October 17, 2025 • 10 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter nine. Our start, we meet with adventures. By the way,
the weather was overcast but settled. When we commenced our
adventurous and perilous journey. We had neither to fear fatiguing
heat nor drenching rain. It was in fact real tourist weather.
As there was nothing I liked better than horse exercise,
the pleasure of riding through an unknown country caused the
(00:22):
early part of our enterprise to be particularly agreeable to me.
I began to enjoy the exhilarating delight of traveling a
life of desire, gratification, and liberty. The truth is that
my spirits rose so rapidly that I began to be
indifferent to what had once appeared to be a terrible journey.
After all, I said to myself, simply to take a
(00:42):
journey through a curious country, to climb a remarkable mountain, and,
if the worst comes to the worst, to descend into
a crater of an extinct volcano. There could be no
doubt that this was all this terrible sock Newsom had done.
As to the existence of a gallery or of subterraneous
passages leading to the interior of the Earth, the idea
was simply absurd, the hallucinations of a distempered imagination. All
(01:04):
then that may be required of me, I will do
cheerfully and will create no difficulty. It was just before
we left Rekievict that I came to this decision. Hans,
our extraordinary guide, went first, walking with a steady, rapid,
unvarying step. Our two horses with the luggage followed of
their own accord, without requiring whip or spur. My uncle
(01:25):
and I came behind, cutting a very tolerable figure upon
our small but vigorous animals. Iceland is one of the
largest islands in Europe. It contains thirty thousand square miles
of surface and has about seventy thousand inhabitants. Geographers have
divided it into four parts, and we had to cross
the southwest quarter, which in the vernacular is called sud
vest Furdinger. Hans, on taking his departure from Rekievic, had
(01:49):
followed the line of the sea. We took our way
through poor and sparse meadows, which made a desperate effort
every year to show a little green. They very rarely
succeeded in a good show of yellow. The rugged summits
of the rocky hills were dimly visible on the edge
of the horizon through the misty fogs. Every now and
then some heavy flakes of snow showed conspicuous in the
morning light, while certain lofty and pointed rocks were first
(02:11):
lost in the gray low clouds, their summits clearly visible above,
like jagged reefs rising from a troublous sea. Every now
and then a spur of rock came down through the
arid ground, leaving us scarcely room to pass. Our horses, however,
appeared not only well acquainted with the country, but by
a kind of instinct, knew which was the best road.
My uncle had not even the satisfaction of urging forward
(02:34):
his steed by whip, spur or voice. It was utterly
useless to show any signs of impatience. I could not
help smiling to see him look so big on his
little horse. His long legs now and then touching the
ground made him look like a six footed centaur. Good beast,
Good beast, he would cry. I assure you that I
begin to think no animal was more intelligent than an
Icelandic horse. Snow, tempest, impracticable roads, rocks, icebergs, nothing stops him.
(03:01):
He is brave, He is sober, he is safe. He
never makes a false step, never glides or slips from
his path. I dare say that if any river, any fiord,
has to be crossed, and I have no doubt there
will be many, you will see him enter the water
without hesitation, like an amphibious animal, and reach the opposite
side in safety. We must, not, however, attempt to hurry him.
(03:22):
We must allow him to have his own way. And
I will undertake to say that between us we shall
do our ten leagues a day. We may do so,
was my reply. But what about our worthy guide. I
have not the slightest anxiety about him. That sort of
people go ahead without even knowing what they are about.
Look at Hans. He moves so little that it is
impossible for him to become fatigued. Besides, if he were
(03:43):
to complain of weariness, he could have the loan of
my horse. I should have a violent attack of the
cramp if I were not to have some sort of exercise.
