letters from high latitudes-第4部分

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tornaway　had　become　quite　bewildered　on　the　subject　of　that　meteorological　phenomenon　called　the　Dawn　of　Day。　In　fact；　I　doubt　whether　he　ever　slept　for　more　than　five　minutes　at　a　stretch；　without　waking　up　in　a　state　of　nervous　agitation；　lest　it　should　be　cock…crow。　At　last；　when　night　ceased　altogether；　his　constitution　could　no　longer　stand　the　shock。　He　crowed　once　or　twice　sarcastically；　then　went　melancholy　mad：　finally；　taking　a　calenture；　he　cackled　lowly　（probably　of　green　fields）；　and　leaping　overboard；　drowned　himself。　The　mysterious　manner　in　which　every　day　a　fresh　member　of　his　harem　used　to　disappear；　may　also　have　preyed　upon　his　spirits。

At　last；　on　the　morning　of　the　eighth　day；　we　began　to　look　out　for　land。　The　weather　had　greatly　improved　during　the　night；　and；　for　the　first　time　since　leaving　the　Hebrides；　the　sun　had　got　the　better　of　the　clouds；　and　driven　them　in　confusion　before　his　face。　The　sea；　losing　its　dead　leaden　colour；　had　become　quite　crisp　and　burnished；　darkling　into　a　deep　sapphire　blue　against　the　horizon；　beyond　which；　at　about　nine　o'clock；　there　suddenly　shot　up　towards　the　zenith；　a　pale；　gold　aureole；　such　as　precedes　the　appearance　of　the　good　fairy　at　a　pantomime　farce；　then；　gradually　lifting　its　huge　back　above　the　water；　rose　a　silver　pyramid　of　snow；　which　I　knew　must　be　the　cone　of　an　ice　mountain；　miles　away　in　the　interior　of　the　island。　　From　the　moment　we　got　hold　of　the　land；　our　cruise；　as　you　may　suppose；　doubled　in　interest。　Unfortunately；　however；　the　fair　morning　did　not　keep　its　promise；　about　one　o'clock；　the　glittering　mountain　vanished　in　mist；　the　sky　again　became　like　an　inverted　pewter　cup；　and　we　had　to　return　for　two　more　days　to　our　old　practice　of　threshing　to　windward。　So　provoked　was　I　at　this　relapse　of　the　weather；　that；　perceiving　a　whale　blowing　convenient；　I　could　not　help　suggesting　to　Sigurdr；　son　of　Jonas；　that　it　was　an　occasion　for　observing　the　traditions　of　his　family；　but　he　excused　himself　on　the　plea　of　their　having　become　obsolete。

The　mountain　we　had　seen　in　the　morning　was　the　south…east　extremity　of　the　island；　the　very　landfall　made　by　one　of　its　first　discoverers。　＇Footnote：　There　is　in　Strabo　an　account　of　a　voyage　made　by　a　citizen　of　the　Greek　colony　of　Marseilles；　in　the　time　of　Alexander　the　Great；　through　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　along　the　coasts　of　France　and　Spain；　up　the　English　Channel；　and　so　across　the　North　Sea；　past　an　island　he　calls　Thule；　his　further　progress；　he　asserted；　was　hindered　by　a　barrier　of　a　peculiar　nature；neither　earth；　air；　nor　sky；　but　a　compound　of　all　three；　forming　a　thick　viscid　substance　which　it　was　impossible　to　penetrate。　Now；　whether　this　same　Thule　was　one　of　the　Shetland　Islands；　and　the　impassable　substance　merely　a　fog；or　Iceland；　and　the　barricade　beyond；　a　wall　of　ice；　it　is　impossible　to　say。　Probably　Pythias　did　not　get　beyond　the　Shetlands。＇　This　gentleman　not　having　a　compass；　（he　lived　about　A。D。　864；）　nor　knowing　exactly　where　the　land　lay；　took　on　board　with　him；　at　starting；　three　consecrated　ravensas　an　M。P。　would　take　three　well…trained　pointers　to　his　moor。　Having　sailed　a　certain　distance；　he　let　loose　one；　which　flew　back：　by　this　he　judged　he　had　not　got　half…way。　Proceeding　onwards；　he　loosed　the　second；　which；　after　circling　in　the　air　for　some　minutes　in　apparent　uncertainty；　also　made　off　home；　as　though　it　still　remained　a　nice　point　which　were　the　shorter　course　toward　terra　firma。　But　the　third；　on　obtaining　his　liberty　a　few　days　later；　flew　forward；　and　by　following　the　direction　in　which　he　had　disappeared；　Rabna　Floki；　or　Floki　of　the　Ravens；　as　he　came　to　be　called；　triumphantly　made　the　land。

