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But M. Fridrikssen, professor of natural sciences at the school of Rejkiavik, was a delightful man, and his friendship became very precious to me. This modest philosopher spoke only Danish and Latin. He came to proffer me his good offices in the language of Horace, and I felt that we were made to understand each other. In fact he was the only person in Iceland with whom I could converse at all.

On Friday evening, the 10th of July, according to our calculations, we were thirty leagues south-east of Rejkiavik, and at a depth of two leagues and a half. At our feet there now opened a frightful abyss. My uncle, however, was not to be daunted, and he clapped his hands at the steepness of the descent.

My uncle's eyes and mine met. He hesitated. This direct question went to the root of the matter. But after a moment's reflection he decided on speaking. "Monsieur Fridrikssen, I wished to know if amongst your ancient books you possessed any of the works of Arne Saknussemm?" "Arne Saknussemm!" replied the Rejkiavik professor.

I had no idea of the spectacle which was awaiting us in the peninsula of Snæfell, where these ruins of a fiery nature have formed a frightful chaos. In two hours from Rejkiavik we arrived at the burgh of Gufunes, called Aolkirkja, or principal church. There was nothing remarkable here but a few houses, scarcely enough for a German hamlet. Hans stopped here half an hour.

"Especially," I replied, "if it happens that we have only crossed it in its narrowest part. And it is a curious circumstance," I added, "that if my computations are right, and we are nine hundred leagues from Rejkiavik, we have now the Mediterranean above our head." "That is a good long way, my friend.

Our faithful Hans, in spite of our entreaties, had left Hamburg; the man to whom we owed all our success and our lives too would not suffer us to reward him as we could have wished. He was seized with the mal de pays, a complaint for which we have not even a name in English. "Farval," said he one day; and with that simple word he left us and sailed for Rejkiavik, which he reached in safety.

Usually the English and French conservators of fisheries moor in this bay, but just then they were cruising about the western coasts of the island. The longest of the only two streets that Rejkiavik possesses was parallel with the beach.

But, tell me, how do you expect to get to the peninsula of Snæfell?" "By sea, crossing the bay. That's the most direct way." "No doubt; but it is impossible." "Why? "Because we don't possess a single boat at Rejkiavik." "You don't mean to say so?" "You will have to go by land, following the shore. It will be longer, but more interesting."

Six pairs of boots and shoes, made waterproof with a composition of indiarubber and naphtha, were packed amongst the tools. "Clothed, shod, and equipped like this," said my uncle, "there is no telling how far we may go." The 14th was wholly spent in arranging all our different articles. In the evening we dined with Baron Tramps; the mayor of Rejkiavik, and Dr.

Geographers have divided it into four quarters, and we were crossing diagonally the south-west quarter, called the 'Sudvester Fjordungr. On leaving Rejkiavik Hans took us by the seashore. We passed lean pastures which were trying very hard, but in vain, to look green; yellow came out best.