My arms are right, but my legs are getting a
little stiff. All this while we were advancing at a
rapid pace. The country we had reached was already nearly
a day desert. Here and there could be seen an
isolated farm, some solitary burr or Icelandic cows, built of wood,
(04:06):
earth fragments of lava. Looking like beggars on the highway
of life, these wretched and miserable huts excited in us
such pity that we felt half disposed to leave alms
at every door. In this country there are no roads,
paths are nearly unknown, and vegetation poor, as it was
slowly as it reached perfection, soon obliterated all trace of
the few travelers who passed from place to place. Nevertheless,
(04:30):
this division of the province, situated only a few miles
from the capital, is considered one of the best cultivated
and most thickly populated in all Iceland. What then, must
be the state of the less known and more distant
parts of the island. After traveling fully a half Danish mile,
we had met neither a farmer at the door of
his hut, nor even a wandering shepherd with his wild
(04:50):
and savage flock. A few stray cows and sheep were
only seen occasionally. What then, must we expect when we
come to the upheaved regions, to the districts, broken and
roughened from the volcanic eruptions and subterraneous commotions. We were
to learn this all in good time. I say, however,
on consulting the map, that we avoided a good deal
of this rough country by following the winding and desolate
(05:11):
shores of the sea. In reality, the great volcanic movement
of the island and all its attendant phenomena are concentrated
in the interior of the island. There, horizontal layers or
strata of rocks piled one upon the other. Eruptions of
basaltic origin and streams of lava have given this country
a kind of supernatural reputation. Little did I expect, however,
(05:33):
the spectacle which awaited us when we reached the peninsula
of Snefels, where agglomerations of nature's ruins form a kind
of terrible chaos. Some two hours or more after we
had left the city of Rekievik, we reached the little
town called Aolkirkia, or the Principal Church. It consists simply
of a few houses, not what in England or Germany
we should call a hamlet. Hans stopped here one half hour.
(05:56):
He shared our frugal breakfast. Answered yes, and no to
my uncle's quest estions as to the nature of the road,
And at last, when asked where we were to pass
the night, was as laconic as usual. Gardar was his
one warded reply. I took occasion to consult the map
to see where Garter was to be found. After looking keenly,
I found a small town of that name on the
(06:16):
borders of the Hilford, about four miles from Rekievik. I
pointed this out to my uncle, who made a very
energetic grimace only four miles out of twenty two. Why
it is only a little walk. He was about to
make some energetic observation to the guide, but Hans, without
taking the slightest notice of him, went in front of
the horses and walked ahead with the same imperturbable phlegm
he had always exhibited. Three hours later, still traveling over
(06:40):
those apparently interminable and sandy prairies, we were compelled to
go around the Califiord, an easier and shorter cut than
crossing the gulfs. Shortly after we entered a place of
communal jurisdiction called Ayoberg, and the clock of which would
then have struck twelve if any Icelandic Church had been
rich enough to possess so valuable and useful an article.
These sacred edifices are, however, very much like these people
(07:01):
who do without watches and never miss them. Here the
horses were allowed to take some rest and refreshment. Then,
following a narrow strip of shore between high rocks and
the sea, they took us without further halt to the
Aeolkirkia of Brontar, and after another mile to sarbor Anexia,
a chapel of ease, situated on the southern bank of
the Hilfjord. It was about four o'clock in the evening,
(07:24):
and we had traveled four Danish miles about equal to
twenty English. The fiord was in this place about half
a mile in width. The sweeping and broken waves came
rolling in upon the pointed rocks. The gulf was surrounded
by rocky walls, a mighty cliff three thousand feet in height,
remarkable for its brown strata, separated here and there by
beds of tufa of a reddish shoe. Now, whatever may
(07:45):
have been the intelligence of our horses, I had not
the slightest reliance upon them as a means of crossing
a stormy arm of the sea to ride over salt
water upon the back of a little horse seemed to
me absurd. If they are really intelligent, I said to myself,
they will certainly not make the attempt. In any case,
I shall trust rather to my own intelligence than theirs.
But my uncle was in no humor to wait. He
(08:07):
dug his heels into the sides of his steed and
made for the shore. His horse went to the very
edge of the water, sniffed at the approaching wave, and retreated.
My uncle, who was sooth to say, quite as obstinate
as the beast he bestrode, insisted on making the desired advance.
