ITS HISTORY AND INHABITANTS. II. 



67 



understand, that the glaciers, those great glaciers in the south-east of 

 Iceland, are spreading out to cover lands which have been cultivated. 



Dr. Jon Stefansson. — I am obliged for the kind reception of 

 my paper. 



Colonel Hendley put a cjuestion whether in moving round the 

 altar with a burning brand the chief walked with the sun. I 

 believe it is said that they did go with the sun. 



With regard to the bards — they were not professional bards, but 

 some of them happened to be poets or authors ; but there is no 

 rule about their being poets or writers. The laws were recited in 

 prose, not in verse. 



Referring to the trial by jury — I think it has been pointed out 

 by others that the ancient jury is more likely to have come from 

 Scandinavia than from elsewhere ; but it is an extremely difficult 

 question ; and with Lord Halsbury here I would rather not enter 

 into a legal question. Tn reply to the question by Professor 

 Lobley about glaciers — I do not know any facts showing that they 

 are extending. During the last 1,000 years they have not done so. 

 They do not occupy a larger area. 



In answer to a question whether flint or palaeolithic remains had 

 been discovered in Iceland — nothing of the kind has been 

 found in Iceland ; but lately some caves have been found in the 

 south with what is supposed to be rock tracing, but it is doubtful 

 whether it is so or not. 



The President (Lord Halsbury). — I should like in the first 

 place to wish you all a Happy New Year, and in the next place I 

 cannot allow the motion that has been made that we should give our 

 thanks to the lecturer to pass without seconding it, and saying how 

 deeply indebted we are to him for his extremely interesting paper. 

 Some of the things that I found in this paper surprised me. I 

 suppose we are all thinking that as we grow older we will know 

 more, and yet though we know more we come upon profound 

 depths of ignorance. But we cannot help ourselves. Certainly I 

 have learnt more about Iceland than anything I knew before. 

 I will not speak for all of you, but so far as I am concerned I make 

 this statement freely. I am pleased to have learnt so much from 

 the lecturer. There are one or two observations. I have been a 

 Law-speaker for a good many years, and I am filled with profound 

 gratitude that it is not my duty to repeat the whole Law of England 



