82 
THINGEVALLE. 
were some grand rugged mountains, but at a 
considerable distance from the place in which we 
were, and mostly covered with snow. Whilst 
we were looking at this fine and wild scenery, 
the priest came down to us, having returned late 
the night before, after a journey of two days on 
horseback in incessant rain, during which time 
he did not change his clothes; not even when he 
had to preach before the bishop. We now pro¬ 
posed taking a walk by the side of the lake, and 
setting off on our journey early in the after¬ 
noon. We found the margin every where flat, 
and the water appeared extremely shallow for a 
considerable way into the lake, but in some 
places the natives cannot fathom the depth. The 
shores and the bottom, as far into the lake as 
we could see, were formed of small black frag¬ 
ments of rock, except that in a few places, at a 
little distance from the shore, there are some en¬ 
tire and romantic masses, on which I found 
several mosses that I had not before met with: 
some of them, indeed, were quite new to me. A 
beautiful Lecidea , with a white and powdery crust, 
and red shields with an elevated margin, grew 
in small patches upon so hard a substance, that I 
was not able to procure the smallest piece. In 
the lake was abundance of Rivularia cylindrical 
At four o’clock we set out, accompanied by the 
son of the priest of Thingevalle and the priest 
