ften　must　be　the　case；　for　many　hours　after　your　own　arrival；　wet；　tired；　hungry；　until　the　baggage…train；　with　the　tents　and　food；　shall　have　come　up；　with　no　alternative　in　the　meantime　but　to　lie　shivering　inside　a　grass…roofed　church；　or　to　share　the　quarters　of　some　farmer's　family；　whose　domestic　arrangements　resemble　in　every　particular　those　which　Macaulay　describes　as　prevailing　among　the　Scottish　Highlanders　a　hundred　years　ago；　and；　if　finallyafter　vainly　waiting　for　some　days　to　see　an　eruption　which　never　takes　placeyou　journey　back　to　Reykjavik　under　the　same　melancholy　conditions；it　will　not　be　unnatural　that；　on　returning　to　your　native　land；　you　should　proclaim　Iceland；　with　her　Geysirs；　to　be　a　sham；　a　delusion；　and　a　snare！
  Fortune；　however；　seemed　determined　that　of　these　bitternesses　we　should　not　taste；　for　the　next　morning；　bright　and　joyous　overhead　bent　the　blue　unclouded　heaven；　while　the　plain　lay　gleaming　at　our　feet　in　all　the　brilliancy　of　enamel。　　I　was　sorely　tempted　to　linger　another　day　in　the　neighbourhood；　but　we　have　already　spent　more　time　upon　the　Geysirs　than　I　had　counted　upon；　and　it　will　not　do　to　remain　in　Iceland　longer　than　the　15th；　or　Winter　will　have　begun　to　barricade　the　passes　into　his　Arctic　dominions。　My　plan；　on　returning　to　Reykjavik；　is　to　send　the　schooner　round　to　wait　for　us　in　a　harbour　on　the　north　coast　of　the　island；　while　we　ourselves　strike　straight　across　the　interior　on　horseback。
  The　scenery；　I　am　told；　is　magnificent。　On　the　way　we　shall　pass　many　a　little　nook；　shut　up　among　the　hills；　that　has　been　consecrated　by　some　touching　old…world　story；　and　the　manner　of　life　among　the　northern　inhabitants　is；　I　believe；　more　unchanged　and　characteristic　than　that　of　any　other　of　the　islanders。　Moreover；　scarcely　any　stranger　has　ever　penetrated　to　any　distance　in　this　direction；　and　we　shall　have　an　opportunity　of　traversing　a　slice　of　that　tremendous　desertpiled　up　for　thirty　thousand　square　miles　in　disordered　pyramids　of　ice　and　lava　over　the　centre　of　the　country；　and　periodically　devastated　by　deluges　of　molten　stone　and　boiling　mud；　or　overwhelmed　with　whirlwinds　of　intermingled　snow　and　cinders；an　unfinished　corner　of　the　universe；　where　the　elements　of　chaos　are　still　allowed　to　rage　with　unbridled　fury。
  Our　last　stage　from　Thingvalla　back　to　Reykjavik　was　got　over　very　quickly；　and　seemed　an　infinitely　shorter　distance　than　when　we　first　performed　it。　We　met　a　number　of　farmers　returning　to　their　homes　from　a　kind　of　fair　that　is　annually　held　in　the　little　metropolis；　and　as　I　watched　the　long　caravan…like　line　of　pack…horses　and　horsemen；　wearily　plodding　over　the　stony　waste　in　single　file；　I　found　it　less　difficult　to　believe　that　these　remote　islanders　should　be　descended　from　Oriental　forefathers。　In　fact；　one　is　constantly　reminded　of　the　East　in　Iceland。　From　the　earliest　ages　the　Icelanders　have　been　a　people　dwelling　in　tents。　　In　the　time　of　the　ancient　Parliament；　the　legislators；　during　the　entire　session；　lay　encamped　in　movable　booths　around　the　place　of　meeting。　Their　domestic　polity　is　naturally　patriarchal；　and　the　flight　of　their　ancestors　from　Norway　was　a　protest　against　the　antagonistic　principle　of　feudalism。　No　Arab　could　be　prouder　of　his　courser　than　they　are　of　their　little　ponies；　or　reverence　more　deeply　the　sacred　rights　of　hospitality；　while　the　solemn　salutation　exchanged　between　two　companies　of　travellers；　passing　each　other　in　the　DESERTas　they　invariably　call　the　uninhabited　part　of　the　countrywould　not　have　misbecome　the　stately　courtesy　of　the　most　ancient　worshippers　of　the　sun。
  Anything　more　multifarious　than　the　landing　of　these　caravans　we　met　returning　to　the　inland　districtscannot　well　be　conceived；　deal　boards；　rope；　kegs　of　brandy；　sacks　of　rye　or　wheaten　flour；　salt；　soap；　sugar；　snuff；　tobacco；　coffee；　everything；　in　fact；　which　was　necessary　to　their　domestic　consumption　during　the　ensuing　winter。　In　exchange　for　these　commodities；　which　of　course　they　are　obliged　to　get　from　Europe；　the　Icelanders　export　raw　wool；　knitted　stockings；　mittens；　cured　cod；　and　fish　oil；　whale　blubber；　fox　skins；　eider…down；　feathers；　and　Icelandic　moss。　　During　the　last　few　years　the　exports　of　the　island　have　amounted　to　about　1；200；000　lbs。　of　wool　and　500；000　pairs　of　stockings　and　mittens。　Although　Iceland　is　one…fifth　larger　than　Ireland；　its　population　consists　of　only　about　60；000　persons；　scattered　along　the　habitable　ring　which　runs　round　between　the　central　desert　and　the　sea；　of　the　whole　area　of　38；000　square　miles　it　is　calculated　that　not　more　than　one…eighth　part　is　occupied；　the　remaining　33；000　square　miles　consisting　of　naked　mountains　of　ice；　or　valleys　desolated　by　lava　or　volcanic　ashes。　Even　Reykjavik　itself　cannot　boast　of　more　than　700　or　800　inhabitants。
