letters from high latitudes-第21节

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At　3　o'clock　A。M。　I　returned　on　board　the　schooner；　and　we　are　all　now　very　busy　in　making　final　preparations　for　departure。　Fitz　is　rearranging　his　apothecary's　shop。　Sigurdr　is　writing　letters。　The　last　strains　of　music　have　ceased　on　board　the　〃Artemise〃；　the　sun　is　already　high　in　the　heavens；　the　flower　beds　are　returning　on　shore；a　little　draggled　perhaps；　as　if　just　pelted　by　a　thunder…storm；　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　has　got　her　steam　up　and　the　real；　serious　part　of　our　voyage　is　about　to　begin。

I　feel　that　my　description　has　not　half　done　justice　to　the　wonders　of　this　interesting　island；　but　I　can　refer　you　to　your　friend　Sir　Henry　Holland　for　further　details；　he　paid　a　visit　to　Iceland　in　1810；　with　Sir　G。　Mackenzie；　and　made　himself　thoroughly　acquainted　with　its　historical　and　scientific　associations。

CONCLUDING　ACT。

SCENE。　R。　Y。　S：　〃Foam〃：　astern　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃

DRAMATIS　PERSONAE。

VOICE　OF　FRENCH　CAPTAIN；　COMMANDING　〃R。H。〃　LORD　D。　DOCTOR。　WILSON。

VOICE　OF　THE　FRENCH　CAPTAIN。〃Nous　partons。〃

LORD　D。〃All　ready；　Sir！〃

WILSON　TO　DOCTOR　（sotto　voce）。〃Sir！〃

DOCTOR。〃Eh？〃

WILSON。〃Do　you　know；　Sir？〃

DOCTOR。〃What？〃

WILSON。〃Oh；　nothing；　Sir；only　we're　going　to　the　hicy　regions；　Sir；　ain't　we？　Well；　I've　just　seen　that　ere　brig　as　is　come　from　there；　Sir；　and　they　say　there's　a　precious　lot　of　ice　this　year！　（Pause。）　Do　you　know；　Sir；　the　skipper　showed　me　the　bows　of　his　vessel；　Sir？　She's　got　seven　feet　of　solid　timber　in　her　for'ard：　WE'VE　only　two　inches；　Sir！〃

（DIVES　BELOW。）

VOICE　OF　FRENCH　CAPTAIN　（WITH　A　SLIGHT　ACCENT）。〃Are　you　ready？〃

Lord　D。…〃Ay；　ay；　Sir！　Up　anchor！〃


LETTER　VIII。

START　FROM　REYKJAVIKSNAEFELLTHE　LADY　OF　FRODA…A　BERSERK　TRAGEDYTHE　CHAMPION　OF　BREIDAVIKONUNDER　FIORDTHE　LAST　NIGHTCROSSING　THE　ARCTIC　CIRCLEFETE　ON　BOARD　THE　〃REINE　HORTENSE〃LE　PERE　ARCTIQUE…WE　FALL　IN　WITH　THE　ICETHE　〃SAXON〃　DISAPPEARSMISTA　PARTING　IN　A　LONELY　SPOTJAN　MAYENMOUNT　BEERENBERGAN　UNPLEASANT　POSITIONSHIFT　OF　WIND　AND　EXTRICATION〃TO　NORROWAY　OVER　THE　FAEM〃A　NASTY　COASTHAMMERFEST。

Hammerfest；　July。

Back　in　Europe　again；within　reach　of　posts！　The　glad　sun　shining；　the　soft　winds　blowing；　and　roses　on　the　cabin　table；as　if　the　region　of　fog　and　ice　we　have　just　fled　forth　from　were　indeed　the　dream…land　these　summer　sights　would　make　it　seem。　I　cannot　tell　you　how　gay　and　joyous　it　all　appears　to　us；　fresh　from　a　climate　that　would　not　have　been　unworthy　of　Dante's　Inferno。　And　yethad　it　been　twice　as　bad；　what　we　have　seen　would　have　more　than　repaid　us；　though　it　has　been　no　child's　play　to　get　to　see　it。

