November 5, 2025 • 12 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter six, our voyage to Iceland. The hour of departure
came at last the night before the worthy mister Thompson
brought us the most cordial letters of introduction for Baron Tramp,
Governor of Iceland, for mister Picterson, coadjutor to the Bishop,
and for Monsieur Finsen, mayor of the town of Rekyevich.
(00:23):
In return, my uncle nearly crushed his hands so warmly
did he shake them. On the second of the month,
at two in the morning, our precious cargo of luggage
was taken on board the good ship Valkyrie. We followed
and were politely introduced by the captain to a small
cabin with two standing bed places, neither very well ventilated
nor very comfortable. But in the cause of science, men
(00:45):
are expected to suffer well. And have we a fair wind,
cried my uncle in his most malifluous accents. An excellent wind,
cried Captain Jarn. We shall leave the sound going free
with all sales. A few minutes afterwards, the schooners started
before the wind, under all the canvas she could carry,
(01:06):
and enter the channel. An hour later, the capital of
Denmark seemed to sink into the waves, and we were
at no great distance from the coast of Elsinore. My
uncle was delighted, for myself, moody and dissatisfied. I appeared
almost to expect a glimpse of the ghost of Hamlet
sublime madman, thought I, you doubtless would approve our proceedings.
(01:27):
You might perhaps even follow us to the center of
the earth, there to resolve your eternal doubts. But no
ghost or anything else appeared upon the ancient walls. The
fact is the castle is much later than the time
of the heroic Prince of Denmark. It is now the
residence of the keeper of the Strait of the Sound,
and through that sound more than fifteen thousand vessels of
all nations pass every year. The castle of Kronborg soon
(01:51):
disappeared in the murky atmosphere, as well as the tower
of Helsenborg, which raises its head on the Swedish bank.
And here the schooner began to feel in earnest the
breezes of the Kattagot. The valkyy was swift enough, but
with all sailing boats there is the same uncertainty. Her
cargo was coal, furniture, pottery, woolen clothing and a load
of corn. As usual, the crew was small, five Danes
(02:15):
doing the whole of the work. How long will the
voyage last, asked my uncle. Well, I think about ten days,
replied the skipper, unless indeed we meet with some northeast
gales from the Faroe Islands. At all events, there will
be no very considerable delay, cried the impatient professor. No,
(02:36):
mister Hardwig, said the captain, No fear of that. At
all events, we shall get there someday. Towards evening, the
schooner doubled Cape skagin the northernmost part of Denmark, crossed
the Skagarat during the night, skirted the extreme point of Norway,
through the gut of Cape Lendissness, and then reached the
northern seas. Two days later. We were not far from
(02:59):
the coast of Scotland, somewhere near what the Danish sailors
called Peterhead. And then the Valkyrie stretched out for the
Farou Islands, between Orkney and Shetland. Our vessel now felt
the full force of the ocean waves and the wind shifting.
We with great difficulty, made the Farau Islands. On the
eighth day, the captain made out mc ginnis. The westernmost
of the Isles, and from that moment had direct for Portland,
(03:22):
a cape on the southern shores of the singular island
for which we were bound. The voyage offered no incident
worthy of record. I bore it very well, but my uncle,
to his great annoyance and even shame, was remarkably sea sick.
This mal de mer troubled him the more that it
prevented him from questioning Captain Bjarne as to the subject
of Sneffels, as to the means of communication and the
(03:43):
facilities of transport. All these explanations he had to adjourn
to the period of his arrival. His time, meanwhile, was
spent lying in bed, groaning and dwelling anxiously on the
hoped for termination of the voyage. I didn't pity him.
On the eleventh day we sighted Cape Portland, over which
towered Mount Midril's yokel which, the weather being clear, we
(04:05):
made out very readily. The cape itself is nothing but
a huge amount of granite, standing naked and alone to
meet the Atlantic waves. The Valkyrie kept off the coast,
steering to the westward. On all sides were to be
seen whole schools of whales and sharks. After some hours
we came in sight of a solitary rock in the ocean,
(04:26):
forming a mighty vault through which the foaming waves poured
with intense fury. The islets of Westman appeared to leap
from the ocean, being so low in the water as
scarcely to be seen until you were right upon them.
From that moment, the schooner was steered to the westward
in order to round Cape Wrekyons, the western point of Iceland.
(04:46):
My uncle, to his great disgust, was unable even to
crawl on deck so heavy a sea was on and
thus lost the first view of the land of Promise.
