ROUTE III.—A SUMMER’S TOUR IN ICELAND. 145 Dettifoss to \eistareyhir (Testie-reeks) solfatara, and he counted forty-seven rifts, most of which were passable with the greatest difficulty over masses of the debris. In Chapter II., when treating of the geology of the island, it was mentioned there is abundant evidence that, in the early days of the island’s history, a rift (charged at times with volcanic matters) in the deeper-seated rock formations of the earth’s crust extended from the south coast as fur north as Krafla, and, from the shattered state of the country from that volcano northward to the coast, there is reason to believe the rift either completely intersected the island, or that a channel of post- tertiary formation, connected with the central volcanic outlet, extends northward from Krafla. A geologist could pass a month very pleasantly and profitably in thoroughly exploring and mapping out the volcanoes, rifts, and lava-floods lying upon the line of the vast volcanic outlet nearly, or quite, intersecting the island between the 16° and 17° W. Long. The travellers should make a halt at Gar&r for coffee; and thence from two to three hours’ ride will bring them to the Asbyroi (God’s-retreat, or inclosure). A remarkable > -shaped valley, which must he classed among the most wonderful of the physical features of Iceland. As stated in the introductory chapter, it is such a valley as would he formed were it possible to remove a gigantic > -shaped mass of rock, with arms 300 feet in thickness, 500 yards in width, and a mile apart at their extremities, leaving a triangular impression with vertical declivities on either hand. There can hardly exist a doubt that it owes its formation to the subsidence of a vast mass of rock that at one time filled in the abyss, and connected with the surrounding country the triangular rocky buttress now standing insulated; and, to judge from the con- figuration of the valley, there is every reason to believe that the mass which subsided lay above two forks of a subterranean channel at the point where they branched off. The insulated triangular buttress is about a mile in width at its base, which faces seaward, and gradually increases in height from this towards its apex, where its cliffs are quite 300 feet in height, its summit maintaining the downward slope towards the sea of the surrounding country, on the opposite sides of the insulating’ valley. The faces of the cliffs are but little weathered, remaining as clean cut as if the subsidence had taken place but a century or so ago, but never- theless it is prehistoric. The floor of the valley is tolerably level, save at its southern end; and a forest of miniature birch trees flourish within its sheltering walls. One’s dog while passing through 10

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