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Updated: June 14, 2025
The poor fellow came running toward me in great consternation. "Are you hurt, sir? I hope you're not hurt!" he cried, in accents of great concern. "Hurt!" I answered. "Didn't you see me rolling over on the ground laughing at it? Why, Zoega, I never saw any thing so absurd as that in my life; any decent Geyser would have given at least an hour's notice.
In every way Zoega was kind and obliging, and, being well known every where, was highly appreciated as a man possessed of a remarkable fund of information. At parting they generally stopped to kiss hands and take a pinch of snuff. The first time I witnessed the favorite ceremony of snuff-taking I was at a loss to understand what it meant.
The excitement once over, he of course began to consider the consequences, and I must say he looked as mean as it was possible for an intelligent dog to look. Zoega took him by the nape of the neck with a relentless hand, and heaving a profound sigh, addressed a pathetic remonstrance to him in the Icelandic language, giving it weight and emphasis by a sharp cut of his whip after every sentence.
I really felt a contempt for that little streak of smoke. Perhaps something in the expression of my eye may have betrayed my thoughts, for Zoega, as if he felt a natural pride in the wonders of Iceland and wished them to be properly appreciated, hastily added, "But you must not judge of the Geysers by what you now see, sir! That is only the little Geyser. He don't blow up much.
A singular fact connected with the bog-formation is that it is often found in dry places on the slopes of mountains, for example, in certain localities where the water never settles and where the ground is perpetually dry. I was greatly puzzled by this, and was scarcely satisfied by the explanation given by Zoega, my guide, who said it was caused by the action of the frost.
"I'll promise you that, Zoega," I answered, looking gloomily toward the dry land, toward which my horse was now headed, plunging frantically in a labyrinth of tufts, his head just above the ground. "Sir, it's very dangerous!" shouted Zoega. "Any sharks in it?" I asked. "No, sir; but I don't see your horse!" "Neither do I, Zoega. Just sing out when he blows!"
About midway between Thingvalla and the Geysers we descended into a beautiful little valley, covered with a fine growth of grass, where we stopped to change horses and refresh ourselves with a lunch. While Zoega busied himself arranging the packs and saddles, our indefatigable little dog Brusa availed himself of the opportunity to give chase to a flock of sheep.
With dreadful deliberation Zoega draws forth his whip, which has been carefully hidden in the folds of his coat all this time, and, holding the victim of his displeasure in mid-air, thus, as I take it, apostrophizes him in his native language: "O Brusa! have I not fed thee and cherished thee with parental care? This is thy return for all my kindness!
The whole concern did not weigh twenty pounds, and only covered an area of ground about four feet by six. Zoega then took the horses to a pasture up the valley. I amused myself making a few sketches of the surrounding objects, and thinking how strange it was to be here all alone at the Geysers of Iceland. How many of my friends knew where I was? Not one, perhaps.
Two vessels were taking in cargoes of them during our stay at Reykjavik. I was saved the trouble of bargaining for my animals by Geir Zoega, who agreed to furnish me with the necessary number at five Danish dollars apiece the round trip; that is, about two dollars and a half American, which was not at all unreasonable.
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