ICELAND. 



653 



Ictkni 



It...r- .. : 



, The manners of the Icelanders are exceedingly sim- 

 ple, and respectful as well to each other as to strangers. 

 The women, however, appear to be rather restrained, 

 it being customary for them to wait at table, and do 

 every little office usually committed to servants in our 

 own country. There are but few peculiar customs, 

 and those not of particular interest. The depressed 

 state in which the Icelanders are kept by the wretched 

 policy of Denmark, effectually subjugates those dispo- 

 sitions which, in countries where freedom teaches men 

 to be independent, quickly display themselves in inno- 

 cent and recreating amusements. The sole occupation 

 of the Icelander is to provide food for the winter sea- 

 son ; and when the rigour of an arctic winter confines 

 him to his hut, and the sun scarcely sends a ray to il- 

 luminate the dreary scene around, he amuses himself 

 with the tales of elder times, when his country stood 

 high, and her learned men and warriors were honoured 

 in every European court. That our lamentations are 

 Tain, that the Icelanders are condemned to misery yet 

 greater than that they now endure, we fear is too true. 



A country less inviting to the entcrprize of adventu- 

 rer* than Iceland can scarcely be imagined. The moun- 

 tains covered with eternal snow, the plains devasta- 

 ted by volcanic fire, seem to present no attractions. 

 The country in general is mountainous ; but in some 

 districts, particularly those extending from the south 

 to the north coasts, nearly through the centre of the 

 island, there are extensive plains, for the most part 

 dreary wildernesses, and covered with herbage only 

 near the sea, or where morasses have formed. The 

 highest mountains are on the east and west sides of the 

 island. They are in groups, seldom in chains; and 

 those called Jokult, which are covered with perpetual 

 snow, are chiefly, if not all, volcanic. The coast, ex- 

 cept towards the south, is much indented by arms of 

 the sea ; but with the exception of Havnefiord, on the 

 south-west, there is scarcely a safe winter harbour. 



There i* a considerable number of lakes in different 

 parts of the island, some of which are of great extent 

 The principal are those called Thingvalla Vatn, My 

 Vatn, and Fuke Vatn. The first of these i* about ten 

 miles long, and from three to four broad. There arc 

 many large river* in Iceland, formed by the melting of 

 the snow on the Jokuls ; and these have all a turbid 

 appearance ; some of them being so white a* to resem- 

 ble milk diluted with water, have received the name 

 lluit-aa, or the White River. Several emit a fetid 

 smell, particularly when they issue from the mow. 

 Besides these large rivers, there are many smaller, the 

 water of which i* transparent. They rise from the 

 lower grounds. Along almost the whole southern coast 

 eastward from Eyarback, where the great river Elvas 

 empties itself into the sea, there are extensive shoal*, 

 formed, no doubt, by the depositions of the river* pro- 

 ceeding from the great range of Jokuls to the eastward 

 of Mount Hekla. 



The population is chiefly established near the most 

 convenient harbour*, and where fish abound. Reikia- 

 vik is the principal place, and the seat of government. 

 It has been chosen for the convenience of the harbour, 

 sad of the gravel beach, a thing of rare occurrence in 

 Ireland. The country around is as bleak as can well 

 be imagined. 



It is impossible to travel many miles in Iceland with- 

 out meeting the frightful effects of subterraneous fire. 

 This miserable country has been exempted from the 

 calamities of an eruption since the year 1783, at which 

 \ the most dreadful, ever recorded, took place. On 

 3 



the first of June of that year, the southern, districts Iceland, 

 were shaken by violent earthquakes. These continued, """"V^ ' 

 and were most alarming on the 8th, when smoke was 

 seen rising among the mountains called Skapta Jokul. 

 There appeared several eruptions from different spots, 

 at considerable distances from each other. The showers 

 of ashes and stones, the terrible noises, and the dark- 

 ness in which the country was involved, foreboded an 

 awful calamity. The large river Skaptaa was dried up, 

 and the channels filled with liquid fire. Habitations 

 were devoured, and the green pastures buried; and the 

 wretched inhabitants had the dismal prospect of being 

 overwhelmed by the lava, or of perishing by famine. 

 The lava was for a time retarded by its flowing into a 

 lake ; but its progress was not stopped, when a fresh 

 eruption took place on the ISth of June. The lava ha- 

 ving divided, and begun to move in various directions, 

 the scene became more and more dreadful. On the 22d 

 fresh eruptions broke out, and continued multiplying 

 till the 13th of July. On the 20th, the lava towards 

 the western side of the district of Skaptaa- fell ceased to 

 flow. To the eastward, on the 3d of August, smoke 

 was seen- to rise from the mountains towards the north ; 

 the waters of the great river Hversfliote were dried up ; 

 and on the <ith of August the lava approached by the 

 channel of the river, overflowing in one evening an ex- 

 tent of four miles. This eruption continued longer 

 than the first ; -anil it is said that a fresh one happened 

 hi February- 1784. 



Mount Hekla has been quiet for half a century. Mount 

 The volcanic fire appears to have been most active in HeUa. 

 the south-east and north-east districts, during the last 

 century. Previous to the eruption of 1783, flames 

 were seen rising from the sea, about 30 miles off Cape 

 Reikianes, and several small islands appeared which af- 

 terwards sunk, leaving however a sunken reef, which 

 renders the navigation round the Cape dangerous in 

 thick weather. Similar phenomena have appeared in 

 other parts of the world ; the most recent being the 

 eruption off St Michael's, one of the Azores, which pro- 

 duced the island which was called Sabrina. 



The greatest curiosities which Iceland presents, are Hot springs. 

 the springs of hot water, many of which are justly con- 

 sidered as among the greatest wonders of the world. 

 They arc, we believe, greatly more abundant in this 

 than in any other volcanic country ; but the interest 

 which the number and variety of these hot springs 

 excites in a person who never saw any thing similar, 

 is quickly lost in the feelings which are roused on be- 

 holding the magnificent and tremendous explosions of 

 the Geyser*. These extraordinary fountains are situate 

 about sixteen miles north of Skalholt, on the east side 

 of a small ridge, separated from some high mountains 

 by a narrow swamp. Besides the principal fountains, 

 there are a great number of boiling springs, cavities 

 full of hot water, and several from which steam issues. 

 There are also some places full of boiling mud, grey 

 and red. 



The silicious depositions of the water of the Great Gremt 

 Geyser, have formed for it a bason 50 feet in diameter Geyser, 

 in one direction, and 46 in the other ; a projection from 

 one side, causing the circumference to deviate from 

 the perfect circle. In the centre of this bason is a cy- 

 lindrical pipe or pit, ten feet in diameter. Through 

 this pit the hot water rises, gradually filling it and the 

 bason, after which it runs over in email quantities. 

 At intervals of some hours, when the bason is full, ex- 

 plosions are heard from below, like the firing of cannon 

 at a distance ; and at the same time, a tremulous me- 



