Europe : — a popular Physical Sketch. 407 



also the frontier of forest-trees sinks toward the sea ; thus 

 no trees are found on the rocky coasts of Norway, and the 

 pernicious influence of the sea air on trees may be traced 

 on the west coasts of Jutland. These peculiarities in the 

 climate, particularly the variable cold summer, prevent the 

 cultivation of grain in Iceland, although it succeeds much 

 higher to the northward, and under a more severe climate 

 in Scandinavia. Our common fruits do not arrive to per- 

 fection, but cabbage is cultivated to a large extent, potatoes, 

 turnips, radishes, and several other vegetables, succeed per- 

 fectly well. 



The want of forests is made up by drift-wood floating 

 towards the coasts, particularly the northern. The drift- 

 wood consists chiefly of firs and birch, although trunks 

 of trees growing in warmer climates, are frequently found, 

 and it is supposed that this wood is partly brought, by a 

 north-eastern current, from Siberia, where the rivers carry 

 it down to the coasts ; partly by the great current in the 

 ocean (the gulf-stream) proceeding NE. from the gulph of 

 Mexico. 



The most important domesticated animals of the Icelan- 

 ders are sheep, next to which the ox, the horse, and the 

 goat. The horned cattle are a small breed, and so are 

 the horses, which however notwithstanding are strong and 

 nimble. Wild birds, particularly water-fowl, one of which, 

 the eyder-duck, produces the highly appreciated eyder- 

 down, are found in plenty. Although the reindeer was not 

 introduced till last century, it now abounds in a wild state 

 in the interior of the country. The polar bear, conveyed 

 from Greenland on the drift ice, is an occasional visitor. 

 The coasts swarm with seals. 



Various species of the genus Brosmius, Cuv. (Torsk) 

 salmon, and herring, are the most important fishes. 



The Icelanders belong to the Scandinavian race of men. 

 Their food consists chiefly of mutton and fish ; bread is 



