ord, is included. The south promontory, called the Guldbringé Syssel, is about 45 miles long, by 10 or 12 broad, and stretches a little to the south of west. The northern promontory, the Snaefell Syssel, or the district of Snowy Mountains, is some what longer, considerably broader, and nearly parallel to the former. The distance of these promontories, measured along the bottom of the gulph, is about 40 miles in a straight line. Our travellers went round the shores of these promontories, and also along those of the intervening country, besides traversing them in several directions, and extending their excursion also inland north-east to the Geyser, and east to Hecla and the Obsidian rock, distant about 90 geographical miles from Reikavic, the place where they landed, and the metropolis of Iceland, situated on a point of land on the north side of the Guldbringe Syssel.

This is the country examined; but it is not from the extent of the field, but from the minuteness, the accuracy, and the selection of the observations, that the merits of a traveller are to be estimated. In this respect, great praise, we think, is due to Sir George Mackenzie and his associates. The objects to which their attention has been directed, appear to have been well chosen; and no opportunity has been lost of acquiring information concerning either the past or the present state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, their arts, education, laws, &c.; or concerning the natural history of a country ren dered interesting by the very severity with which nature has treated it, and by the unparalleled extent to which volcanic fire has carried its operations. On the spirit, therefore, the activity, and the judgment with which these travels have been conducted, we mean to bestow our unqualified approbation, and to point them out as highly worthy of imitation. The account with which the public is here presented, is written with great plainness and simplicity. The narrative is clear and lively; and the pictures it draws, whether moral or physical, carry with them every appearance of accuracy and good faith. Ou some occasions, the detail perhaps is more minute than was quite necessary; and circumstances are now and then dwelt on, which, though they might affect the comfort of the travellers at the time, do not throw much light either upon the natural or moral history of the country. Yet, this does not frequently occur; and as it only makes the picture more complete, and serves as a security that nothing material is omitted, it is in reality better than the opposite extreme, where a narrative, meagre and bare of circumstances, always produces a suspicion that something, essential, and tend

ing to develop characters, moral or physical, has been omitted. We shall first present our readers with an account of what relates to the manners of the inhabitants; and next of what respects the natural history of the country.

On landing at Reikavic, they were received with kindness and hospitality; and as it was yet too early in the season (7th May) for setting out on any distant excursion, they remained there for some time, and had an opportunity of becoming well acquainted with the principal people, among whom they found several men of learning and information. They gave a ball to the ladies at Reikavic, of which the account is amusing, as it shows how differently the same object is pursued in different situations. At length, they became impatient to set out; and in this first tour they walked on foot, and only used horses for carrying their baggage. A young man who had been educated as a priest, and who spoke Latin tolerably well, was hired to attend them as their guide.

Early in the morning,' says Sir George, the preparation for our journey began; but the motions of the Icelanders were so slow, and there were so many discussions about distributing the loads on the horses, that it was past two in the afternoon before all was ready. The pack-saddles consist of square pieces of light spungy turf cut from the bogs. These are tied on with a rope; and a piece of wood, fitted to the horse's back with a peg projecting from each side, is fastened over the turf, and from these pegs the baggage is suspended. The Icelanders pretend to be very nice in balancing the loads; but I do not recollect to have ever travelled two miles without stopping ten times to rectify the baggage. When all the horses are loaded, they are fastened to each other, head to tail, and thus proceed in order. The horses are very hardy, and patient of fatigue, but easily startled. Every Icelander, of whatever rank, can shoe a horse; the shoes are plain, and the nails, which are very large, are driven firmly through the hoof, and carefully doubled over. In this simple state the shoes remain firm, till worn out or broken. Travellers always carry a supply of shoes and nails on long journeys When iron is scarce, the horns of sheep are made use of for horse shoes. The day we set out on was fine; but snow showers were falling on the mountains round us. We passed through a bare, dismal country, among low hills; till, not far from Havnefiord, we entered a rough path, where we saw the first marks of subterraneous fire. The melted masses of lava seemed to have been heaved up in every direction, and had assumed all sorts of fantastic forms ---on every side chasms and caverns presented themselves. When we least expected it, we descried the town of Havnefiord situated in the midst of the lava, and so placed, that the houses obtained complete shelter from Inesses of matter that had formerly carried destruction in thei Course.'

The

The following account seems well calculated to give an idea of an Icelandic landscape, and of the face of this very singular country.

Having passed a low ridge of hills, we descended into a valley filled with lava, which is connected with that about Havnefiord, and has evidently proceeded from the same source. Along the edge of this we travelled for about two miles, and then began to ascend a ridge covered with light slags. We observed that the lava had run down on the east side of the valley, and, in some places, it appeared as if it had ascended. The ascending of lava is a well known fact, though in examining a cold mass, this circumstance strikes an inexperienced observer as something wonderful. It is caused by the formation of a crust on the cooling of the surface; and a case or tube being thus produced, the lava rises in the same manner as water in a pipe. Beyond this spot we saw the most dreadful effects of subterraneous heat all around us; and, as far as the eye could reach over a wide extended plain, nothing appeared to relieve it from the black rugged lava, which had destroyed the whole of the district. The surface was swelled into knobs, from a few feet in diameter to forty or fifty, many of which had burst, and disclosed caverns lined with melted matter in the form of stalactites. Near this place we went to visit a cave which had been described to us. It was nothing more than an extensive hollow, formed by one of those blisters or bubbles in the lava, hundreds of which we had walked over. The bottom of

it was covered with ice, and numerous icicles hung from the roof. The distance to the farther end was 55 yards; the height not more than 7 or 8 feet. The inside was lined with melted matter disposed in many singular forms.

