New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-29
IcELANDIO EXPERIENCES.
n.v,Rp TAYLOR WAITING FOR THE GREAT
GEYSER.


NEAR TIE HIGHEST BOILING STRENGTHENING
yr srRoKR-CoNGRsGArIoN OF DISEASED PER-
xs-ApANDoNING THE GKYsERs.
. REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUNE.]
rrD',,cvu1A, Aug. I've had reached the upper
ssld beyond the Ravens Cleft, when my last
,".,.r was interrupted. This was apparently the
n,aow of later eruption than that which produced
.hs hrawr of Thingvalla; for the great coils and
.-;staa streaks of the hardened flood lay bare all
the surface vent-hoes for the last escaping
.;aded il like colander, and the only vegetation
.,lI lnrked in sheltered ruts and holes. i saw one
anresson the size and shape of half barrel, which
80 6lled with the most beautiful geraniums
our caravan had already fallen into an orderly
INNER Of travel Eyvindur and Jon rode ahead
,.tino charge of the baggage and loose ponies
WHILE the latter kept to the track the guides sang
melancholy native songs or passed the horn Of snuff
from one nose to another. This implement, like an
ola fashioned powder horn, has q neck which holds
Tho nroper charge: the man throws his head back
with sudden jerk, applies the horn to his uostril,
and receives the contents The process is repeated
AT least dozen times a day, and the result is an
MINER lip which only the most reckless passion could
tolerate as the agent of a kiss.
The boy GER rode beside me, eager to learn some
thing more of a world he had never seen. When
puzzled TO understand some English word, or at
loss to End the one he wanted, he would generally
ask: What is it in Latini' Presently he sur
prised me by the question, What do you think of
Byron as poet 7" He is one of the very first in
modern English literature l answered. lis not
The Song of the Spirits in Manfred, considered very
fine I" GER asked again, 81 like it very much.'
Happening to mention German the boy began to
talk the language with about as much fluency as
English. He had read Schiller's ballads and The
Robbers which latter seemed TO have made great
impression upon his mind; but he was most de-
sirous to hear something of the works with which
he was still unacquainted Il have heard that
Goeihe's Faust is very difficult to understand" he
sad 80 have not yet tried toread it, but hope to
be able in year or two more. Shakka-spey arr y
so he pronounced the name once but, as soon as l
corrected him. always properly afterwards
shakespeare is also difficult, but have read King
Lear and mean to read all the other plays. Is Faust
ANYTHING like Shakespeare in stylep And this was
poor fatherless boy of H. with only an lcelandic
education! Modest, sweet-tempered, warm with
tireeSs eagerness for knowledge, not one of our
party could help loving Geir and feeling the sin
cerest interest in his fortunes.
In spite of the tremendous desolation of the
scenery, il was far varied and grand than that
between Rejkiayik and Thingvalla. The sky cleared
as we reached the farther end of the lava field at
the corner of NOISY mountain with bare black
summit, NuCIt inc pain uCSCcHutu tulOuSu diONhy
raviue to a stretch of green meadow land below.
Far TO the east, fifty sixty miles away the hori-
zOn was bounded by long line of snowtopped
mountains. "Hekla!" cried Eyvindur, pointing to
a broad, humpy mass of snow which rose considera-
bly, above the general level. The summit was still
hidden, but the mantle sektu means " a mantle" in
Iceiandic of snow was so unbroken and extended so
far down the sides that the perfect quiet of the vol
cano was manifest. There has been no eruption
siLce 1S45.
While the guides rearranged some shifted packs
on the meadow we rode to cave at tae base OF the
mountains. Over it there was an abrupt wall OF
porphyrltic rock, in which we could see sparkling
VEINS of obsidian. The peaks beyOnd-apparenty
extinct volcanic cones-showed the most extraordi-
naIy forms, and were almost as black as coal We
all noticed resemblance 10 Dores illustrations OF
Dante except that here there was far wilder and
eloomier originality. The cave. which was low
rooted. rough, wet and altogether disagreeabe, had
been used as a sheepfod for ages Many unknown
individuals shepherds, or passing travellers had
laboriousy carved their initials about the entrance
In one place we found Tor fancied the date of 1885,
but with the best will in the world, could discover
no Runic characters.
Beyond the valley the path struck across high,
hily region toward another mOuntain-cape, about
eight miles distant. Here, however, many thou
sands of years have crumbed the lava and the red,
mellow volcanic SOIL foot or two deep, was well
covered with grass herbs, and heather. The piping
of plover and curlew seduced our two sportsmen
from the track. while we kept on, enjoying the
CLEANS Of sunshine and comparative warmth. The
thermometer would have shown temperature OF
from CO. 10 65c during the nights it fell to 49,.
As we approached the mountain, the eastern
range including Hekla, which had been hidden for
into and this fime free
from cloud. 1--WE don't often see Hekla so clear as
he is now" said the guide. 1t was a lonely but a
surprisingly peaceful and pastoral landscape. From
the hight where we rode we overlooked q grassy
plain some twenty miles in breadth, sparkling here
and there with little lakes the winding courses of
rivers Beyond il were low, softly unduatng hills,
over which Heka towered-or rather heaved-
broad heavy in outline and only beautiful because
the sun made golden CLEAN of its snow Toward
the sea some blue, scattered peaks rose like islands;
far to the north, where the great plain came down
from the very heart of Iceland, there were gimpses
of remoter SHOWS and glaciers. But out of the green
level. Is miles away there suddenly shot silvery
column of steam, at least hundred feet in hight.
"Tbe Geysersw some one cried; but no 1t was
great boiling spring. cadron, Eyvindur said.
which never sends up jets of water 1t was the only
thing in the vast view which resembled sign of
human life-and was really menace against life.
We were to have made our halt at farm called
Laepr. where flag was put up in honor of the
Kings passing but the guides declared that rinder-
pest, or epizooty, had just broken out there, and
we must 20 further. After fording some swift, icy
streams in the valley beyond, we stopped near
church and two farmsteads. and enjoyed a most
welcome rest of an hour. There were, as yet, no
signs of the royal caravan.
The route, during the afternoon, followed the
bases of the mountains which inciose the great
valley. wherein the Geysers lie. on the west. 1t