and was hardly restrained from slaying the faithful Kolr on the spot. When, however, the first burst of passion was over, the poor father regretted his violence, and going up to Kolr, he shook hands with him. For four days and nights he lay without eating or sleeping, and said that he could not blame women for so dearly loving the bairns which they have suckled themselves.

Thorgils then went home to Tratharholt, and wondered how he could ever have left it, so rich and fertile did the farm look after the icy terraces of Greenland.

He married a young wife soon after his return, and before his death saw seven children growing up around his knees. From him is descended the blessed Thorlack-Iceland's greatest saint. This is what was signified by the golden flower in the bonder's dream.

I may inform those who are curious about the discovery of Greenland and America by the Icelanders, that there is a very accessible account of it in Mr. Blackwell's edition of Mallet's Northern Antiquities, published by Bohn, price five shillings.

Mallet's book is valueless, but the additions and notes of the editor are excellent.

For those who understand Danish, there is the work, Grönlands Historiske Mindesmærker, 3 vols. 8vo. 1838-45, containing extracts of the Sagas relating to Greenland, and consisting of 2,538 pages,

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CHAPTER XXIII.

CONCLUSION.

Leave Geysir-Last View of Heckla-The rumoured Eruption of SkaptaReturn to Thingvöllum-Latin Conversation-Seljadalr-The Plague of Flies-Halt at a Farm-A fair Haymaker-The Spell broken-Return to Reykjavík-Sale of Horses-Icelandic Ponies-Their strong and weak Points-Leave Iceland-The Captain's Joke-Reach EnglandAdvice to Travellers.

WE were sorry enough to leave Geysir where we had spent some joyous days, but the steamer waits for no man, and we were obliged to be back in Reykjavík some days before she sailed, so as to dispose of our horses by a public auction.

Farewell, Geysir! We took one last look into the calm. steaming basin, tossed one final load of turf into Strokr and galloped off. We stopped at Uthlith to shake hands with the farmer and his wife. Really, their clean cheerful faces did one good!

We took a panorama of Heckla was

They seemed to be quite pleased to see us again, and offered us bowls of milk which we emptied thirstily. In Iceland one learns to live and fatten upon milk. parting glance over the tún wall at the glorious snow peaks beyond the plain of green morass. snow-clad still, its ridge starting into three teeth, one of which is perfectly black. Far away to the south were the twin peaks of Tindfjalla, the tops sunlit, and the bases lost in swimming blue. More distant still rose Eyjafjalla, like a golden cloud on the horizon. Heckla is distant from Uthlith, as the crow

flies, about thirty-six miles; Tindfjalla, forty-five; and Eyjafjalla, fifty-six miles.

My intention had been to have gone on to the Skaptár Jökull, but I found now that the rumours of its being in eruption were without foundation. At Haukadalr, a farm near Geysir, we were told that the eruption was supposed to be taking place at Krafla, near Myvatn, whence we had come ! On further inquiry it proved that only one man pretended to have seen any signs of it, and he had come from the Lómargnupr, in the south. He did not, however, assert that he had noticed anything except rising columns like smoke-in fact, the sand clouds which we had observed. At Thingvöllum we hoped to obtain further information, but we were disappointed. The people said that there might be an eruption somewhere, as there was so much sand in the air, but they could give us no account of the outbreak. One thing they all were agreed in, that Skapta was quiescent; so that there was no advantage in my journeying thither.

On my arrival at Reykjavík I made further inquiries, and learned that the postman from Eyrarbakki declared that he had seen flames in the direction of Trölladyngja. This mountain is just 140 miles from Eyrarbakki, as the crow flies, and the lofty Tungnafells Jökull intervenes. I think, therefore, that the statement of the postman is questionable. It is possible that Trölladyngja may have erupted, but, if so, the outburst must have been very slight, or we should have heard some account of it from the Möthrudalr men, whom we met at Myvatn.

The Jökulsá has two sources; one of these is at the foot of Trölladyngja, and if the volcano had been active it would have melted the snows on its head, and the river would have been very full and discoloured. This was not the case; I found the Jökulsá lower than it is in general, on account of the coldness of the summer; and the water was milky, with partially dissolved snow, like all rivers rising among Jökulls.