This attempt was followed by a new refusal on the
part of the horse, which quietly shook its head. This
(08:27):
demonstration of rebellion was followed by a volley of words
and stout applications of whip cord, also followed by kicks
on the part of the horse, which threw its head
and heels upward and tried to throw his rider at length.
The sturdy little pony, spreading out his legs in a
stiff and ludicrous attitude, got from under the professor's legs
and left him standing with both feet on a separate stone,
(08:48):
like the Colossus of Rhodes. Wretched animal, cried, my uncle
suddenly transformed into a foot passenger, and as angry and
ashamed as a dismounted cavalry officer on the field of battle.
Far Ya, said the guide, tapping him familiarly on the shoulder.
What a ferry boat, durr, answered Hans, pointing to where
lay the boat in question. There, well, I cried, delighted
(09:11):
with the information, So it is. Why did you not
say so before, cried my uncle. Why not start at once? Tiitvaughten,
said the guide. What does he say? I asked, considerably
puzzled by the delay and the dialog. He says tide,
replied my uncle, translating the Danish word for my information.
Of course, I understand. We must wait till the tide
(09:32):
serves forbida, asked my uncle, Yah, replied Hans. My uncle frowned,
stamped his feet, and then followed the horses to where
the boat lay. I thoroughly understood and appreciated the necessity
for waiting before crossing the fiord for that moment, when
the sea at its highest point is in a state
of slack water, as then neither eb nor flow can
then be felt. The ferryboat was in no danger of
(09:54):
being carried out the sea or dashed upon the rocky coast.
The favorable moment did not come until six o'clock in
the evening. Then my uncle, myself and guide, two boatmen
and the four horses got into a very awkward, flat
bottomed boat. Accustomed as I had been to the steam
ferryboats of the Elbe, I found the long oars of
the boatmen, but sorry means of locomotion. We were more
(10:15):
than an hour in crossing the Fiord, but at length
the passage was concluded without accident. Half an hour later
we reached Gardar end of Chapter nine
Chapter nine. Our start, we meet with adventures. By the way,
the weather was overcast but settled. When we commenced our
adventurous and perilous journey. We had neither to fear fatiguing
heat nor drenching rain. It was in fact real tourist weather.
As there was nothing I liked better than horse exercise,
the pleasure of riding through an unknown country caused the
(00:22):
early part of our enterprise to be particularly agreeable to me.
I began to enjoy the exhilarating delight of traveling a
life of desire, gratification, and liberty. The truth is that
my spirits rose so rapidly that I began to be
indifferent to what had once appeared to be a terrible journey.
After all, I said to myself, simply to take a
(00:42):
journey through a curious country, to climb a remarkable mountain, and,
if the worst comes to the worst, to descend into
a crater of an extinct volcano. There could be no
doubt that this was all this terrible sock Newsom had done.
As to the existence of a gallery or of subterraneous
passages leading to the interior of the Earth, the idea
was simply absurd, the hallucinations of a distempered imagination. All
(01:04):
then that may be required of me, I will do
cheerfully and will create no difficulty. It was just before
we left Rekievict that I came to this decision. Hans,
our extraordinary guide, went first, walking with a steady, rapid,
unvarying step. Our two horses with the luggage followed of
their own accord, without requiring whip or spur. My uncle
(01:25):
and I came behind, cutting a very tolerable figure upon
our small but vigorous animals. Iceland is one of the
largest islands in Europe. It contains thirty thousand square miles
of surface and has about seventy thousand inhabitants. Geographers have
divided it into four parts, and we had to cross
the southwest quarter, which in the vernacular is called sud
vest Furdinger. Hans, on taking his departure from Rekievic, had
(01:49):
followed the line of the sea. We took our way
through poor and sparse meadows, which made a desperate effort
every year to show a little green. They very rarely
succeeded in a good show of yellow. The rugged summits
of the rocky hills were dimly visible on the edge
of the horizon through the misty fogs. Every now and
then some heavy flakes of snow showed conspicuous in the
morning light, while certain lofty and pointed rocks were first
(02:11):
lost in the gray low clouds, their summits clearly visible above,
like jagged reefs rising from a troublous sea. Every now
and then a spur of rock came down through the
arid ground, leaving us scarcely room to pass. Our horses, however,
appeared not only well acquainted with the country, but by
a kind of instinct, knew which was the best road.
