I:N
ii i
[Chap. V:;
water’s edge * ” ; and at Alten-gaard copper-mine,
in 70° latitude, fir-trees of considerable size skirt
the hills.
The question becomes still more involved, when
it is considered that the great island of NcAvfound-
land, full tAventy degrees heloAv the part of Norway
here spoken of, can boast of no such trees, though
its southern coast is in the latitude of figs and
grapes and almost of oranges. But revenons a nos
moutons.
W e soon reached the northern extremity of the
lake of Thingvalla, and passed close to its margin,
near Avhich Avere a fcAA’ eider-ducks SAvimming about,
a great number of sea-gulls, and at some distance
from us a group of SAvans, Avhich av c Avere told are
exceedingly numerous in this and other lakes o f
Iceland. The eggs, the feathers, and the doAvn of
this fine bird supply the peasantry with an article
of food and also of commerce. They are found
chiefly in the lakes of the central parts of the
island Avhere, like the rein-deer, they remain unmolested
; but in Avinter, Avhen the lakes are frozen,
they betake themseh'es to the sea-shore. “ They
are said,” says Von Troil, “ to sing very harmoniously
in the cold dark Avinter nights; but though
it Avas in the month of September Avhen I Avas upon
the island, I never once enjoyed the pleasure of
a single song.” Olafsen and Povelsen also say.
* Travels through Sweden, Norway, and Fintnark.
Chap. V .] CHASM OF RAVENS. 157
from report, that in the long and dark nights they
wing their flight in the air in large flocks, making
it to resound with their songs, Avhich accord much
with the sounds of the violin; that the peasantry are
frequently awakened from their soundest sleep by
the song of these birds, but they never regret this
disturbance, as, in the hardest frost and snoAV, they
prognosticate a thaw, which never fails to happen
in the course of two or three days. Mr. Henderson
Avould appear to haA’e been more fortunate than,
any of these visiters, for he both saw and heard
“ a number of SAvans SAvimming and singing melodiously
in the river;” having thus the honour of
rescuing the Greeks from the imputation of palming
a fable upon posterity, by consecrating the swan
to Apollo the god of music, because it sings melodiously,
though, as they state, only in the article
of death.
During the whole of our journey both yesterday
and to-day, Ave fell in Avith multitudes of plovers,
curlcAVs, and snipes, all, except the latter, remarkably
tame : these, and a fcAV hawks and ravens,
Avere all of the feathered tribe that we met with
between Reikiavik and the Geysers. On leaving
the lake Ave soon had to cross another, being the
third, of those extraordinary disruptions of the
earth : it is called Hrafnagaiaa, the “ chasm of
the ravens.” Our guides cautioned us to be extremely
careful hoAV Ave proceeded, as the narroAV
m'
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