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Snaefellis5,000feethigh.Itsdoubleconeformsthelimitofatrachyticbeltwhichstandsoutdistinctlyinthemountainsystemoftheisland.
Fromourstartingpointwecouldseethetwopeaksboldlyprojectedagainstthedarkgreysky;Icouldseeanenormouscapofsnowcominglowdownuponthegiant'sbrow.
Wewalkedinsinglefile,headedbythehunter,whoascendedbynarrowtracks,wheretwocouldnothavegoneabreast.Therewasthereforenoroomforconversation.
AfterwehadpassedthebasalticwallofthefiordofStapiwepassedoveravegetablefibrouspeatbog,leftfromtheancientvegetationofthispeninsula.
ThevastquantityofthisunworkedfuelwouldbesufficienttowarmthewholepopulationofIcelandforacentury;thisvastturbarymeasuredincertainravineshadinmanyplacesadepthofseventyfeet,andpresentedlayersofcarbonizedremainsofvegetationalternatingwiththinnerlayersoftufaceouspumice.
AsatruenephewoftheProfessorLiedenbrock,andinspiteofmydismalprospects,Icouldnothelpobservingwithinterestthemineralogicalcuriositieswhichlayaboutmeasinavastmuseum,andIconstructedformyselfacompletegeologicalaccountofIceland.
Thismostcuriousislandhasevidentlybeenprojectedfromthebottomoftheseaatacomparativelyrecentdate.
Possibly,itmaystillbesubjecttogradualelevation.
Ifthisisthecase,itsoriginmaywellbeattributedtosubterraneanfires.
Therefore,inthiscase,thetheoryofSirHumphryDavy,Saknussemm'sdocument,andmyuncle'stheorieswouldallgooffinsmoke.
Thishypothesisledmetoexaminewithmoreattentiontheappearanceofthesurface,andIsoonarrivedataconclusionastothenatureoftheforceswhichpresidedatitsbirth.
Iceland,whichisentirelydevoidofalluvialsoil,iswhollycomposedofvolcanictufa,thatistosay,anagglomerationofporousrocksandstones.
Beforethevolcanoesbrokeoutitconsistedoftraprocksslowlyupraisedtotheleveloftheseabytheactionofcentralforces.
Theinternalfireshadnotyetforcedtheirwaythrough.
Butatalaterperiodawidechasmformeddiagonallyfromsouth–westtonorth–east,throughwhichwasgraduallyforcedoutthetrachytewhichwastoformamountainchain.
Noviolenceaccompaniedthischange;thematterthrownoutwasinvastquantities,andtheliquidmaterialoozingoutfromtheabyssesoftheearthslowlyspreadinextensiveplainsorinhillockymasses.
Tothisperiodbelongthefelspar,syenites,andporphyries.
Butwiththehelpofthisoutflowthethicknessofthecrustoftheislandincreasedmaterially,andthereforealsoitspowersofresistance.
Itmayeasilybeconceivedwhatvastquantitiesofelasticgases,whatmassesofmoltenmatteraccumulatedbeneathitssolidsurfacewhilstnoexitwaspracticableafterthecoolingofthetrachyticcrust.
Thereforeatimewouldcomewhentheelasticandexplosiveforcesoftheimprisonedgaseswouldupheavethisponderouscoveranddriveoutforthemselvesopeningsthroughtallchimneys.
Hencethenthevolcanowoulddistendandliftupthecrust,andthenburstthroughacratersuddenlyformedatthesummitorthinnestpartofthevolcano.
Totheeruptionsucceededothervolcanicphenomena.
Throughtheoutletsnowmadefirstescapedtheejectedbasaltofwhichtheplainwehadjustleftpresentedsuchmarvellousspecimens.
Weweremovingovergreyrocksofdenseandmassiveformation,whichincoolinghadformedintohexagonalprisms.
Everywherearounduswesawtruncatedcones,formerlysomanyfierymouths.
Aftertheexhaustionofthebasalt,thevolcano,thepowerofwhichgrewbytheextinctionofthelessercraters,suppliedanegresstolava,ashes,andscoriae,ofwhichIcouldseelengthenedscreesstreamingdownthesidesofthemountainlikeflowinghair.
SuchwasthesuccessionofphenomenawhichproducedIceland,allarisingfromtheactionofinternalfire;andtosupposethatthemasswithindidnotstillexistinastateofliquidincandescencewasabsurd;andnothingcouldsurpasstheabsurdityoffancyingthatitwaspossibletoreachtheearth'scentre.
SoIfeltalittlecomfortedasweadvancedtotheassaultofSnaefell.
Thewaywasgrowingmoreandmorearduous,theascentsteeperandsteeper;theloosefragmentsofrocktrembledbeneathus,andtheutmostcarewasneededtoavoiddangerousfalls.
Hanswentonasquietlyasifhewereonlevelground;sometimeshedisappearedaltogetherbehindthehugeblocks,thenashrillwhistlewoulddirectusonourwaytohim.
Sometimeshewouldhalt,pickupafewbitsofstone,buildthemupintoarecognisableform,andthusmadelandmarkstoguideusinourwayback.
Averywiseprecautioninitself,but,asthingsturnedout,quiteuseless.
Threehours'fatiguingmarchhadonlybroughtustothebaseofthemountain.
ThereHansbiduscometoahalt,andahastybreakfastwasservedout.