In our progress to-day, we passed by the source of the river Kaldaa, which is a large basin at the bottom of a hollow, into which numerous streams empty themselves. After running about two miles, this river entirely disappears, and is lost among the lava. We met with a number of little craters, in a stream of lava less rugged than the rest. In one of them, the melted matter had formed a sort of dome, about 25 feet in diameter, and open at one side. Within, it was lined with an assemblage of stalactites, hanging in groups, very curious and fantastic.

The houses of the Icelanders are all constructed nearly on the same plan. An outer wall of turf, about four feet and a half high, and six feet thick, encloses all the apartments. On the side facing the south are doors serving as entrances to the dwelling-house, smithy, dairy, &c. From the door of the house is a long narrow passage, into which, on each side, the different apartments open. Between each of these is a thick partition of turf; and every apartment has a separate roof, through which light is admitted by pieces of glass four or five inches square. The principal rooms of the better sort of houses have windows in front, consisting of several panes of glass. The turf walls, the earthen floors damp and filthy, make the smell insupportable.

insupportable. There is no mode of ventilating any part of the house. The cottages of the poorest people are so very wretched, that it is wonderful how any thing in the human form can breathe in them. '

We ought not to be astonished at this want of cleanliness. In such a climate as Iceland, warmth and shelter are the articles of first necessity, to the attainment of which every thing must be sacrificed; and more skill in architecture than falls to the share of a rude people, is required in such circumstances to reconcile airiness with warmth. In a country too, subject almost to perpetual tempests, this difficulty is greatly increased. The hovels in Iceland, we have no doubt, are very bad, but probably not worse, allowing for the greater scantiness of resources, and the greater severity of climate, than are to be met with in a country with which we presume that Sir George Mackenzie is well acquainted;-hovels, in the wretchedness and poverty of which, have been reared many of those brave and hardy men, to whom the military glory of Great Britain owes no small share of its support.

A visit to a clergyman, Mr Hialtalin, at Suarbar, presents a more pleasant picture than the preceding.

In the course of the evening,' says Sir George,' we had much conversation with our worthy host, who spoke Latin exceedingly well. We obtained some interesting information relative to his pa rish; and had much reason to admire his paternal care of the flock committed to his charge. In a population varying from 200 to 210 there are 15 married couples. The annual number of births is 7; of deaths 6 or 7; of marriages not quite so much as 1. The parish is 16 English miles in length, and 10 in breadth; so that the population does not exceed 14 to a square mile.

"We were gratified with the sight of Mr Hialtalin's parish-register, in which is an entry made annually of the state of each family in the parish. Under the head of each family were entered, in separate columns, the condition of each individual their age-whether confirmed or not-whether communicants or not-whether able to read-general conduct-abilities, &c.; also a list of the books belonging to each family.'

In every situation, but especially in such a one as Iceland, where the comforts of life are so few, a pastor like Mr Hialtalin must be of inestimable value. He must appear as a friend and a father; as an angel sent from heaven, to dispel, by the light of religion and truth, the evils by which his flock is so closely surrounded. He himself, in the midst of continual hardship and privation, enjoys the great advantage of occupying a place where no distinction is to be obtained but by the faithful discharge of his duty. If the ministers of religion shall ever be arranged according to their real usefulness and importance to the

world,

world, how many Bishops and Cardinals will doff their mitres and their hats before the priest of Suarbar!

The following will give a tolerably good notion of the manner of living of the people of the better sort. Sir George and his friends made a visit at the house of the Chief-justice Stephenson.

We were received very cordially, but with a considerable degree of form; and were ushered into the best room by Mr Stephenson, who met us at the door. Almost immediately after we had seated ourselves, the ladies of the family made their appearance; and we had coffee, wine, biscuit, and English cheese, set before us. This was merely a prelude to a more substantial dinner, or rather supper, which was brought in at eight o'clock. It consisted of boiled salmon, baked mutton, potatoes (from England), sago and cream, London porter, and excellent port wine. We had no doubt that the ladies, who had prepared and brought in the dishes, would partake of them; and on our declining to take our seats before they had placed themselves at table, we were surprised when told they had already dined. The females of the highest, as well as of the lowest rank, as in former times in our own country, seem to be regarded as mere servants. During the repast, our hostess stood at the door with her arms akimbo, looking at us; while her daughter, and another young woman, were actively employed in changing the plates, and running backwards and forwards for whatever was wanted. Occasionally her ladyship assisted in the rites of hospitality; and next day, when restraint was somewhat worn off, she and the young ladies chatted and joked with us, laughing heartily at our broken Icelandic, which was mixed with English and broken Danish, neither of which they understood."

The husbandry of Iceland consists entirely in the management of stock, as no corn is produced in the island. The crop of grass seems in many places to be considerable, though not nearly what, by proper attention, it might be rendered. They begin to cut their hay about the end of July; but Sir George observes, that he did not see any field in which plants either useless, or very little nutritious, were not equal in quantity to those of greater value. All are cut down together by means of a short narrow scythe, with which the Icelanders work expeditiously and neatly. The rest of the process is much the same as with us in Scotland. The hay is kept chiefly for the cows; but, in severe weather, a little is dealt out to the sheep and horses. When the whole is got in, a festival like our harvesthome takes place. Draining seems to be the species of improve ment most wanted.

The cattle, in point of size and appearance, are very like the largest of our Highland sorts, except that they have seldom horns. The sheep appear to be nearly the same with the old breed in the Highlands of Scotland, now nearly extinct. The horses