Year: 1874

A Hundred Boiling, Buhbiing, Bottom-


less springs.


d.. Haynes Iceland Letter.


Here 1 am at last in the verv midst of


this great nest of bubbiing fountains of
boiling water, which I first saw IN nv


school days geography book, and which


have been to me 8 wonder ever since,


and are, now that have seen them,


more wonder than ever. A hundred


jets Of steam are rising in the air all
round me like so many columns of smoke
from as many piles of brushwood. A


hundred holes of various sizes are In


the earth, and looking down inte 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


brlm and runs away in boiling rivulets,


above which clouds of steam are ever
rising steam Misses out through assures
in the rock, through the soft turf,
through seething pools of mud, and
over a marsh q 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 q range of purple hills, 1
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, aud |
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 1
Hecla surpesses anything have ever |
seen. Occasionally a delicate current |
of warm air touches it, and, chilled by /
the cold ice and snow, n light vapor /
for few moments floats away from its /
highest point, creating the impression l
that stream or smoke is issuing from
it. But this happens rarely, and the
great mountain seems to float in the
sky as 8 lightsome cloud, glorious and
luminous and vast. Behind me is the
level, white summit of the Lang Jo-
kun nearer rises the great, sharp, |
snow-streaked Blafell, whose marvel
ously rich hue reveals at once the mean
ing OF its name; while between this and
Hecla, with the same dark foreground
which frames and intensihes the glow
of the famed volcanic mountain, rises
peak on peak of the great Arnarfello,
which is the very central crest and
heart of Iceland. It is a picture for a
painter to finger over it is a picture
for a poet to dream of all his life, and
one which I 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 find
myself wondering If his fancy and in
tense sympathy with nature are not,
even while write, rearing up some won
derful poetic fabric worthy of the mar
vellous forces that have beer and still 4
are at work in the earth beneath and
around us, and worthy, too, of his COM
prehensive intellect and subtle quail !
ties of thought.


Hecla IN itself. that is in form, is not
at all picturesque. There was nothing
in it to interest the fancy but the glow
of sunlight on its cap of snow. IL is
simply long ridge standing brOadside
to the northwest and southeast, and is
only remarkable in outline when seen
from the southeast or southwest, when
the sharp ridge comes out like peak
against the sky.


1 learn that the ascent of it is not diff
fcult, a-d it has been already reached
this year by DIR. Leitner, whom have
had the pleasure of meeting on board
Ie ID
ner, at Rejkiavik. From tho Geysers
to its foot is a good two days journey.
One may go on horses to the little ham
let of N8frholt, good way mp the side
of a spur that it sends out to the west,
from whence, after refreshing ones self
with nights sleep, the crater may be
reached without difficulty or danger in
five hours. This year the summit is
more than ordinarily covered with snow.
The season has been unusually back
ward and chilly, and there are very few
dark patches to be seen near the crest.
Uusally, as I am told, the crest is al
most clear of snow before August, and
therefore Hecla has failed to be digni-
fed by the name of Jokull, which
means snow mountain, or &C least a
mountain always white. It is a simple
fell, or rocky waste.


First in importance of these JOkulls is
the VatnR, which occupies an immense
space of several thousand square miles
in the southeast part of the island.
which has never been explored. ] was
told IN Reikiavik that an English party
of four enthusiastic Alpine climbers
have gone there this season, supplied
with every appliance, in the shape of
Alpine guides, ropes, ladders, spiked
staffs and spiked boots, TO do what has
been hitherto regarded as impossible
but whether or not they have succeeded
in breaking their necks remains 10 be
reported. sincerely hope they may
come out safe and sound, for the region
II one Of great interest both in an artis-
tic and scientific point of view, and may
they live to tell Of it.


One thing / mnst not forget to men
tion before quitting the description Of
this scene from the Geysers. IL Is the
surprising richness of coloring in the
landscape. Surprising, because had
read quite the contrary, and my friend /
Mr.. Bryce, who had passed over Ice
land last year, had told me that every
thing to the artistic eye vas unattrac-
tive and monOtonous. This is doubt
less in general quite true, for fog or
rain is the prevailing condition Of an
Iceland summer. On this day, how
ever, the air was remarkably transpa
rent, and there was no color IN the
landscape wanting to delight the artists
eve. The most delicate vioIets, the low
Lest purple, the richest gray were all
from time 60 time conspicuous, and
there has been throughout the day q
glow on msuntain, hill and dale that is
truly charming.


The Oldest: