English
Thedayforourdeparturearrived.ThedaybeforeitourkindfriendM.ThomsenbroughtuslettersofintroductiontoCountTrampe,theGovernorofIceland,M.Picturssen,thebishop'ssuffragan,andM.Finsen,mayorofRejkiavik.
Myuncleexpressedhisgratitudebytremendouscompressionsofbothhishands.
Onthe2nd,atsixintheevening,allourpreciousbaggagebeingsafelyonboardtheValkyria,thecaptaintookusintoaverynarrowcabin.
"Isthewindfavourable?"myuncleasked.
"Excellent,"repliedCaptainBjarne;"asou'–easter.WeshallpassdowntheSoundfullspeed,withallsailsset."
Inafewminutestheschooner,underhermizen,brigantine,topsail,andtopgallantsail,loosedfromhermooringsandmadefullsailthroughthestraits.
InanhourthecapitalofDenmarkseemedtosinkbelowthedistantwaves,andtheValkyriawasskirtingthecoastbyElsinore.
InmynervousframeofmindIexpectedtoseetheghostofHamletwanderingonthelegendarycastleterrace.
"Sublimemadman!"Isaid,"nodoubtyouwouldapproveofourexpedition.Perhapsyouwouldkeepuscompanytothecentreoftheglobe,tofindthesolutionofyoureternaldoubts."
Buttherewasnoghostlyshapeupontheancientwalls.
Indeed,thecastleismuchyoungerthantheheroicprinceofDenmark.
ItnowanswersthepurposeofasumptuouslodgeforthedoorkeeperofthestraitsoftheSound,beforewhicheveryyeartherepassfifteenthousandshipsofallnations.
ThecastleofKronsbergsoondisappearedinthemist,aswellasthetowerofHelsingborg,builtontheSwedishcoast,andtheschoonerpassedlightlyonherwayurgedbythebreezesoftheCattegat.
TheValkyriawasasplendidsailer,butonasailingvesselyoucanplacenodependence.
ShewastakingtoRejkiavikcoal,householdgoods,earthenware,woollenclothing,andacargoofwheat.
Thecrewconsistedoffivemen,allDanes.
"Howlongwillthepassagetake?"myuncleasked.
"Tendays,"thecaptainreplied,"ifwedon'tmeetanor'–westerinpassingtheFaroes."
"Butareyounotsubjecttoconsiderabledelays?"
"No,M.Liedenbrock,don'tbeuneasy,weshallgetthereinverygoodtime."
AteveningtheschoonerdoubledtheSkawatthenorthernpointofDenmark,inthenightpassedtheSkagerRack,skirtedNorwaybyCapeLindness,andenteredtheNorthSea.
IntwodaysmorewesightedthecoastofScotlandnearPeterhead,,andtheValkyriaturnedherleadtowardstheFaroeIslands,passingbetweentheOrkneysandShetlands.
SoontheschoonerencounteredthegreatAtlanticswell;shehadtotackagainstthenorthwind,andreachedtheFaroesonlywithsomedifficulty.
Onthe8ththecaptainmadeoutMyganness,thesouthernmostoftheseislands,andfromthatmomenttookastraightcourseforCapePortland,themostsoutherlypointofIceland.
Thepassagewasmarkedbynothingunusual.Iborethetroublesoftheseaprettywell;myuncle,tohisownintensedisgust,andhisgreatershame,wasillallthroughthevoyage.
HethereforewasunabletoconversewiththecaptainaboutSnaefell,thewaytogettoit,thefacilitiesfortransport,hewasobligedtoputofftheseinquiriesuntilhisarrival,andspentallhistimeatfulllengthinhiscabin,ofwhichthetimberscreakedandshookwitheverypitchshetook.
Itmustbeconfessedhewasnotundeservingofhispunishment.
Onthe11thwereachedCapePortland.TheclearopenweathergaveusagoodviewofMyrdalsjokul,whichoverhangsit.Thecapeismerelyalowhillwithsteepsides,standinglonelybythebeach.
TheValkyriakeptatsomedistancefromthecoast,takingawesterlycourseamidstgreatshoalsofwhalesandsharks.
Soonwecameinsightofanenormousperforatedrock,throughwhichtheseadashedfuriously.
TheWestmanisletsseemedtoriseoutoftheoceanlikeagroupofrocksinaliquidplain.
