The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-10
7HE GEYsERs or IcELANp.
Icouespondenee Of tho London nmes.l

lcoucspondenee Of the London Times
RKKJAvIK, Iceland, Aug. 27.-You viii DO surprised
10 hear that among my fellow passengers from Ileth h
Iceland three young Scotch ladies with their broth
ers going that region Of lava and Ice by way
Of autumn excursion. / found Mr. and the Msses
Henderson, and MFR. and Miss Holms, most intelligent
and agreeable companions, and reaching Reykayik
willingly agreed TO accompany them TO the Cey sers al
though had myself visited these wonderful hot springs
only last year.
In consequence of any previous familiarity with lea
landc travelling, constituted the director of the
party which consisted OF the three young ladies ha
two gentlemen, myself aud two guides We had NJ
ponies for all the travelling is done horseback in Leo
land where there carriage roads and vehicles
of any kind We took provisions for five days. and
having risen very eary-at four o'clock-we left the
steamer and shore ready to start at Blk clock:
il was seven, however before got away The jour,
ney To the Little Geyser is about thirty miles, over
terribly bad roads; nothing but lava rocks but wa
performed 1t In eight hours. We stopped there for
two hours, and a beautiful eruption. This hot
spring spouts upon average every three hours and
its action lasts about ten minutes 1t condescendod
to put on its very best appearance for u.s. aud
threw jet after jet of boiling water forty fifty feet
high for at least quarter Of hour. Since we had
been 80 fortunate to witness this beautiful phenome
non in perfection, almost Immediately after our arrival
at its locality, and having yet three hous of day
light left determined 10 push on instead OF
ut Little Geyser as guides had hoped would have
done Had the ladies complained Of fatigue or express
ed any wish to halt should have done but they
brayey voted for pushing on, and therefore we set oil
towards the homestead Of Oiiosvatn fifteen miles
from the Little Geyscr the baggage humping and shaking
as the ponies scrambled the rocky track or
plunged deep into the mud. Shouting and whipping
them, away we wcnt-sones rattng, mud flying in our
faces, rain beating upon but accomplished the is
miles In about three hours, and, haltin pitched our
tent in pouring ain for r. had lent the tent he and
had used when was last in Iceland had also taken
with me my waterproof bed blanket, and cover and
young Count Carl Tmmpe, the governor son. had kind
ly lent us another made fair companions as
comfortable possible under the circumstances while
we gentlemen had rather watery bed on the damp
ground.
When was here Lust year. In juno and July, there
was night however now at the latter end of August
II became dark about o'clock We had no candcsticls
but, " necessity is the mother of invention We tied
bladcd knife to the tent POLE and stuck tho can
dies to each end The ladies and retired To rest
of in travelling dresses The night was yery
severe, bitterly cold and the rain pouring in such tor
rents that even penetrated tent, but the ladies
bravely bore it all and the gentlemen, though had
dark fears of rheumatism got through the night pretty
we'll After very early breakfast, started bctimes
for the Great Gcyser and the way encountered
broad river over which and baggage were taken
in small insecure boat while ponies were made TO
swim 1t nine ocl ck before we arrived at
the Great Geyscr having ridden fortyye miles the pre-
ceding day and so miles this one the toughest and
most cxecrable of roads We found cup OF tea very
refreshing, and had trouble to boil the water which
was obtained from of the hotsprngs bubbng BY
throwing turf into the Stokr nextmorning we had made
1t spout several tmcsbut the Great Geyscr for whose
i watched
part of the night still remained torpid We were in es
pair lest the ladies' who had so far TO witness one
should have to depart without seeing any of its crupons
but, just rs wo reluctantly preparing to 60 the
Geyser grumbled and worked and then favored MS with
most magnificent eruption, throwing its pure boiling
water at least so feet high The road or rather track
to Thingvaa place where the ancient Parliament
to speak, of Iceland used to assemble in former days
was rendered worse than usual by heavy falls
of rain We had to wade through at least a foot n
depth of mud and water but rcooted po never
made false step one, however, fell go' ng down
steep and difficult pass The young lady who rode Il
adroiy managed to slip off, and spec Jly In The sad
die again. We were completely dreD ched ly the timo
We reached Thingvaa and glad to take shelter 10 the
little church. the night being too wit to pitch our tent
travellers in the interior Of Iceo nd The next day W.
returned to Reykayk and petty sight we must have
presented gallopped towards tho shore besaered
drenched, and covered with mud
Madame Ida Pfcier is the only lady who has ever be-
fore visited the Geyse and those of our party were the
first British ladies who have ever accomplished this feat
and feat it certainly is for of all rough life and ali
hard camping except perhaps in the extreme arctic re.
gions, those OF Iceland are the worst.
The evening after the ladies returned from the ey-
sers Countess lrampe the governors lady gave ball
in honor of Them at which there were present about lS
ladies and 20 gentlemen Of Reykjavik and We danced to
the music Of large barrel organ The Countess gave us
handsome supper, and when the party broke up at
o'clock, Count Trampe made atteng speech in French
to the three Scotch ladies' and his son. Count Carl fine
spirited youth accompanied them to the shore To wind
up our adventures the wind had risen during the night
gale and on shouting part could mako the peo.
pie on board the ship hear u.s. and send off boat for us
therefore, though the surf breaking heavily on the
shingely beach, we obliged to launch one of the lit
tie lcelmdic boats, and nearly drowned in get
ting back TO the steamer. j.. W. B.
# 7------- $500 lgs.