So Unchanged, So Recent Seemed
The Vestiges Of This Convulsion, That I Felt As If I Had
Been Admitted To Witness One Of Nature's Grandest And
Most Violent Operations, Almost In The Very Act Of Its
Execution.
A walk of about twenty minutes brought us to
the borders of the lake - a glorious expanse of water,
Fifteen miles long, by eight miles broad, occupying a
basin formed by the same hills, which must also, I imagine,
have arrested the further progress of the lava torrent.
A lovelier scene I have seldom witnessed. In the foreground
lay huge masses of rock and lava, tossed about like the
ruins of a world; and washed by waters as bright and
green as polished malachite. Beyond, a bevy of distant
mountains, robed by the transparent atmosphere in tints
unknown to Europe, peeped over each other's shoulders
into the silver mirror at their feet, while here and
there from among their purple ridges columns of white
vapour rose like altar smoke toward the tranquil heaven.
On returning home we found dinner waiting for us. I had
invited the clergyman, and a German gentleman who was
lodging with him, to give us the pleasure of their company;
and in ten minutes we had all become the best of friends.
It is true the conversation was carried on in rather a
wild jargon, made up of six different languages - Icelandic,
English, German, Latin, Danish, French - but in spite of
the difficulty with which he expressed himself, it was
impossible not to be struck with the simple earnest
character of my German convive.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 72 of 286
Words from 19966 to 20230
of 79667
