: Pen and pencil sketches of Faröe and Iceland by Symington Andrew James Linton W J William James Illustrator Lafur P Lsson Translator - Iceland Description and travel; Folklore Iceland; Faroe Islands

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PAGE PREFACE v LEITH TO THORSHAVN 1 WESTMANNA ISLANDS--REYKJAVIK 35 RIDE TO THE GEYSERS 69 REYKJAVIK 143 J?KUL-RANGES AND VOLCANOES ON THE SOUTH COAST 160 K?TLUGJ?'S ERUPTIONS 163 ICELANDIC STATISTICS 180 ERUPTION OF SKAPT?R J?KUL 187 VOLCANIC HISTORY OF ICELAND 193 THE EAST COAST. BREIDAMERKR--SEYDISFIORD 197 SEYDISFIORD, BY FAR?E, TO LEITH 208

INDEX 309

PAGE

PEN AND PENCIL SKETCHES

OF

FAR?E AND ICELAND.

LEITH TO THORSHAVN.

Can Iceland--that distant island of the North Sea, that land of Eddas and Sagas, of lava-wastes, snow-j?kuls, volcanoes, and boiling geysers--be visited during a summer's holiday? This was the question which for years I had vaguely proposed to myself. Now I wished definitely to ascertain particulars, and, if at all practicable, to accomplish such a journey during the present season.

Three ways presented themselves--the chance of getting north in a private yacht--to charter a sloop from Lerwick--or to take the mail-steamer from Copenhagen. The first way seemed very doubtful; I was dissuaded from the second by the great uncertainty as to when one might get back, and the earnest entreaties of friends, who, with long faces, insinuated that these wild northern seas were not to be trifled with. However, the uncertainty as to time, and the expense, which for one person would have been considerable, weighed more with me than any idea of danger. Of the mail-steamer it was difficult to obtain any information.

The day of sailing was a fortnight earlier than I could have desired, but such an opportunity was not to be missed. Providing myself with a long waterproof overcoat, overboots of the same material--both absolutely essential for riding with any degree of comfort in Iceland, to protect from lashing rains, and when splashing through mud-puddles or deep river fordings--getting together a supply of preserved meats, soups, &c. in tin cans, a mariner's compass, thermometer, one of De La Rue's solid sketch-books, files of newspapers, a few articles for presents, and other needful things, my traps were speedily put up; and, on Wednesday the 20th of July, I found myself on board the "Arcturus" in Leith dock.

It was a Clyde-built screw-steamer, of 400 tons burden. Captain Andriessen, a Dane, received me kindly; the crew, with the exception of the engineer, a Scotchman, were all foreigners. In the first cabin were eight fellow-passengers, strangers to each other; but, as is usual at sea, acquaintanceships were soon formed; by degrees we came to know each other, and all got along very pleasantly together.

There were also several passengers in the second cabin, some of whom were students returning home from their studies in the Danish universities.

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