iV? -. L?
,'i.Mr -,,-IK -t.
Iceland.
11
?W.'',1V.j '
r
IIu compared the two anil found to
IiIh amazement that the handwriting was
identical in each!
'Tills is almost impossible to boliovo,"
said Mr. Sykos sadly. "Has Mr. Garnctt
taken any stops toappichcud the supposed
thief?"
" He has, but without success so far,"
replied Johnson.
"I am quite sure Unit both boy? will be
at their homo to-night," said the Superin
tendent. " We will go to their house to
night, at seven o'clock, and liud out what
we can. I have thought of a plan oy
which 1 believe that I can accomplish our
purpose without exciting their suspicion.
You will excuse me now, as I have some
business that earnestly demands'my atten
tion." Johnson did not seem to exactly
relish the proposal, but nodded as
sent and departed. At the appointed
hour lie met Mr. Sykes at his home, and
the two thou set out for the house that
was occupied by the two brothers.
X. Y. Z.
(to bo coiitlnuuu.)
Iceland.
In mid-ocean, pendant, so to speak, to
the Arctic circle, about live hundred miles
fronuho nearest point in the Old World,
and two hundred from tho Now, liesblonkt
volcanic Iceland. Long years ago, some
mighty, submarine, volcanic eruption
may have forced from the primeval ocean,
a small Island; and around this nucleus
the lava streams of centuries have contin
ued to build, until an island of !)l),000
square miles of surface lias been formed
in tills desolate spot. "Wore it not for the
Gulf stream, which washes its southern
shoro, and tempers the ice-laden Arctic
current which descends upon its northern
coast from Spitsbergen and Jan Mayen
Icoland would without doubt bo untona
bio. Hut, with short, stormy summers, av
eraging a temporaturoof 5i,a population
of sixty or sixty-flvo thousand manngo to
live on this island.
We can scarcely picture a more deso
late scone than Iceland in winter. Then
deep snow and ice often cover the ground
to the depth of several feet, and almost
perpetual darkness hovers over the land.
But in summer, its Geysers, deep chasms
and lakes; its caverns, volcanoes and
snow-capped mountains; its rapid rivers,
green valleys, cataracts, and fantastic lava
formations, furnish rich and picturesque
scenery foi'tho naturalist and tourist.
There is little of interest, however, in
the superficial character of Iceland to en.
tortain the prosy utilitarian. "Two-thirds
of the surface," says Dr. Ilartwig, "is cov
ered with bogs, lava-wastes and glaciers."
In the central and south-eastern part, the
great Klofa Jokul, a dreary waste of lava
and ice, covers over 4,000 square miles ot
surface. Around the southern and south
eastern border of this plain, the Oraefa,
Skaptar, Eyjafjalla, Ilccla, and some other
noted volcanoes, have at diileront times in
the history of Iceland vomited forth their
molten rock and subterranean 11 res, devas
tating and almost depopulating the island.
Vegetation is scanty. In former times,
Iceland could boast of forests; but now
only willows, dwarf birches, and a few
kinds of roots and moss, some of which
arc used by the people for food, aro to be
found on the island. Only about one
third of the land affords sufllciont vegeta
tion to nourish cattle and sheep. Grass
constitutes about the only crop, and this
is not improved by cultivation. The few
vegetables that are raised, such as parsnips
potatoes and winter cabbage, aro of very
inferior quality.
When the llrst settlers came to Iceland,
they found but two species of native land
animals : a species of Held mole, Avvicola
Accomvicns, and the Arctic fox; but the
seas and shores swarmed with vast num
bers of seals, whales and dolphins. At
present, in rare instances the polar bear is,
mot with, lie is not however a native
but iu brought thither on drifts of ice, a
visitor from Spitsbergen and Jan Mayen,
Iul770, thirteen raindcer were shipped