Chapter 10 - Page 2

works of Arne Saknussemm?"

"Arne Saknussemm!" replied the Rejkiavik professor. "You mean thatlearned sixteenth century savant, a naturalist, a chemist, and atraveller?"

"Just so!"

"One of the glories of Icelandic literature and science?"

"That's the man."

"An illustrious man anywhere!"

"Quite so."

"And whose courage was equal to his genius!"

"I see that you know him well."

My uncle was bathed in delight at hearing his hero thus described. Hefeasted his eyes upon M. Fridrikssen's face.

"Well," he cried, "where are his works?"

"His works, we have them not."

"What - not in Iceland?"

"They are neither in Iceland nor anywhere else."

"Why is that?"

"Because Arne Saknussemm was persecuted for heresy, and in 1573 hisbooks were burned by the hands of the common hangman."

"Very good! Excellent!" cried my uncle, to the great scandal of theprofessor of natural history.

"What!" he cried.

"Yes, yes; now it is all clear, now it is all unravelled; and I seewhy Saknussemm, put into the Index Expurgatorius, and compelled tohide the discoveries made by his genius, was obliged to bury in anincomprehensible cryptogram the secret -"

"What secret?" asked M. Fridrikssen, starting.

"Oh, just a secret which -" my uncle stammered.

"Have you some private document in your possession?" asked our host.

"No; I was only supposing a case."

"Oh, very well," answered M. Fridrikssen, who was kind enough not topursue the subject when he had noticed the embarrassment of hisfriend. "I hope you will not leave our island until you have seensome of its mineralogical wealth."

"Certainly," replied my uncle; "but I am rather late; or have notothers been here before me?"

"Yes, Herr Liedenbrock; the labours of MM. Olafsen and Povelsen,pursued by order of the king, the researches of Troïl the scientificmission of MM. Gaimard and Robert on the French corvette _LaRecherche,_ [1] and lately the observations of scientific men whocame in the _Reine Hortense,_ have added materially to our knowledgeof Iceland. But I assure you there is plenty left."

"Do you think so?" said my uncle, pretending to look very modest, andtrying to hide the curiosity was flashing out of his eyes.

"Oh, yes; how many mountains, glaciers, and volcanoes there are tostudy, which are as yet but imperfectly known! Then, without goingany further, that mountain in the horizon. That is Snæfell."

"Ah!" said my uncle, as coolly as he was able, "is that Snæfell?"

"Yes; one of the most curious volcanoes, and the crater of which hasscarcely ever been visited."

"Is it extinct?"

"Oh, yes; more than five hundred years."

"Well," replied my uncle, who was frantically locking his