76 
JOURNEY TO THE GEYSERS. 
for some distance, a sort of beaten way, along 
which we went with greater ease than I had ex¬ 
pected. Before we arrived at the doors of the 
first house we met with, the inhabitants came 
out to offer us sour whey and milk, in large 
wooden bowls, carved with no other instrument 
than a knife from birch-wood, and covered with 
a lid, on which, and sometimes, on the two ears, 
are cut leaves and other ornaments. They hold 
about a pint and a half, and are used by all the 
natives to carry their butter, when they go upon 
a journey, as well as to drink their whey and 
milk out of, when at home. These good people 
were examining, with great attention, a pistol, 
which Jacob had slung at his girdle, and which 
they were very anxious to know the use of; but 
this it was not so easy to explain to them, nor 
would it have been prudent in our present situa¬ 
tion, when we might be called upon to make 
use of it in our own defence, against these very 
persons, whose ignorance was our surest pro¬ 
tection. From this place, which I understood 
was called Kirkat, and which lay due east from 
Beikevig, we took nearly a northerly course, in 
our way to the head of Thingevalle-vatn, or the 
Lake of Thingevalle. The weather was so rainy 
and thick, that we scarcely saw any thing of the 
country, till we arrived at the foot of the moun¬ 
tain, Skoul-a-fiel, whose three lofty and cone- 