FromthattimetheschoonertookawideberthandsweptatagreatdistanceroundCapeRejkianess,whichformsthewesternpointofIceland.
Theroughseapreventedmyunclefromcomingondecktoadmiretheseshatteredandsurf–beatencoasts.
Forty–eighthoursafter,comingoutofastormwhichforcedtheschoonertoscudunderbarepoles,wesightedeastofusthebeacononCapeSkagen,wheredangerousrocksextendfarawayseaward.
AnIcelandicpilotcameonboard,andinthreehourstheValkyriadroppedheranchorbeforeRejkiavik,inFaxaBay.
TheProfessoratlastemergedfromhiscabin,ratherpaleandwretched–looking,butstillfullofenthusiasm,andwithardentsatisfactionshininginhiseyes.
Thepopulationofthetown,wonderfullyinterestedinthearrivalofavesselfromwhicheveryoneexpectedsomething,formedingroupsuponthequay.
Myuncleleftinhastehisfloatingprison,orratherhospital.
Butbeforequittingthedeckoftheschoonerhedraggedmeforward,andpointingwithoutstretchedfingernorthofthebayatadistantmountainterminatinginadoublepeak,apairofconescoveredwithperpetualsnow,hecried:
"Snaefell!Snaefell!"
Thenrecommendingme,byanimpressivegesture,tokeepsilence,hewentintotheboatwhichawaitedhim.Ifollowed,andpresentlyweweretreadingthesoilofIceland.
Thefirstmanwesawwasagood–lookingfellowenough,inageneral'suniform.
Yethewasnotageneralbutamagistrate,theGovernoroftheisland,M.leBaronTrampehimself.
TheProfessorwassoonawareofthepresencehewasin.
HedeliveredhimhislettersfromCopenhagen,andthenfollowedashortconversationintheDanishlanguage,thepurportofwhichIwasquiteignorantof,andforaverygoodreason.
Buttheresultofthisfirstconversationwas,thatBaronTrampeplacedhimselfentirelyattheserviceofProfessorLiedenbrock.
Myunclewasjustascourteouslyreceivedbythemayor,M.Finsen,whoseappearancewasasmilitary,anddispositionandofficeaspacific,astheGovernor's.
Asforthebishop'ssuffragan,M.Picturssen,hewasatthatmomentengagedonanepiscopalvisitationinthenorth.
Forthetimewemustberesignedtowaitforthehonourofbeingpresentedtohim.
ButM.Fridrikssen,professorofnaturalsciencesattheschoolofRejkiavik,wasadelightfulman,andhisfriendshipbecameveryprecioustome.
ThismodestphilosopherspokeonlyDanishandLatin.
HecametoproffermehisgoodofficesinthelanguageofHorace,andIfeltthatweweremadetounderstandeachother.
InfacthewastheonlypersoninIcelandwithwhomIcouldconverseatall.
Thisgood–naturedgentlemanmadeovertoustwoofthethreeroomswhichhishousecontained,andweweresooninstalledinitwithallourluggage,theabundanceofwhichratherastonishedthegoodpeopleofRejkiavik.
"Well,Axel,"saidmyuncle,"wearegettingon,andnowtheworstisover."
"Theworst!"Isaid,astonished.
"Tobesure,nowwehavenothingtodobutgodown."
"Oh,ifthatisall,youarequiteright;butafterall,whenwehavegonedown,weshallhavetogetupagain,Isuppose?"
"OhIdon'ttroublemyselfaboutthat.Come,there'snotimetolose;Iamgoingtothelibrary.PerhapsthereissomemanuscriptofSaknussemm'sthere,andIshouldbegladtoconsultit."
"Well,whileyouarethereIwillgointothetown.Won'tyou?"
"Oh,thatisveryuninterestingtome.Itisnotwhatisuponthisisland,butwhatisunderneath,thatinterestsme."
Iwentout,andwanderedwhereverchancetookme.
ItwouldnotbeeasytoloseyourwayinRejkiavik.Iwasthereforeundernonecessitytoinquiretheroad,whichexposesonetomistakeswhentheonlymediumofintercourseisgesture.
Thetownextendsalongalowandmarshylevel,betweentwohills.
Animmensebedoflavaboundsitononeside,andfallsgentlytowardsthesea.
