TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 



69 



There is no doubt that these figures have been formed m the ice 

 by the cold and compressed air: they did not appear in the su- 

 perficies., but in the interior of the ice,, which was compact and 

 transparent. 



Oil! travellers now thought that they had proceeded as far as 

 possible; endeavouring, nevertheless, to go still farther, they 

 perceived that the air was more rarified, and that the soil began to 

 rise, while the ice was no longer to be seen, and their torches burnt 

 clear. The filtration of the water also was very inconsiderable; 

 but it had carried with it such a quantity of the moist mould 

 already mentioned, that the bottom was so covered with it, as 

 to render their progress very fatiguing, as they sunk in it up 

 to the ancles, and could not easily withdraw' their feet on account 

 of its tenacity. They now came to an ancient heap of stones, 

 which had been carefully arranged; and, not far from this spot, 

 they found a piece of birch, which had been broken in two: it 

 retained its form and texture, but on taking it up, it crumbled to 

 dust, a proof that two hundred years at least must have elapsed 

 since it was thrown into the cavern. But it was not so easy to dis- 

 cover whence the stones that formed the heap had been taken, 

 since there were no others in the vicinity, and it would have 

 been difficult to convey them from the last aperture in the cavern. 

 On penetrating farther, however, our travellers resolved this prob- 

 lem ; for at about two hundred paces from the heap, they found 

 themselves at the extremity of the Sourther, as it here became so 

 narrow, that they were obliged to stop. The narrow galleries, or 

 small passages, which admitted the air, were choaked up by lava; 

 and they found here another heap of the same lava-stone, from 

 which they had no doubt the rest had been taken. Having no 

 other object to examine, Messrs. Olafsen and Povelsen returned 

 to the heap of stones, and in remembrance of the research, they 

 affixed their seals on the summit; they also left two pieces of Da- 

 nish silver coin, to prove to those who might undertak the same 

 journey, that they would not be the first who had executed a pro- 

 ject which perhaps might be considered as fool-hardy. 



On returning, they had the curiosity to measure by their steps 

 the distance they had traversed, and found the whole length of 

 the cavern to be 839 fathoms. This remarkable cavern is the 

 largest of any that our travellers had occasion to see in Ice- 

 land. There are several others, which are reported to be greater, 

 but there is no foundation for the assertion ; and there is no doubt 

 that the Sourther is the widest and most even of the whole. It 

 owes its origin to a mighty effort of nature, and indisputably 

 proves the operation of subterraneous fires, as it every w here ex- 

 hibits the channels through which the melted substances flow- 

 ed. It also shews with what facility these fires can decom- 



