WESTMANNSHAVN—APPROACH TO ICELAND. 33 with a range of low coast backed by mountains extending on our right. It became an interesting occupation for the passengers to lean over the gunwale or stand in the gallery, and watch the constant changes of the scenery. Out from Cape Reikianes, proceeds a series of skerries or sea-rocks, which make the navigation somewhat critical. Here, likewise, is seen a squat, round, rocky islet, of the Bass species, having, like it, a slightly inclined top, white with guano. From the peculiar form and colour, as seen at a distance, it has been called the Meal-sek—a term which we were amused to find pronounced by the Danes precisely as it would be pronounced in Scotland. As we went along, we could trace nothing on the shore but black rocks. All seemed as desolate and peopleless as when Ingolf first approached the island in the ninth century, and flung the door of his house into the sea, that the waves, carrying it ashore, might determine the place where he should land. At length a fishing-boat appeared, and the captain eagerly hailed it, thinking to get some of the men on board. But they shook their heads mistrustingly, betraying by the glance they took of the smoke what it was that made them refuse the invitation. The fact was, that the Thor was the first steamer which had ever come to Iceland. The simpler kind of people were sure, we were told, to regard it as something uncanny; and such proved to be the case. The general terror, however, did not prevent the approach of a pilot, who proved a much more civilised-looking person than he of Thorshavn. It was with almost a childish wonder and curiosity that we approached Reikiavik. As the capital of a country so out of the way and peculiar, we hardly knew how to paint it to the imagination. With a sort of hush, we clustered together on deck, while the good ship pursued its steam-speeded way amongst a group of low islands, till, turning an angle, it came full before a low shore, of a curving form, on which rose a lengthened cluster of wooden houses, like those which abound in Norway, many of them bearing flags. We soon found ourselves amidst four or five merchant-vessels of a moderate size, all of which had likewise their colours flying. The whole scene, therefore, was of a much livelier and more civilised character than we had expected. We could see various clusters of people on the shore, brought together,

(1) Front Board
(2) Front Board
(3) Front Flyleaf
(4) Front Flyleaf
(5) Illustration
(6) Illustration
(7) Page [1]
(8) Page [2]
(9) Page [3]
(10) Page [4]
(11) Page 1
(12) Page 2
(13) Page 3
(14) Page 4
(15) Page 5
(16) Page 6
(17) Page 7
(18) Page 8
(19) Page 9
(20) Page 10
(21) Page 11
(22) Page 12
(23) Page 13
(24) Page 14
(25) Page 15
(26) Page 16
(27) Page 17
(28) Page 18
(29) Page 19
(30) Page 20
(31) Page 21
(32) Page 22
(33) Page 23
(34) Page 24
(35) Page 25
(36) Page 26
(37) Page 27
(38) Page 28
(39) Page 29
(40) Page 30
(41) Page 31
(42) Page 32
(43) Page 33
(44) Page 34
(45) Page 35
(46) Page 36
(47) Page 37
(48) Page 38
(49) Page 39
(50) Page 40
(51) Page 41
(52) Page 42
(53) Page 43
(54) Page 44
(55) Page 45
(56) Page 46
(57) Page 47
(58) Page 48
(59) Page 49
(60) Page 50
(61) Page 51
(62) Page 52
(63) Page 53
(64) Page 54
(65) Page 55
(66) Page 56
(67) Page 57
(68) Page 58
(69) Page 59
(70) Page 60
(71) Page 61
(72) Page 62
(73) Page 63
(74) Page 64
(75) Page 65
(76) Page 66
(77) Page 67
(78) Page 68
(79) Page 69
(80) Page 70
(81) Page 71
(82) Page 72
(83) Page 73
(84) Page 74
(85) Page 75
(86) Page 76
(87) Page 77
(88) Page 78
(89) Page 79
(90) Page 80
(91) Page 81
(92) Page 82
(93) Page 83
(94) Page 84
(95) Page 85
(96) Page 86
(97) Rear Flyleaf
(98) Rear Flyleaf
(99) Rear Board
(100) Rear Board
(101) Spine
(102) Fore Edge
(103) Scale
(104) Color Palette