Youseeconesimperfectlyformed,irregularpyramids,withafantasticdisarrangementoflines;buthere,asiftoexhibitanexampleofregularity,thoughinadvanceoftheveryearliestarchitects,shehascreatedaseverelysimpleorderofarchitecture,neversurpassedeitherbythesplendoursofBabylonorthewondersofGreece.
IhadheardoftheGiant'sCausewayinIreland,andFingal'sCaveinStaffa,oneoftheHebrides;butIhadneveryetseenabasalticformation.
Thewallthatconfinedthefiord,likeallthecoastofthepeninsula,wascomposedofaseriesofverticalcolumnsthirtyfeethigh.
Thesestraightshafts,offairproportions,supportedanarchitraveofhorizontalslabs,theoverhangingportionofwhichformedasemi–archoverthesea.At.
intervals,underthisnaturalshelter,therespreadoutvaultedentrancesinbeautifulcurves,intowhichthewavescamedashingwithfoamandspray.
Afewshaftsofbasalt,tornfromtheirholdbythefuryoftempests,layalongthesoillikeremainsofanancienttemple,inruinsforeverfresh,andoverwhichcenturiespassedwithoutleavingatraceofageuponthem.
Thiswasourlaststageupontheearth.Hanshadexhibitedgreatintelligence,anditgavemesomelittlecomforttothinkthenthathewasnotgoingtoleaveus.
Onarrivingatthedooroftherector'shouse,whichwasnotdifferentfromtheothers,Isawamanshoeingahorse,hammerinhand,andwithaleathernapronon.
Ourguideinthemeanwhilewasmakingthe'kyrkoherde'awareofthepositionofthings;whenthelatter,suspendinghislaboursforamoment,utteredasoundnodoubtunderstoodbetweenhorsesandfarriers,andimmediatelyatallanduglyhagappearedfromthehut.
IwasingreatalarmlestsheshouldtreatmetotheIcelandickiss;buttherewasnooccasiontofear,nordidshedothehonoursatalltoogracefully.
Thevisitors'roomseemedtometheworstinthewholecabin.Itwasclose,dirty,andevilsmelling.Butwehadtobecontent.
BeforethedaywasoverIsawthatwehadtodowithablacksmith,afisherman,ahunter,ajoiner,butnotatallwithaministeroftheGospel.
TheyreceivefromtheDanishGovernmentaridiculouslysmallpittance,andtheygetfromtheparishthefourthpartofthetithe,whichdoesnotcometosixtymarksayear(about£4).
Hencethenecessitytoworkfortheirlivelihood;butafterfishing,hunting,andshoeinghorsesforanylengthoftime,onesoongetsintothewaysandmannersoffishermen,hunters,andfarriers,andotherratherrudeanduncultivatedpeople;andthateveningIfoundoutthattemperancewasnotamongthevirtuesthatdistinguishedmyhost.
Myunclesoondiscoveredwhatsortofamanhehadtodowith;insteadofagoodandlearnedmanhefoundarudeandcoarsepeasant.
HanshiredtheservicesofthreeIcelanderstodothedutyofthehorsesinthetransportoftheburdens;butassoonaswehadarrivedatthecraterthesenativesweretoturnbackandleaveustoourowndevices.Thiswastobeclearlyunderstood.
MyunclenowtooktheopportunitytoexplaintoHansthatitwashisintentiontoexploretheinteriorofthevolcanotoitsfarthestlimits.
Hansmerelynodded.Thereorelsewhere,downinthebowelsoftheearth,oranywhereonthesurface,allwasaliketohim.
Formyownparttheincidentsofthejourneyhadhithertokeptmeamused,andmademeforgetfulofcomingevils;butnowmyfearsagainwerebeginningtogetthebetterofme.ButwhatcouldIdo?
Ifthereisawaytopenetrateintotheverybowelsoftheisland,ifthatill–advisedSaknussemmhastoldatruetale,weshallloseourwayamidstthedeepsubterraneanpassagesofthisvolcano.
Itwasworthwhiledebatingthisquestion,andIdiddebateit.Icouldnotsleepfordreamingabouteruptions.Now,thepartofejectedscoriaeandashesseemedtomymindaveryroughonetoact.
So,atlast,whenIcouldholdoutnolonger,Iresolvedtolaythecasebeforemyuncle,asprudentlyandascautiouslyaspossible,justundertheformofanalmostimpossiblehypothesis.
Iwenttohim.Icommunicatedmyfearstohim,anddrewbackasteptogivehimroomfortheexplosionwhichIknewmustfollow.ButIwasmistaken.
Whatcouldthosewordsmean?–Washeactuallygoingtolistentoreason?Washecontemplatingtheabandonmentofhisplans?Thiswastoogoodtobetrue.
"Iwasthinkingofthat.EversincewearrivedatStapiIhavebeenoccupiedwiththeimportantquestionyouhavejustopened,forwemustnotbeguiltyofimprudence."
Ihavethereforeexaminedthenatives,Ihavestudiedexternalappearances,andIcanassureyou,Axel,thattherewillbenoeruption."
Iobeyedlikeanautomaton.Comingoutfromthepriest'shouse,theProfessortookastraightroad,which,throughanopeninginthebasalticwall,ledawayfromthesea.
Thistractseemedcrushedunderarainofenormousejectedrocksoftrap,basalt,granite,andallkindsofigneousrocks.
HereandthereIcouldseepuffsandjetsofsteamcurlingupintotheair,calledinIcelandic'reykir,'issuingfromthermalsprings,andindicatingbytheirmotionthevolcanicenergyunderneath.
"Youseeallthesevolumesofsteam,Axel;well,theydemonstratethatwehavenothingtofearfromthefuryofavolcaniceruption."
"Attheapproachofaneruptionthesejetswouldredoubletheiractivity,butdisappearaltogetherduringtheperiodoftheeruption.
Fortheelasticfluids,beingnolongerunderpressure,gooffbywayofthecraterinsteadofescapingbytheirusualpassagesthroughthefissuresinthesoil.
Therefore,ifthesevapoursremainintheirusualcondition,iftheydisplaynoaugmentationofforce,andifyouaddtothistheobservationthatthewindandrainarenotceasingandbeingreplacedbyastillandheavyatmosphere,thenyoumayaffirmthatnoeruptionispreparing."
StillIhadonehopeleft,andthiswas,thatwhenwehadreachedthebottomofthecrateritwouldbeimpossible,forwantofapassage,togodeeper,inspiteofalltheSaknussemm'sinIceland.
Ispentthatwholenightinoneconstantnightmare;intheheartofavolcano,andfromthedeepestdepthsoftheearthIsawmyselftossedupamongsttheinterplanetaryspacesundertheformofaneruptiverock.
Thenextday,June23,Hanswasawaitinguswithhiscompanionscarryingprovisions,tools,andinstruments;twoironpointedsticks,tworifles,andtwoshotbeltswereformyuncleandmyself.
Hans,asacautiousman,hadaddedtoourluggagealeathernbottlefullofwater,which,withthatinourflasks,wouldensureusasupplyofwaterforeightdays.
Butthefarewellwasputintheunexpectedformofaheavybill,inwhicheverythingwascharged,eventotheveryairwebreathedinthepastoralhouse,infectedasitwas.
ThisworthycouplewerefleecingusjustasaSwissinnkeepermighthavedone,andestimatedtheirimperfecthospitalityatthehighestprice.
Share this article to
FINISH