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A Barren Land

           Wewereadvancingatarapidpace.Thecountrywasalreadyalmostadesert.Hereandtherewasalonelyfarm,calledaboërbuilteitherofwood,orofsods,orofpiecesoflava,lookinglikeapoorbeggarbythewayside.Theseruinoushutsseemedtosolicitcharityfrompassers-by;andonverysmallprovocationweshouldhavegivenalmsforthereliefofthepoorinmates.Inthiscountrytherewerenoroadsandpaths,andthepoorvegetation,howeverslow,wouldsooneffacetheraretravellers’footsteps.

           Yetthispartoftheprovince,ataverysmalldistancefromthecapital,isreckonedamongtheinhabitedandcultivatedportionsofIceland.What,then,mustothertractsbe,moredesertthanthisdesert?Inthefirsthalfmilewehadnotseenonefarmerstandingbeforehiscabindoor,noroneshepherdtendingaflocklesswildthanhimself,nothingbutafewcowsandsheeplefttothemselves.Whatthenwouldbethoseconvulsedregionsuponwhichwewereadvancing,regionssubjecttothedirephenomenaoferuptions,theoffspringofvolcanicexplosionsandsubterraneanconvulsions?

           Weweretoknowthembeforelong,butonconsultingOlsen’smap,Isawthattheywouldbeavoidedbywindingalongtheseashore.Infact,thegreatplutonicactionisconfinedtothecentralportionoftheisland;there,rocksofthetrappeanandvolcanicclass,includingtrachyte,basalt,andtuffsandagglomeratesassociatedwithstreamsoflava,havemadethisalandofsupernaturalhorrors.IhadnoideaofthespectaclewhichwasawaitingusinthepeninsulaofSnæfell,wheretheseruinsofafierynaturehaveformedafrightfulchaos.

           IntwohoursfromRejkiavikwearrivedattheburghofGufunes,calledAolkirkja,orprincipalchurch.Therewasnothingremarkableherebutafewhouses,scarcelyenoughforaGermanhamlet.

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