der to hear some of their number deliver a discourse on the duties, difficulties, encouragements, &c. of the pastoral office, it would naturally tend to stimulate them to exertion, keep alive in their minds a sense of the awful responsibility attaching to the charge they have undertaken, and produce the best effects on their respective congregations. It gave me pleasure to learn that the Dean was extremely favourable to the measure; and there is little reason to doubt, that, were the matter fairly represented to their superiors, they would obtain liberty to carry their wishes into effect.

At noon the following day I set out with Sira Vigfus for the nunnery of Reinastad, where he intended to preach the following day. The road lay for the most part across the two mountainous tracts of Laxárdals-heidi and Gaunguskard, to the south of Tindastol, a large mountain, the sides of which display numerous strata, piled one above another, in the most regular manner. Having reached the summit of the tract, we had a fine view of the extensive valley of Skagafiord, one of the most fertile and populous districts in Iceland. The valley is divided by the Heradsvötn, or the river described in the account of my former journey to the north, as the formidable Yökulsa, which takes its rise in the Arnarfell Yökul. Before reaching this part of the country it receives a number of tributary streams, which swell it to a prodigious size; and, before falling into the bay from which the valley derives its name, it divides into two branches, leaving a beautiful island, called Hegraness, in the middle. Numerous mountains of a grand and lofty appearance bound the valley on either side, but are intersected in various. places by subordinate vallics, which open into that of Skagafiord. The coast looks rugged and precipitous, and the bay itself presents to the view a number of lofty islands. The largest of these is Drângey, the sides of which are quite perpendicular, and rise to the height of nearly six hundred feet above the level of the water. Its extent is estimated at 2400 feet; and, on account of the richness of its grass, and the immense number of sea-fowl which are caught there an

nually, it is reckoned the most productive of any spot of the same size about the island.

On the 30th, which was the Lord's Day, Sira Vigfus preached and administered the sacrament, both at Reinastad, and the neighbouring church of Glaumbæ., The congregations were large, especially at the latter place, where the church was quite crowded. His sermons, which were animated and faithful, seemed to make a deep impression on the hearers, and a great majority of them were bathed in tears while he dwelt upon the love of God to our sinful world. The inhabitants of this tract manifested the strongest desire to obtain copies of the Holy Scriptures, of which the greatest want prevailed among them. In the whole parish of Glaumbæ I was concerned to find only three Bibles among the population of fifty families.

After the conclusion of the service, I proceeded up the west side of the valley, which chiefly consists of meadow land, to Mælifell, the abode of Sira Jon Conradson, Dean of the Syssel of Skagafiord, whom I found sincerely desirous of promoting the best interests of his countrymen, and happy at the provision which had been made for the supply of their spiritual wants. His attention is much bent on the intellectual improvement of the young people within his deanery; and it forms one of the more prominent features in his official visits, to examine into the degree of their progress in the acquirement of religious knowledge. The anticipation of distributing the Scriptures among them the following sea, son afforded him great delight.

Next morning, after maturing a plan for supplying the poor with copies of the Scriptures, I left Mælifell, accompanied by the Dean, and, passing the hot springs of Reykium, which did not present any appearance particularly worthy of notice, directed my course to the ferry of Grund, where I crossed the river without any difficulty. At first sight I took the ferryman for an Italian, as he was morę swarthy than any Icelander I had seen; but on inquiry I found that he was a native of this district, but had served both in the Danish and Austrian armies, and borne his part

in two engagements against Napoleon. An invincible attachment to his native soil prompted him to relinquish all the advantages which were offered him in more favoured climes; and the attention paid him by his countrymen, who listen most eagerly to the minutest circumstances of his story, affords him a source of gratification which he could not have expected among strangers. Crossing a number of dangerous bogs, we came to Flygamire, the ancient residence of Gissor Jarl, a name celebrated in Norwegian history, and the place where the northern consistory continued to be held till the removal of the Bishop from Holum. I here parted with the Dean, and obtaining a fresh guide, proceeded on to Holum, where I arrived about two o'clock in the morning.

On the 3d of August, I again took leave of the kind family at Holum, and crossing the âs, or low mountainous tract between that place and Kolbeinsdal, I descended into this valley, where I obtained a guide to conduct me across the mountain-road of Heliadalsheidi, the ascent of which I found very steep, though not so difficult as that farther south, which I had to cross the preceding year. The rocks on both sides of the pass wore a very broken and rugged appearance; and many of the adjacent mountains presented a bold and precipitcus front, regularly divided into a number of horizontal strata. The rain, which had commenced after we began to ascend, continued to increase as we advanced, till we had almost gained the summit of the pass, when it began to snow, and, in the course of a short time, the tops of the mountains were entirely white.

Having arrived at the most elevated part of the tract, the extensive valley of Svarfadardal opened on our view; and the appearance of the mountains, intersected by the adjacent breaks and vallies, was very noble and commanding. About eight o'clock in the evening we arrived at the farm and church of Urdir, where, as it was impossible to pitch my tent, on account of the storm, the peasant persuaded me to lodge all night in the church. On my remarking to him, that in my native country it was not reckoned any honour