Forty eight hours later, after a storm which drove us
far to sea under bare poles, we came once more
in sight of land and were boarded by a pilot, who,
after three hours of dangerous navigation, brought the schooner safely
(05:09):
to an anchor in the Bay of Foxha. Before Rekievik,
my uncle came out of his cabin, pale, haggard, thin,
but full of enthusiasm, his eyes dilated with pleasure and satisfaction.
Nearly the whole population of the town was on foot
to see us land. The fact was that scarcely any
one of them, but expected some goods by the periodical vessel.
(05:30):
Professor Hardwig was in haste to leave his prison, or, rather,
as he called it, his hospital. But before he attempted
to do so, he caught hold of my hand, led
me to the quarter deck of the schooner, took my
arm with his left hand, and pointed inland with his right,
over the northern part of the bay, to where rose
a high, two peaked mountain, a double cone covered with
(05:50):
eternal snow. Behold, he whispered, in an awe stricken voice,
Behold Mount Sneffels. Then was without further remark. He put
his finger to his lips, frowned darkly, and descended into
the small boat which awaited us. I followed, and in
a few minutes we stood upon the soil of mysterious Iceland.
(06:12):
Scarcely were we fairly on shore, when there appeared before
us a man of excellent appearance, wearing the costume of
a military officer. He was, however, but a civil servant,
a magistrate, the governor of the island Baron Tramp. The
Professor knew whom he had to deal with. He therefore
handed him the letters from Copenhagen, and a brief conversation
(06:33):
in Danish followed, to which I, of course was a stranger,
and for a very good reason, for I did not
know the language in which they conversed. I afterwards heard, however,
that Baron Tramp placed himself entirely at the beck and
call of Professor Hardwig. My uncle was most graciously received
by mister Finson, the Mayor, who, as far as costume went,
(06:54):
was quite as military as the Governor, but also from
character and occupation quite as pacific. As for his coadjutor,
Monsieur Picterson, he was absent on an episcopal visit to
the northern portion of the diocese. We were therefore compelled
to defer the pleasure of being presented to him. His
absence was, however, more than compensated by the presence of
(07:17):
Monsieur Friedrichsen, Professor of natural Science in the College of Rekuevic,
a man of invaluable ability. This modest scholar spoke no
languages save Icelandic and Latin. When therefore he addressed himself
to me in the language of Horace, we at once
came to understand one another. He was in fact, the
only person that I did thoroughly understand during the whole
(07:38):
period of my residence in this benighted island. Out of
three rooms of which his house was composed, two were
placed at our service, and in a few hours we
were installed with all our baggage, the amount of which
rather astonished the simple inhabitants of Rekuevic. Now, Harry, said,
my uncle, rubbing his hands on goes, well, the worst
difficulty is now over. How the worst difficulty over, I cried,
(08:02):
in fresh amazement. Doubtless, here we are in Iceland. Nothing
more remains but to descend into the bowels of the earth. Well, Sir,
to a certain extent, you are right. We have only
to go down. But as far as I am concerned,
that is not the question. I want to know how
we are to get up again. That is the least
(08:23):
part of the business, and does not in any way
trouble me. In the meantime, there is not an hour
to lose. I am about to visit the public library.
Very likely I may find there some manuscripts from the
hand of suck newsom I shall be glad to consult them.
In the meanwhile, I replied, I will take a walk
through the town, Will you not likewise do so? I
(08:46):
feel no interest in the subject, said my uncle. What
for me is curiousness. Island is not what is above
the surface, but what is below. I bowed by way
of reply, put on my hat and furred cloak, and
went out. It was it was not an easy matter
to lose one's self from the two streets of Rekuevic.
