Welcoming us kindly, the Professor sat in his stuffed chair before alittle table, and I noticed that he swayed his body to and fro like aMoslem boy reading the Koran. We talked of12 his past life: he hadforgotten the details, but he remembered the main points. After spendinghis youth in teaching mathematics and natural philosophy at the College,he resolved to map out his native island with theodolite, compass, andreflecting circle, and to this labour of love he conscientiously devotedtwenty years, not twelve nor eighteen, as has been generally said. Hewas not very sure about his proceedings upon the Vatnajkullsvegr, thepath north of the great south-eastern glacier, before his timeconsidered utterly impracticable; and my curiosity was chiefly for thispoint. He mentioned his fellow-traveller, Sra Sigurr Gunnarson, then ayoung man, who had just taken his degree. He believed that the marchtook place in July or August, but not after. Of the eight ponies, twowere laden with hay, and they found grass at Tmasarhagi, north-west ofthe Vatnajkull. During his march, no volcano was observed, either inthe glacier or to the north of it; and he seemed to have neglectedtracing out the sulphur diggings.