TRAVELS 1 N ICELAND. 41 GENERAL OPINION OF TIIE INHABITANTS RESPECTING THIS GLACIER. There is no Icelander, who does not know the Geitland, and who does not admire its wonderful construction, its masses of ice, and its extraordinary height, in which it surpasses all the other mountains. They likewise believe from ancient traditions and legends, that there is in the middle of this mountain a deep valley, embellished with beautiful meadows, and inhabited by a small body of unknown people, who are said to live with their flocks and cattle, and to be the descendants of banditti and giants. In the ancient books of Iceland, they are called the men of the woods, which fable owes its origin to a saga or history, in which it is said, that these giants inhabited the valley during winter. It states that at the period in question, that is to say, about the year 102G, there lived a herdsman named Tliorir, who had two daughters, with whom the Grettis or giants got ac- quainted ; that this valley, besides being ornamented with beau- tiful woods and meadows, has an abundance of fine sheep, which are of the largest size. The same passage adds, and with reason, that this valley can never be covered with ice; because there is at the bottom a strong heat and several hot springs. We shall not proceed any farther in relating the wonders re- ported of this valley : the circumstances that may be relied on, are very few, and these are founded only on vague relations com- municated by those Icelanders, who had the courage to visit the mountain at different periods, and returned without any accident. Messrs. Biocrnsen and Helge, two ecclesiastics of the country, examined this mountain and the valley of Thorir. We had an opportunity of procuring the history of their journey, which is written in an obscure style; but it is nevertheless authentic. They state that they arrived towards evening, but in delightful weather, at a large valley situated in this glacier : it was of such a depth, that they could not distinguish whether it was covered with grass or not; and the descent to it was so steep, that they were not able to go down, and consequently returned. On the 9th of August, we set off from Reykholtzdal on our way to the glacier of Geitland : our object was not to discover a region, or inhabitants different from those we had quitted, but our journey was to observe the glacier with the most scrupulous accuracy, and thus to procure new intelligence re lative to the construction of this wonderful edifice of nature. The weather was so fine, and the sky so clear, that we had reason to expect we should accomplish our object according to our wish; but it is necessary to state, that in a short time the gla- ciers draw towards them the fogs and clouds that are near, that OLAFSEN.] f

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