TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 43 



rftys of the light that broke against the ice. After many turnings 

 and windings, we found a path by which we could descend with 

 our horses into the valley; on arriving there, we met with 

 another embarrassment, as well in crossing a rivulet formed by 

 discharges from the lake, as in passing the muddy soil, in which 

 our horses often sunk up to the chest. In some parts, this soil 

 is very dangerous to travellers, many of whom have perished in 

 it from the depth to which they have sunk. 



VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE GEJTLAND. 



Our object was at length attained ; for we arrived at the 

 Geitland, but found it a very disagreeable place. We dis- 

 covered a mountainous peak rising above the ice, and which, as 

 well as the other mountains, has been formed by subterraneous 

 fires. We led our horses across the rocks, and as high as we 

 could go over the masses of ice, after which we left them, and 

 travelled the remainder of the way on foot. The leather em- 

 ployed in Iceland for the soles of shoes, is not so pliable as 

 that used for the same purpose in other countries : we, in con- 

 sequence, took the precaution of providing sticks with strong- 

 iron points, for supporting ourselves upon the ice. The Ice- 

 landers always use these sticks in winter, in passing the ice and 

 congealed snow r : the stick is two ells long, and the iron poin£ 

 about half a quarter of an ell. We likewise procured a long 

 and strong rope to give assistance to such as might fall into a 

 hole, or sink beneath the snow; and we had a compass which 

 we considered to be indispensable, as well for guiding us, 

 as to observe, whether at so considerable a height there was 

 any declination in the needle. Thus prepared, we began to 

 escalade the glacier at two o'clock in the afternoon : the air 

 was loaded with a thick fog, which covered the whole mountain; 

 but hoping that it would disperse, we continued our dangerous 

 and troublesome route, though at every instant we had to pass 

 <leep ravines, one of which was an ell and a half in w i(Jth ; and 

 which required the greatest precaution to cross it. 



We soon convinced ourselves, that the clefts or ravines which 

 we met with, do not, as is generally supposed, proceed from 

 the enormous weight of the ice and the extreme cold that prevails 

 in winter, or from the compressed air, that causes the rocks to 

 split; but rather from the thawed waters which form small 

 rivulets on the glaciers, and by gradually running, excavate 

 ravines in the ice, which in time acquire a greater depth, inso- 

 much that most of them are twenty fathoms deep : while there 

 are some, which it is impossible to sound. On this subject we 

 made die following observations. There are none of these ravines 

 on the summits of the glacier, but only where the ice has col" 



F 2 