At Thingvalla parsonage we again pitched our tents near

the church, and retired late to bed, after having paid a farewell visit to the Logberg, or Hill of Laws.

Next morning I was roused by the sound of voices outside the tent; and on putting my head out I observed Mr. Briggs and the pastor of Thingvalla engaged in an animated Latin conversation.

"Salve, Domine, Dii tibi benefaciant!" began my fat friend. "Diluculo surgere saluberrimum est! Haud nitet sol, hodie, serenus!"

"Nunc quidem adstitit imber, non tamen longa est mora quin nubes fugentur," replied the parson.

To which Mr. Briggs replied, with promptitude, "Quocunque aspicias, nihil est nisi pontus et aër, nubibus hic tumidus, fluctibus ille minax. An voles gustare Brandæum nostrum Gallicum ?"

"Paululum sine me bibere."

Mr. Briggs then poured out a bumper, and handed it to the priest, who took a draught, but did not finish the tumbler. He put it down, shaking his head, and saying that the brandy was too hot for him.

"Estuosus nonne ?" quoth my portly friend. Aqua Brandæum emollit, nec sinit esse ferox. Dignissime pastor! Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus."

Then offering brandy with one hand and whiskey with the other, he said, "Utrum horum mavis accipe!"

"Gratias tibi, jam satis est potatum."

"Jam satis!" exclaimed Mr. Briggs. "An placeat cum nobis illud modicum prandium, Anglicè breakfastum, sumere? Sis exorabilis, Domine! habeo quæ tibi offeram frigidam bulletam, carnem vervecinam, caseum Stiltonæum, Fortnumi Masonique jusculum ex caudis boum extractum, succi plenum. Siste, reverendissime pater! sume, gusta nostra vegetabilia, pastinacas fabas, potatosque, in parva stannea arcula compressa. Hæc omnia in lebete decocta cupedias faciunt in Magna Britannia hodgepodge dictas, sed Græce lepadotemacho-selacho-galeo-kranio-leipsano, et quæ præterea sciunt Diabolus, Liddellæus Scottusque."

"Gratias plurimas, jam pransus sum," replied the pastor, with a tremulous curl of the lip.

"Quæso, Domine !" continued Mr. Briggs, nothing abashed; “intra tentorium, conspice nostram tam exiguam, tam fragilem domum! intra, precor!"

Then, finding us all in bed as he drew back the door-flap, Mr. Briggs pointed at us derisively, and said-" Implentur veteris Bacchi, pinguisque ferinæ !"

The pastor was persistent in his refusal of the proffered breakfast; I think that the enumeration of victuals had somewhat alarmed him, and possibly he fancied that the extraordinary compounds which suited an English stomach might disagree with that of an Icelander.

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Whilst I was dressing I heard snatches of conversation between my friend and the parson, and was highly amused at the fragmentary character of Mr. Briggs's observations, ranging from statements of facts in natural history, such as Hippopotamus bellua in Nilo habitat," and "In summis montibus tantum est frigus ut nix ibi nunquam liquescat," to matters of theological importance, such as, "Pii orant taciti," and "Vilius argentum est auro, virtutibus aurum, i. e. quam aurum, quam virtutes sunt."

At last Mr. Briggs having exhausted every other topic, plunged into an animated defence of Balbus. The priest, apologizing for his ignorance, asked who that worthy

was.

"Nescis Balbum!" exclaimed Mr. Briggs, in amazement; "nescis Balbum, qui Caium accusavit, qui murum ædificabat ! Balbum, qui nec domi nec militiæ mecum fuit; qui quum manus in aquam immersisset, abiit; qui omnem occasionem exercendæ virtutis arripiebat, et barbaram consuetudinem immolandorum hominum retinuit, et patriam auro vendidit; qui cum gallinis cubitum it vesperi! Balbum qui prœlio interfuit, qui viribus fretus vincula carceris rupit, et oves totondit non deglupsit! Si Balbum nescis, omnia nescis!"

The Yankee was much astonished at this display of learning on the part of Mr. Briggs. I was malicious enough to