e torches, but was obliged to
consider myself fortunate in getting a few tapers. It is necessary to
provide oneself with torches at Reikjavik.

The parts of the cavern beneath the open craters were still covered with
a considerable quantity of snow, by which our progress was rendered very
dangerous. We frequently sunk in, and at other times caught our feet
between the stones, so that we could scarcely maintain our balance. In
the by-paths situated near these openings an icy rind had formed itself,
which was now covered with water. Farther on, the ice had melted; but it
was generally very dirty, as a stratum of sand mixed with water lay there
in place of the stones. The chief path alone was covered with blocks of
lava; in the smaller paths I found only strata of sand and small pieces
of lava.

The magical illumination produced by the sun's rays shining through one
of these craters into the cavern produced a splendid effect. The sun
shone perpendicularly through the opening, spread a dazzling radiance
over the snow, and diffused a pale delicate light around us. The effect
of this point of dazzling light was the more remarkable from its
contrasting strongly with the two dark chasms, from the first of which we
had emerged to continue our journey through the obscurity of the second.

This subterranean labyrinth is said to extend in different directions for
many miles. We explored a portion of the chief path and several
by-paths, and after a march of two hours returned heartily tired to the
upper world. We then rested a quarter of an hour, and afterwards
returned at a good round pace to Kalmannstunga.

Unfortunately I do not possess sufficient geognostic knowledge to be able
to set this cavern down as an extinct volcano. But in travelling in a
country where every hill and mountain, every thing around, in fact,
consists of lava, even the uninitiated in science seeks to discover the
openings whence these immense masses have poured. The stranger curiously
regards the top of each mountain, thinking every where to behold a
crater, but both hill and dale appear smooth and closed. With what joy
then does he hail the thought of having discovered, in this cavern,
something to throw light upon the sources of these things! I, at least,
fancied myself walking on the hearth of an extinct volcano; for all I
saw, from the masses of stone piled beneath my feet and the immense basin
above my head, were both of lava. If I am r