re taken off it was discovered that some of them wore quite empty,
and the contents, consisting originally of hair-brushes, flea-powder,
lip-salve, and cold-cream, were strewn along the road probably all the
way from Reykjavik. The cot-fixtures were swelled and wouldn't fit;
the tea-kettle was jammed into a cocked-hat; the tent-pins were lost,
and the hatchet nowhere to be found. It was a perfect series of jams,
smashes, and scatterings. Even the sheets were filled with mud, and
wholly unfit for use until they could be washed and done up. One horse
lay down on the portable kitchen, and flattened it into a general
pancake; another attempted to take an impression of his own body on
the photographic apparatus, and reduced it (the apparatus) to
fragments; another, wishing perhaps to see his face as others saw him,
raked off the looking-glasses against a point of lava, and walked on
them; and, lastly, one stupid beast contrived in some way to get his
nose into a mustard-case which had fallen from a pack in front, and,
snuffing up the mustard, got his nostrils burnt and went perfectly
crazy, kicking, plunging, and charging at all the other horses till he
drove them all as crazy as himself, whereby a prodigious amount of
damage was done. In short, it was a series of disasters from beginning
to end; and here they were now but two days' journey from Reykjavik (I
had made the whole distance easily in seven hours), and, by Jove,
there was no telling how much longer it would be possible to keep the
guide. They had already quarreled with him several times, and
threatened to discharge him. He was a stupid dunce, and a rascal and a
cheat into the bargain. On the whole, it was a "rum" sort of a country
to travel in. No game, no roads, no shops, no accommodations for man
or beast! And who ever saw such houses for people to live in? Mere
sheep-pens! Disgustingly filthy! A beastly set of ragamuffins! By
Jove, sir, if it wasn't for the name of the thing, a fellow might as
well be in the infernal regions at once! In truth, I must acknowledge
that the interior of an Icelandic hut does not present a very
attractive spectacle to a stranger.

I deeply sympathized with my friends, and urged them to leave the
remainder of their baggage. If there was any medicine left, a dose of
quinine all around might do them good and prevent any ill effects from
the rain; but, on the whole, I thought they would get along better
with less baggage.

"Less bagga