pernumerary articles of clothing, and to assist us in case of danger.

When our design was made known to the people about the place, they shook their heads, and maintained that it was impossible to gain the summit; while some of them seemed to look upon the attempt as an act of presumptuous temerity. They regard the mountain with a kind of superstitious veneration; and find it difficult to divest their minds of the idea, that it is still haunted by Bârdr, the tutelary divinity of the Yökul, who will not fail to avenge himself on all that have the audacity to defile, with mortal breath, the pure and ethereal atmosphere of his lofty abode.

After partaking of an excellent breakfast, and having completely equipped ourselves for the journey, we set out from Stappen at eight o'clock, the thermometer shewing 52° in the shade. Our way lay nearly due north-east, along the base of Stappafiall, an irregular mountain, which projects from the south side of the Yökul, and consists for the most part of tuffa and columnar lava. Numerous caverns with which it is perforated, combine with these appearances to determine its volcanic origin. On our right we had a stream of lava, which we crossed repeatedly, and proceeded up the long gulley, down which it has flowed from the Yökul. Following this track, and surmounting alternate masses of snow and rough knobby lavas, we came, about ten o'clock, to the last black spot we could discover, a huge piece of lava, on which we rested ourselves for about a quarter of an hour, in order to gain strength for the remaining and more arduous part of our excursion.

What had greatly incommoded us hitherto, was the extreme softness of the snow. We sunk in it past the knees; and though Mr H. and I walked in the prints made by the three men, we found it nearly as fatiguing as if we had made a track each for himself. The mercury had now risen to 57°; and the elevation we had gained was still considerably below the Yökul-háls, or the ridge which connects the mountain with the main body of the peninsula.

We again renewed our ascent. The surface of the snow

began to get more indurated, and though we still sunk too much to admit of our walking with ease, this inconvenience was in some measure counterbalanced by the gentleness with which the mountain rose before us. In the course of half an hour, however, the ascent became more acclivitous, and ultimately got so steep, that we were obliged to climb it in a zig-zag direction, and found it impossible to advance more than thirty or forty paces at a time, without throwing ourselves down on the snow, in order to refresh ourselves by a temporary respite. What is very remarkable, though we always felt so fatigued, that we supposed a considerable time would be required to render us vigorous again, we had not lain more than three minutes when we found ourselves as fresh and lively as ever. We now found the black silk handkerchiefs we had taken with us very useful, as the rays of the sun, reflected from the minute crystals of ice on the crust of the snow, proved extremely annoying, and must certainly have been hurtful to the organs of sight had we not used this precaution.

For some time we completely lost sight of the superior regions of the Yökul; but as we continued our progress, the most easterly peak came at length in view, and appeared to be at no great elevation above us. It was not, however, till after we had repeatedly renewed our toil, that we reached its southern base, about one o'clock. This peak is called the Thrihyrning, from the three minor peaks into which it is divided; and which consist of masses of congealed snow, supported by beautiful massive pillars of ice in front, which wear a brilliant green hue, and reflect the beams of the sun in the most vivid manner. We here halted near half an hour, and partook of some refreshment, after which we pursued our route towards the middle and highest peak.

The ascent now became much easier, owing to the consistence of the crust, and the more gentle rise of the mountain. The air increased in purity, and the heat sensibly declined. At the Thrihyrning, the mercury had fallen to 36°; and a little farther up, it stood at 33°; though there was a piercing sun, and little or no wind was perceptible.

What not a little disconcerted us during this stage of our progress, was the appearance of mist gathering round the Yökul, at a considerable distance below us, which we were afraid would increase, and not only confine our prospect, but render our descent both difficult and dangerous.

We now began also to anticipate the dangerous rents and chasms in the snow, so pathetically described by former travellers; but were no less surprised than pleased to meet with only a single fissure, which did not appear to run to any great depth, and was only about four inches in breadth. Their absence, however, may be accounted for from the earliness of the season; the winter snows with which they had been drifted up remaining undissolved, and no fresh disruptions from the precipitation of the masses of snow having yet taken place. For this reason, the ascent of the Yökul must always be easier the earlier it is undertaken; though in this case the danger must be greater, as many of the old chasms may only have been partially drifted over, and, ere the traveller is aware, he may sink through a deceitful surface into an immense unfathomed abyss.

About three o'clock, we ultimately succeeded in reaching the base of the highest peak, when, all at once, a most tremendous precipice appeared at our feet, exceeding 2000 feet of nearly perpendicular depth, and displaying, in various parts of the profound valley of snow into which it opened, long and broad fissures running parallel with its sides. Near the middle of this awful depth we espied a huge circular aperture, the sides of which were lined with green ice, and which seemed to have been formed by a cascade, poured down from some part of the snow-bank on which we stood, though we could not discover any marks of water. This wonderful chasm ran down from between the middle and most westerly peaks, and appeared to descend to near the northern base of the mountain. Skirting the brink of the frozen precipice, we ascended the north side of the peak, but, after climbing within three or four yards of its summit, we were debarred all further progress by a perpendicular wall of icy pillars, resembling those already described,

and completely surrounding the summit, which we could reach with great ease with the end of the poles, or long walking staves in our hands.

We here formed a seat with our poles in the snow, and sat down to partake of a cold dinner, which tasted still colder from the ideas suggested by the scene around us, and the actual increase of cold in the atmosphere, the mercury ha ving sunk to 29°. The mist that had partially encompassed the Yökul during our ascent, now completely encircled it, and prevented us from surveying the low coasts and harbours around the base of the mountain. The prospect was, nevertheless, noble and commanding. The mountains of the peninsula rose into view through the surrounding fog; the whole length of the bay of Faxèfiord was distinctly visible to our right, together with the Eastern and Western Skardsheidi mountains, Akkrafiall, and part of the moun tains in Gullbringe Syssel. Geitland's Yökul, Skialldbreid, and the mountains about Hekla, crowded into view from the east; while, from the termination of the range of mountains that divides the peninsula, stretched the Breidafiord, studded with an innumerable multitude of singular-looking islands. The mountains of Bardastrand and Isafiord bounded the prospect towards the north, among which the Glâma and Drângâ Yökuls shone with great splendour. The view to the west was only confined by our limited powers of vision, and certainly extended beyond half the intervening distance between Iceland and Greenland. What added to the interest excited by so extensive a prospect, was the beautiful girdle of clouds which surrounded the Yökul, at least 3000 feet below us. The atmospherical fluid felt uncommonly pure; and the pleasurable sensations produced by the reflection that we had attained the object of our enterprize, in spite even of our own misgivings, tended, in no small degree, to cheer and exhilarate our minds.

On surveying such an immense snow mountain, it is impossible not to feel the force of the Scripture appeal: “Will the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or the inundating cold flowing waters be exhausted?" Jerem. xviii.

14. Much less can HE fail, who is the ancient of days, and the rock of ages, the fountain of living waters, and the God of all comfort and consolation. Every sublunary object must undergo vicissitude and decay; the whole of the mundane system shall one day present a scene of universal ruin: but "He remaineth the same, and His years shall have no end," Psalm cii. 27.

Having examined the compass, and found it exactly to correspond with the sun, we began to retrace our steps, which, from their depth, were plain before us, so that there was no danger of losing our way. We found the descent extremely easy; and in little more than three hours from our leaving the summit of the Yökul, we again found ourselves at Stappen, where we were welcomed by the inhabitants; but it was not till the following morning that the common people would believe the protestations of our attendants, that we had actually reached the middle peak.