My uncle had not even the satisfaction of urging forward
(02:34):
his steed by whip, spur or voice. It was utterly
useless to show any signs of impatience. I could not
help smiling to see him look so big on his
little horse. His long legs now and then touching the
ground made him look like a six footed centaur. Good beast,
Good beast, he would cry. I assure you that I
begin to think no animal was more intelligent than an
Icelandic horse. Snow, tempest, impracticable roads, rocks, icebergs, nothing stops him.
(03:01):
He is brave, He is sober, he is safe. He
never makes a false step, never glides or slips from
his path. I dare say that if any river, any fiord,
has to be crossed, and I have no doubt there
will be many, you will see him enter the water
without hesitation, like an amphibious animal, and reach the opposite
side in safety. We must, not, however, attempt to hurry him.
(03:22):
We must allow him to have his own way. And
I will undertake to say that between us we shall
do our ten leagues a day. We may do so,
was my reply. But what about our worthy guide. I
have not the slightest anxiety about him. That sort of
people go ahead without even knowing what they are about.
Look at Hans. He moves so little that it is
impossible for him to become fatigued. Besides, if he were
(03:43):
to complain of weariness, he could have the loan of
my horse. I should have a violent attack of the
cramp if I were not to have some sort of exercise.
My arms are right, but my legs are getting a
little stiff. All this while we were advancing at a
rapid pace. The country we had reached was already nearly
a day desert. Here and there could be seen an
isolated farm, some solitary burr or Icelandic cows, built of wood,
(04:06):
earth fragments of lava. Looking like beggars on the highway
of life, these wretched and miserable huts excited in us
such pity that we felt half disposed to leave alms
at every door. In this country there are no roads,
paths are nearly unknown, and vegetation poor, as it was
slowly as it reached perfection, soon obliterated all trace of
the few travelers who passed from place to place. Nevertheless,
(04:30):
this division of the province, situated only a few miles
from the capital, is considered one of the best cultivated
and most thickly populated in all Iceland. What then, must
be the state of the less known and more distant
parts of the island. After traveling fully a half Danish mile,
we had met neither a farmer at the door of
his hut, nor even a wandering shepherd with his wild
(04:50):
and savage flock. A few stray cows and sheep were
only seen occasionally. What then, must we expect when we
come to the upheaved regions, to the districts, broken and
roughened from the volcanic eruptions and subterraneous commotions. We were
to learn this all in good time. I say, however,
on consulting the map, that we avoided a good deal
of this rough country by following the winding and desolate
(05:11):
shores of the sea. In reality, the great volcanic movement
of the island and all its attendant phenomena are concentrated
in the interior of the island. There, horizontal layers or
strata of rocks piled one upon the other. Eruptions of
basaltic origin and streams of lava have given this country
a kind of supernatural reputation. Little did I expect, however,
(05:33):
the spectacle which awaited us when we reached the peninsula
of Snefels, where agglomerations of nature's ruins form a kind
of terrible chaos. Some two hours or more after we
had left the city of Rekievik, we reached the little
town called Aolkirkia, or the Principal Church. It consists simply
of a few houses, not what in England or Germany
we should call a hamlet. Hans stopped here one half hour.
