88 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



The mineral kingdom contributes but little to the prosperity of Iceland. It 

 affords neither metals, nor precious stones, nor rock-silt, nor coal; for the seams 

 of " surturbrand," or " lignite," found here and there, are too unimportant to 

 be worked. The solfataras of Krisuvik and Husavik, though extremely inter- 

 esting to the geologist, likewise furnish sulphur in too impure a condition or 

 too thinly scattered to afford any prospect of being worked with success, not 

 to mention the vast expense of transport over the almost impassable lava-tracks 

 that separate them from the nearest ports. In 1839-40, when, in consequence 

 of the monopoly granted by the Neapolitan Govei-nment to a French company, 

 sulphur had risen to more than three times its usual price, Mr. Knudsen, an en- 

 terprising Danish merchant, undertook to work the mines of Krisuvik, but even 

 then it would not answer. 



In 1859, a London company, founded by Mr. Bush by, — who having explored 

 the sulphur districts, had raised great expectations on what he considered their 

 dormant wealth, — renewed the attempt, but after a year's trial it was aban- 

 doned as perfectly hopeless. The " solfataras of Iceland," says Professor Sar- 

 torius of Waltershausen, " can not compete with those of Sicily, where more 

 sulphur is wantonly wasted and trodden under foot than all Iceland possesses. 

 Wliile the " Namars" of the north, which are far richer than those of Krisuvik, 

 annually furnish scarcely more than ten tons, the sulphur mines of Sicily pro- 

 duce at least 50,000, and, if necessary, could easily export double the quantity." 



As coal is too expensive a fuel for any but the rich in the small sea-port 

 towns, and peat, though no doubt abundantly scattered over the island, is dug 

 only in a few places, the majority of the people make use of singular substi- 

 tutes. The commonest is dried cow's and sheep's dung; but many a poor 

 fisherman lacks even this " spicy " material, and is fain to use the bones of 

 animals, the skeletons of fishes or dried sea-birds, which, Avith a stoical con- 

 tempt for his olfactory organs, he burns, feathers and all. There is, however, 

 no want of fuel in those privileged spots where drift-wood is found, and here 

 the lava hearth of the islander cheerfully blazes either with the pine conveyed 

 to him by the kindly Polar currents from the Siberian forests, or with some 

 tropical trunk, wafted by the Gulf Stream over the Atlantic to his northern 

 home. 