I had therefore no need to ask my way. The
(09:07):
town lies on a flat and marshy plain between two hills,
A vast field of lava skirted on one side, falling
away in terraces toward the sea. On the other hand,
is the large bay of Foxa, bordered on the north
by the enormous glacier of Sneffels, and in which bay
the Valkyrie was then the only vessel at anchor. Generally
there was one or two English or French gunboats to
(09:29):
watch and protect the fisheries in the offing. They were, now, however,
absent on duty. The longest of the streets of Rekuevic
runs parallel to the shore. In this street, the merchants
and traders live in wooden huts made with beams of
wood painted red mere log huts such as you would
find in the wilds of America. The other street, situated
(09:50):
more to the west, runs toward a little lake, between
the residences of the bishop and the other personages not
engaged in commerce. I had soon seen all I wanted
of these weary and dismal thoroughfares. Here and there was
a strip of discolored turf, like an old, worn out
bit of woolen carpet, and now and then a bit
of kitchen garden, in which grew potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce,
(10:13):
almost diminutive enough to suggest the idea of Lilliput. In
the center of the new commercial street, I found the
public cemetery, enclosed by an earthen wall. Though not very large,
it appeared not likely to be filled for centuries. From
hence I went to the house of the Governor, a
mere hut in comparison with the mansion house of Hamburg,
(10:33):
but a palace. Alongside the other Icelandic houses. Between a
little lake and the town was the church, built in
simple Protestant style and composed of calcined stones thrown up
by volcanic action. I have not the slightest doubt that
in high winds its red tiles were blown out, to
the great annoyance of the pastor and congregation upon an eminence.
(10:54):
Close at hand was the National School, and which were
taught Hebrew, English, French and Danish, which in three hours
my tour was complete. The general impression upon my mind
was sadness. No trees, no vegetation, so to speak. On
all sides volcanic peaks, the huts of turf and earth
more like roofs than houses. Thanks to the heat of
(11:16):
these residences, grass grows on the roof which grass is
carefully cut for hay. I saw but few inhabitants during
my excursion, but I met a crowd on the beach drying,
salting and loading codfish, the principal article of exportation. The
men appeared robust but heavy, fair haired like Germans, but
of pensive mien. Exiles of a higher scale in the
(11:38):
latter of humanity than the Eskimos. But I thought much
more unhappy, since with superior perceptions they are compelled to
live within the limits of the polar circle. Sometimes they
gave vent to a convulsive laugh, but by no chance
did they smile. Their costumes consist of a coarse capodae
of black wool, known in scanned in Avian countries as
(12:01):
the vodmel, a broad brimmed hat, trousers of red serge,
and a piece of leather tied with strings for a shoe,
a coarse kind of moccasin. The women, though sad looking
and mournful, had rather agreeable features without much expression. They
wore a bodice and petticoat of somber vaudemel. When unmarried
they wear a little brown knitted cap over a crown
(12:23):
of plaited hair. But when married they cover their heads
with a colored handkerchief, over which they tie a white scarf.
End of Chapter six
Chapter six, our voyage to Iceland. The hour of departure
came at last the night before the worthy mister Thompson
brought us the most cordial letters of introduction for Baron Tramp,
Governor of Iceland, for mister Picterson, coadjutor to the Bishop,
and for Monsieur Finsen, mayor of the town of Rekyevich.
(00:23):
In return, my uncle nearly crushed his hands so warmly
did he shake them. On the second of the month,
at two in the morning, our precious cargo of luggage
was taken on board the good ship Valkyrie. We followed
and were politely introduced by the captain to a small
cabin with two standing bed places, neither very well ventilated
nor very comfortable. But in the cause of science, men
(00:45):
are expected to suffer well. And have we a fair wind,
cried my uncle in his most malifluous accents. An excellent wind,
cried Captain Jarn. We shall leave the sound going free
with all sales. A few minutes afterwards, the schooners started
before the wind, under all the canvas she could carry,
(01:06):
and enter the channel. An hour later, the capital of
Denmark seemed to sink into the waves, and we were
at no great distance from the coast of Elsinore. My
uncle was delighted, for myself, moody and dissatisfied. I appeared
almost to expect a glimpse of the ghost of Hamlet
sublime madman, thought I, you doubtless would approve our proceedings.
(01:27):
You might perhaps even follow us to the center of
the earth, there to resolve your eternal doubts. But no
ghost or anything else appeared upon the ancient walls. The
fact is the castle is much later than the time
of the heroic Prince of Denmark. It is now the
residence of the keeper of the Strait of the Sound,
and through that sound more than fifteen thousand vessels of
all nations pass every year. The castle of Kronborg soon
(01:51):
disappeared in the murky atmosphere, as well as the tower
of Helsenborg, which raises its head on the Swedish bank.
