viil CONTENTS. 



Strokkr. — Crystal Pools. — The Almannagja. — The Surts-hellir. — Beautiful Ice-cave.— The Gotha 

 Foss. — The Detti Foss. — Climate. — Vei;etation. — Cattle. — Barbarous Mode of Sheep-sheering. — 

 Keinileer.— Polar Bears.— Birds.— The Eider-duck.— Videy.—Vigr.— The Wild Swan. — The Ra- 

 ven.— The Jerfalcon.— The Giant auk, or Geirfugl.— Fish.— Fishing Season. — The White Shark.— 

 Mineral Kingdom. — Sulpliur. — Peat. — Drift-wood Page 68 



CHAPTER Vr. 



HISTORY OF ICEL.\ND. 



Discover}- of the Island by Naddodr in 8G1.— Gardar.— Floki of the Ravens.— Ingolfr and Leif.— Ulfliot 

 the Lawgiver. — The Althing. — Thin^'valla. — Introduction of Christianitj- into the Island. — Fred- 

 erick the Saxon and Tliorwold the Traveller. — Tliangbrand. — Golden Age of Icelandic Literature. 

 — Snorri Sturleson. — The Island submits to Ilakon, King of Norway, in 1254. — Long Series of Ca- 

 lamities. — Great Eruption of the Skapta Jokul in 1783. — Commercial Monopoly. — Better Times in 

 Prospect , 89 



CHAPTER VIL 



THE ICELANDERS. 



Skalholt. — Reykjavik. — The Fair. — The Peasant and the Merchatit. — A ClergA'man in his Cups. — Hay- 

 making. — Tiie Icelander's Hut. — Churches. — Poverty of the Clergy. — Jon Thorlaksen. — The Semi- 

 nary of Reykjavik.— Beneticial Influence of the Clergy. — Home Education. — The Icelander's Winter's 

 Evening. — Taste for Literature. — The Language. — The Public Librar}' at Reykjavik. — The Icelandic 

 Literary Society. — Icelandic Newspapers. — Longevity. — Leprosy. — Travelling in Iceland. — Fording 

 the Rivers. — Crossing of the Skeidara by Mr. Holland. — A Night's Bivouac 98 



CHAPTER VHI. 



THE WEST.MAN ISLANDS. 



The Westmans. — Their extreme Difficult}' of Access. — How they became peopled. — Heimaey, — 

 Kaufstatliir and Ofanleyte. — Sheep-hoisting. — Egg-gathering. — Dreadful Mortality among the 

 Children. — The Ginklofi. — Gentleman John. — The Algerine Pirates. — Dreadful Sufferings of the 

 Islanders 11^ 



CHAPTER IX. 



FROM DRONTHEIM TO THE NORTH CAPE. 



Mild Climate of the Norwegian Coast. — Its Causes. — The Norwegian Peasant. — Norwegian Constitution. — 

 Romantic coast Scenery. — Drontheim. — Greiffenfeld Holme and Vare.— The Sea-eagle. — The Herring- 

 fisheries. — The Lofoten Islands. — The Cod-fisheries. — Wretched Condition of the Fishermen. — Tromso. 

 — Altenfiord.— The Copper Mines. — Hammerfest the most northern Town in the World. — The North 

 Cape 120 



CHAPTER X. 



SPITZBEP.GEN — BEAR ISLAND — JAN MEYEN. 



The west Coast of Spitzborgon. — .Ascension of a ISIountain by Dr. Scoresb}'. — His Excursion along the 

 Coast.— A stranded Whale.— Magdalena Bay.— Multitudes of Sea-birds. — Animal Life.— Midnight 

 Silence.— Glaciers.— A dangerous Neighborhood.— Interior Plateau.— Flora of Spitzbergen. — Its 

 Similarity with that of the Alps above the Snow-line.— Reindeer.— The hyperborean Ptarmigan.— 

 Fishes.— Coal.— Drift-wood.— Discm-ery of Spitzbergen by Barentz, Heemskerk, and Ryp.— Brilliant 

 Period of the Whale-fishery.— Coffins.— Ei-ht English Sailors winter in Spitzbergen, 1630,— Melan- 

 choly Doatii of some Dutch Volunteers.— Russian Hunters.— Their Mode of wintering in Spitzber- 

 gen. —Scharosi in. —Walrus-ships from Hammerfest and Tromso. — Bear or Cherie Island. — Bennet. 

 —Enormous Slaughter of Walruses.— Mildness of its Climate. — Mount Misery.— Adventurous Boat- 

 voyage of some Norwegian Sailors —Jan Meyen.— Becrenberg 131 



CHAPTER XL 



NOVA Z E M B L A . 



The Sea of Kara.— Lo«chkin.—Roftflysslow.—Lutke.—Krotow.—Pachtussow.— Sails along the east- 

 ern Coast of the Southern Island to Matoschkin Schar.— His second Voyage and Death.— Meteoro- 



