letters from high latitudes-第5部分

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　or　Athens；　Reykjavik　is　not　so　fine　a　city　as　either；　though　its　public　buildings　may　be　thought　to　be　in　better　repair。　In　fact；　the　town　consists　of　a　collection　of　wooden　sheds；　one　story　highrising　here　and　there　into　a　gable　end　of　greater　pretentionsbuilt　along　the　lava　beach；　and　flanked　at　either　end　by　a　suburb　of　turf　huts。

On　every　side　of　it　extends　a　desolate　plain　of　lava　that　once　must　have　boiled　up　red…hot　from　some　distant　gateway　of　hell；　and　fallen　hissing　into　the　sea。　No　tree　or　bush　relieves　the　dreariness　of　the　landscape；　and　the　mountains　are　too　distant　to　serve　as　a　background　to　the　buildings；　but　before　the　door　of　each　merchant's　house　facing　the　sea；　there　flies　a　gay　little　pennon；　and　as　you　walk　along　the　silent　streets；　whose　dust　no　carriage…wheel　has　ever　desecrated；　the　rows　of　flower…pots　that　peep　out　of　the　windows；　between　curtains　of　white　muslin；　at　once　convince　you　that　notwithstanding　their　unpretending　appearance；　within　each　dwelling　reign　the　elegance　and　comfort　of　a　woman…tended　home。

Thanks　to　Sigurdr's　popularity　among　his　countrymen；　by　the　second　day　after　our　arrival　we　found　ourselves　no　longer　in　a　strange　land。　With　a　frank　energetic　cordiality　that　quite　took　one　by　surprise；　the　gentlemen　of　the　place　at　once　welcomed　us　to　their　firesides；　and　made　us　feel　that　we　could　give　them　no　greater　pleasure　than　by　claiming　their　hospitality。　As；　however；　it　is　necessary；　if　we　are　to　reach　Jan　Mayen　and　Spitzbergen　this　summer；　that　our　stay　in　Iceland　should　not　be　prolonged　above　a　certain　date；　I　determined　at　once　to　make　preparations　for　our　expedition　to　the　Geysirs　and　the　interior　of　the　country。　Our　plan　at　present；　after　visiting　the　hot　springs；　is　to　return　to　Reykjavik；　and　stretch　right　across　the　middle　of　the　island　to　the　north　coastscarcely　ever　visited　by　strangers。　　Thence　we　shall　sail　straight　away　to　Jan　Mayen。

In　pursuance　of　this　arrangement；　the　first　thing　to　do　was　to　buy　some　horses。　Away；　accordingly；　we　went　in　the　gig　to　the　little　pier　leading　up　to　the　merchant's　house　who　had　kindly　promised　Sigurdr　to　provide　them。　Everything　in　the　country　that　is　not　made　of　wood　is　made　of　lava。　　The　pier　was　constructed　out　of　huge　boulders　of　lava；　the　shingle　is　lava；　the　sea…sand　is　pounded　lava；　the　mud　on　the　roads　is　lava　paste；　the　foundations　of　the　houses　are　lava　blocks；　and　in　dry　weather　you　are　blinded　with　lava　dust。　Immediately　upon　landing　I　was　presented　to　a　fine；　burly　gentleman；　who；　I　was　informed；　could　let　me　have　a　steppe…ful　of　horses　if　I　desired；　and　a　few　minutes　afterwards　I　picked　myself　up　in　the　middle　of　a　Latin　oration　on　the　subject　of　the　weather。　Having　suddenly　lost　my　nominative　case；　I　concluded　abruptly　with　the　figure　syncope；　and　a　bow；　to　which　my　interlocutor　politely　replied　〃Ita。〃　Many　of　the　inhabitants　speak　English；　and　one　or　two　French；　but　in　default　of　either　of　these；　your　only　chance　is　Latin。　At　first　I　found　great　difficulty　in　brushing　up　anything　sufficiently　conversational；　more　especially　as　it　was　necessary　to　broaden　out　the　vowels　in　the　high　Roman　fashion；　but　a　little　practice　soon　made　me　more　fluent；　and　I　got　at　last　to　brandish　my　〃Pergratum　est；〃　etc。　in　the　face　of　a　new　acquaintance；　without　any　misgivings。　On　this　occasion　I　thought　it　more　prudent　to　let　Sigurdr　make　the　necessary　arrangements　for　our　journey；　and　in　a　few　minutes　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　learning　that　I　had　become　the　proprietor　of　twenty…six　horses；　as　many　bridles　and　pack…saddles；　and　three　guides。

