On the second of the month, at two in the morning, our precious cargo4 of luggage was taken on board the good ship Valkyrie. We followed, and were very politely introduced by the captain to a small cabin with two standing5 bed places, neither very well ventilated nor very comfortable. But in the cause of science men are expected to suffer.
"Well, and have we a fair wind?" cried my uncle, in his most mellifluous7 accents.
"An excellent wind!" replied Captain Bjarne; "we shall leave the Sound, going free with all sails set."
A few minutes afterwards, the schooner8 started before the wind, under all the canvas she could carry, and entered the channel. An hour later, the capital of Denmark seemed to sink into the waves, and we were at no great distance from the coast of Elsinore. My uncle was delighted; for myself, moody9 and dissatisfied, I appeared almost to expect a glimpse of the ghost of Hamlet.
"Sublime10 madman," thought I, "you doubtless would approve our proceedings11. You might perhaps even follow us to the centre of the earth, there to resolve your eternal doubts."
But no ghost or anything else appeared upon the ancient walls. The fact is, the castle is much later than the time of the heroic prince of Denmark. It is now the residence of the keeper of the Strait of the Sound, and through that Sound more than fifteen thousand vessels13 of all nations pass every year.
The castle of Kronborg soon disappeared in the murky14 atmosphere, as well as the tower of Helsinborg, which raises its head on the Swedish Bank. And here the schooner began to feel in earnest the breezes of the Kattegat. The Valkyrie was swift enough, but with all sailing boats there is the same uncertainty15. Her cargo was coal, furniture, pottery16, woolen17 clothing, and a load of corn. As usual, the crew was small, five Danes doing the whole of the work.
"How long will the voyage last?" asked my uncle.
"Well, I should think about ten days," replied the skipper, "unless, indeed, we meet with some northeast gales18 among the Faroe Islands."
"At all events, there will be no very considerable delay," cried the impatient Professor.
"No, Mr. Hardwigg," said the captain, "no fear of that. At all events, we shall get there some day."
Towards evening the schooner doubled Cape19 Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, crossed the Skagerrak during the night—skirted the extreme point of Norway through the gut20 of Cape Lindesnes, and then reached the Northern Seas. Two days later we were not far from the coast of Scotland, somewhere near what Danish sailors call Peterhead, and then the Valkyrie stretched out direct for the Faroe Islands, between Orkney and Shetland. Our vessel12 now felt the full force of the ocean waves, and the wind shifting, we with great difficulty made the Faroe Isles21. On the eighth day, the captain made out Myganness, the westernmost of the isles, and from that moment headed direct for Portland, a cape on the southern shores of the singular island for which we were bound.
The voyage offered no incident worthy of record. I bore it very well, but my uncle to his great annoyance22, and even shame, was remarkably23 seasick24! This mal de mer troubled him the more that it prevented him from questioning Captain Bjarne as to the subject of Sneffels, as to the means of communication, and the facilities of transport. All these explanations he had to adjourn25 to the period of his arrival. His time, meanwhile, was spent lying in bed groaning26, and dwelling27 anxiously on the hoped—for termination of the voyage. I didn't pity him.
On the eleventh day we sighted Cape Portland, over which towered Mount Myrdals Yokul, which, the weather being clear, we made out very readily. The cape itself is nothing but a huge mount of granite28 standing naked and alone to meet the Atlantic waves. The Valkyrie kept off the coast, steering29 to the westward30. On all sides were to be seen whole "schools" of whales and sharks. After some hours we came in sight of a solitary31 rock in the ocean, forming a mighty32 vault33, through which the foaming34 waves poured with intense fury. The islets of Westman appeared to leap from the ocean, being so low in the water as scarcely to be seen until you were right upon them. From that moment the schooner was steered35 to the westward in order to round Cape Reykjanes, the western point of Iceland.
My uncle, to his great disgust, was unable even to crawl on deck, so heavy a sea was on, and thus lost the first view of the Land of Promise. Forty-eight hours later, after a storm which drove us far to sea under bare poles, we came once more in sight of land, and were boarded by a pilot, who, after three hours of dangerous navigation, brought the schooner safely to an anchor in the bay of Faxa before Reykjavik.
My uncle came out of his cabin pale, haggard, thin, but full of enthusiasm, his eyes dilated36 with pleasure and satisfaction. Nearly the whole population of the town was on foot to see us land. The fact was, that scarcely any one of them but expected some goods by the periodical vessel.
Professor Hardwigg was in haste to leave his prison, or rather as he called it, his hospital; but before he attempted to do so, he caught hold of my hand, led me to the quarterdeck of the schooner, took my arm with his left hand, and pointed37 inland with his right, over the northern part of the bay, to where rose a high two-peaked mountain—a double cone38 covered with eternal snow.
Then without further remark, he put his finger to his lips, frowned darkly, and descended40 into the small boat which awaited us. I followed, and in a few minutes we stood upon the soil of mysterious Iceland!
Scarcely were we fairly on shore when there appeared before us a man of excellent appearance, wearing the costume of a military officer. He was, however, but a civil servant, a magistrate42, the governor of the island—Baron Trampe. The Professor knew whom he had to deal with. He therefore handed him the letters from Copenhagen, and a brief conversation in Danish followed, to which I of course was a stranger, and for a very good reason, for I did not know the language in which they conversed43. I afterwards heard, however, that Baron Trampe placed himself entirely44 at the beck and call of Professor Hardwigg.