But　I　must　begin　where　I　left　off　in　my　last　letter；just；　I　think；　as　we　were　getting　under　way；　to　be　towed　by　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　out　of　Reykjavik　Harbour。　Having　been　up　all　night；as　soon　as　we　were　well　clear　of　the　land；　and　that　it　was　evident　the　towing　business　was　doing　wellI　turned　in　for　a　few　hours。　When　I　came　on　deck　again　we　had　crossed　the　Faxe　Fiord　on　our　way　north；　and　were　sweeping　round　the　base　of　Snaefellan　extinct　volcano　which　rises　from　the　sea　in　an　icy　cone　to　the　height　of　5；000　feet；　and　grimly　looks　across　to　Greenland。　The　day　was　beautiful；　the　mountain's　summit　beamed　down　upon　us　in　unclouded　splendour；　and　everything　seemed　to　promise　an　uninterrupted　view　of　the　west　coast　of　Iceland；　along　whose　rugged　cliffs　few　mariners　have　ever　sailed。　Indeed；　until　within　these　last　few　years；　the　passage；　I　believe；　was　altogether　impracticable；　in　consequence　of　the　continuous　fields　of　ice　which　used　to　drift　down　the　narrow　channel　between　the　frozen　continent　and　the　northern　extremity　of　the　island。　Lately；　some　great　change　seems　to　have　taken　place　in　the　lie　of　the　Greenland　ice；　and　during　the　summer…time　you　can　pass　through；　though　late　in　the　year　a　solid　belt　binds　the　two　shores　together。

But　in　a　historical　and　scientific　point　of　view；　the　whole　country　lying　about　the　basanite　roots　of　Snaefell　is　most　interesting。　At　the　feet　of　its　southern　slopes　are　to　be　seen　wonderful　ranges　of　columnar　basalt；　prismatic　caverns；　ancient　craters；　and　specimens　of　almost　every　formation　that　can　result　from　the　agency　of　subterranean　fires；　while　each　glen；　and　bay；　and　headland；　in　the　neighbourhood；　teems　with　traditionary　lore。　On　the　north…western　side　of　the　mountain　stretches　the　famous　Eyrbiggja　district；　the　most　classic　ground　in　Iceland；　with　the　towns；　or　rather　farmsteads；　of　Froda；　Helgafell；　and　Biarnarhaf。

This　last　place　was　the　scene　of　one　of　the　most　curious　and　characteristic　Sagas　to　be　found　in　the　whole　catalogue　of　Icelandic　chronicles。

In　the　days　when　the　same　Jarl　Hakon　I　have　already　mentioned　lorded　it　over　Norway；　an　Icelander　of　the　name　of　Vermund；　who　had　come　to　pay　his　court　to　the　lord　of　Lade；　took　a　violent　wish　to　engage　in　his　own　service　a　couple　of　gigantic　Berserks；　＇Footnote：　Berserk；　i。e。；　bare　sark。　The　berserks　seem　to　have　been　a　description　of　athletes；　who　were　in　the　habit　of　stimulating　their　nervous　energies　by　the　use　of　some　intoxicating　drug；　which　rendered　them　capable　of　feats　of　extraordinary　strength　and　daring。　The　Berserker　gang　must　have　been　something　very　like　the　Malay　custom　of　running　a　muck。　Their　moments　of　excitement　were　followed　by　periods　of　great　exhaustion。＇　named　Halli　and　Leikner；　whom　the　Jarl　had　retained　about　his　person；fancying　that　two　champions　of　such　great　strength　and　prowess　would　much　acid　to　his　consequence　on　returning　home。　In　vain。　　the　Jarl　warned　him　that　personages　of　that　description　were　wont　to　give　trouble　and　become　unruly；nothing　would　serve　but　he　must　needs　carry　them　away　with　him；　nay；　if　they　would　but　come；　they　might　ask　as　wages　any　boon　which　might　be　in　his　power　to　grant。　The　bargain　accordingly　was　made；　but；　on　arriving　in　Iceland；　the　first　thing　Halli　took　it　into　his　head　to　require　was　a　wife；　who　should　be　rich；　nobly　born；　and　beautiful。　As　such　a　request　was　difficult　to　comply　with；　Vermund；　who　was　noted　for　being　a　man　of　gentle　disposition；　determined　to　turn　his　troublesome　retainers　over　to　his　brother；　Arngrim　Styr；　i。e。；　the　Stirring　or　Tumultuous　One；as　being　a　likelier　man　than　himself　to　know　how　to　keep　them　in　order。

