letters from high latitudes-第15部分

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t　the　foot　of　which　we　had　been　riding；　and　in　a　few　minutes　more；　wheeling　round　its　outer　end；　we　found　ourselves　in　the　presence　of　the　steaming　Geysirs。

I　do　not　know　that　I　can　give　you　a　better　notion　of　the　appearance　of　the　place　than　by　saying　that　it　looked　as　iffor　about　a　quarter　of　a　milethe　ground　had　been　honey…combed　by　disease　into　numerous　sores　and　orifices；　not　a　blade　of　grass　grew　on　its　hot；　inflamed　surface；　which　consisted　of　unwholesome…looking　red　livid　clay；　or　crumpled　shreds　and　shards　of　slough…like　incrustations。　Naturally　enough；　our　first　impulse　on　dismounting　was　to　scamper　off　at　once　to　the　Great　Geysir。　As　it　lay　at　the　furthest　end　of　the　congeries　of　hot　springs；　in　order　to　reach　it　we　had　to　run　the　gauntlet　of　all　the　pools　of　boiling　water　and　scalding　quagmires　of　soft　clay　that　intervened；　and　consequently　arrived　on　the　spot　with　our　ankles　nicely　poulticed。　　But　the　occasion　justified　our　eagerness。　A　smooth　silicious　basin；　seventy…two　feet　in　diameter　and　four　feet　deep；　with　a　hole　at　the　bottom　as　in　a　washing…basin　on　board　a　steamer；　stood　before　us　brimful　of　water　just　upon　the　simmer；　while　up　into　the　air　above　our　heads　rose　a　great　column　of　vapour；　looking　as　if　it　was　going　to　turn　into　the　Fisherman's　Genie。　The　ground　about　the　brim　was　composed　of　layers　of　incrusted　silica；　like　the　outside　of　an　oyster；　sloping　gently　down　on　all　sides　from　the　edge　of　the　basin。

＇Figure：　fig…p067。gif　with　caption　　　　A　　Basin。　　　　B　　Funnel。＇

Having　satisfied　our　curiosity　with　this　cursory　inspection　of　what　we　had　come　so　far　to　see；　hunger　compelled　us　to　look　about　with　great　anxiety　for　the　cook；　and　you　may　fancy　our　delight　at　seeing　that　functionary　in　the　very　act　of　dishing　up　dinner　on　a　neighbouring　hillock。　Sent　forward　at　an　early　hour；　under　the　chaperonage　of　a　guide；　he　had　arrived　about　two　hours　before　us；　and　seizing　with　a　general's　eye　the　key　of　the　position；　at　once　turned　an　idle　babbling　little　Geysir　into　a　camp…kettle；　dug　a　bake…house　in　the　hot　soft　clay；　and　improvising　a　kitchen…range　at　a　neighbouring　vent；　had　made　himself　completely　master　of　the　situation。　It　was　about　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　we　sat　down　to　dinner；　and　as　light　as　day。

