76 ICELAND. 



Inhabitants, manners, customs. ...The Icelanders in general arc 

 middle-sized, and well made, though not veiy strong. They are an 

 honest, well-intentioned people, moderately industrious, and are very 

 faithful and obliging. Theft is seldom heard of among them. They 

 are much inclined to hospitality, and exercise it as far as their poverty 

 will permit. Their chief employment is attending to fishing and the 

 care of their cattle. On the coasts, the men employ their time in fish- 

 ing both winter and summer; and the women prepare the fish, and 

 sew and spin. The men also prepare leather, work at several me- 

 chanic trades, and some few work in gold and siiver. They likewise 

 manufacture a coarse kind of cloth, which they call wadmal. They 

 have an uncommonly strong attachment to their native country, and 

 think themselves no where else so happy. An Icelander, then fore, 

 seldom settles in Copenhagen, though the most advantageous condi- 

 tions should be offered him. Their dispositions are serious, and they 

 are much inclined to religion. They never pass a river, or any other 

 dangerous place, without previously taking off their hats, and im- 

 ploring the divine protection ; and they are always thankful for their 

 preservation when they have passed the danger. The dress of the 

 Icelanders is not elegant or ornamental, but is neat, cleanly, and suit- 

 ed to the climate. On their fi'igers the women wear several gold, 

 silver, or brass rings. The poorer women dress in the coarse cloth 

 called ioad?nal, and always wear black ; those who are in better cir- 

 cumstances wear broad-cloth, with silver ornaments, gilt. The houses 

 of the Icelanders are generally bad : in some places they are built of 

 drift wood, and in others they are raised of lava, with moss stuffed 

 between the lava. Their roofs are covered with sods laid over rafters, 

 or sometimes over ribs of whales, which are both more durable and 

 less expensive than wood. They have not even a chimney in their 

 kitchens, but only lay their fuel on the hearth, between three stones, 

 and the smoke issues from a square hole in the roof. Their food prin- 

 cipally consists of dried fish, sour butter, which they consider as a 

 great dainty, milk mixed with water and whey, and a little meat.. 

 Bread is so scarce among them, that there is hardly any peasant who 

 eats it above three or four months in the year. 



Towns, trade, revenue. ...There are no towns, or even villages 

 properly so called, in any part of this island, the inhabitants only dwell- 

 ing in separate farms, which sometimes contain several distinct habi- 

 tations. The three or four houses of the Icelandic company at each of 

 the twenty-two ports or harbours, are, however, dignified with the 

 name of towns, though they are only trading places. The only manu- 

 facture of Iceland is the coarse cloth called wadmal. The commerce 

 of the island is monopolised by a Danish company, which pays the 

 king of Denmark 6,000 dollars yearly for that privilege. This com- 

 pany sends annually between 24 and 30 vessels with corn, bread, wine, 

 brandy, salt, linen, and other articles ; and exports dried fish, salted 

 meat, butter, tallow, train oil, the coarse cloth called wadmal, raw-wool, 

 skins, and eiderdown ; of which latter nearly 2,000 lbs. weight is an- 

 nually exported. 



As Iceland affords no incitement for avarice or ambition, the inha- 

 bitants depend entirely on the protection of Denmark, which derives 

 from the country a revenue of about 30,000, crowns a year. 



Government, laws.. ..The government of Iceland, after it became 

 subject to Norway and Denmark, was at first regulated by a marine 

 officer who was sent there every Year to inspect the state of the island ; 