There　being　no　roads　in　Iceland；　all　the　traffic　of　the　country　is　conducted　by　means　of　horses；　along　the　bridle…　tracks　which　centuries　of　travel　have　worn　in　the　lava　plains。　　As　but　little　hay　is　to　be　had；　the　winter　is　a　season　of　fasting　for　all　cattle；　and　it　is　not　until　spring　is　well　advanced；　and　the　horses　have　had　time　to　grow　a　little　fat　on　the　young　grass；　that　you　can　go　a　journey。　I　was　a　good　deal　taken　aback　when　the　number　of　my　stud　was　announced　to　me；　but　it　appears　that　what　with　the　photographic　apparatus；　which　I　am　anxious　to　take；　and　our　tent；　it　would　be　impossible　to　do　with　fewer　animals。　The　price　of　each　pony　is　very　moderate；　and　I　am　told　I　shall　have　no　difficulty　in　disposing　of　all　of　them；　at　the　conclusion　of　our　expedition。

These　preliminaries　happily　concluded；　Mr。　J　invited　us　into　his　house；　where　his　wife　and　daughtera　sunshiny　young　lady　of　eighteenwere　waiting　to　receive　us。　As　Latin　here　was　quite　useless；　we　had　to　entrust　Sigurdr　with　all　the　pretty　things　we　desired　to　convey　to　our　entertainers；　but　it　is　my　firm　opinion　that　that　gentleman　took　a　dirty　advantage　of　us；　and　intercepting　the　choicest　flowers　of　our　eloquence；　appropriated　them　to　the　advancement　of　his　own　interests。　However；　such　expressions　of　respectful　admiration　as　he　suffered　to　reach　their　destination　were　received　very　graciously；　and　rewarded　with　a　shower　of　smiles。

The　next　few　days　were　spent　in　making　short　expeditions　in　the　neighbourhood；　in　preparing　our　baggage…train；　and　in　paying　visits。　It　would　be　too　long　for　me　to　enumerate　all　the　marks　of　kindness　and　hospitality　I　received　during　this　short　period。　Suffice　it　to　say；　that　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　making　many　very　interesting　acquaintances；　of　beholding　a　great　number　of　very　pretty　faces；　and　of　partaking　of　an　innumerable　quantity　of　luncheons。　In　fact；　to　break　bread；　or；　more　correctly　speaking；　to　crack　a　bottle　with　the　master　of　the　house；　is　as　essential　an　element　of　a　morning　call　as　the　making　a　bow　or　shaking　hands；　and　to　refuse　to　take　off　your　glass　would　be　as　great　an　incivility　as　to　decline　taking　off　your　hat。　From　earliest　times；　as　the　grand　old　ballad　of　the　King　of　Thule　tells　us；　a　beaker　was　considered　the　fittest　token　a　lady　could　present　to　her　true…love