  During　winter　time　the　men　are　chiefly　employed　in　tending　cattle；　picking　wool；　manufacturing　ropes；　bridles；　saddles；　and　building　boats。　The　fishing　season　commences　in　spring；　in　1853　there　were　as　many　as　3；500　boats　engaged　upon　the　water。　As　summer　advancesturf…cutting　and　hay…making　begins；　while　the　autumn　months　are　principally　devoted　to　the　repairing　of　their　houses；　manuring　the　grass　lands；　and　killing　and　curing　of　sheep　for　exportation；　as　well　as　for　their　own　use　during　the　winter。　The　woman…kind　of　a　family　occupy　themselves　throughout　the　year　in　washing；　carding；　and　spinning　wool；　in　knitting　gloves　and　stockings；　and　in　weaving　frieze　and　flannel　for　their　own　wear。
  The　ordinary　food　of　a　well…to…do　Icelandic　family　consists　of　dried　fish；　butter；　sour　whey　kept　till　fermentation　takes　place；　curds；　and　skiera　very　peculiar　cheese　unlike　any　I　ever　tasted；a　little　mutton；　and　rye　bread。　As　might　be　expected；　this　meagre　fare　is　not　very　conducive　to　health；　scurvy；　leprosy；　elephantiasis；　and　all　cutaneous　disorders；　are　very　common；　while　the　practice　of　mothers　to　leave　off　nursing　their　children　at　the　end　of　three　days；　feeding　them　with　cows'　milk　instead；　results　in　a　frightful　mortality　among　the　babies。
  Land　is　held　either　in　fee…simple；　or　let　by　the　Crown　to　tenants　on　what　may　almost　be　considered　perpetual　leases。　　The　rent　is　calculated　partly　on　the　number　of　acres　occupied；　partly　on　the　head　of　cattle　the　farm　is　fit　to　support；　and　is　paid　in　kind；　either　in　fish　or　farm　produce。　Tenants　in　easy　circumstances　generally　employ　two　or　three　labourers；　whoin　addition　to　their　board　and　lodgingreceive　from　ten　to　twelve　dollars　a　year　of　wages。　No　property　can　be　entailed；　and　if　any　one　dies　intestate；　what　he　leaves　is　distributed　among　his　childrenin　equal　shares　to　the　sons；　in　half　shares　to　the　daughters。
  The　public　revenue　arising　from　Crown　lands；　commercial　charges；　and　a　small　tax　on　the　transference　of　property；　amounts　to　about　3；000　pounds；　the　expenditure　for　education；　officers'　salaries　（the　Governor　has　about　400　pounds　a　year）；　ecclesiastical　establishments；　etc。；　exceeds　6；000　pounds　a　year；　so　that　the　island　is　certainly　not　a　self…supporting　institution。
  The　clergy　are　paid　by　tithes；　their　stipends　are　exceedingly　small；　generally　not　averaging　more　than　six　or　seven　pounds　sterling　per　annum；　their　chief　dependence　being　upon　their　farms。　Like　St。　Dunstan；　they　are　invariably　excellent　blacksmiths。
  As　we　approached　Reykjavik；　for　the　first　time　during　the　whole　journey　we　began　to　have　some　little　trouble　with　the　relay　of　ponies　in　front。　Whether　it　was　that　they　were　tired；　or　that　they　had　arrived　in　a　district　where　they　had　been　accustomed　to　roam　at　large；　I　cannot　tell；　but　every　ten　minutes；　during　the　last　six　or　seven　miles；　one　or　other　of　them　kept　starting　aside　into　the　rocky　plain；　across　which　the　narrow　bridle…road　was　carried；　and　cost　us　many　a　weary　chase　before　we　could　drive　them　into　the　track　again。　　At　last；　though　not　till　I　had　been　violently　hugged；　kissed；　and　nearly　pulled　off　my　horse　by　an　enthusiastic　and　rather　tipsy　farmer；　who　mistook　me　for　the　Prince；　we　galloped；　about　five　o'clock；　triumphantly　into　the　town；　without　an　accident　having　occurred　to　man　or　horse　during　the　whole　course　of　the　expeditionalways　excepting　one　tremendous　fall　sustained　by　Wilson。　It　was　on　the　evening　of　the　day　we　left　the　Geysirs。　We　were　all　galloping　in　single　file　down　the　lava　pathway；　when　suddenly　I　heard　a　cry　behind　me；　and　then　the　noise　as　of　a　descending　avalanche。　On　turning　round；　behold！　both　Wilson　and　his　pony　lay　stretched　upon　the　ground；　the　first　some　yards　in　advance　of　the　other。　The　poor　fellow　evidently　thought　he　was　killed；　for　he　neither　spoke　nor　stirred；　but　lay　looking　up　at　me；　with　blank；　beady　eyes　as　I　approached　to　his　assistance。　On　further　investigation；　neither　of　the　sufferers　proved　to　be　a　bit　the　worse。
  The　cook；　and　the　rest　of　the　party；　did　not　arrive　till　about　midnight；　but　I　make　no　doubt　that　when　that　able　and　spirited　individual　did　at　length　reascend　the　side　of　the　schooner；　his　cheek　must　have　burned　with　pride　at　the　reflection；　that　during　the　short　period　of　his　absence　on　shore　he　had　added　to　his　other　accomplishments　that　of　becoming　a　most　finished　cavalier。　I　do　not　mean　by　that　to　imply　that　h