The　real　colonists　did　not　arrive　till　some　years　later；　for　I　do　not　much　believe　a　story　they　tell　of　Christian　relics；　supposed　to　have　been　left　by　Irish　fishermen；　found　on　the　Westmann　islands。　A　Scandinavian　king；　named　Harold　Haarfager　（a　contemporary　of　our　own　King　Alfred's）；　having　murdered；　burnt；　and　otherwise　exterminated　all　his　brother　kings　who　at　that　time　grew　as　thick　as　blackberries　in　Norway；　first　consolidated　their　dominions　into　one　realm；　as　Edgar　did　the　Heptarchy；　and　then　proceeded　to　invade　the　Udal　rights　of　the　landholders。　Some　of　them；　animated　with　that　love　of　liberty　innate　in　the　race　of　the　noble　Northmen；　rather　than　submit　to　his　oppressions；　determined　to　look　for　a　new　home　amid　the　desolate　regions　of　the　icy　sea。　Freighting　a　dragon…shaped　galleythe　〃Mayflower〃　of　the　periodwith　their　wives　and　children；　and　all　the　household　monuments　that　were　dear　to　them；　they　saw　the　blue　peaks　of　their　dear　Norway　hills　sink　down　into　the　sea　behind；　and　manfully　set　their　faces　towards　the　west；　wheresome　vague　report　had　whispereda　new　land　might　be　found。　Arrived　in　sight　of　Iceland；　the　leader　of　the　expedition　threw　the　sacred　pillars　belonging　to　his　former　dwelling　into　the　water；　in　order　that　the　gods　might　determine　the　site　of　his　new　home：　carried　by　the　tide；　no　one　could　say　in　what　direction；　they　were　at　last　discovered；　at　the　end　of　three　years；　in　a　sheltered　bay　on　the　west　side　of　the　island；　and　Ingolf　＇Footnote：　It　was　in　consequence　of　a　domestic　feud　that　Ingolf　himself　was　forced　to　emigrate。＇　came　and　abode　there；　and　the　place　became　in　the　course　of　years　Reykjavik；　the　capital　of　the　country。

Sigurdr　having　scouted　the　idea　of　acting　Iphigenia；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　steadily　to　beat　over　the　remaining　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　which　still　separated　us　from　Cape　Reikianess。　After　going　for　two　days　hard　at　it；　and　sighting　the　Westmann　islands；　we　ran　plump　into　a　fog；　and　lay　to。　In　a　few　hours；　however；　it　cleared　up　into　a　lovely　sunny　day；　with　a　warm　summer　breeze　just　rippling　up　the　water。　　Before　us　lay　the　long　wished…for　Cape；　with　the　Meal…sack；a　queer　stump　of　basalt；　that　flops　up　out　of　the　sea；　fifteen　miles　south…west　of　Cape　Reikianess；　its　flat　top　white　with　guano；　like　the　mouth　of　a　bag　of　flour；five　miles　on　our　port　bow；　and　seldom　have　I　remembered　a　pleasanter　four…and…twenty　hours　than　those　spent　stealing　up　along　the　gnarled　and　crumpled　lava　flat　that　forms　the　western　coast　of　Guldbrand　Syssel。　Such　fishing；　shooting；　looking　through　telescopes；　and　talking　of　what　was　to　be　done　on　our　arrival！　Like　Antaeus；　Sigurdr　seemed　twice　the　man　he　was　before；　at　sight　of　his　native　land；　and　the　Doctor　grew　nearly　lunatic　when　after　stalking　a　solent　goose　asleep　on　the　water；　the　bird　flew　away　at　the　moment　the　schooner　hove　within　shot。