My uncle was most graciously received by M. Finsen, the mayor, who as far as costume went, was quite as military as the governor, but also from character and occupation quite as pacific. As for his coadjutor, M. Pictursson, he was absent on an episcopal visit to the northern portion of the diocese. We were therefore compelled to defer45 the pleasure of being presented to him. His absence was, however, more than compensated46 by the presence of M. Fridriksson, professor of natural science in the college of Reykjavik, a man of invaluable47 ability. This modest scholar spoke48 no languages save Icelandic and Latin. When, therefore, he addressed himself to me in the language of Horace, we at once came to understand one another. He was, in fact, the only person that I did thoroughly49 understand during the whole period of my residence in this benighted50 island.
Out of three rooms of which his house was composed, two were placed at our service, and in a few hours we were installed with all our baggage, the amount of which rather astonished the simple inhabitants of Reykjavik.
"Now, Harry," said my uncle, rubbing his hands, "an goes well, the worse difficulty is now over."
"Doubtless. Here we are in Iceland. Nothing more remains52 but to descend41 into the bowels53 of the earth."
"Well, sir, to a certain extent you are right. We have only to go down—but, as far as I am concerned, that is not the question. I want to know how we are to get up again."
"That is the least part of the business, and does not in any way trouble me. In the meantime, there is not an hour to lose. I am about to visit the public library. Very likely I may find there some manuscripts from the hand of Saknussemm. I shall be glad to consult them."
"In the meanwhile," I replied, "I will take a walk through the town. Will you not likewise do so?"
"I feel no interest in the subject," said my uncle. "What for me is curious in this island, is not what is above the surface, but what is below."
I bowed by way of reply, put on my hat and furred cloak, and went out.
It was not an easy matter to lose oneself in the two streets of Reykjavik; I had therefore no need to ask my way. The town lies on a flat and marshy54 plain, between two hills. A vast field of lava55 skirts it on one side, falling away in terraces towards the sea. On the other hand is the large bay of Faxa, bordered on the north by the enormous glacier56 of Sneffels, and in which bay the Valkyrie was then the only vessel at anchor. Generally there were one or two English or French gunboats, to watch and protect the fisheries in the offing. They were now, however, absent on duty.
The longest of the streets of Reykjavik runs parallel to the shore. In this street the merchants and traders live in wooden huts made with beams of wood, painted red—mere57 log huts, such as you find in the wilds of America. The other street, situated58 more to the west, runs toward a little lake between the residences of the bishop and the other personages not engaged in commerce.
I had soon seen all I wanted of these weary and dismal59 thoroughfares. Here and there was a strip of discolored turf, like an old worn-out bit of woolen carpet; and now and then a bit of kitchen garden, in which grew potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce60, almost diminutive61 enough to suggest the idea of Lilliput.
In the centre of the new commercial street, I found the public cemetery62, enclosed by an earthen wall. Though not very large, it appeared not likely to be filled for centuries. From hence I went to the house of the Governor—a mere hut in comparison with the Mansion63 House of Hamburg—but a palace alongside the other Icelandic houses. Between the little lake and the town was the church, built in simple Protestant style, and composed of calcined stones, thrown up by volcanic64 action. I have not the slightest doubt that in high winds its red tiles were blown out, to the great annoyance of the pastor65 and congregation. Upon an eminence66 close at hand was the national school, in which were taught Hebrew, English, French, and Danish.
In three hours my tour was complete. The general impression upon my mind was sadness. No trees, no vegetation, so to speak—on all sides volcanic peaks—the huts of turf and earth—more like roofs than houses. Thanks to the heat of these residences, grass grows on the roof, which grass is carefully cut for hay. I saw but few inhabitants during my excursion, but I met a crowd on the beach, drying, salting and loading codfish, the principal article of exportation. The men appeared robust67 but heavy; fair-haired like Germans, but of pensive68 mien—exiles of a higher scale in the ladder of humanity than the Eskimos, but, I thought, much more unhappy, since with superior perceptions they are compelled to live within the limits of the Polar Circle.
Sometimes they gave vent6 to a convulsive laugh, but by no chance did they smile. Their costume consists of a coarse capote of black wool, known in Scandinavian countries as the "vadmel," a broad-brimmed hat, trousers of red serge, and a piece of leather tied with strings69 for a shoe—a coarse kind of moccasin. The women, though sad-looking and mournful, had rather agreeable features, without much expression. They wear a bodice and petticoat of somber70 vadmel. When unmarried they wear a little brown knitted cap over a crown of plaited hair; but when married, they cover their heads with a colored handkerchief, over which they tie a white scarf.
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1
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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mellifluous
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| adj.（音乐等）柔美流畅的 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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14
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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pottery
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| n.陶器，陶器场 | |
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woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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seasick
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| adj.晕船的 | |
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adjourn
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| v.（使）休会，（使）休庭 | |
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groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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42
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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46
compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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47
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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48
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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49
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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benighted
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| adj.蒙昧的 | |
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51
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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52
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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53
bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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54
marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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55
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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glacier
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| n.冰川，冰河 | |
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57
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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58
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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60
lettuce
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| n.莴苣；生菜 | |
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diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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64
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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69
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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