  | PREFACE, | XIII | | CHAPTER I. | | | The Voyage—Stop a day at Elsinore—Elsinore Castle, Hamlet, and Shakspeare—“Independence Day” at Sea—Fourth of July Oration—Whales and Sharks—Passengers, Live Stock, Books, and Amusements—The Meal Sack—Sea-Birds—The Gannet, or Solan Goose—Land at Reykjavik, | Page 17–32 | | | CHAPTER II. | | | Iceland, its Discovery and Settlement—Discovery and Settlement of Greenland and North America by the Icelanders—Ericsson—Trading and Skirmishing between the Icelanders and the North American Indians—Voyage of Columbus to Iceland—Icelandic Congress, or Althing—Thingvalla, the Capital—Administration of the Laws, | 33–47 | | | CHAPTER III. | | | Geographical Features of Iceland—Productions and Minerals—Character and Literary Taste of the People—Wild and Domestic Animals—Exports and Imports—Chief Towns—Habits of the Icelanders of Olden Time—Beards, | 48–60 | | | CHAPTER IV. | | | Town of Reykjavik—Houses, Gardens, and Productions—A Ride in the Country—Visit Hafnarfiorth—Preparations for a Journey in the Interior—A Party of Travelers—Face of the Country—Salmon-Fishing—A Tumble—Breakfast on the Hill-side—Stop at a Hotel!—Splendid Scenery—Extraordinary Purity of the Atmosphere—AlmannagjÁ, or Chasm in the Rock—Arrive at Thingvalla—Trout-Fishing on a large scale—Encamp for the Night, | 61–75 | | | CHAPTER V. | | | Dining Out—Many Tongues, but no Confusion—A Merry Dinner-Party—Angling—Thingvalla, and place of Meeting of the Ancient Althing—Daring Act of a Criminal—“If you Hang a Rogue, you must Catch him First”—Old Customs—Introduction of Christianity, and Fall of Idolatry—A Lacteal Disquisition—Company Separate, | 76–84 | | | CHAPTER VI. | | | Etymology of Icelandic Words—Similarity of the Icelandic and English—The Iceland Numerals—Counting—Geographical Terms, | 85–88 | | | CHAPTER VII. | | | Journeying to the Eastward—A Forest—Blacksmithing—Game-Birds—The Ptarmigan—Iceland Ladies Riding Horseback—Thingvalla Lake—Rough Traveling—First View of Mount Hekla—Broad Valleys and Large Rivers—A Cave, and Such a Cave!—Singular Cataract—Frail Bridge—Arrive at the Geysers, | 89–99 | | | CHAPTER VIII. | | | The Great Geyser—Its Size and Appearance—Numerous Hot Springs in the Vicinity—Springs of Boiling Mud—Beautiful Colored Clays—A Seething Cauldron—The Little Geyser—Wait for an Eruption of the Great Geyser—Singular Warnings, or Signal Guns—An Eruption—The Strokr, another Geyser—Forced Eruption of the Strokr—Surtshellir, or the Devil’s Cave—A Warm Bath—How to Cook a Dinner without Fire—Beautiful Birds—Termination of the “Show,” | 100–113 | | | CHAPTER IX. | | | Journey towards Mount Hekla—Iceland Rivers—Haying—An Iceland Meadow—How the Horses Live—Beautiful Birds—The Pochard—Playing Mazeppa—Swimming a River Horseback—A Hospitable Icelander—Herre Johann Briem—Slanders and Falsehoods of Madame Pfeiffer, | 114–123 | | | CHAPTER X. | | | Productions of Iceland—White Clover—A Singular Ferry—Horses Swimming—Sleeping Under the Bed—Sleeping in a Church—An Iceland Salute—Iceland Horses—An Icelander with a Brick in his Hat—Boyish Sports—Rolling Stones down Hill—Guess I rolled a Big One down—Guess it knocked the Stone Wall over—“Guess” a certain Yankee had to pay for it, too, | 124–131 | | | CHAPTER XI. | | | Ascent of Mount Hekla—Preparations and “Victualing” for the Trip—Mountain Gorges—Hard Climbing for Ponies—Obliged to Dismount, and leave our Horses—Streams of Lava—Smoke and Fire—Variegated Appearance and Color of the Lava—Almost an Accident—Up, up the Mountain—Hard Climbing—A Lonely Flower on Mount Hekla—Beautiful Weather—Snow—Craters of the Late Eruption—Fire and Brimstone—Awful Scene, and Dangerous Traveling—Arrive on the Summit—An Elevated Dinner—Boundless View from the Top—Descent into the Large Crater—Ancient Snow-Banks—Descent of the Mountain, | 132–146 | | | CHAPTER XII. | | | Volcanoes in Iceland—A Submarine Eruption—Awful Eruption of Skaptar Jokull in 1783—Terrible Destruction of Life and Property—Details of the Eruption—A River of Fire—“Fiske Vatn”—A Mountain Giant Drinking up a
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