96' LETTERS FROM HIGH LATITUDES. [VII. 



effected twenty-two years ago, by the brave and pious Cap- 

 tain, now Dr. Scoresby, 1 on his return from a whaling cruise. 

 He had seen the mountain of Beerenberg one hundred miles 

 off, and, on approaching, found the coast quite clear of ice. 

 According to his survey and observations, Jan Mayen is 

 about sixteen miles long, by four wide ; but I hope soon, 

 on my own authority, to be able to tell you more about it. 



Certainly, this our last evening spent in Iceland will not 

 have been the least joyous of our stay. The dinner on 

 board the " Reine Hoi'tense" was very pleasant. I renewed 

 acquaintance with some of my old Baltic friends, and was 

 presented to two or three of the Prince's staff who did not 

 accompany the expedition to the Geysirs ; among others, to 

 the Due d'Abrantes, Marshal Junot's son. On sitting down 

 to table, I found myself between H.I.H. and Monsieur de 

 Saulcy, member of the French Institute, w T ho made that 

 famous expedition to the Dead Sea, and is one of the gayest, 

 pleasantest persons I have ever met. Of course there w r as 

 a great deal of laughing and talking, as well as much specula- 

 tion with regard to the costume of the Icelandic ladies we 

 were to see at the ball. It appears that the dove-cots of 

 Reykjavik have been a good deal fluttered by an announce- 

 ment emanating from the gallant Captain of the " Artemise" 

 that his fair guests would be expected to come in low 

 dresses ; for it would seem that the practice of showing 

 their ivory shoulders is, as yet, an idea as shocking to the 

 pretty ladies of this country as waltzes were to our grand- 

 mothers. Nay, there was not even to be found a native 

 milliner equal to the task of marking out that mysterious 

 line which divides the prudish from the improper; so that 

 the Collet-monte faction have been in despair. As it turned 

 out, their anxiety on this head was unnecessary ; for we 

 found, on entering the ball-room, that, with the natural re- 

 finement which characterises this noble people, our bright- 

 eyed partners, as if by inspiration, had hit off the exact 



1 I regret to be obliged to subjoin that Dr. Scoresby has died since 

 the above was written. 



