On the Glaciers and Climate of Iceland. 133 



afforded of the formation, both of the reticulated scratched 

 surfaces, and of the inverted mouldings before mentioned. 

 It is also clear that these ought in general to correspond in 

 direction with the fiords, although the peculiar motion of 

 the waves must have some influence on their configuration 



It is not surprising that the scratched rocks are now met 

 with, far from the coasts, on the passages and ridges of high 

 hills ; since, undoubtedly, the whole island, in the course of 

 secular upheaving, has risen gradually out of the waves of 

 the sea. This being the case, we ought to expect that the 

 effects of the drift ice should in reality correspond with the 

 former line of coast ; a supposition quite in accordance with 

 all my observations in Iceland. 



The outlines of the coasts naturally change with the con- 

 tinued upheaving, and new parts of the land come successively 

 in contact with the sea, whilst those formerly in contact re- 

 cede from it. Thus must these streaks gradually extend 

 themselves over the whole island ; and, in those places where 

 they are now wanting, either the ancient sea-bottom is 

 covered over by the sand of volcanic eruptions, and by 

 alluvial matter, or the rocks themselves are too soft and 

 perishable to be adapted for retaining glacial markings for 

 thousands of years. 



A great part of the surface of Iceland is formed of beds of 

 tuffa, in which we now seek in vain for glacial markings. On 

 the other hand, these markings are preserved quite distinct- 

 ly in certain hard fine granular trap rocks, and in these they 

 are sometimes yet more sharply engraved than in the Scan- 

 dinavian gneiss and granite. Tliey are speaking inscriptions 

 exhibited on that remarkable edifice, — the crust of our earth, 

 — perhaps a hundred times as old as those which cover over 

 the syenite and greenstone of Egyptian monuments. 



The coast of Iceland is, with the exception of the south 

 side, intersected by numberless fiords which extend far into 

 the interior. In various places where they are now want- 

 ing, they formerly existed, but they have been filled up by 

 volcanic alluvium ; and towards the sea they have been sur- 

 rounded more recently with a border of low flat land. Thus 

 the Geyser V^alley, for example, is without doubt a former 



