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Wehadstartedunderaskyovercastbutcalm.Therewasnofearofheat,noneofdisastrousrain.Itwasjusttheweatherfortourists.
Thepleasureofridingonhorsebackoveranunknowncountrymademeeasytobepleasedatourfirststart.
Ithrewmyselfwhollyintothepleasureofthetrip,andenjoyedthefeelingoffreedomandsatisfieddesire.
Iwasbeginningtotakearealshareintheenterprise.
"Besides,"Isaidtomyself,"where'stherisk?
Herewearetravellingallthroughamostinterestingcountry!
Weareabouttoclimbaveryremarkablemountain;attheworstwearegoingtoscrambledownanextinctcrater.
ItisevidentthatSaknussemmdidnothingmorethanthis.
Asforapassageleadingtothecentreoftheglobe,itismererubbish!perfectlyimpossible!
Verywell,then;letusgetallthegoodwecanoutofthisexpedition,anddon'tletushaggleaboutthechances."
Thisreasoninghavingsettledmymind,wegotoutofRejkiavik.
Hansmovedsteadilyon,keepingaheadofusataneven,smooth,andrapidpace.
Thebaggagehorsesfollowedhimwithoutgivinganytrouble.
Thencamemyuncleandmyself,lookingnotsoveryill–mountedonoursmallbuthardyanimals.
IcelandisoneofthelargestislandsinEurope.
Itssurfaceis14,000squaremiles,anditcontainsbut16,000inhabitants.
Geographershavedivideditintofourquarters,andwewerecrossingdiagonallythesouth–westquarter,calledthe'SudvesterFjordungr.'
OnleavingRejkiavikHanstookusbytheseashore.
Wepassedleanpastureswhichweretryingveryhard,butinvain,tolookgreen;yellowcameoutbest.
Theruggedpeaksofthetrachyterockspresentedfaintoutlinesontheeasternhorizon;attimesafewpatchesofsnow,concentratingthevaguelight,glitteredupontheslopesofthedistantmountains;certainpeaks,boldlyuprising,passedthroughthegreyclouds,andreappearedabovethemovingmists,likebreakersemergingintheheavens.
Oftenthesechainsofbarrenrocksmadeadiptowardsthesea,andencroacheduponthescantypasturage:buttherewasalwaysenoughroomtopass.
Besides,ourhorsesinstinctivelychosetheeasiestplaceswithouteverslackeningtheirpace.
Myunclewasrefusedeventhesatisfactionofstirringuphisbeastwithwhiporvoice.Hehadnoexcuseforbeingimpatient.
Icouldnothelpsmilingtoseesotallamanonsosmallapony,andashislonglegsnearlytouchedthegroundhelookedlikeasix–leggedcentaur.
"Goodhorse!goodhorse!"hekeptsaying.
"Youwillsee,Axel,thatthereisnomoresagaciousanimalthantheIcelandichorse.
Heisstoppedbyneithersnow,norstorm,norimpassableroads,norrocks,glaciers,oranything.
Heiscourageous,sober,andsurefooted.
Henevermakesafalsestep,nevershies.
Ifthereisariverorfiordtocross(andweshallmeetwithmany)youwillseehimplungeinatonce,justasifhewereamphibious,andgaintheoppositebank.
Butwemustnothurryhim;wemustlethimhavehisway,andweshallgetonattherateofthirtymilesaday."
"Wemay;buthowaboutourguide?"
"Oh,nevermindhim.Peoplelikehimgetoverthegroundwithoutathought.
Thereissolittleactioninthismanthathewillnevergettired;andbesides,ifhewantsit,heshallhavemyhorse.
IshallgetcrampedifIdon'thave–alittleaction.
Thearmsareallright,butthelegswantexercise."
Wewereadvancingatarapidpace.Thecountrywasalreadyalmostadesert.
Hereandtherewasalonelyfarm,calledabo‘rbuilteitherofwood,orofsods,orofpiecesoflava,lookinglikeapoorbeggarbythewayside.
Theseruinoushutsseemedtosolicitcharityfrompassers–by;andonverysmallprovocationweshouldhavegivenalmsforthereliefofthepoorinmates.
Inthiscountrytherewerenoroadsandpaths,andthepoorvegetation,howeverslow,wouldsooneffacetheraretravellers'footsteps.
Yetthispartoftheprovince,ataverysmalldistancefromthecapital,isreckonedamongtheinhabitedandcultivatedportionsofIceland.
What,then,mustothertractsbe,moredesertthanthisdesert?
Inthefirsthalfmilewehadnotseenonefarmerstandingbeforehiscabindoor,noroneshepherdtendingaflocklesswildthanhimself,nothingbutafewcowsandsheeplefttothemselves.
Whatthenwouldbethoseconvulsedregionsuponwhichwewereadvancing,regionssubjecttothedirephenomenaoferuptions,theoffspringofvolcanicexplosionsandsubterraneanconvulsions?
Weweretoknowthembeforelong,butonconsultingOlsen'smap,Isawthattheywouldbeavoidedbywindingalongtheseashore.
