our Char, but, I think, quite distinct. Although I compared it accurately with the descriptions of the various species of Salmo in Shaw's Zoology, which I had with me, I could not find that it agreed with any of them. Only one was caught, which we cooked, and found very delicious *. At noon our friend was obliged to take leave of us, as he was under the necessity of setting off for Reikevig, where he was to preach a sermon before the bishop on the following (Monday) morning. He assured us, however, as there was every appearance of a continuance of the rain, which fell in torrents the whole day, and of our being consequently detained, that he would, if possible, be home the following day, that he might accompany us to Thingevalle, where his principal, as he called him, lived, and would receive us kindly. We hardly expected to see him return at the time ap

* The season of the year in which the Forelles abound in Lake Thingevalle was now approaching: about the 29th of July they are caught in the greatest plenty, and of a large size, some of them weighing from ten to fifteen pounds.

pointed; for, in addition to his own weight, his horse had to carry two large chests, containing tallow, wool, and worsted stock ings, which were to be bartered for iron and other articles of necessity, at Reikevig.

Monday, July 10.

A little better weather this morn ing induced us to put our luggage out of the tents to dry; but this was scarcely done when it began to rain, and continued to do so, without intermission, the whole day. We were not even able to light a fire, but were obliged to send our provisions to the priest's house, which was full a quarter of a mile off, to be cooked.

Tuesday,

After a night of wind and heavy July 11. rain, about ten o'clock the weather cleared up, and, with the exception of a few showers, was fine during the remainder of the day. A brighter atmosphere now permitted us to catch a glimpse of the neighboring scenery; and the first thing that drew our attention was the immense Lake of Thingevalle just before us, and seeming as if placed there by enchantment, as,

though almost at our feet, we had hitherto seen nothing of it, except the margin. It is reckoned fifteen miles long, and from five to twelve miles wide. Near the middle rise two fine black insulated rocks, of considerable size and height; the largest called Sandey, and the smaller one Nesey, upon both which, thousands of the Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus L. Svart Bakr Isl.) annually rear their young. North and south of this lake, were some grand rugged moun tains, but at a considerable distance from the place in which we were, and mostly covered with snow. Whilst we were looking at this magnificently wild scenery, the priest came down to us, having returned late the night before, after a journey of two days on horseback in incessant rain, during which time :he did not once change his clothes; not even when he had to preach before the bishop. We now proposed taking a walk by the side of the lake, and setting off on our journey early in the afternoon. The margin we found every where flat, and the water appeared extremely shallow for a considerable way into the lake, but it is by no means so

towards the middle, where, in some places, the natives cannot fathom the depth. The shores and the bottom, as far into the lake as we could see, were formed of small black fragments of rock, except that in a few places, at a little distance from the edge, there are some entire and romantic masses, on which I found several mosses that I had not before met with in Iceland: some of them, indeed, were quite new to me. A beautiful Lecidea, with a white and powdery crust, and red shields with an elevated margin, grew in small patches upon so hard a substance, that I was not able to procure the smallest piece. In the lake was abundance of Rivularia cylindrica. At four o'clock we set out, accompanied by the son of the priest of Thingevalle and by the priest Egclosen, for Thingevalle, which was only at the opposite side of the head of the lake, and not more than five or six miles distant; yet, owing to the badness of the road, and to our stopping to look about us, it was eight o'clock before we reached it. Nearly our whole ride lay along the shores of the lake, which are composed entirely of small broken pieces of lava,

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in many places nearly as fine as sand, and as fatiguing to the horses as sand itself would have been. Among this, wherever the numerous streamlets, which ran into the lake, had deposited a small quantity of soil, the bright yellow green of Bartramia fontana, and the pink-colored flowers of Sedum villosum, were finely contrasted with the blackness of the ground. In some places, at a short distance from the shore, such of the rock as had been melted was in an entire state, and marked on the surface all over with numerous elevated semicular lines, in a manner not unlike the shell of an oyster * if such a comparison may be allowed. We passed a tolerably wide stream, just below a cascade of considerable size, which reminded me of the upper fall of the Clyde; but there were no trees, and scarcely a blade of grass, to clothe the surrounding rocks. Having reached the north-eastern extremity of the lake, our guide told us we were

* As a figure will give a better idea of this appearance than words can possibly do, I will beg to refer, for an excellent representation of this kind of unbroken lava, to plate 35 of Bory de St. Vincent; Voyage dans les quatre principales Isles des mers d'Afrique.