KLyU1 
Dress, 
AGC BSE) BD BA - IND, 
in terms moft graphically horrid, that the perfons who efcaped to the moun- 
tains, faw the whole lowcountry covered with a thick peftiferous fog. A guefs 
may be made at the number of inhabitants in the eleventh century ; for a bifhop 
of Schalholt caufed, in 1090, all who were liable to pay tribute to be numbered : 
four thoufand of that rank were found; fo that, giving five to a family, the 
fum is twenty thoufand *. Much of the labor in the northern world falls to the 
female part of the family; and in thofe patriarchal times, the fons alfo fhared 
the toi]. I cannot therefore under-rate the number of commonalty, or untaxable 
people, heads of families, at ten thoufand ; which, by the fame rule, will give 
fifty thoufand of the lower rank. Befides the dearth of food in this rude ifland, 
other caufes contribute to prevent the increafe of inhabitants. Neceffity forces 
the men to feek-from the fea fubfiftence, denied by their niggardly land. Con- 
ftant wet, cold, and hard labor, abridge the days of thoufands; and that labor is in~ 
creafed tenfold, to fupply the rapacity of their mafters. Incredible as it may feem, 
a late king of Denmark fold the whole ifland, and its inhabitants, to a company of 
merchants, for the annual rent ef one thoufand pounds. ‘This company en- 
flave the poor natives; who are bound to fell their fifh, the ftaple of the ifland, 
at a low price to thefe monopolizers ; who, dreading refiftance, even have taken 
from them the ufe of fire-arms! Here is given a ftronger caufe of depopulation, 
perhaps, than the others ; for Hymen can have but faint votaries in the land from 
whence liberty is banifhed. Bt for thefe caufes, here ought to be found the 
genuine: fpecies of the Norman race, unmixed with foreign blood; as muft be — 
the cafe with every place remote from the reft of the world. Here are to be 
fought the antient cuftoms and diet of their original ftock, which are now pro- 
bably worn out in the land of their diftant anceftors, The luxury of food ha@ 
fo little crept in among them, that their meat and drink in general is peculiag 
to themfelves ; and much of the former compofed of herbs neglected in other 
places. . ' * 
- The drefs of the natives feems unchanged for a very confiderable time: that of 
the men is fimple, not unlike that of the Norwegian peafants + ; that of the fe- 
males is graceful, elegant, and peculiar to them, and perhaps fome very old- 
fafhioned Norwegian lady. They ornament themfelves with filver chains and 
rich plates of filver, beautifully wrought. On their head is a lofty flender drefs, 
not unlike a Phrygian bonnet. I cannot compare this to any antient European 
fafhion. dZ/abel of France, queen to Edward 11. wore a head-drefs of an enor- 
* Arngrim Fonass Comment. Iceland. in Hackluyt, i. 556. + See Oleffen, i. tab. iii. Pon- 
toppidan, ii, tab. p. 272. 
: MOE 