The　panorama　of　the　bay　of　Faxa　Fiord　is　magnificent；　with　a　width　of　fifty　miles　from　horn　to　horn；　the　one　running　down　into　a　rocky　ridge　of　pumice；　the　other　towering　to　the　height　of　five　thousand　feet　in　a　pyramid　of　eternal　snow；　while　round　the　intervening　semicircle　crowd　the　peaks　of　a　hundred　noble　mountains。　As　you　approach　the　shore；　you　are　very　much　reminded　of　the　west　coast　of　Scotland；　except　that　everything　is　more　INTENSEthe　atmosphere　clearer；　the　light　more　vivid；　the　air　more　bracing；　the　hills　steeper；　loftier；　more　tormented；　as　the　French　say；　and　more　gaunt；　while　between　their　base　and　the　sea　stretches　a　dirty　greenish　slope；　patched　with　houses　which　themselves；　both　roof　and　walls；　are　of　a　mouldy　green；　as　if　some　long…since　inhabited　country　had　been　fished　up　out　of　the　bottom　of　the　sea。

The　effects　of　light　and　shadow　are　the　purest　I　ever　saw；　the　contrasts　of　colour　most　astonishing；one　square　front　of　a　mountain　jutting　out　in　a　blaze　of　gold　against　the　flank　of　another；　dyed　of　the　darkest　purple；　while　up　against　the　azure　sky　beyond；　rise　peaks　of　glittering　snow　and　ice。　The　snow；　however；　beyond　serving　as　an　ornamental　fringe　to　the　distance；　plays　but　a　very　poor　part　at　this　season　of　the　year　in　Iceland。　While　I　write；　the　thermometer　is　above　70。　Last　night　we　remained　playing　at　chess　on　deck　till　bedtime；　without　thinking　of　calling　for　coats；　and　my　people　live　in　their　shirt…sleeves；　andastonishment　at　the　climate。

And　now；　good…bye。　I　cannot　tell　you　how　I　am　enjoying　myself；　body　and　soul。　Already　I　feel　much　stronger；　and　before　I　return　I　trust　to　have　laid　in　a　stock　of　health　sufficient　to　last　the　family　for　several　generations。

Remember　me　to　；　and　tell　her　she　looks　too　lovely；　her　face　has　become　of　a　beautiful　bright　greena　complexion　which　her　golden　crown　sets　off　to　the　greatest　advantage。　I　wish　she　could　have　seen；　as　we　sped　across；　how　passionately　the　waves　of　the　Atlantic　flung　their　liquid　arms　about　her　neck；　and　how　proudly　she　broke　through　their　embraces；　leaving　them　far　behind；　moaning　and　lamenting。


LETTER　VI。

REYKJAVIKLATIN　CONVERSATIONI　BECOME　THE　PROPRIETOR　OF　TWENTY…SIX　HORSESEIDER　DUCKSBESSESTADSNORKO　STURLESONTHE　OLD　GREENLAND　COLONYFINLANDA　GENOESE　SKIPPER　IN　THE　FIFTEENTH　CENTURYAN　ICELANDIC　DINNER　SKOALAN　AFTER…DINNER　SPEACH　IN　LATINWINGED　RABBITS　DUCROWSTART　OF　THE　BAGGAGE…TRAIN。

Reykjavik；　June　28；　1856。

Notwithstanding　that　its　site；　as　I　mentioned　in　my　last　letter；　was　determined　by　auspices　not　less　divine　than　those　of　Rome　or　Athens；　Reykjavik　is　not　so　fine　a　city　as　either；　though　its　public　buildings　may　be　thought　to