OntheotherextendsthevastbayofFaxa,shutinatthenorthbytheenormousglacieroftheSnaefell,andofwhichtheValkyriawasforthetimetheonlyoccupant.
UsuallytheEnglishandFrenchconservatorsoffisheriesmoorinthisbay,butjustthentheywerecruisingaboutthewesterncoastsoftheisland.
ThelongestoftheonlytwostreetsthatRejkiavikpossesseswasparallelwiththebeach.
Herelivethemerchantsandtraders,inwoodencabinsmadeofredplankssethorizontally;theotherstreet,runningwest,endsatthelittlelakebetweenthehouseofthebishopandothernon–commercialpeople.
Ihadsoonexploredthesemelancholyways;hereandthereIgotaglimpseoffadedturf,lookinglikeaworn–outbitofcarpet,orsomeappearanceofakitchengarden,thesparsevegetablesofwhich(potatoes,cabbages,andlettuces),wouldhavefiguredappropriatelyuponaLilliputiantable.
Afewsicklywallflowersweretryingtoenjoytheairandsunshine.
Aboutthemiddleofthetin–commercialstreetIfoundthepubliccemetery,inclosedwithamudwall,andwherethereseemedplentyofroom.
ThenafewstepsbroughtmetotheGovernor'shouse,abutcomparedwiththetownhallofHamburg,apalaceincomparisonwiththecabinsoftheIcelandicpopulation.
BetweenthelittlelakeandthetownthechurchisbuiltintheProtestantstyle,ofcalcinedstonesextractedoutofthevolcanoesbytheirownlabourandattheirownexpense;inhighwesterlywindsitwasmanifestthattheredtilesoftheroofwouldbescatteredintheair,tothegreatdangerofthefaithfulworshippers.
OnaneighbouringhillIperceivedthenationalschool,where,asIwasinformedlaterbyourhost,weretaughtHebrew,English,French,andDanish,fourlanguagesofwhich,withshameIconfessit,Idon'tknowasingleword;afteranexaminationIshouldhavehadtostandlastofthefortyscholarseducatedatthislittlecollege,andIshouldhavebeenheldunworthytosleepalongwiththeminoneofthoselittledoubleclosets,wheremoredelicateyouthswouldhavediedofsuffocationtheveryfirstnight.
InthreehoursIhadseennotonlythetownbutitsenvirons.
Thegeneralaspectwaswonderfullydull.Notrees,andscarcelyanyvegetation.
Everywherebarerocks,signsofvolcanicaction.
TheIcelandicbutsaremadeofearthandturf,andthewallsslopeinward;theyratherresembleroofsplacedontheground.
Butthentheseroofsaremeadowsofcomparativefertility.
Thankstotheinternalheat,thegrassgrowsonthemtosomedegreeofperfection.
Itiscarefullymowninthehayseason;ifitwerenot,thehorseswouldcometopastureonthesegreenabodes.
InmyexcursionImetbutfewpeople.OnreturningtothemainstreetIfoundthegreaterpartofthepopulationbusiedindrying,salting,andputtingonboardcodfish,theirchiefexport.
Themenlookedlikerobustbutheavy,blondGermanswithpensiveeyes,consciousofbeingfarremovedfromtheirfellowcreatures,poorexilesrelegatedtothislandofice,poorcreatureswhoshouldhavebeenEsquimaux,sincenaturehadcondemnedthemtoliveonlyjustoutsidethearcticcircle!
InvaindidItrytodetectasmileupontheirlips;sometimesbyaspasmodicandinvoluntarycontractionofthemusclestheyseemedtolaugh,buttheyneversmiled.
TheircostumeconsistedofacoarsejacketofblackwoollenclothcalledinScandinavianlandsa'vadmel,'ahatwithaverybroadbrim,trouserswithanarrowedgeofred,andabitofleatherrolledroundthefootforshoes.
Thewomenlookedassadandasresignedasthemen;theirfaceswereagreeablebutexpressionless,andtheyworegownsandpetticoatsofdark'vadmel';asmaidens,theyworeovertheirbraidedhairalittleknittedbrowncap;whenmarried,theyputaroundtheirheadsacolouredhandkerchief,crownedwithapeakofwhitelinen.
AfteragoodwalkIreturnedtoM.Fridrikssen'shouse,whereIfoundmyunclealreadyinhishost'scompany.
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