refrain from repeating them aloud as I ap proached the mountain: "Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to thy bosom fly; O receive my soul at last! Hangs my helpless soul on thee; All my help from thee I bring; Cover my defenceless head With the shadow of thy wing." About two o'clock, as I felt rather fatigued, I went to some cliffs that were fast by, and, in imitation of the patriarch Jacob, "took off the stones of that place, and put them for my pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep." After day-break, when the shadows of night had vanished, I began to survey the surrounding scenery. To the right, at no great distance, lay the volcanic Yökul; the isolated mountain Pietursey appeared in the plain to the left, and before it the breakers were dashing with a tremendous roar upon the rocks. the rocks. Direct before me lay the plain, through which the river was still pouring its restless contents: and, in the dis tance, I could descry the Solheima, and part of the Eyafialla Yökuls. Committing my way afresh to the Lord, I saddled my horse about five o'clock, and as I approached the river, I was met by a peasant on horseback, who had come over to my assistance. The water having now considerably abated, we got over without much difficulty; and, arriving at Hollt, my servant and I congratulated each other on our again meeting in the land of the living. I was immediately presented with an excellent dish of boiled milk, on which, in addition to what I had in my provision-chest, I made a most hearty meal, not having partaken of any food since the forenoon of the preceding day. CHAP. VIII. Fell-Solheima-Yökul River-Solheima Yökul lands-Algerine Pirates-Hollt-Markarfliot On the 15th of September, after spending about an hour and a half in the company of the clergyman's wife at Hollt, who could not sufficiently regret the absence of her husband, I proceeded round the hill to Fell, where I was kindly received by the Dean, Sira Thord Bryniolfson. As this gentleman had only been recently invested with the office of Dean, it was not in his power to give me an exact idea of the actual state of the people within his bounds relative to the Holy Scriptures; yet he was of opinion that not many copies of the entire Bible were to be met with, but that several copies of the New Testament, published in 1807, had found their way thither. He engaged to exert himself to the utmost in ascertaining what number of copies would be wanted; to write to his clergy, requesting them to notify the arrival of the Scriptures to their congregations; and after he had learned the result, to transmit it to Reykiavik, in order to secure the requisite supply. About ten o'clock the Dean dressed, and accompanied me to Solheima. Excepting a small tract to the west of Fell, which consists for the most part of stones and sand, and is intersected by floods from the Yökul, the road lay over hills that were completely covered with rich grass; and as no cliffs or breaks were visible, the landscape reminded me of some familiar lawns in the Lowlands of Scotland, while the herds that were browsing on it apprised me of the wealthy circumstances of the Solheima farmers. On our arrival at West Solheima, where there is a church and several houses of a superior appearance, we were instantly shewn by the peasant into a large room well furnished with books, among which I was happy to observe a folio Bible; and as his wife was from home, he set to work himself with the coffee-mill, and prepared for us an excellent dish of that expensive article of foreign luxury. The Dean now returned, after having committed me to the care of the peasant, who undertook to guide me across the dangerous Yökul river on Solheima-sand. This river, which forms the division between the eastern and southern Fiordungar, was originally only a small stream let, but was increased to such a degree by the revolution that took place in the Yökul about the year 900, that it inundated the plain, and washed away the whole of its soil. The phenomena were so novel to those who had fixed their habitations in the vicinity, that the frequency with which it changed its course was ascribed to the influence of magic. * It was called Fulalæk, or the fœtid torrent, on account of the sulphureous smell of its water, a property the river still has, and which shews that a quantity of sulphur must exist in the bowels of the Yökul in which it originates. It has gradually deepened its channel in the sand; and the eastern bank, towards which the most of the water inclines, is from thirty to fifty feet in height. The whole breadth of the channel may be about a quarter of a mile. On our arrival at the margin, we had at once a full view of the mighty waters, hastening, with resistless fury, down the sloping descent to the ocean, which received them at no great distance. We here stopped while the peasant descended into the river, but after several venturesome attempts, he was obliged to return; and, riding a little farther down, we entered it where its waters were more spread, and found it nearly as formidable as that on Breidamark sand, only we were unmolested by masses of ice. Owing to the breadth and rapidity of the current, the tra * Olafsen og Povelsen, p. 845. Landnâmabok, Part. IV. cap. v. |