Infact,thegreatplutonicactionisconfinedtothecentralportionoftheisland;there,rocksofthetrappeanandvolcanicclass,includingtrachyte,basalt,andtuffsandagglomeratesassociatedwithstreamsoflava,havemadethisalandofsupernaturalhorrors.
IhadnoideaofthespectaclewhichwasawaitingusinthepeninsulaofSnaefell,wheretheseruinsofafierynaturehaveformedafrightfulchaos.
IntwohoursfromRejkiavikwearrivedattheburghofGufunes,calledAolkirkja,orprincipalchurch.Therewasnothingremarkableherebutafewhouses,scarcelyenoughforaGermanhamlet.
Hansstoppedherehalfanhour.Hesharedwithusourfrugalbreakfast;answeringmyuncle'squestionsabouttheroadandourrestingplacethatnightwithmerelyyesorno,exceptwhenhesaid"Gardär."
IconsultedthemaptoseewhereGardärwas.IsawtherewasasmalltownofthatnameonthebanksoftheHvalfiord,fourmilesfromRejkiavik.Ishowedittomyuncle.
"Fourmilesonly!"heexclaimed;"fourmilesoutoftwenty–eight.Whatanicelittlewalk!"
Hewasabouttomakeanobservationtotheguide,whowithoutansweringresumedhisplaceatthehead,andwentonhisway.
Threehourslater,stilltreadingonthecolourlessgrassofthepastureland,wehadtoworkroundtheKollafiord,alongerwaybutaneasieronethanacrossthatinlet.
Wesoonenteredintoa'pingstaÏr'orparishcalledEjulberg,fromwhosesteepletwelveo'clockwouldhavestruck,ifIcelandicchurcheswererichenoughtopossessclocks.
Buttheyareliketheparishionerswhohavenowatchesanddowithout.
Thereourhorseswerebaited;thentakingthenarrowpathtoleftbetweenachainofhillsandthesea,theycarriedustoournextstage,theaolkirkjaofBrantärandonemilefartheron,toSaurbo‘r'Annexia,'achapelofeasebuiltonthesouthshoreoftheHvalfiord.
Itwasnowfouro'clock,andwehadgonefourIcelandicmiles,ortwenty–fourEnglishmiles.
InthatplacethefiordwasatleastthreeEnglishmileswide;thewavesrolledwitharushingdinuponthesharp–pointedrocks;thisinletwasconfinedbetweenwallsofrock,precipicescrownedbysharppeaks2,000feethigh,andremarkableforthebrownstratawhichseparatedthebedsofreddishtuff.
HowevermuchImightrespecttheintelligenceofourquadrupeds,Ihardlycaredtoputittothetestbytrustingmyselftoitonhorsebackacrossanarmofthesea.
Iftheyareasintelligentastheyaresaidtobe,Ithought,theywon'ttryit.Inanycase,Iwilltaxmyintelligencetodirecttheirs.
Butmyunclewouldnotwait.Hespurredontotheedge.
Hissteedloweredhisheadtoexaminethenearestwavesandstopped.
Myuncle,whohadaninstinctofhisown,too,appliedpressure,andwasagainrefusedbytheanimalsignificantlyshakinghishead.
Thenfollowedstronglanguage,andthewhip;butthebruteansweredtheseargumentswithkicksandendeavourstothrowhisrider.
Atlastthecleverlittlepony,withabendofhisknees,startedfromundertheProfessor'slegs,andlefthimstandingupontwobouldersontheshorejustlikethecolossusofRhodes.
"Confoundedbrute!"criedtheunhorsedhorseman,suddenlydegradedintoapedestrian,justasashamedasacavalryofficerdegradedtoafootsoldier.
"Färja,"saidtheguide,touchinghisshoulder.
"What!aboat?"
"der,"repliedHans,pointingtoone.
"Yes,"Icried;"thereisaboat."
"Whydidnotyousaysothen?Well,letusgoon."
"Tidvatten,"saidtheguide.
"Whatishesaying?"
"Hesaystide,"saidmyuncle,translatingtheDanishword.
"Nodoubtwemustwaitforthetide."
"Förbida,"saidmyuncle.
"Ja,"repliedHans.
Myunclestampedwithhisfoot,whilethehorseswentontotheboat.
Iperfectlyunderstoodthenecessityofabidingaparticularmomentofthetidetoundertakethecrossingofthefiord,when,theseahavingreacheditsgreatestheight,itshouldbeslackwater.
Thentheebbandflowhavenosensibleeffect,andtheboatdoesnotriskbeingcarriedeithertothebottomorouttosea.
Thatfavourablemomentarrivedonlywithsixo'clock;whenmyuncle,myself,theguide,twootherpassengersandthefourhorses,trustedourselvestoasomewhatfragileraft.
AccustomedasIwastotheswiftandsuresteamersontheElbe,Ifoundtheoarsoftherowersratheraslowmeansofpropulsion.
Ittookusmorethananhourtocrossthefiord;butthepassagewaseffectedwithoutanymishap.
InanotherhalfhourwehadreachedtheaolkirkjaofGardär
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