And here the schooner began to feel in earnest the
breezes of the Kattagot. The valkyy was swift enough, but
with all sailing boats there is the same uncertainty. Her
cargo was coal, furniture, pottery, woolen clothing and a load
of corn. As usual, the crew was small, five Danes
(02:15):
doing the whole of the work. How long will the
voyage last, asked my uncle. Well, I think about ten days,
replied the skipper, unless indeed we meet with some northeast
gales from the Faroe Islands. At all events, there will
be no very considerable delay, cried the impatient professor. No,
(02:36):
mister Hardwig, said the captain, No fear of that. At
all events, we shall get there someday. Towards evening, the
schooner doubled Cape skagin the northernmost part of Denmark, crossed
the Skagarat during the night, skirted the extreme point of Norway,
through the gut of Cape Lendissness, and then reached the
northern seas. Two days later. We were not far from
(02:59):
the coast of Scotland, somewhere near what the Danish sailors
called Peterhead. And then the Valkyrie stretched out for the
Farou Islands, between Orkney and Shetland. Our vessel now felt
the full force of the ocean waves and the wind shifting.
We with great difficulty, made the Farau Islands. On the
eighth day, the captain made out mc ginnis. The westernmost
of the Isles, and from that moment had direct for Portland,
(03:22):
a cape on the southern shores of the singular island
for which we were bound. The voyage offered no incident
worthy of record. I bore it very well, but my uncle,
to his great annoyance and even shame, was remarkably sea sick.
This mal de mer troubled him the more that it
prevented him from questioning Captain Bjarne as to the subject
of Sneffels, as to the means of communication and the
(03:43):
facilities of transport. All these explanations he had to adjourn
to the period of his arrival. His time, meanwhile, was
spent lying in bed, groaning and dwelling anxiously on the
hoped for termination of the voyage. I didn't pity him.
On the eleventh day we sighted Cape Portland, over which
towered Mount Midril's yokel which, the weather being clear, we
(04:05):
made out very readily. The cape itself is nothing but
a huge amount of granite, standing naked and alone to
meet the Atlantic waves. The Valkyrie kept off the coast,
steering to the westward. On all sides were to be
seen whole schools of whales and sharks. After some hours
we came in sight of a solitary rock in the ocean,
(04:26):
forming a mighty vault through which the foaming waves poured
with intense fury. The islets of Westman appeared to leap
from the ocean, being so low in the water as
scarcely to be seen until you were right upon them.
From that moment, the schooner was steered to the westward
in order to round Cape Wrekyons, the western point of Iceland.
(04:46):
My uncle, to his great disgust, was unable even to
crawl on deck so heavy a sea was on and
thus lost the first view of the land of Promise.
Forty eight hours later, after a storm which drove us
far to sea under bare poles, we came once more
in sight of land and were boarded by a pilot, who,
after three hours of dangerous navigation, brought the schooner safely
(05:09):
to an anchor in the Bay of Foxha. Before Rekievik,
my uncle came out of his cabin, pale, haggard, thin,
but full of enthusiasm, his eyes dilated with pleasure and satisfaction.
Nearly the whole population of the town was on foot
to see us land. The fact was that scarcely any
one of them, but expected some goods by the periodical vessel.
(05:30):
Professor Hardwig was in haste to leave his prison, or, rather,
as he called it, his hospital. But before he attempted
to do so, he caught hold of my hand, led
me to the quarter deck of the schooner, took my
arm with his left hand, and pointed inland with his right,
over the northern part of the bay, to where rose
a high, two peaked mountain, a double cone covered with
(05:50):
eternal snow. Behold, he whispered, in an awe stricken voice,
Behold Mount Sneffels. Then was without further remark. He put
his finger to his lips, frowned darkly, and descended into
the small boat which awaited us. I followed, and in
a few minutes we stood upon the soil of mysterious Iceland.
(06:12):
Scarcely were we fairly on shore, when there appeared before
us a man of excellent appearance, wearing the costume of
a military officer. He was, however, but a civil servant,
a magistrate, the governor of the island Baron Tramp. The
Professor knew whom he had to deal with. He therefore
handed him the letters from Copenhagen, and a brief conversation
(06:33):
in Danish followed, to which I, of course was a stranger,
and for a very good reason, for I did not
know the language in which they conversed. I afterwards heard, however,
that Baron Tramp placed himself entirely at the beck and
call of Professor Hardwig. My uncle was most graciously received
by mister Finson, the Mayor, who, as far as costume went,
(06:54):
was quite as military as the Governor, but also from
character and occupation quite as pacific. As for his coadjutor,
Monsieur Picterson, he was absent on an episcopal visit to
the northern portion of the diocese. We were therefore compelled
to defer the pleasure of being presented to him. His
absence was, however, more than compensated by the presence of
(07:17):
Monsieur Friedrichsen, Professor of natural Science in the College of Rekuevic,
a man of invaluable ability. This modest scholar spoke no
languages save Icelandic and Latin. When therefore he addressed himself
to me in the language of Horace, we at once
came to understand one another. He was in fact, the
only person that I did thoroughly understand during the whole
(07:38):
period of my residence in this benighted island. Out of
three rooms of which his house was composed, two were
placed at our service, and in a few hours we
were installed with all our baggage, the amount of which
rather astonished the simple inhabitants of Rekuevic. Now, Harry, said,
my uncle, rubbing his hands on goes, well, the worst
difficulty is now over. How the worst difficulty over, I cried,
(08:02):
in fresh amazement. Doubtless, here we are in Iceland. Nothing
more remains but to descend into the bowels of the earth. Well, Sir,
to a certain extent, you are right. We have only
to go down. But as far as I am concerned,
that is not the question. I want to know how
we are to get up again. That is the least
(08:23):
part of the business, and does not in any way
trouble me. In the meantime, there is not an hour
to lose. I am about to visit the public library.
