the mountain, in plain sight of Thorshavn, he cordially shook me by
the hand, and said many kind words, which I could only interpret to
mean that he and all his kith and kin wished me a pleasant voyage to
Iceland, and many years of health and happiness.

When I now recall the fine, intelligent face of this young man, his
bright dark eyes, healthy complexion, and strong, well-knit frame, the
latent energy in all his movements, the genial simplicity of his
manners, and his evident thirst for knowledge, I can not help feeling
something akin to regret that so much good material should be wasted
in the obscurity of a shepherd's life. So gifted by nature, what might
not such a youth achieve in an appropriate sphere of action? And yet,
perhaps, it is better for him that he should spend his life among the
barren cliffs of Stromoe, with no more companions than his dog and his
sheep, than jostle among men in the great outer world, to learn at
last the bitter lesson that the eye is not satisfied with riches, nor
the understanding with knowledge.

On the way down to the Valley of Thorshavn I met a man mounted on a
shaggy little monster, which in almost any other country would have
been mistaken for a species of sheep. As this was a fair specimen of a
Faroese horse and his rider, I sat down on a rock after they had
passed and took the best view of them I could get.

Late in the afternoon the scattered passengers were gathered together,
and the good people of Thorshavn came down to the wharf to bid us
farewell. In half an hour more we were all on board. "Up anchor!" was
the order, and once more we went steaming on our way.

Short as our sojourn had been among these primitive people, it
furnished us with many pleasant reminiscences. Their genial
hospitality and simple good-nature, together with their utter
ignorance of the outer world, formed the theme of various amusing
anecdotes during the remainder of the passage. Favored by a southerly
wind and a stock of good coal, we made the southeastern point of
Iceland in a little over two days from Thorshavn.

[Illustration: FAROESE ON HORSEBACK.]

CHAPTER XLII.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF ICELAND.

It would be difficult to conceive any thing more impressive than this
first view of the land of snow and fire. A low stretch of black boggy
coast to the right; dark cliffs of lava in front; far in the
background, range after range of bleak, snow-capped mountains, the
fiery Jokuls d