TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 



seeing the sun, tliey work only for a few hours, and then only 

 calculate them by guess, according to the rise and fall of the 

 tide. 



The people who are dispersed over the interior, regulate their 

 hours chiefly by the moon, the pleiades, ursa minor, and a few 

 other stars ; especially in winter, when the nights are ex- 

 tremely long. These good folks have in general but little 

 acquaintance with astronomy, and know only a very little of 

 the stars by their names ; though, from an ancient chrono- 

 logical manuscript intitled Blanda, and written about the 13th 

 century, it appears that the ancient Icelanders were better 

 informed. 



SADDLES AND P ANN ELS OF HORSES. 



The inhabitants of this district, and of that of Goldbringue, 

 are by no means fond of travelling : they rarely quit the district, 

 and many of them have never gone even as far as its boundaries. 

 Their ordinary routes are from their respective houses to church, 

 whence they return home the same way. In frosty weather, 

 both men and women go thither on foot; but when it thaws, 

 they ride on horseback, as the roads are then scarcely passable: 

 and, for this purpose only, almost every peasant has at least one 

 horse in his stable. In summer every one rides, however small 

 the distance may be. The Icelander makes no use of the saddle 

 when he only rides into his fields, and does not travel far 

 from home: he throws over the animal for the time only, a sort 

 of woollen cushion ; which is about six feet in length, half a foot 

 wide, and one inch and a half thick. He carefully folds it and 

 fastens it with a girth. When he is going to church, he lays 

 over this cushion a saddle, nearly of the same shape as ours, 

 excepting that it is stouter. These saddles are covered with 

 black leather, and ornamented with brass: when well made, 

 they cost from. 4 to 5 rix-dollars; the stirrups, bridle, and 

 crupper are decorated with the same metals, of which also the 

 buckles and nails are made. The men's saddles have no breast- 

 girth. Their saddles, and in general all their harness, are made 

 of ox-leather ; the hides are prepared, by being well-stretched, 

 in order to dry; when they are rubbed with fish-oil till they 

 have imbibed the fluid, after which they are slightly but fre- 

 quently beaten with a strong stick. Next, they are trampled 

 under foot, till they become soft and pliant; and are finished 

 by being blackened, or rather tinged of a red colour with the 

 rust of iron, or bark of the birch-tree. Calf and sheep-skins 

 are prepared nearly in the same manner. It is a pretty com- 

 mon practice, when they are going only to church, for the men 