As　the　baggage…train　with　our　tents　and　beds　had　not　yet　arrived；　we　fully　appreciated　our　luck　in　being　treated　to　so　dry　a　night；　and　having　eaten　everything　we　could　lay　hands　on；　were　sat　quietly　down　to　chess；　and　coffee　brewed　in　Geysir　water；　when　suddenly　it　seemed　as　if　beneath　our　very　feet　a　quantity　of　subterraneous　cannon　were　going　off；　the　whole　earth　shook；　and　Sigurdr；　starting　to　his　feet；　upset　the　chess…board　（I　was　just　beginning　to　get　the　best　of　the　game）；　and　flung　off　full　speed　towards　the　great　basin。　　By　the　time　we　reached　its　brim；　however；　the　noise　had　ceased；　and　all　we　could　see　was　a　slight　movement　in　the　centre；　as　if　an　angel　had　passed　by　and　troubled　the　water。　　Irritated　at　this　false　alarm；　we　determined　to　revenge　ourselves　by　going　and　tormenting　the　Strokr。　Strokror　the　churnyou　must　know；　is　an　unfortunate　Geysir；　with　so　little　command　over　his　temper　and　his　stomach；　that　you　can　get　a　rise　out　of　him　whenever　you　like。　All　that　is　necessary　is　to　collect　a　quantity　of　sods；　and　throw　them　down　his　funnel。　As　he　has　no　basin　to　protect　him　from　these　liberties；　you　can　approach　to　the　very　edge　of　the　pipe；　about　five　feet　in　diameter；　and　look　down　at　the　boiling　water　which　is　perpetually　seething　at　the　bottom。　In　a　few　minutes　the　dose　of　turf　you　have　just　administered　begins　to　disagree　with　him；　he　works　himself　up　into　an　awful　passiontormented　by　the　qualms　of　incipient　sickness；　he　groans　and　hisses；　and　boils　up；　and　spits　at　you　with　malicious　vehemence；　until　at　last；　with　a　roar　of　mingled　pain　and　rage；　he　throws　up　into　the　air　a　column　of　water　forty　feet　high；　which　carries　with　it　all　the　sods　that　have　been　chucked　in；　and　scatters　them　scalded　and　half…digested　at　your　feet。　So　irritated　has　the　poor　thing's　stomach　become　by　the　discipline　it　has　undergone；　that　even　long　after　all　the　foreign　matter　has　been　thrown　off；　it　goes　on　retching　and　sputtering；　until　at　last　nature　is　exhausted；　when；　sobbing　and　sighing　to　itself；　it　sinks　back　into　the　bottom　of　its　den。

Put　into　the　highest　spirits　by　the　success　of　this　performance；　we　turned　away　to　examine　the　remaining　springs。　I　do　not　know；　however；　that　any　of　the　rest　are　worthy　of　particular　mention。　They　all　resemble　in　character　the　two　I　have　described；　the　only　difference　being　that　they　are　infinitely　smaller；　and　of　much　less　power　and　importance。　　One　other　remarkable　formation　in　the　neighbourhood　must　not　be　passed　unnoticed。　Imagine　a　large　irregular　opening　in　the　surface　of　the　soft　white　clay；　filled　to　the　very　brim　with　scalding　water；　perfectly　still；　and　of　as　bright　a　blue　as　that　of　the　Grotto　Azzuro　at　Capri；　through　whose　transparent　depths　you　can　see　down　into　the　mouth　of　a　vast　subaqueous　cavern；　which　runs；　Heaven　knows　how　far；　in　a　horizontal　direction　beneath　your　feet。　Its　walls　and　varied　cavities　really　looked　as　if　they　were　built　of　the　purest　lupis　lazuliand　so　thin　seemed　the　crust　that　roofed　it　in；　we　almost　fancied　it　might　break　through；　and　tumble　us　all　into　the　fearful　beautiful　bath。

Having　by　this　time　taken　a　pretty　good　look　at　the　principal　features　of　our　new　domain；　I　wrapped　myself　up　in　a　cloak　and　went　to　sleep；　leaving　orders　that　I　should　not　be　called　until　after　the　tent　had　arrived；　and　our　beds　were　ready。　Sigurdr　followed　my　example；　but　the　Doctor　went　out　shooting。

