68 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



LAVA-FIELDS. 



CHAPTER V. 



ICELAND. 



Volcanic Origin of the Island.— The Klofa Jcjkul.— Lava-streams.— The Burning Mountains of Krisu- 

 vik.— The Mud-caldrons of Reykjahlid.— The Tungo-hver at Reykholt.— The Great Geysir.— The 

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

 Foss. — The Detti Foss. — Climate. — Vegetation. — Cattle. — Barbarous Mode of Sheep-sheering. — 

 Reindeer.— 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, — Sulphur. — Peat. — Drift-wood. 



ICELAND might as well be called Fireland, for all its 40,000 square miles 

 have originally been upheaved fi-om the depths of the waters by volcanic 

 power. First, at some immeasurably distant period of the world's history, the, 

 small nucleus of the future island began to struggle into existence against the 

 superincumbent weight of the ocean ; then, in the course of ages, cone rose 

 after cone, crater was formed after crater, eruption followed on eruption, and 

 lava-stream on lava-stream, until finally the Iceland of the present day was 

 piled up with her gigantic "jokuls," or ice-mountains, and her vast promon- 

 tories, stretching like huge buttresses far out into the sea. 



In winter, when an almost perpetual night covers the wastes of this fire-born 

 land, and the waves of a stormy ocean thunder against its shores, imagination 

 can hardly picture a more desolate scene ; but in summer the rugged nature 

 of Iceland invests itself with many a charm. Then the eye reposes with de- 



