level of the sea. * As it was the object of my companions, in pursuing this route, to visit the remarkable hot springs of Hveravellir, which, according to the maps, lay only a little to the right, I resolved to proceed with them in that direction. Deceived partly by the maps, and partly by what we conceived to be columns of steam, we struck off from the road, and entered a region that had in all probability never been trod before by the foot of man. We had not advanced far, when we almost began to repent of our having taken this route, as nothing appeared, as far as the eye could reach, but a desert of sand and stones, or Alpine mountains of ever-during snow. We literally entered "a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought, and of the shadow of death; a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt,” Jer. ii. 6.

Our men, who had all along been averse to the expedition, now began to be loud in their complaints, and depicted to us, in very pathetic language, the inevitable starvation of our horses, and the risk we should run of losing our lives by the hands of robbers, with whom they apprehended some part of this remote desert might be infested, Foreigners in general ridicule the idea of there being any people of this description in the interior, and my own favourable ideas of the character of the Icelanders prevented me from entertaining any fears on the subject; but the Chief-Justice has since told me, he certainly would not have ventured to travel through many parts that I did without pistols; and the merchants have sometimes traded with people, who, both from their appearance, and the nature of their traffic, excited strong suspicions of their being inhabitants of the de

sert.

About seven o'clock in the evening, we descried some beautiful green plains at the base of the ice mountains. However, the discovery created as much alarm in the minds of our servants as it afforded joy to us; for they were now sure that we would fall in with robbers, and it was not long ere they pointed out to us a number of horses feeding close to Mr Paulsen's MS. ut sup. § 17.

the Yökul, which at first rather shook our confidence, and inclined us to listen with some degree of attention to the proposed method of defence; but a single glance through a spy-glass converted the horses into large stones, that had been thrown down from some neighbouring volcano; and we hastened forward to the plains, to which we gave the name of Yökuls-vellir, and encamped in front of a small eminence, richly covered with willows, angelica, and a great variety of other botanical productions, on which our horses feasted with great avidity.

The following morning we renewed our lonesome journey, and proceeded in nearly an easterly direction towards the northern termination of the Yökul: but, after ascending a very hilly tract, and just as we approached the base of the ice, we were forced, by some deep, but dry, channels, to strike off to the left, when we almost instantly found ourselves surrounded by a number of small hills, the conical form of which bespoke their volcanic origin, though they appeared to be much older than a stream of lava which runs down from the Yökul on the right, but soon stops, presenting, at its termination, a nearly perpendicular wall of more than forty feet in height. We had scarcely begun to make our observations on the geologic phenomena around us, when, to our no small concern, we got enveloped in mist, which closed thicker and thicker on every side, till at last we could scarcely see the last horse in our train. We now depended on the compass, but, on taking it out of our luggage-chest, we were astonished to find it refuse to lend us any assistance. It kept shaking and dipping towards the face, and appeared to be more strongly attracted downwards than to any of the points; so great must have been the predominance of irony matter among volcanic substances in the vicinity. We had no alternative left, but to follow, as well as we could, the direction we had originally pursued, and passed over immense masses of ice, in which we discovered numerous chasms of invisible depth.

the

After winding round the base of several hills that were partially covered with snow, and traversing wide gulleys whose surface was covered with comminuted lava, we fell in with a

very ancient and extensive torrent of lava, that appeared to have its origin in some part of the northern extremity of the Yökul. Proceeding up a gulley between the lava, and a snow-mountain to our right, we entertained some hopes of extricating ourselves by this route; but being suddenly favoured with a temporary dispersion of the mist, we had the mortification to find that all further progress was obstructed by an immense Alpine barrier which presented itself directly before us. Retracing our steps, we at last resolved to cross the lava, which we found in a state of great decomposition, and, after scrambling over it for some hours, without any further prospect of success, it appeared most advisable to follow its course, as by this means we might be conducted again into the low country. During our progress we observed several curious volcanic chimnies, but the critical nature of our situation had damped all desire of examining them. Following the rapid descent of the lava, we had the inexpressible satisfaction, about seven o'clock in the evening, of seeing the mist disperse, and an almost unbounded view presented itself across the desert plains in the interior. We now made all haste to leave these inhospitable mountain regions; and, about ten o'clock, we encamped on the banks of a small river, the name of which (Thegiandisâ, the Quiet River,) called to my recollection the words of the Psalmist: “ He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." Psalm xxiii. 2.

On the 24th we proceeded along the base of the low mountains on the east side of Bald Yökul, and arrived about noon at Hveravellir, or " the Plains of the Hot Springs," one of the most interesting spots in Iceland. They are situated at the northern termination of the extensive tract of lava called the Kial-hraun, about half way between the snow-mountains, and the two insulated mountains of Dufufell and Grufufell. On approaching the place, it was not without sensations of awe that we beheld the columns of smoke that were issuing from almost innumerable apertures in the surface of the ground, and heard the thundering noise attending its escape. Pitching our tents in a small but fertile gulley close to the

principal springs, we devoted the remainder of the day to the contemplation of the remarkable phenomena around us.

The tract, which slopes rapidly towards the east, has been originally a morass, but by the incessant accumulation of depositions from the springs, its surface has gradually been petrified; yet it is still in many places so soft that it requires great caution to avoid plunging into a mire of boiling clay. The space occupied by the depositions measures about 300 feet from east to west, and 344 from north to south. Within this surface are eight primary apertures, filled with boiling water, the four easterly of which do not eject their contents, but remain in a state of constant and violent ebullition. The largest of them exhibits a beautiful oval bason, which opens into several holes at the bottom, and presents to the view some brilliant but inaccessible incrustations.

The more remarkable springs are situate a little farther towards the west, and are from twelve to eighteen feet distant from each other. The largest consists of an irregular aperture, full of beautiful light blue water, which now and then breaks forth in partial jets. A few feet further north lies a small jetter, by which the water is thrown up to the height of about three feet; and at the distance of twelve feet due south-east from this fountain, is situate a fine circular bason, the borders of which exhibit the most beautiful yellow sulphureous depositions. It narrows gradually into a small pipe in the centre, whence jets issue at irregular intervals to the height of six or eight feet. Within the circumference of the bason is a subordinate aperture, but we did not observe it emit either water or steam. The principal spring is the most easterly of the four, and consists of a bason about three feet in depth, perfectly circular, and terminating in a cylindrical pipe through which the water is erupted, with a thundering noise, and accompanied with an immense quantity of steam, to varied heights, of from six to eighteen feet. The incrustations of this fountain are peculiarly beautiful, exhibiting on their surface the most delicate efflorescence, and they appear to be of a siliceous nature. The site of the springs itself is covered with a whitish shining substance,