Very likely I may find there some manuscripts from the
hand of suck newsom I shall be glad to consult them.
In the meanwhile, I replied, I will take a walk
through the town, Will you not likewise do so? I
(08:46):
feel no interest in the subject, said my uncle. What
for me is curiousness. Island is not what is above
the surface, but what is below. I bowed by way
of reply, put on my hat and furred cloak, and
went out. It was it was not an easy matter
to lose one's self from the two streets of Rekuevic.
I had therefore no need to ask my way. The
(09:07):
town lies on a flat and marshy plain between two hills,
A vast field of lava skirted on one side, falling
away in terraces toward the sea. On the other hand,
is the large bay of Foxa, bordered on the north
by the enormous glacier of Sneffels, and in which bay
the Valkyrie was then the only vessel at anchor. Generally
there was one or two English or French gunboats to
(09:29):
watch and protect the fisheries in the offing. They were, now, however,
absent on duty. The longest of the streets of Rekuevic
runs parallel to the shore. In this street, the merchants
and traders live in wooden huts made with beams of
wood painted red mere log huts such as you would
find in the wilds of America. The other street, situated
(09:50):
more to the west, runs toward a little lake, between
the residences of the bishop and the other personages not
engaged in commerce. I had soon seen all I wanted
of these weary and dismal thoroughfares. Here and there was
a strip of discolored turf, like an old, worn out
bit of woolen carpet, and now and then a bit
of kitchen garden, in which grew potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce,
(10:13):
almost diminutive enough to suggest the idea of Lilliput. In
the center of the new commercial street, I found the
public cemetery, enclosed by an earthen wall. Though not very large,
it appeared not likely to be filled for centuries. From
hence I went to the house of the Governor, a
mere hut in comparison with the mansion house of Hamburg,
(10:33):
but a palace. Alongside the other Icelandic houses. Between a
little lake and the town was the church, built in
simple Protestant style and composed of calcined stones thrown up
by volcanic action. I have not the slightest doubt that
in high winds its red tiles were blown out, to
the great annoyance of the pastor and congregation upon an eminence.
(10:54):
Close at hand was the National School, and which were
taught Hebrew, English, French and Danish, which in three hours
my tour was complete. The general impression upon my mind
was sadness. No trees, no vegetation, so to speak. On
all sides volcanic peaks, the huts of turf and earth
more like roofs than houses. Thanks to the heat of
(11:16):
these residences, grass grows on the roof which grass is
carefully cut for hay. I saw but few inhabitants during
my excursion, but I met a crowd on the beach drying,
salting and loading codfish, the principal article of exportation. The
men appeared robust but heavy, fair haired like Germans, but
of pensive mien. Exiles of a higher scale in the
(11:38):
latter of humanity than the Eskimos. But I thought much
more unhappy, since with superior perceptions they are compelled to
live within the limits of the polar circle. Sometimes they
gave vent to a convulsive laugh, but by no chance
did they smile. Their costumes consist of a coarse capodae
of black wool, known in scanned in Avian countries as
(12:01):
the vodmel, a broad brimmed hat, trousers of red serge,
and a piece of leather tied with strings for a shoe,
a coarse kind of moccasin. The women, though sad looking
and mournful, had rather agreeable features without much expression. They
wore a bodice and petticoat of somber vaudemel. When unmarried
they wear a little brown knitted cap over a crown
(12:23):
of plaited hair. But when married they cover their heads
with a colored handkerchief, over which they tie a white scarf.
End of Chapter six
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