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Updated: June 14, 2025
It emits hot vapors, and a slight smell of sulphur; otherwise it maintains rather a peaceful aspect, considering the infernal temper it gets into when disturbed. Zoega and I worked hard cutting and carrying the sods for nearly half an hour, by which time we had a large pile on the edge of the orifice. Zoega said there was enough. I insisted on getting more.
Each one of them looked at me through a stack of mane containing hair enough to have stuffed half a dozen chairs; and as for their tails, they hung about the poor creatures like huge bunches of wool. Some of them were piebald and had white eyes others had no eyes at all. Seeing me look at them rather apprehensively, Zoega remarked, "Oh, sir, you needn't be afraid. They are perfectly gentle!"
Zoega kindly explained that, when the man's nose was full he would naturally open his mouth, and as the snuff was very fine and strong it would eventually cause him to sneeze. In this way it was quite practicable to blow out the load. "But don't they ever hang fire and burst their heads?" I asked, with some concern.
"Well, Zoega, to tell you the truth, ours don't get quite so sick as this, owing, no doubt, to the superior salubrity of our climate. You might throw sods into them all day, and they wouldn't make such a fuss about it as the Strokhr makes about a mere handful. Their digestion, you see, is a great deal stronger."
A little boy from the neighboring sheep-ranch brought us down some milk and cream, and I thought if we only had a cup of tea on to warm us up after the chilly wind our supper would be luxurious. "Just in time, sir," said Zoega; "I'll make the tea in a minute." "Where's your fire." "Oh, we don't need fire here the hot water is always ready. There's the big boiler up yonder!"
Zoega, however, was too warmly interested in my behalf to take it in this way. As soon as he missed me he turned about, and, perceiving my critical position, shouted at the top of his voice, "Sir, you can't go that way!" "No," said I, in rather a desponding tone, "I see I can't." "Don't try it, sir!" cried Zoega; "you'll certainly sink if you do!"
Though it occurred to me that I had seen the retreating figure of a man as we rode up, I was at a loss to understand why nobody appeared to ask us in or bid us welcome, and suggested to Zoega that I thought this rather an unfriendly reception. Now, upon this point of Icelandic hospitality Zoega was peculiarly sensitive.
"Let us give him a dose that he won't forget." "Oh, sir, nobody ever puts more than that in; it is quite enough." "No; I mean to make him deadly sick. Come on, Zoega." And at it we went again, cutting the sod, and carrying it over and piling it up in a great heap by the hole. When we had about a ton all ready, I said to Zoega, "Now, Zoega, fire away, and I'll stand here and see how it works."
Two or three times he repeated this strange proceeding, snorting all the time as if in the agonies of suffocation. The gravity of his countenance was extraordinary. I could not believe my eyes. "What an absurd way of committing suicide!" I remarked to Zoega. "Oh, sir, he is only taking snuff!" was the reply. "But if he stops up both nostrils, how is he going to breathe?" was my natural inquiry.
He was particularly severe upon the cowardly ewes and lambs, actually driving them frantic with terror; but the old rams that stood to make fight he always passed with quiet disdain. It was in vain Zoega would hold up, and utter the most fearful cries and threats of punishment: "Hur-r-r-r! Brusa! B-r-r-r-usa!! you B-r-r-usa!!!" Never a bit could Brusa be stopped once he got fairly under way.
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