TRAVELS THROUGH ICELAND. 



79 



though it is seldom that they succeed in both these opposite occu- 

 pations. Those who are passionately fond of fishing, generally 

 neglect their cattle, and the labours of the field; while others, who 

 are more attached to an agricultural life, abandon the fisheries. 

 But there is never a want of labouring people in the vicinity of 

 the Glacier, since there is always a number of lads who are 

 anxious to be occupied. In summer they pass to the interior of 

 the country, and are engaged by the day ; and these young people 

 are not permitted to abandon any regular occupation, unless they 

 have property to the amount of forty rix dollars : which property 

 must consist partly in cows and sheep. This precaution is highly 

 judicious in a country where the population is too thin to afford a 

 sufficient number of hands for improving its possessions. The 

 landholders also will not accept any person who is not of sufficient 

 age and vigour to support hard labour, or who may not be ca- 

 pable of active assistance in time of harvest. The time of labour, 

 in a day, was determined by an ancient law called Boelagen, but 

 it is too severe, and there are few men who are now able to fulfil 

 it; which must prove, that the ancient ell of the Icelanders was 

 much less than it is at present. According to those laws, which 

 seem to have been prepared with much wisdom, each labouring 

 youth, who in harvest time might cut thirty square fathoms per 

 week, or nine hundred Iceland ells, received one rixdollar in 

 money, and his food. Those who could not do so much, were 

 paid in proportion to the work they performed. There are, how- 

 ever, some, who, though considered as middling labourers, since 

 they perform one-fifth less per week than the quantity just men- 

 tioned, receive for the season, besides their food, two rix dollars in 

 money, eight ells of woollen cloth, two pair of stockings, a pair of 

 woollen gloves, and a new dress for fishing ; besides which, they 

 have a right to be provided with a lodging. The food and wages 

 of a domestic servant are of less value; but a lad, on the contrary^ 

 can earn in summer eight rix dollars, which are paid to him in 

 butter, woollen cloth, sheep, and partly in money. 



From what has already been said, it must appear, that the majo- 

 rity of the young people lead a life of celibacy, because they are 

 not able to accumulate the sum established by law, to settle them 

 as small farmers ; a circumstance which materially militates against 

 the progress of population. 



OF THE PREPARATION OF SKINS AND LEATHER.* 



One employment of the inhabitants of this district consists in 

 the preparations of skins and leather, which are used for dresses 

 for the fishermen, and in making forge-bellows'. Tli£ strong 

 leather w hich is made into ropes and harness, is saturated with 

 fish oil, after which it is rolled up and beaten with a billet of 