Myuncleswallowedtwomouthfulsatatimetogetonfaster.
But,whetherhelikeditornot,thiswasarestaswellasabreakfasthourandhehadtowaittillitpleasedourguidetomoveon,whichcametopassinanhour.
ThethreeIcelanders,justastaciturnastheircomradethehunted,neverspoke,andatetheirbreakfastsinsilence.
WewerenowbeginningtoscalethesteepsidesofSnaefell.
Itssnowysummit,byanopticalillusionnotunfrequentinmountains,seemedclosetous,andyethowmanywearyhoursittooktoreachit!
Thestones,adheringbynosoilorfibrousrootsofvegetation,rolledawayfromunderourfeet,andrusheddowntheprecipicebelowwiththeswiftnessofanavalanche.
Atsomeplacestheflanksofthemountainformedananglewiththehorizonofatleast36degrees;itwasimpossibletoclimbthem,andthesestonycliffshadtobetackedround,notwithoutgreatdifficulty.
Thenwehelpedeachotherwithoursticks.
Imustadmitthatmyunclekeptasclosetomeashecould;heneverlostsightofme,andinmanystraitshisarmfurnishedmewithapowerfulsupport.
Hehimselfseemedtopossessaninstinctforequilibrium,forheneverstumbled.
TheIcelanders,thoughburdenedwithourloads,climbedwiththeagilityofmountaineers.
TojudgebythedistantappearanceofthesummitofSnaefell,itwouldhaveseemedtoosteeptoascendonourside.
Fortunately,afteranhouroffatigueandathleticexercises,inthemidstofthevastsurfaceofsnowpresentedbythehollowbetweenthetwopeaks,akindofstaircaseappearedunexpectedlywhichgreatlyfacilitatedourascent.
Itwasformedbyoneofthosetorrentsofstonesflungupbytheeruptions,called'sting'bytheIcelanders.
Ifthistorrenthadnotbeenarrestedinitsfallbytheformationofthesidesofthemountain,itwouldhavegoneontotheseaandformedmoreislands.
Suchasitwas,itdidusgoodservice.Thesteepnessincreased,butthesestonestepsallowedustorisewithfacility,andevenwithsuchrapiditythat,havingrestedforamomentwhilemycompanionscontinuedtheirascent,Iperceivedthemalreadyreducedbydistancetomicroscopicdimensions.
Atsevenwehadascendedthetwothousandstepsofthisgrandstaircase,andwehadattainedabulgeinthemountain,akindofbedonwhichrestedtheconeproperofthecrater.
Threethousandtwohundredfeetbelowusstretchedthesea.
Wehadpassedthelimitofperpetualsnow,which,onaccountofthemoistureoftheclimate,isatagreaterelevationinIcelandthanthehighlatitudewouldgivereasontosuppose.Thecoldwasexcessivelykeen.Thewindwasblowingviolently.Iwasexhausted.
TheProfessorsawthatmylimbswererefusingtoperformtheiroffice,andinspiteofhisimpatiencehedecidedonstopping.
Hethereforespoketothehunter,whoshookhishead,saying:
"Ofvanför."
"Itseemswemustgohigher,"saidmyuncle.
ThenheaskedHansforhisreason.
"Mistour,"repliedtheguide.
"JaMistour,"saidoneoftheIcelandersinatoneofalarm.
"Whatdoesthatwordmean?"Iaskeduneasily.
"Look!"saidmyuncle.
Ilookeddownupontheplain.Animmensecolumnofpulverizedpumice,sandanddustwasrisingwithawhirlingcircularmotionlikeawaterspout;thewindwaslashingitontothatsideofSnaefellwherewewereholdingon;thisdenseveil,hungacrossthesun,threwadeepshadowoverthemountain.
Ifthathugerevolvingpillarslopeddown,itwouldinvolveusinitswhirlingeddies.
Thisphenomenon,whichisnotunfrequentwhenthewindblowsfromtheglaciers,iscalledinIcelandic'mistour.'
"Hastigt!hastigt!"criedourguide.
WithoutknowingDanishIunderstoodatoncethatwemustfollowHansatthetopofourspeed.
Hebegantocircleroundtheconeofthecrater,butinadiagonaldirectionsoastofacilitateourprogress.
Presentlytheduststormfelluponthemountain,whichquiveredundertheshock;theloosestones,caughtwiththeirresistibleblastsofwind,flewaboutinaperfecthailasinaneruption.
Happilywewereontheoppositeside,andshelteredfromallharm.
Butfortheprecautionofourguide,ourmangledbodies,tornandpoundedintofragments,wouldhavebeencarriedafarliketheruinshurledalongbysomeunknownmeteor.
YetHansdidnotthinkitprudenttospendthenightuponthesidesofthecone.Wecontinuedourzigzagclimb.
Thefifteenhundredremainingfeettookusfivehourstoclear;thecircuitousroute,thediagonalandthecountermarches,musthavemeasuredatleastthreeleagues.Icouldstanditnolonger.
Iwasyieldingtotheeffectsofhungerandcold.
Therarefiedairscarcelygaveplaytotheactionofmylungs.
Atlast,ateleveninthesunlightnight,thesummitofSnaefellwasreached,andbeforegoinginforshelterintothecraterIhadtimetoobservethemidnightsun,athislowestpoint,gildingwithhispaleraystheislandthatsleptatmyfeet.
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