Across Iceland

Although a member of the Royal Geographical Society, and author of a number of books on geography, little is known of William Bisiker. Published in 1902, this is an account of an expedition, led by him, across central Iceland in 1900. The five men and one woman journeyed from the north-east of the country down to the south-west, and the book also gives accounts of visits to the Faroe Islands and coastal journeys to the fjords. Including maps, photographs and an extensive appendix compiled by expedition member and botanist Arthur William Hill on the island's plant life, this work remains a detailed and engaging portrait. The impressions made upon the party by natural features such as geysers, quicksand and lava formations are vividly described, as are the visits to isolated settlements and farms. The chapter on Reykjavik covers the political situation in the country, still under Danish rule.