302 Analyses of Books. [Oct, 



traveller ; and although not, strictly speaking, a man of science, 

 has collected much new and interesting matter relative to its 

 mineral history. The following summary of his observations on 

 this subject will, it is hoped, prove acceptable to the readers of 

 the Annals. 



From Reykjavik, the capital of the island, Dr. H. undertook 

 three distinct journeys. In the first, he proceeded to the Gey- 

 sers, then crossing the interior of the island in a N.N.E. direction 

 he arrived at the head of the Eyafiord on the north coast ; 

 thence, after a short excursion to the west, he proceeded along 

 the coast in an easterly direction, visited the volcanic neighbour- 

 hood of Mount Krabla, traversed the eastern part of the island, 

 and returned to Reykiavik along the whole of the southern coast. 

 His second journey included nearly the whole of the western 

 coast, together with such parts of the north-western as were 

 accessible ; and on his return he traversed the interior of the 

 island somewhat to the east of the parallel of Reykiavik. The 

 third journey included the tract between the two former ones. 



The central parts of Iceland appear to be wholly uninhabited 

 except by a few roving banditti, the existence of whom, how- 

 ever, of late years, is rather suspected than ascertained. Plains 

 of loose volcanic sand, black rough lidges of lava many miles in 

 length, deserts of loose stones and clay, deeply ploughed by 

 torrents of hot and of cold water, which, during the tremendous 

 convulsions to which the island has been subject, have descended 

 with irresistible fury from the snows and glaciers of the usually 

 inactive volcanoes, cones of a black or lurid red colour exhaling 

 sulphureous vapours, jets of steam and of boiling water, the roar- 

 ing rush of which is almost the only sound, except that of the 

 tempest, which wakes the echoes of these forlorn solitudes- 

 such is the scenery which composes the interior of the country 

 as far as it is known to the inhabitants of the valleys and of the 

 coasts. Patches of coarse grass and herbage, at intervals of six 

 to 20 miles, just sufficient for a day's sustenance to a score of 

 horses, afford the possibility of traversing these deserts during a 

 few weeks in the summer. The following extract from Dr. Hen- 

 derson's journal presents the whole scene in all its shuddering 

 reality. 



"Next morning we were under the necessity of prosecuting our journey, the 

 horses having eaten all the grass in the vicinity during the night, and we had a ride 

 of more than 30 miles to ths: next station. During the first three hours, we had 

 rather a tedious ride up the steep ascent covered with broken lava, which extends 

 along the west side of the mountain till we gained its summit, called Blafells-h&ls, 

 where there is a passage between that mountain and the immense chain cf ice-moun- 

 tains in the interior. From this elevation we had a most commanding prospect 

 of the whole level tract of eouutry, which, beginning at Huukadal, and stretching 

 past Skalholt, opens into the extensive plain< between Mount Hekla and the sea. 

 Several miles behind Thingvalla )a\ lie large volcanic mountains called Skialdbried 

 and Tindafiall ; and between us and this latter mountain a regular chain of high 

 conical mountains commcuceJ, whirb stretched to a considerable distance along the 

 base of the neighbouring Y'knl. The blackness of their appearance formed a 

 perfect contrast to the whiteness of the pereunial snows behind them. What par- 



