The sun., 1908-08-09
TRAVELLING IN ICELAND.
An Unsspbisticated Country where There
Are No Railroads or Motor Cars.

An Unsspbisticated Country where There
Are No Railroads or Motor Cars.
BY the average individual (unless he hap
peas to be a salmon fisher) Iceland ia inn
agined to be a place somewhere within the
region Of the Arctic Circle and to be literally
o land OF eternal winter. The fishing en-
thusiast knows 1t only as paradise Of his
craft and values 1t as such accordingly.
A score or two Of tourists visit the island
for week or 80 In summer and get rs far
as Thingvellir, or II they be not too saddle
sore they may see Geysir. But only very
select few have travelled for weeks on the
hardly little ponies and known to the full
the exceeding delight OF day after day spent
In the " wonderful Icelandic air and Of ridin
through the green valleys and fording the
numberless rivers and streams Of Iceland.
To those who can ride little and are keen
on an open air life and who are lovers Of
scenery the island should appeal, and this
should apply even more 80 to those tired OF
the ways Of cities. For there are no rail-
ways in Iceland. no motors. and there were
until very recently no telegraphs.
A correspondent OF the London Globe
spent six weeks there one summer and
rode across the island from Reykjavik to
Faskrudsfjord, up the east coast to Seydis-
fjord. where the cable now connects Iceland
with the outer world, and thence to the
northern portion of Akuyreri. The route to
Faskrudsfjord across the glacier rivers Is
most interesting and is not without it's
element OF danger, owing TO the remote
possibility Of the ponies. sure footed as
they are, being swept of their feet by these
fercely running waters. The guide Is usually
o well educated man. very often q medical
student, who In this way earns money during
the summer to pay for his winter studies.
and In my case was o most interesting type
and an excellent good fellow. He belonged
to small but enthusiastic party which is
working for the increase Of home rule In
Iceland and which believes In Iceland for the
Icelanders. Some day probably he will sit
In the Ioelandic Parliament and be thorn
In the side OF the Danish party.
The country is very rough IN parts, but
In many places there are good, II small,
roads and in most track The interior is
glacier, with the mighty Vatna J6lull.
phire sky, towering over all. There Is no
want Of variety about the scenery, travelled
through. One day II Is through smiling
BY inpumerable streams. Another day one
rides for hours over sandy wastes. and yet
another over volcanic rocks whose free
have long since died out. An early start
is usually made and at a smart pace one
rides till midday, when there is an hour for
rest and delightful al fresco meal, and
the Journey is continued until the farmhouse
is reached where hospitality Is given for the
night. and very genuine hospitality it Is.
The Icelandic summer night is never
aftergiow up to midnight The farms,
which ara sometimes built altogether Of
wood, but more often have turf walls and
roofs, are usually spotlessly clean. and their
coffee and milk are excellent. When one
gets accustomed to it the rye bread takes
smoked or salted mutton eggs are generally
plentiful. and In case Of need a tin Of pro-
visions from your commissari riat can be
heated up for you. The sole drawback
to the life is In the case OF rainy summer.
and only oilskins will keep out Icela1die Ic.S
but four or Ave wet days, and the rest Of
the time 1t was brilliantly fne.
Perhaps one OF the most interesting rides
was over the glacier known as the BREEDER
merixur J6kull. In southern Iceland. We
had left the little port Of Vik. where I had
reveiied in the bill6ws dashing up the sandy
beach, and after several hours riding
over black sand arrived at the foot Of the
glacier. To cross the mountain 1t was
necessary TO dismount. At several points
there were crevaeses, wmcn had 70 % ne
gotiated on boards laid across. and 1t was
altogether q pretty hard pull up for both
ponies and men.
: One lasting recollection Of Iceland is
that Of the farm Of Reykjahlid, on Lake
Myvatn. Quite close to the farm in sort
Of gully between. walls Of rock partly
arched over ia deep pool Of translucent
bme-green water. whose temperature is
invariably about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its origin is doubtless attributable to
some hot spring deep down in the earth.
slipped into the pool through the only
entrance. a hole In the rock, one dark.
wet night just after reaching Reykiahlid,
and the pleasant recollections OF it's de-
iicious warmth are only shared by some
what similar ones Of hot tank at Tochi-
noki-shin-yu after cold rainy days rick
shaw ride from the garrison town Of kuma-