1881 — so there is not a single Icelandic settler left in that 

 Nova Scotia colony. 



As already stated the Icelanders at Kinrnount were in a 

 sad plight, and the idea was uppermost in the minds of most 

 of the Icelanders in Ontario to move to the Western States 

 as soon as they could. At that very time people in Ontario 

 were becoming interested in Manitoba, and a movement was 

 beginning thither. A gentleman by the name of John Taylor, 

 who lived not far from Kinrnount, then had a conference with 

 the Icelanders in that locality and offered to go to Ottawa and 

 try to interest the Dominion Government in helping the Ice- 

 landers to establish themselves in the Canadian Northwest, 

 and this offer was thankfully acepted. Mr. Taylor then went 

 to Ottawa and had an interview with some of the Dominion 

 ministers in reference to the scheme of settling the Icelanders 

 in the Northwest, but the ministers seen were rather dubious 

 about these people, as desirable settlers, — and reluctant to take 

 up the matter. 



Lord Dufferin was the Governor-General of Canada at 

 that time, and it so happened that he had, as a young man, 

 come up to Iceland on a cruise into the Polar seas, and had 

 seen the Icelanders at home. He has told of his impressions 

 of Iceland, and her people in his famous book " Letters from 

 High Latitudes." 



Mr. Taylor then saw Lord Dufferin, and it is an open 

 secret that he interested himself in the scheme of settling the 

 Icelanders in the Northwest and interceded with his minis- 

 ters. This is, amongst other things, proven by the words he 

 used in one of his speeches when he visited the Northwest in 

 the summer of 1877. He said to the Icelanders : " I have 

 pledged my official honor to my Canadian brethren that you 

 will succeed " — and the writer believes that the Icelanders 

 have redeemed the pledge of their noble friend. 



Pursuant to the arrangement made by Mr. Taylor at Ot- 

 tawa, the Icelanders at Kinrnount held a meeting on May 30th, 

 1875, and chose delegates from amongst themselves, for the 

 purpose of visiting the Canadian Northwest and reporting 

 upon it as to its fitness as a future home for the Icelanders. 

 The delegates selected were : Mr. Skafti Arason, now one 