(05:56):
He shared our frugal breakfast. Answered yes, and no to
my uncle's quest estions as to the nature of the road,
And at last, when asked where we were to pass
the night, was as laconic as usual. Gardar was his
one warded reply. I took occasion to consult the map
to see where Garter was to be found. After looking keenly,
I found a small town of that name on the
(06:16):
borders of the Hilford, about four miles from Rekievik. I
pointed this out to my uncle, who made a very
energetic grimace only four miles out of twenty two. Why
it is only a little walk. He was about to
make some energetic observation to the guide, but Hans, without
taking the slightest notice of him, went in front of
the horses and walked ahead with the same imperturbable phlegm
he had always exhibited. Three hours later, still traveling over
(06:40):
those apparently interminable and sandy prairies, we were compelled to
go around the Califiord, an easier and shorter cut than
crossing the gulfs. Shortly after we entered a place of
communal jurisdiction called Ayoberg, and the clock of which would
then have struck twelve if any Icelandic Church had been
rich enough to possess so valuable and useful an article.
These sacred edifices are, however, very much like these people
(07:01):
who do without watches and never miss them. Here the
horses were allowed to take some rest and refreshment. Then,
following a narrow strip of shore between high rocks and
the sea, they took us without further halt to the
Aeolkirkia of Brontar, and after another mile to sarbor Anexia,
a chapel of ease, situated on the southern bank of
the Hilfjord. It was about four o'clock in the evening,
(07:24):
and we had traveled four Danish miles about equal to
twenty English. The fiord was in this place about half
a mile in width. The sweeping and broken waves came
rolling in upon the pointed rocks. The gulf was surrounded
by rocky walls, a mighty cliff three thousand feet in height,
remarkable for its brown strata, separated here and there by
beds of tufa of a reddish shoe. Now, whatever may
(07:45):
have been the intelligence of our horses, I had not
the slightest reliance upon them as a means of crossing
a stormy arm of the sea to ride over salt
water upon the back of a little horse seemed to
me absurd. If they are really intelligent, I said to myself,
they will certainly not make the attempt. In any case,
I shall trust rather to my own intelligence than theirs.
But my uncle was in no humor to wait. He
(08:07):
dug his heels into the sides of his steed and
made for the shore. His horse went to the very
edge of the water, sniffed at the approaching wave, and retreated.
My uncle, who was sooth to say, quite as obstinate
as the beast he bestrode, insisted on making the desired advance.
This attempt was followed by a new refusal on the
part of the horse, which quietly shook its head. This
(08:27):
demonstration of rebellion was followed by a volley of words
and stout applications of whip cord, also followed by kicks
on the part of the horse, which threw its head
and heels upward and tried to throw his rider at length.
The sturdy little pony, spreading out his legs in a
stiff and ludicrous attitude, got from under the professor's legs
and left him standing with both feet on a separate stone,
(08:48):
like the Colossus of Rhodes. Wretched animal, cried, my uncle
suddenly transformed into a foot passenger, and as angry and
ashamed as a dismounted cavalry officer on the field of battle.
Far Ya, said the guide, tapping him familiarly on the shoulder.
What a ferry boat, durr, answered Hans, pointing to where
lay the boat in question. There, well, I cried, delighted
(09:11):
with the information, So it is. Why did you not
say so before, cried my uncle. Why not start at once? Tiitvaughten,
said the guide. What does he say? I asked, considerably
puzzled by the delay and the dialog. He says tide,
replied my uncle, translating the Danish word for my information.
Of course, I understand. We must wait till the tide
(09:32):
serves forbida, asked my uncle, Yah, replied Hans. My uncle frowned,
stamped his feet, and then followed the horses to where
the boat lay. I thoroughly understood and appreciated the necessity
for waiting before crossing the fiord for that moment, when
the sea at its highest point is in a state
of slack water, as then neither eb nor flow can
then be felt. The ferryboat was in no danger of
(09:54):
being carried out the sea or dashed upon the rocky coast.
The favorable moment did not come until six o'clock in
the evening. Then my uncle, myself and guide, two boatmen
and the four horses got into a very awkward, flat
bottomed boat. Accustomed as I had been to the steam
ferryboats of the Elbe, I found the long oars of
the boatmen, but sorry means of locomotion. We were more
(10:15):
than an hour in crossing the Fiord, but at length
the passage was concluded without accident. Half an hour later
we reached Gardar end of Chapter nine
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