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DR. JON STEFANSSON^ PH.D.^ ON ICELAND : 



that the early facts of the Bible were first handed down tradition- 

 ally and not written, we have not the slightest reason to doubt their 

 truth. I believe, however, that they were written down because 

 of the very specific way in which they are dated in the history of 

 the Deluge, etc. But it has been the fashion to contemn these 

 ancient traditions. Now we know that the Greek children used 

 to learn the whole of Homer's poems by heart ; and we learn from 

 this paper that genealogical trees M^ere known by heart very far back,, 

 for I gather that these were not written down, but memorized and 

 repeated. Also in this paper we have the fact that once in three 

 years a fresh Law-Speaker was appointed, and that he knew the 

 whole of the laws by heart. Quite recently, for a second time, this 

 country has been visited by the Somalis, and some who have inter- 

 viewed them said that they could repeat their genealogy for twenty- 

 two generations back, say 660 years. Before books were largely 

 written this sj^stem of memorizing was far more freely practised 

 and we have had a most interesting fact brought to light recently by 

 a German Resident among the Masai, that once in the year, at least, 

 this old tribe, which is the most warlike in German and British East 

 Africa, holds a congress at which it recites all its early history ; and 

 this goes right back to the beginning of all things — to the placing 

 of man and woman in the Garden of Eden, and to the fall in which 

 woman was the first transgressor — curiously enough it mentions this, 

 and that the tempter was the four-headed serj)ent. They tell of 

 the murder of Abel by Cain and of the Flood, and how the Creator 

 gave a token that the flood should never return by the four-fold 

 rainbow. 



As regards the other matter that Colonel Hendley has just 

 mentioned about the transferring of the earth. We get that in the 

 Bible ; for Naaman begged of Elisha that he might carry some of the 

 earth from Canaan to build his altar with. That was a peculiar 

 case, of course, and shows the contrast l)etween his first despising of 

 Canaan and his after-gratitude. It is a curious fact, and fits in with 

 what we have learnt here. 



Professor LoiiLEY. — May I ask if the lecturer has any information 

 with regard to Avhether the glaciers of Iceland are making any 

 progressive way towards the covering of the unglaciered lands.. 

 This is a matter of physical histoiy, but it is a matter that must 

 affect very seriously the future prospects of Iceland, if it is true, as I 