Arngrim　happened　to　have　a　beautiful　daughter；　named　Asdisa；　with　whom　the　inflammable　Berserk　of　course　fell　in　love。　Not　daring　openly　to　refuse　him；　Arngrim　told　his　would…be　son…in…law；　that　before　complying　with　his　suit；　he　must　consult　his　friends；　and　posted　off　to　Helgafell；　where　dwelt　the　Pagan　Pontiff　Snorre。　The　result　of　this　conference　was　an　agreement　on　the　part'　of　Styr　to　give　his　daughter　to　the　Berserk；　provided　he　and　his　brother　would　CUT　a　road　through　the　lava　rocks　of　Biarnarhaf。　Halli　and　Leikner　immediately　set　about　executing　this　prodigious　task；　while　the　scornful　Asdisa；　arrayed　in　her　most　splendid　attire；　came　sweeping　past　in　silence；　as　if　to　mock　their　toil。　　The　poetical　reproaches　addressed　to　the　young　lady　on　this　occasion　by　her　sturdy　admirer　and　his　mate　are　still　extant。　　In　the　meantime；　the　other　servants　of　the　crafty　Arngrim　had　constructed　a　subterranean　bath；　so　contrived　that　at　a　moment's　notice　it　could　be　flooded　with　boiling　water。　　Their　task　at　last　concluded；　the　two　Berserks　returned　home　to　claim　their　reward；　but　Arngrim　Styr；　as　if　in　the　exuberance　of　his　affection；　proposed　that　they　should　first　refresh　themselves　in　the　new　bath。　No　sooner　had　they　descended　into　it；　than　Arngrim　shut　down　the　trap…door；　and　having　ordered　a　newly…stripped　bullock's　hide　to　be　stretched　before　the　entrance；　gave　the　signal　for　the　boiling　water　to　be　turned　on。　Fearful　were　the　struggles　of　the　scalded　giants：　Halli；　indeed；　succeeded　in　bursting　up　the　door；　but　his　foot　slipped　on　the　bloody　bull's　hide；　and　Amgrim　stabbed　him　to　the　heart。　His　brother　was　then　easily　forced　back　into　the　seething　water。

The　effusion　composed　by　the　Tumultuous　One　on　the　occasion　of　this　exploit　is　also　extant；　and　does　not　yield　in　poetical　merit　to　those　which　I　have　already　mentioned　as　having　emanated　from　his　victims。

As　soon　as　the　Pontiff　Snorre　heard　of　the　result　of　Arngrim　Styr's　stratagem；　he　came　over　and　married　the　Lady　Asdisa。　Traces　of　the　road　made　by　the　unhappy　champions　can　yet　be　detected　at　Biarnarhaf；　and　tradition　still　identifies　the　grave　of　the　Berserks。

Connected　with　this　same　Pontiff　Snorre　is　another　of　those　mysterious　notices　of　a　great　land　in　the　western　ocean　which　we　find　in　the　ancient　chronicles；　so　interwoven　with　narrative　we　know　to　be　true；　as　to　make　it　impossible　not　to　attach　a　certain　amount　of　credit　to　them。　This　particular　story　is　the　more　interesting　as　its　denouement；　abruptly　left　in　the　blankest　mystery　by　one　Saga；　is　incidentally　revealed　to　us　in　the　course　of　another；　relating　to　events　with　which　the　first　had　no　connection。　＇Footnote：　From　internal　evidence　it　is　certain　that　the　chronicle　which　contains　these　Sagas　must　have　been　written　about　the　beginning　of　the　thirteenth　century。＇

It　seems　that　Snorre　had　a　beautiful　sister；　named　Thured　of　Froda；　with　whom　a　certain　gallant　gentlemancalled　Bjorn；　the　son　of　Astrandfell　head　and　ears　in　love。　Unfortunately；　a　rich　rival　app