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PHYSICAL GLANCE AT ICELAND.

Chap. III.

CHAPTEE III.

Physical glance at Iceland — Vicinity of breakers — Run for theWestmann Islands — Yokuls — The Westmanns and their in-habitants — Eruption of 1783 — Anchorage of Reykjavik — Thelanding — First day in Iceland .

July 25th. —Heke we are steaming along in aperfect calm, without even the accustomed whale ofthe voyager in these latitudes to break the mono-tony of sea-life; let us take a physical glance at ourdestination.

Iceland is one-fifth larger than Ireland , and situatedabout 500 miles N.W. of Scotland , on the confines ofthe Polar circle, which bisects its northern extremities;and, unlike any other portion of the world of a similarsize, Iceland owes its creation entirely to submarinevolcanic agency. At some early period of geologicalhistory the nucleus of this island was thrown upfrom the depths of the ocean by volcanic power, asSabrina and Graham’s Islands were in the presentcentury. With them the gradual formation of anisland by submarine eruption was daily recorded.At first passing navigators feel shocks as of earth -