142 THINGVALLA.
I
higher wall, and, passing through an opening in
the lower or eastern side, continued its course into
the lake of Thingvalla. This river we had presently
to cross on horseback ; and not long after we
approached a spot rendered famous more than 800
years ago, and from thence celebrated in the annals
of Iceland down to the present time : at this place
we were to pass the night. When our guides told
us we had arrived at the end of our journey, we
looked about for a town or a village, a church or the
parsonage, but nothing of the kind appeared. We
had heard and read that there was a church at this
p la c e : in vain did I look for the steeple, the
usual appendage to a church in all the countries I
have hitherto visited; I could discover nothing
that gave an}' such indication, nor indeed anything
like a human habitation. Mr. Smith, however, at
length discovered some low roofs covered with grass,
one of which, being larger than the rest, he had no
doubt was the church of Thingvalla, and so indeed
it proved.
We now perceived a range of low huts near to
the larger one with verdant roofs, which our guide
pointed out as the residence of the clergyman. We
resolved therefore to wait upon the priest, but he
saved us the trouble ; for, having some intimation
of our approach, he had come out of his house to
receive our party. From the appearance of the
hovels, as well as that of the incumbent, we at once
asked and obtained permission to occupy the church
for the night, which we had the less scruple in
doing, as we had heard that it was the usual, and in
fact the only spot that travellers had any choice of
for passing the night. Accordingly our horses were
unpacked and turned out loose till the morning,
and our saddles and boxes were deposited in the
aisle of the church, where there was just room
enough to receive them. The dimensions were
indeed small enough, and every part was crowded
with various kinds of stores, such as clothing, provisions,
barrels of fish, a huge side-saddle such as
is used by ladies, and a quantity of wool : when to
these were added our own chattels, the aisle was
nearly impassable.
As this building, consecrated to religious purposes,
was altogether different from any I had
before seen, curiosity led me to take its dimensions:
the extreme length was twenty-three feet, but of
this eight feet were devoted to the altar, which was
divided off by a partition stretching across the
church, and against which was placed the pulpit.
Over the pulpit were the following Latin inscriptions,—
“ Scio opera tua.”
“ Habenti dabitur.”
A small wooden chest or cupboard, placed between
two very small square windows at the end of the
building, not larger than a common-sized pane of
glass, constituted the communion-table, over which
was a miserable representation of the Lord’s Sup