Chapter 12

A BARREN LAND

We had started under a sky overcast but calm. There was no fear ofheat, none of disastrous rain. It was just the weather for tourists.

The pleasure of riding on horseback over an unknown country made meeasy to be pleased at our first start. I threw myself wholly into thepleasure of the trip, and enjoyed the feeling of freedom andsatisfied desire. I was beginning to take a real share in theenterprise.

"Besides," I said to myself, "where's the risk? Here we aretravelling all through a most interesting country! We are about toclimb a very remarkable mountain; at the worst we are going toscramble down an extinct crater. It is evident that Saknussemm didnothing more than this. As for a passage leading to the centre of theglobe, it is mere rubbish! perfectly impossible! Very well, then; letus get all the good we can out of this expedition, and don't let ushaggle about the chances."

This reasoning having settled my mind, we got out of Rejkiavik.

Hans moved steadily on, keeping ahead of us at an even, smooth, andrapid pace. The baggage horses followed him without giving anytrouble. Then came my uncle and myself, looking not so veryill-mounted on our small but hardy animals.

Iceland is one of the largest islands in Europe. Its surface is14,000 square miles, and it contains but 16,000 inhabitants.Geographers have divided it into four quarters, and we were crossingdiagonally the south-west quarter, called the 'Sudvester Fjordungr.'

On leaving Rejkiavik Hans took us by the seashore. We passed leanpastures which were trying very hard, but in vain, to look green;yellow came out best. The rugged peaks of the trachyte rockspresented faint outlines on the eastern horizon; at times a fewpatches of snow, concentrating the vague light, glittered upon theslopes of the distant mountains; certain peaks, boldly uprising,passed through the grey clouds, and reappeared above the movingmists, like breakers emerging in the heavens.

Often these chains of barren rocks made a dip towards the sea, andencroached upon the scanty pasturage: but there was always enoughroom to pass. Besides, our horses instinctively chose the easiestplaces without ever slackening their pace. My uncle was refused eventhe satisfaction of stirring up his beast with whip or voice. He hadno excuse for being impatient. I could not help smiling to see sotall a man on so small a pony, and as his long legs nearly touchedthe ground he looked like a six-legged centaur.

"Good horse! good horse!" he kept saying. "You will see, Axel, thatthere is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He isstopped by neither snow, nor storm, nor impassable roads, nor rocks,glaciers, or anything. He is courageous, sober, and surefooted. Henever makes a false step, never shies. If there is a river or fiordto cross (and we shall meet with many) you will see him plunge in atonce, just as if he were amphibious,