LETTER V. 



THE NORTH ATLANTIC — SPANISH WAVES— OUR CABIN IN A GALE — 

 SEA-SICKNESS FROM A SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW — WILSON — A 

 PASSENGER COMMITS SUICIDE— FIRST SIGHT OF ICELAND — FLOKI 

 OF THE RAVENS — THE NORSE MAYFLOWER — FAXA FIORD — WE 

 LAND IN THULE. 



Reykjavik, Iceland, June 21, 1856. 

 We have landed in Thule i When, in parting, you moaned 

 so at the thought of not being able to hear of our safe 

 arrival, I knew there would be an opportunity of writing to 

 you almost immediately after reaching Iceland ; but I said 

 nothing about it at the time, lest something should delay this 

 letter, and you be left to imagine all kinds of doleful reasons 

 for its non-appearance. We anchored in Reykjavik harbour 

 this afternoon (Saturday). H.M.S. " Coquette" sails for 

 England on Monday; so that within a week you will get this. 



For the last ten days we have been leading the life of the 

 " Flying Dutchman." Never do I remember to have had 

 such a dusting : foul winds, gales, and calms — or rather 

 breathing spaces, which the gale took occasionally to muster 

 up fresh energies for a blow — with a heavy head sea, that 

 prevented our sailing even when we got aslant. On the 

 afternoon of the day we quitted Stornaway, I got a notion 

 how it was going to be ; the sun went angrily down behind 

 a bank of solid grey cloud, and by the time we were up 

 with the Butt of Lewis, the whole sky was in tatters, and the 

 mercury nowhere, with a heavy swell from the north-west. 



As, two years before, I had spent a week in trying to beat 

 through the Roost of Sumburgh under double-reefed try- 

 sails, I was at home in the weather ; and guessing we were 

 in for it, sent down the topmasts, stowed the boats on board, 

 handed the foresail, rove the ridge-ropes, and reefed all 



