The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-02
ICELAND'S GEYSERS.
TRAVELS Or a NEW JERSEY SCHOOL
MASTER IN THE NORTH.
Trip to the Famous Hot Springs ON =
Pony and Alone-Ieeland's Poet
IAureafe-A Surprise
"Strokker."
New York Times.

II USXt aQNenIHTS, SAID James
Ricalton, the travelled schoolmaster Of
MaplewOOd, to q Times reporter in the
course of an interview, was to visit the gey-
sers, ninety miles from Reikiavik, over des-
olate and painless country. ] found that
should be unable 10 afford the trip as it is
usually made, as travelling IS SO expensive in
Iceland. The usual outfit for q tourist who
makes this journey is at least one guide and
two ponies, with two ponies for himself and
one for the extra baggage The trip there
and back usually occupies five days, and
provisions have TO be carried to last for this
time. When told my landlord that was
going to attempt the journey alone, he was
even more astonished than at my visit to
Esja. He said that it would be absolutely
impossible for me 10 find my way and that
ran risk of losing myself and perishing
from hunger or exposure. Several English
men had attempted to find the geysers with
out assistance, he said, but they had always
either come back TO the hotel, or hired a
guide on the route. / told him that because
Englishmen had failed was no reason that
an American would, and l was deaf to his
remonstrances, but at once began prepare
tions for the journey.
Il tried to hire pony, but when the own
ers learned that l was going to the geysers
without guide they refused to let their ami
mails for fear we would lie lost together
Therefore bought pony for S54, and a
very good, strong pony he was, too. sold
him for $50 upon my return from the gey-
sers. Equipped myself with provisions,
tin pail an alcohol lamp, and tent, which
loaded upon my stout pony. They weighed
about sixty pounds, and L started off in the
afternoon leading the pony. An English
man had started before me in the morning
with his wife, two guides and several ponies.
The route was over fiat country, with
numerous paths branching off, marked only
by stones. 1 took piece of chalk with me,
and for the first few miles marked the
stones at intervals so that if l got lost l
could tell if l crossed my own trail. But 1
got tired of that very soon, threw the chalk
away, and kept toward where l had
been told the geysers were situated.
In the evening l came across some mounted
Icelanders who could speak little Eng
lish, and they told me that / was twelve
miles out of my way, and going direct to
the Thingvalia forest. They asked me to go
home with them AMI stay over night but ]
got them to point out my proper route and
decided to push ON.
@But reckoned without my pony. When
tie Icelanders galloped away-they always
ride at break-neck sEeed-my pony dashed
after them III spite of my utmost efforts.
and had all l could do TO keep from being
thrown as he swerved about the big bowl
ders and among the rocks. l could only
cling to his neck and let him run. The
other ponies were less heavily loaded, how
ever, and they soon left US out of sight, but
my animal had brought me within sight-of
hou e. | decided to apply there for guild
ance about my route, and had peculiar
experience The house was one of the ma
tive huts constructed of lava blocks and
moss, and when knocked an old woman
came to the door and babe me enter She
conducted me through a long narrow pas
sage into the interior roOm where found
very pleasant featured man To my sur.
prise he addressed me in very good English"
well, he said, what do you want'
Il was SO surprised at his use of the lang
uage that did not answer at once, and he
finally repeated very trusquely:
"'Well, what do you want? Do you want
something to eat? And do you want to pay
for it or have me give it to you"
Il retorted very Indignantly: IF were
beggar shouldn't come to Iceland to carry
ON tie profession.s
"Then he leaned back in his chair and
laughed very heartily, and discovered that
his abruptness of speech only a manner
ism
-" IF you have ever heard of Bayard Tay-
lor,' l said, you might know that am
here on the same errand that brought him
to see the country
"'Heard of Bayard Taylorr said the Ice
lander, We'll, l should say had. I knew
him WELL and he lived with ME while he was
in this country. Why, l translated his
poems into our language and he translated
some of mine into English.
81 found that my host was no less per-
sonage than MathuS JOcumson, the poet
laureate Of Iceland, whom Bayard Taylor
mentions in his book of travels. The poet
was very hoSpitable, and asked me to stay
with him over night. However, L decided
to pitch my tent in his yard and sleep under
that, and his servant took my pony to the
pasture. 1 got ready to proceed on my
journey about 5 o'clock next morning, and 1
wanted to pay Jocumson for the pony's
pasturage. But couldn't wake anyb body up
except the old woman servant and she
couldn't understand what l wanted.
Finally she directed me to the poets bed
room. l went in and found the whole fam
lily asleep in ono big bed, with heads, arms,
and legs sticking out all around the edges of
the coverlet How l wished l had the
photograph instrument that 1 afterward
took on my trip to Brazil. Il could scarcely
restrain my laughter as l looked at Them
Finally decided that the biggest foot
sticking out at the bottom of the bed must
belong to the laureate, ami 1 gave it a jerk
At once the foot disappeared from the bot
tom of the quilt and the head of the poet
appeared at the top I told him my errand,
and he charged Inc coin equal in value to
about one-ffth of a cent This / handed to
him, he seized it, his head went under the
quilt again, his foot came out at the bottom,
and so l babe farwell to Nautilus Jocumson,
the poet laureate of Iceland.
81 did not lose my path again, but Travelled
ali that day, and put up near another native
hut at night. L Travelled all the day follow
ing, and finally reached the geysers at 1888
o'clock that night l found a tent pitched
near mine. which belonged to the English
man who left the hotel at Reikiavik before
did. He had arrived only an
hour before me, in spite of
his guides His name was Robin
son, and we visited the geysers together.
There are two great geysers, one caIed The
Great StroKker and the other the 'StIokixer.'
The geysers do not spout all the time, some
times remaining quiet for Whole week, but
we made the 'Strokker' spout with an
emetic. The emetic we used was the sod.
We threw about 200 pounds of sod into the
opening, which file up the conical-shaped
mouth of the interior of the oriice. Then
we retired to a safe distance Soon we heard
a rumbling in the earth, and then, with a
terrific noise. cloud of steam and a column
of boiling water shot ninety feet into the ar.
It was a remarkable sight. and we spent the
day in watching it. 1t took a day and half
to return to ReikiaVik, and before | sol my
pnny made trip with him to the sulphur
slriugs, thirty miles away, without a guide