ICELANDERS. 
90 
it on with leather thongs. These shoes are convenient where the 
country is level, bu^t it would be difficult to walk with them among 
rocks and stones, as the Icelanders do. 
The women are also dressed in black wadmal. They wear a bodice 
over their shifts, which is sewed up at the bosom ; and above this a 
jacket laced before with long narrow sleeves reaching down to the 
wrists. In the opening of the sleeve, they have, buttons of chased 
silver, with a plate fixed to each button, on which the lover, when he 
brings them to present to his mistress, gets his name engraved along 
with hers. At the top of the jacket a little black collar is fixed, three 
inches broad, of velvet or silk, and only trimmed with gold cord. 
The petticoat is likewise of wadmal, and reaches down to the ankles. 
Round the top of it is a girdle of silver, over some other metal, to 
which they fasten an apron of wadmal, ornamented at the top with 
chased silver buttons. Over this they wear an upper dress, resem- 
bling that of the Swedish peasants, but wider at bottom ; this is 
close at the neck and wo’ists, and a handbreadth shorter than the 
petticoat. On their fingers they w'ear gold, silver, or brass rings. 
The head-dress consists of several cloths wrapped round the head, 
almost as high again as the face. It is tied last with a handkerchief, 
and serves more for warmth than ornament. Girls are not alloyved 
to wear this head-dress till they are marriageable. 
At their weddings they are adorned in a very particular manner. 
The bride wears, close to the face, round her head-dress, a crown 
of silver, gilt ; and two chains round her neck, one of which 
hangs very low before, and the other rests on her shoulders. She 
has also a lesser chain, from which generally hangs a little heart, 
which may be opened to put perfume in it. This dress is worn by 
all the Icelandic women without exception, only the poor have it of 
coarse wadmal, with ornaments of brass. 
The Icelanders breed numbers of cattle, but on the coasts the men 
employ themselves in fishing both summer and winter. On their 
return home, when they have cleaned their fish, they give them to their 
wives, whose care it is to dry them. In wdnter, when the inclemency 
of the weather prevents them from fishing, they are obliged to take 
care of their cattle and spin wool. In summer they mow the grjass, 
provide fuel, go in search of strayed sheep and goats, and kill cattle. 
They prepare barks with the spiraea ulnaria, instead of bark. Some 
few work in gold and silver, and others in mechanics, in which they 
are tolerable proficients. The women prepare the fish, take care of 
the cattle, manage the milk and wool, sew, spin, and gather eggs and 
down. When they work in the evening, they use, instead of an hour- 
glass, a lamp with a wick made ofepilobium dipped in train oil, which 
is contrived to burn four, six, or eight hours. 
Among the common people, time is not reckoned by the course of 
the sun, but by the work they have done, which is prescribed by law. 
A man is to mow in one day as much hay as grows on thirty fathoms 
of manured soil, or forty fathoms of land which has not been manured, 
or he is to dig 700 pieces of turf eight feet long and three broad. If 
as much snow fails as reaches to the horses’ bellies, a man is required 
to clear a piece of ground sufficient for 100 sheep. A woman is to 
