORSESEIDER　DUCKSBESSESTADSNORKO　STURLESONTHE　OLD　GREENLAND　COLONYFINLANDA　GENOESE　SKIPPER　IN　THE　FIFTEENTH　CENTURYAN　ICELANDIC　DINNER　SKOALAN　AFTER…DINNER　SPEACH　IN　LATINWINGED　RABBITS　DUCROWSTART　OF　THE　BAGGAGE…TRAIN。

Reykjavik；　June　28；　1856。

Notwithstanding　that　its　site；　as　I　mentioned　in　my　last　letter；　was　determined　by　auspices　not　less　divine　than　those　of　Rome　or　Athens；　Reykjavik　is　not　so　fine　a　city　as　either；　though　its　public　buildings　may　be　thought　to　be　in　better　repair。　In　fact；　the　town　consists　of　a　collection　of　wooden　sheds；　one　story　highrising　here　and　there　into　a　gable　end　of　greater　pretentionsbuilt　along　the　lava　beach；　and　flanked　at　either　end　by　a　suburb　of　turf　huts。

On　every　side　of　it　extends　a　desolate　plain　of　lava　that　once　must　have　boiled　up　red…hot　from　some　distant　gateway　of　hell；　and　fallen　hissing　into　the　sea。　No　tree　or　bush　relieves　the　dreariness　of　the　landscape；　and　the　mountains　are　too　distant　to　serve　as　a　background　to　the　buildings；　but　before　the　door　of　each　merchant's　house　facing　the　sea；　there　flies　a　gay　little　pennon；　and　as　you　walk　along　the　silent　streets；　whose　dust　no　carriage…wheel　has　ever　desecrated；　the　rows　of　flower…pots　that　peep　out　of　the　windows；　between　curtains　of　white　muslin；　at　once　convince　you　that　notwithstanding　their　unpretending　appearance；　within　each　dwelling　reign　the　elegance　and　comfort　of　a　woman…tended　home。

Thanks　to　Sigurdr's　popularity　among　his　countrymen；　by　the　second　day　after　our　arrival　we　found　ourselves　no　longer　in　a　strange　land。　With　a　frank　energetic　cordiality　that　quite　took　one　by　surprise；　the　gentlemen　of　the　place　at　once　welcomed　us　to　their　firesides；　and　made　us　feel　that　we　could　give　them　no　greater　pleasure　than　by　claiming　their　hospitality。　As；　however；　it　is　necessary；　if　we　are　to　reach　Jan　Mayen　and　Spitzbergen　this　summer；　that　our　stay　in　Iceland　should　not　be　prolonged　above　a　certain　date；　I　determined　at　once　to　make　preparations　for　our　expedition　to　the　Geysirs　and　the　interior　of　the　country。　Our　plan　at　present；　after　visiting　the　hot　springs；　is　to　return　to　Reykjavik；　and　stretch　right　across　the　middle　of　the　island　to　the　north　coastscarcely　ever　visited　by　strangers。　　Thence　we　shall　sail　straight　away　to　Jan　Mayen。

In　pursuance　of　this　arrangement；　the　first　thing　to　do　was　to　buy　some　horses。　Away；　accordingly；　we　went　in　the　gig　to　the　little　pier　leading　up　to　the　merchant's　house　who　had　kindly　promised　Sigurdr　to　provide　them。　Everything　in　the　country　that　is　not　made　of　wood　is　made　of　lava。　　The　pier　was　constructed　out　of　huge　boulders　of　lava；　the　shingle　is　lava；　the　sea…sand　is　pounded　lava；　the　mud　on　the　roads　is　lava　paste；　the　foundations　of　the　houses　are　lava　blocks；　and　in　dry　weather　you　are　blinded　with　lava　dust。　Immediately　upon　landing　I　was　presented　to　a　fine；　burly　gentleman；　who；　I　was　informed；　could　let　me　have　a　steppe…ful　of　horses　if　I　desired；　and　a　few　minutes　afterwards　I　picked　myself　up　in　the　middle　of　a　Latin　oration　on　the　subject　of　the　weather。　Having　suddenly　lost　my　nominative　case；　I　concluded　abruptly　with　the　figure　syncope；　and　a　bow；　to　which　my　interlocutor　politely　replied　〃Ita。〃　Many　of　the　inhabitants　speak　English；　and　one　or　two　French；　but　in　default　of　either　of　these；　your　only　chance　is　Latin。　At　first　I　found　great　difficulty　in　brushing　up　anything　sufficiently　conversational；　more　especially　as　it　was　necessary　to　broaden　out　the　vowels　in　the　high　Roman　fashion；　but　a　little　practice　soon　made　me　more　fluent；　and　I　got　at　last　to　brandish　my　〃Pergratum　est；〃　etc。　in　the　face　of　a　new　acquaintance；　without　any　misgivings。　On　this　occasion　I　thought　it　more　prudent　to　let　Sigurdr　make　the　necessary　arrangements　for　our　journey；　and　in　a　few　minutes　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　learning　that　I　had　become　the　proprietor　of　twenty…six　horses；　as　many　bridles　and　pack…saddles；　and　three　guides。

There　being　no　roads　in　Iceland；　all　the　traffic　of　the　country　is　conducted　by　means　of　horses；　along　the　bridle…　tracks　which　centuries　of　travel　have　worn　in　the　lava　plains。　　As　but　little　hay　is　to　be　had；　the　winter　is　a　season　of　fasting　for　all　cattle；　and　it　is　not　until　spring　is　well　advanced；　and　the　horses　have　had　time　to　grow　a　little　fat　on　the　young　grass；　that　you　can　go　a　journey。　I　was　a　good　deal　taken　aback　when　the　number　of　my　stud　was　announced　to　me；　but　it　appears　that　what　with　the　photographic　apparatus；　which　I　am　anxious　to　take；　and　our　tent；　it　would　be　i