　　Dem　fterbend　feine　Buble　　　Einen　goldnen　Becher　gab。

And　in　one　of　the　most　ancient　Eddaic　songs　it　is　written；　〃Drink；　Runes；　must　thou　know；　if　thou　wilt　maintain　thy　power　over　the　maiden　thou　lovest。　Thou　shalt　score　them　on　the　drinking…horn；　on　the　back　of　thy　hand；　and　the　word　NAUD〃　（NEEDnecessity）　〃on　thy　nail。〃　Moreover；　when　it　is　remembered　that　the　ladies　of　the　house　themselves　minister　on　these　occasions；　it　will　be　easily　understood　that　all　flinching　is　out　of　the　question。　What　is　a　man　to　do；　when　a　wicked　little　golden…haired　maiden　insists　on　pouring　him　out　a　bumper；　and　dumb　show　is　his　only　means　of　remonstrance？　Why；　of　course；　if　death　were　in　the　cup；　he　must　make　her　a　leg；　and　drain　it　to　the　bottom；　as　I　did。　　In　conclusion；　I　am　bound　to　add　that；　notwithstanding　the　bacchanalian　character　prevailing　in　these　visits；　I　derived　from　them　much　interesting　and　useful　information；　and　I　have　invariably　found　the　gentlemen　to　whom　I　have　been　presented　persons　of　education　and　refinement；　combined　with　a　happy；　healthy；　jovial　temperament；　that　invests　their　conversation　with　a　peculiar　charm。

At　this　moment　people　are　in　a　great　state　of　excitement　at　the　expected　arrival　of　H。I。H。　Prince　Napoleon；　and　two　days　ago　a　large　full…rigged　ship　came　in　laden　with　coal　for　his　use。　The　day　after　we　left　Stornaway；　we　had　seen　her　scudding　away　before　the　gale　on　a　due　west　course；　and　guessed　she　was　bound　for　Iceland；　and　running　down　the　longitude；　but　as　we　arrived　here　four　days　before　her；　our　course　seems　to　have　been　a　better　one。　The　only　other　ship　here　is　the　French　frigate　〃Artemise；〃　Commodore　Dumas；　by　whom　I　have　been　treated　with　the　greatest　kindness　and　civility。

On　Saturday　we　went　to　Vedey；　a　beautiful　little　green　island　where　the　eider　ducks　breed；　and　build　nests　with　the　soft　under…down　plucked　from　their　own　bosoms。　After　the　little　ones　are　hatched；　and　their　birthplaces　deserted；　the　nests　are　gathered；　cleaned；　and　stuffed　into　pillow…cases；　for　pretty　ladies　in　Europe　to　lay　their　soft；　warm　cheeks　upon；　and　sleep　the　sleep　of　the　innocent；　while　long…legged；　broad…shouldered　Englishmen　protrude　from　between　them　at　German　inns；　like　the　ham　from　a　sandwich；　and　cannot　sleep；　however　innocent。

The　next　day；　being　Sunday；　I　read　prayers　on　board；　and　then　went　for　a　short　time　to　the　cathedral　church；　the　only　stone　building　in　Reykjavik。　It　is　a　moderate…sized；　unpretending　place；　capable　of　holding　three　or　four　hundred　persons；　erected　in　very　ancient　times；　but　lately　restored。　The　Icelanders　are　of　the　Lutheran　religion；　and　a　Lutheran　clergyman；　in　a　black　gown；　etc。；　with　a　ruff　round　his　neck；　such　as　our　bishops　are　painted　in　about　the　time　of　James　the　First；　was　preaching　a　sermon。　It　was　the　first　time　I　had　heard　Icelandic　spoken　continuously；　and　it　struck　me　as　a　singularly　sweet　caressing　language；　although　I　disliked　the　particular　cadence；　amounting　almost　to　a　chant；　with　which　each　sentence　ended。

As　in　every　church　where　prayers　have　been　offered　up　since　the　world　began；　the　majority　of　the　congregation　were　women；　some　few　dressed　in　bonnets；　and　the　rest　in　the　national　black　silk　skull…cap；　set　jauntily　on　one　side　of　the　head；　with　a　long　black　tassel　hanging　down　to　the　shoulder；　or　else　in　a　quaint　mitre　of　white　linen；　of　which　a　d