New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-29

liquid shaft sparkling with indescribable glory in
the morning sun, was hurled on high Amusement,
awe, terror
This, OF something like it, what hoped to be
able to write, up to the very last moment But the
truth must be told the Great Geyser would not
spout. j must have turned in my saddle a hundred
times while the steam-columns were visible, half
fearing haf-expectng sudden increase of their
volume,-for the worst disappointment would have
been to miss the spectacle SO nearly.
Our return to Thngyalla was delayed little by
the circumstance that we travelled rapidly than
the Kings caravan. and were several times obliged
10 draw aside from the path and halt, to avoid en-
tangiement among the driven ponies. We stopped
at the byre of M0llir to get drink of milk the
way. The owner is evidently rich farmer for he
had wire-fence around his excellent grass land,
and patch of healthy poato-yines before his door.
The guest-roOm very small but neat, and there
was glimpse of quite a comfortable bedroom be-
hind it. But there the low, dark entrance,
branching to stables. dwelling and store-rooms, as
In all Icelandc houses the close atmosphere
aud thick, rank SMELL which certainly account
for the great mortality among the native children
The milk is equal TO any in the world / drank
great bowl of it, and gave the man piece of money
for his daughter Clean rosy girl of 10, with string
of artificial pearls around her neck. As was about
ing hands but when claimed kiss she gave it
with innocent readiness.
As We again crossed the high lava-feld, which
was blacker than ever under the shadow Of clouds,
1t occurred to me that the landscapes of the moon
must be similar in character Backness, beakness,
and the chill spirit of extinct fame mark the noun
tains of Iceland, and nowhere does grassy meadow
OF bank of humble flowers seem worth SO much as
here. BIT.
BAYARD TAYLOR'S FAREWELL TO ICELAND.
RETURN TO "REMINISCENCES OF IcELANDIc DE-
CIISE-A DILAPIDATED STATE OF MIND AND
BoDY-ARRIvAL AT EDINBURGH.
IRON REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
OFF CAPE REJKIANOEs Aug. GLOW suddenly
all has changed! Yesterday morning we were still
at Thingvalla this morning we passing Cape
Rejkianoes, in storm and rain and driving scud, and
Iceland is but dim line of savage coast on the
lee
Our last night in the tent was rather dismal.
cold steady rain being less necessity to us than to
the natives even the closing shouts and songs of the
festival could not entice forth from our imper-
feet shelter to seek the of rather confused ol
LITIGATION through mud and icy water and sodden
turf. We buddled under the wet canvas, wrapped
in rugs and blankets, and kept up grim cheerful
ness for an hour or two following dinner-after
which all gradually dropped into audible slumber.
The order was to rise at two in the morning, and
start at three so as to reach Rejkiavik by noon.
gave myself up to untroubled rest trusting to Mr..
Field. who is never more in his element than when
a start is to be made.
The getting up in the damp, however, was dismal,
and the start was more easily arranged than accom-
plished for q batch of our ponies ran away and
were not found for an hour or more. Ii was half
past four when our vanguard, leaving the baggage
and two servants to follow with the guides moved
away past the church of Thingvalla. across the
rising river and into the chasm of the Almannagja
The track had become simply horrible. All the
fresh earth thrown upon it to make the Kings way
easy had been worked into paste by rain and many
hoofs Our ponies slipped, stumbled and splashed,
coating us with mud to the hips, while the ice-cold
water gradually soaking through the toughest
leather chilled both blood and marrow. Hardly
bad we climbed the Allmannagja, when drizzle
set in which soon became a rain and then storm,
and anything more dark, forlon, and cherries than
our Journey it would be difficult to imagine.
have already described the scenery and can only
add that every leeting charm of color impaired by
sunshine and clear air had vanished and the entire
gloom and sterity of the land became hdeously APP
parent under such sky. We logged steadily on
ward silent and much-enduring; when we urged
our ponies they stumbled, when we allowed them to
walk they became discouraged. Hour after hour,
across the broad lonely terraces, the desoate lava
field with its cairns of stone, up and down the stony
swells. around the angle Of the isolated mountain
we pressed. until the meadows OF Suicidal announced
our halfway station to Rejkiavlk.
Here there was brief halt. change of riding
ponies, and division of a very scant supply OF
ships biscuit and salt tongue. Three OF our party
had gone on, and we found them at the first FARM
stead mile or two further, waiting for the good
wife to make them coffee. The place looked pros
porous according to the Icelandc standard, yet the
house was low. cramped, and far from clean. The
rain leaked into the passage-ways. and thatangle1
haired children, at o'clock III the morning, were
still in bed Formerly every tolcrabe house on the
island had its bathroom; now the gues.room is
called the old term being retanedl 1.-The bath
room" and the bath has become an unknown fea-
ture of Icelandc life! The general want of clean-
ness gives rise to another plague of the country.
which need not describe more particularly, since
our tent-life preserved us from it.
OF course the change for the worse in the habits
of the Icelanders is mainly owing to their poverty
1t is singular that they developed sturdy national
life and a degree of literary culture which IS
almost phenomenal during the darkest ages OF
Europe and that the close of this illustriOus period
is nearly coeval with the beginning of the same
development in England, Germany, and Italy.
good deal of the Iceandic decline is undoubtedly to
he attributed to the combined neglect and oppression
Of the Norwegian and Danish rulers; but the
material misfortunes Of the island must not be over
looked, in the summary of causes. Iceland not only
2 active volcanoes, bat the most of them
have sent forth eruptions Of greater magnitude and
destructive power than any others in the world In
a land where human life is supported on such a
slender basis the temporary annibation OF one of
the two chief resources is equivalent to an inability
to support life at all.
few hundred years ago. there was an extensive
fLo hos of the Skanfar