As　our　principal　object　in　coming　so　far　was　to　see　an　eruption　of　the　Great　Geysir；　it　was　of　course　necessary　we　should　wait　his　pleasure；　in　fact；　our　movements　entirely　depended　upon　his。　For　the　next　two　or　three　days；　therefore；　like　pilgrims　round　some　ancient　shrine；　we　patiently　kept　watch；　but　he　scarcely　deigned　to　vouchsafe　us　the　slightest　manifestation　of　his　latent　energies。　Two　or　three　times　the　cannonading　we　had　heard　immediately　after　our　arrival　recommenced；and　once　an　eruption　to　the　height　of　about　ten　feet　occurred；　but　so　brief　was　its　duration；　that　by　the　time　we　were　on　the　spot；　although　the　tent　was　not　eighty　yards　distant；　all　was　over。　As　after　every　effort　of　the　fountain　the　water　in　the　basin　mysteriously　ebbs　back　into　the　funnel；　this　performance；　though　unsatisfactory　in　itself；　gave　us　an　opportunity　of　approaching　the　mouth　of　the　pipe；　and　looking　down　into　its　scalded　gullet。　　In　an　hour　afterwards；　the　basin　was　brimful　as　ever。

Tethered　down　by　our　curiosity　to　a　particular　spot　for　an　indefinite　period；　we　had　to　while　away　the　hours　as　best　we　could。　We　played　chess；　collected　specimens；　photographed　the　encampment；　the　guides；　the　ponies；　and　one　or　two　astonished　natives。　Every　now　and　then　we　went　out　shooting　over　the　neighbouring　flats；　and　once　I　ventured　on　a　longer　expedition　among　the　mountains　to　our　left。　　The　views　I　got　were　beautiful；ridge　rising　beyond　ridge　in　eternal　silence；　like　gigantic　ocean　waves；　whose　tumult　has　been　suddenly　frozen　into　stone；but　the　dread　of　the　Geysir　going　off　during　my　absence　made　me　almost　too　fidgety　to　enjoy　them。　The　weather　luckily　remained　beautiful；　with　the　exception　of　one　little　spell　of　rain；　which　came　to　make　us　all　the　more　grateful　for　the　sunshine；and　we　fed　like　princes。　Independently　of　the　game；　duck；　plover；　ptarmigan；　and　bittern；　with　which　our　own　guns　supplied　us；　a　young　lamb　was　always　in　the　larder；not　to　mention　reindeer　tongues；　skier；a　kind　of　sour　curds；　excellent　when　well　made；milk；　cheese　whose　taste　and　nature　baffles　description；　biscuit　and　bread；　sent　us　as　a　free　gift　by　the　lady　of　a　neighbouring　farm。　In　fact；　so　noble　is　Icelandic　hospitality；　that　I　really　believe　there　was　nothing　within　fifty　miles　round　we　might　not　have　obtained　for　the　asking；　had　we　desired　it。　As　for　Fitz；　he　became　quite　the　enfant　gate　of　a　neighbouring　family。

Having　unluckily　caught　cold；　instead　of　sleeping　in　the　tent；　he　determined　to　seek　shelter　under　a　solid　roof…tree；　and；　conducted　by　our　guide　Olaf；　set　off　on　his　pony　at　bed…time　in　search　of　a　habitation。　The　next　morning　he　reappeared　so　unusually　radiant　that　I　could　not　help　inquiring　what　good　fortune　had　in　the　meantime　befallen　him：　upon　which　he　gave　me　such　an　account　of　his　last　night's　reception　at　the　farm；　that　I　was　almost　tempted　to　bundle　tent　and　beds　down　the　throat　of　our　irritable　friend　Strokr；　and　throw　myself　for　the　future　upon　the　hospitality　of　the　inhabitants。　It　is　true；　I　had　read　in　Van　Troil　of　something　of　the　kind；　but　until　now　I　never　fully　believed　it。　The　Doctor　shall　tell　his　own　history。

〃No　sooner；〃　said　he；　〃had　I　presented　myself　at　the　door；　and　made　known　my　errand；　than　I　was　immediately　welcomed　by　the　whole　family；　and　triumphantly　inducted　into　the　guest　quarters：　everything　the　house　could　produce　was　set　before　me；　and　the　whole　society　stood　by　to　see　that　I　enjoyed　myself。　As　I　had　but　just　dined　an　additional　repast　was　no　longer　essential　to　my　happiness；　but　all　explanation　was　useless；　and　I　did　my　best　to　give