第47部分(第6/7 頁)

tore　the　hooks　off　the　Phantoms　and　brass　“devils；”　or　smashed　the　tackle；　but　we　caught　many　up　to　about　four　pounds　in　weight。　Indeed；　the　sport　was　so　easy　that　one　grew　weary　of　it。　Very　charming　it　was　also　to　stand　alone　in　the　blue　light　at　midnight　by　the　banks；　or　in　the　water　of　the　wide　and　brawling　salmon　river；　casting　for　and　sometimes　hooking　the　king　of　fish。　Never　shall　I　forget　the　impression　it　produced　upon　me。　The　mighty　black　mountains；　the　solitude；　the　song　of　the　river；　and　the　whistling　flight　of　the　wild　duck　—　by　which　the　silence　alone　was　broken　—　and；　over　all；　that　low　unearthly　light　just　strong　enough　to　show　my　fly　upon　the　water　and　the　boiling　rises　of　the　salmon。　It　is　an　experience　which　I　am　glad　to　have　known。

At　Rejkjavik；　for　some　reason　that　I　have　forgotten；　we　caught　not　the　Danish　mail　steamer　as　we　had　expected；　but　our　old　friend　the　Copeland；　now　laden　with　hundreds　of　ponies；　among　them　that　named　Hecla；　which　I　had　bought　near　the　volcano；　and　I　think　another　which　I　had　also　bought。　We　went　aboard　the　night　of　the　19th　with　General　Bevan…Edwards　and　some　other　passengers；　and　I　recall　observing　with　some　anxiety　the　ship’s　agent　as　he　rowed　round　the　bows　of　the　vessel；　apparently　inspecting　her　draught　—　also　with　some　anxiety。

I　imagine　that　she　had　too　many　ponies　in　her　holds。　However；　off　we　steamed；　and　soon　the　coast　of　Iceland　vanished　behind　us。　It　is　a　country　to　which　I　was　very　sorry　to　bid　farewell；　though　I　think　one　only　to　be　appreciated　（if　we　leave　fishermen　out　of　the　question）　by　those　who　have　made　a　study　of　the　sagas。　I　know　not　what　may　now　be　the　case；　but　at　that　time　these　were　few　indeed。　I　believe　that　the　enterprising　American　who　found；　or　was　said　to　have　found；　a　gold　rin