The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-10-02
THE VALLEY OF THE GEYsERs.
A Hundred Boiling, BubbIing, BOTTOM
less springs.
Dr.. Haynes Iceland Letter.

Dr.. Haynes Iceland Letter.
Here am at last in the very midst o
this great nest of bubbling fountains o
boiling water, which first saw in M
school days geography book, and whiol
have been to me a wonder ever since
and are, now that 1 have seen them
more a wonder than ever. A hundred
Jets of steam are rising ia the air al
round dme like so many columns of smoke
from as many piles of brushwo0d. A
hundred holes of various sizes are in
the earth, and looking down into them
through the rising steam one sees great
bubbling, boiling spring that seems to
be bottomless. From many OF them
water from time to time pours over the
brim and runs away in boiling rivulets,
above which clouds of steam are ever
rising: steam Kisses out through assures
in the rock, through the soft turf,
through seething pools OF mud, and
over marsh quarter of mile distant
veil of mist is seen rising and floating
away, to be melted in the tender sun
shine. For the day is lovely past all
description, and, weary from our two
days Journey of not less than ninety
miles over the worst of roads, on horse
back, to which few of us have been of
late accustomed, we enjoy our repose on
the grassy slope overlooking the valley
of the hot fountains, and write, and
sketch, and wonder, and admire. The
air is clear, as it rarely is in Iceland.
The outlines of the mountains are
sharply defined against the clear, pear
ly sky, and even the snow peaks can be
discerned in all their varied forms
through eighty miles of distance. AS /
look away to the southeast great Hecla
looms above range of purple hills,
the position of its immense crater dis
tinctly marked in a depression of the
cap of snow. I am looking directly
across the steaming plain of the Gey-
sers that stretches away beyond through
miles and miles of soft green, and
through which meander silvery branches
of the Hvita, or White river. The
scene is too grand and wonderful for
pen or pencil. The sunlight glow on
Hecla surpasses anything have ever
seen. Occasionally a delicate current
of warm air touches it, and, chilled by
the cold ice and snow, light vapor
for few moments floats away from its
highest point, creating the impression
that a stream or smoke is issuing from
it. But this happens rarely, and the
great mountain seems to float IN the
sky as a Iightsome cloud, glorious and
luminous and vast. Behind me is the
level, white summit of the Lang Jo-
kull; nearer rises the great, sharp,
Blafell, whose marvel
ously rich hue reveals at once the mean
ing of its name; while between this aud
Hecla, with the same dark foreground
which frames and intensiies the glow
of the famed volcanic mountain, rises
peak on peak of the great Arnariello,
which is the very central crest and
heart of Iceland. 1t is picture for n
painter to finger over it is picture
for a poet to dream of all his life, and
one which | can not better describe
further than by saying that it was sim
ply glorious. A poet (Bayard Taylor |
sits now by me on the green, and i find |
myself wondering if his fancy and in
yense sympathy with nature are not,
even while / write, rearing up some Won
ierful poetic fabric worthy of the mar
7ellous forces that have beer and still |
ire at work in the earth beneath and |
around us, and worthy, too, of his COM
1rehensive intellect and subtle quail |
les of thought.
Hecla in itself, that is in form, is not
It all picturesque. There was nothing
n it to interest the fancy but the glow
# sunlight on its cap Of snow. 1t is
imply a long ridge standing broadside
O the northwest and southeast, and is
,nly remarkable in outline when seen
rom the southeast or southwest, when
he sharp ridge comes out like peak
gainst the sky.
1 learn that the ascent of il is not diff
cult, a-d it has been already reached
his year by DIR. Leitner, whom have
ad the pleasure of meeting on board
he Albion and again at the kings din
er, at Reikiavik. From the Geysers
o it's foot is a good two days journey.
)ne may go on horses to the little ham,
ct of N@frholt, a good way up the side
f spur that it sends out to the west,
rom whence, after refreshing ones self
nth nights sleep, the crater may be
cached without difficulty or danger in
We hours. This year the summit is
lore than ordinarily covered with snow.
he season has been unusually back
ard and chilly, and there are very few
ark patches to be seen near the crest.
Jusally, as l am told, the crest is al
lost clear of snow before August, and
lerefore Hecla has failed to be digni-
ed by the name of Jokull, which |
leans snow mountain, or at least n
always white. 1t is a simple
Ill, or rocky waste.
First in importance of these Jokulls is !
ne Vatna, which occupies an immense
pace of several thousand square miles
the southeast part of the island, ,
hich has never been explored. l was
I'D in Rejkiavik that an English party !
{ four enthusiastic Alpine climbers
ave gone there this season, supplied ,
ith every appliance, in the shape of
lpine guides, ropes, ladders, spiked /,
affs aud spiked boots, to do what has
zen hitherto regarded as impossible !
ut whether or not they have succeeded !
breaking their necks remains to be ,
,ported. I sincerely hope they may !
,me out safe and sound, for the region :
one of great interest both in an artis- ;
c and scientific point of view, and may ;
ley live to tell of it.
One thing mnst not forget to men, =
on before quitting the description OF !
lis scene from the Geysers. 1t is the
uprising richness of coloring in the 7
ndscape. Surprising, because had I
,ad quite the contrary, and my friend
II. Bryce, who had passed over Ice I
nd last year, had told me that every I
ling to the artistic eye was unattrac- 4
We and monotonous. This is doubt !
IS in general quite true, for fog or = =
in is the prevailing condition of an
eland summer. On this day, how {,
-er, the air was remarkably transPa- a
mt, and there was no color in the 4
wanting to delight the artists !,
%. The most delicate violets, the low !
sst purple, the richest gray were all =
Om time to time conspicuous, and d
ere has been throughout the day =
ow on mountain, hill and dale that is 4
lly charming. "a
hat Hogs will Bring Next Season. !,
The Cincinnati Price Current, in speak v
g of the hog crop of 1874-5, and show C
3 it likely to prove fair average, thus h
esents the future prices of hogs for n
g coming packing season First, the
Il. A. /