“As regards the authorities quoted, I may notice Commander (now Admiral Sir) J. E. Commerell, who in the Vincent lecture appears enthusiastic upon the capabilities of the Krísuvík mines. But that able officer’s more dubious views do not come forth: he expressly states in the same report that ‘a tramway might also be laid down; but, as there are two hills to cross, with other difficulties, I could not positively state whether this were possible or not.’ Mr Seymour (fils) has spent many months in Iceland, but that does not mean Krísuvík. Captain Forbes is also quoted, although it is well known that my friend has not a high opinion of the south-western solfatara, and the sketch of travel over that part of Iceland given in his lively volume (p. 103) suggests anything but facility of transit. When a tramway has to cross a hill-range, and a lava-tract some twelve indirect miles broad, we already expect difficulties. Here, however, I must confess not to have seen the plan and estimates drawn up by Messrs Shields and Gale, who set out for Krísuvík a few days before my departure from Iceland.
“Also Mr Vincent appears to extend the solfatara district of Krísuvík over a space of twenty-five miles, along a fancied volcanic diagonal. This may be the case, but on July 9-10 Mr Chapman and I rode from ‘Krísa’s Bay’ eastward to the Reykir, alias the ‘Little Geysir,’ and, although we looked curiously for the enormous area theoretically assigned to the sulphur formation, we failed to see any sign of it. Our path ran over the normal quaking bogs, over large spills of modern lava poured down the walls of the high interior plateau, and occasionally over a strip of sea-sand. The apparently indispensable Palagonite was also missing till near the end of the second march. Gunnlaugsson’s and Olsen’s large map of Iceland, hereabouts so minute in all its details, does not show a single hot spring between Krísuvík and Reykir; on the contrary, all is coloured red-yellow, as a Hraun (lava-tract). Even the ‘western mine’ of Krísuvík has been described to me by authorities who know the country well, as containing very little sulphur; and a passing visit induces me to believe them.
“All these are minor objections to Mr Vincent’s paper. But when speaking of, or rather alluding to, your concession, he has fallen into grievous error. If he has studied the subject, he simply misrepresents it; if not, he should have avoided all depreciatory notice of the Mý-vatn mines.
“And now for the proofs.
“I read (p. 137) with unpleasant surprise, ‘a violent eruption of the mud-volcano Krabla to a great extent buried the then active strata beneath enormous masses of volcanic mud and ashes, so that the energy has been probably transferred along the line’ (viz., the great volcanic diagonal stretching, or supposed to stretch, from Cape Reykjanes to the Mý-vatn lake) ‘southwards,’ that is to say, to Krísuvík.
“Without dwelling upon the fact that Mr Vincent’s theory about the local production of sulphur renders such ‘transfer of energy’ impossible, I remark that, firstly, the Hlíðarnámar, the nearest deposits of the Mý-vatn sulphur, are at least two miles removed from the extremest influence of Krafla, whilst the Fremrinámar are four times that distance, and the latter are situated upon a much higher plane. To those who have breathed the live sulphur tainting the air for mile after mile, this ‘transfer of energy’ becomes a mere matter of fancy. Secondly, on the very flank of Krafla, the hollow called Great Hell (Helvíti Stærra) shows an abundance of sulphur, which extends right across the valley westwards to Leirhnúkr (mud knoll). In this small section of your concession Gunnlaugsson gives no less than seven Hverar (boiling springs) lying close together. I need hardly pursue this part of the subject: to one who has seen the country the assertion that any eruption from Krafla has effected either the Hlíðar or the Fremri diggings appears inconceivable. Suffice it to say that your six square miles of live sulphur contrast wonderfully well with the two at the south-western end of the island. Krafla alone contains as many solfataras, boiling springs, and ‘makkalubers’ (mud caldrons), as exist in the whole district of Krísuvík, and Krafla is only a part, a very small part also, of the north-eastern deposits.
“Again I see with astonishment (p. 143), that ‘the sulphur at Myvatn, though great in quantity, is at too great a distance from the port of embarkation to permit its extraction being carried on with any chance of competing with that from the Krisuvik mines.’
“It is true that your concession lies some twenty-five direct geographical miles from Húsavík, the nearest available port, whilst those of Krísuvík are only ten distant from Hafnafjörð. But a simple statement of this kind is fallacious, because it conveys the wrong impression. It is known to every Icelander that the northern line is one of the best, the southern one of the worst, if not the worst, in the island. The Húsavík road has the immense advantage of an easy and regular incline from 900 feet high to sea-level, and in the depths of a protracted winter your sledges can always carry down the material dug up during the long summer days. There is nothing to prevent your having your tramway, when such expensive article becomes advisable.
“You are at liberty to make any use you please of these short and hurried notes. Pray understand that my object is by no means to disparage the sulphur mines of Krísuvík; on the contrary, I hope soon to see a company formed, and a stout-hearted attempt made to benefit both the island and ourselves. M. Robert’s opinion upon the capability of Iceland generally to supply an article which every year grows in request, and his truly Gallican horror of the trade falling into English hands, are too well known, and have too often been quoted, to justify repetition. But I can truthfully say, that the Mý-vatn concession will be found preferable to that of Krísuvík, and I regret that Mr Vincent has adopted, without personal acquaintance with Iceland, information which seems to come from suspected sources.
“Why do you not render justice to the Mý-vatn mines by a lecture, with the assistance of maps, plans, and other requisites? Mr Vincent, I see, proposes to continue writing upon the highly interesting sulphur supply of Iceland: pray remember that in these wild solitudes I am wholly dependent upon the piety of my friends and the pity of those who remember me.