28 
REIKEVIG. 
tion, and, indeed, principally inhabited by Danes; 
so that this cannot properly be called an Ice¬ 
landic town; nor is there such a thing in the 
whole country; for, depending, as the natives 
must do, almost entirely upon the scanty produce 
of their own island, and requiring a considerable 
tract of country for the maintenance o.f a few half- 
starved sheep, such societies, as would form a 
town, or even a village, would be highly preju¬ 
dicial and unnecessary. There are merchants, 
who reside in other parts of the coast; but by 
far the greatest number of Icelanders bring their 
produce to this place; some coming from the most 
northern and eastern parts. Iron is what they are 
most anxious to procure, for their horses shoes, 
their scythes, and implements for cutting turf 
and digging. Those who live in the interior of 
the country, and have no opportunity of going 
down to the coast in the fishing season, take back, 
in exchange for their tallow and skins, the dried 
heads of the cod-fish, and such of the fish them¬ 
selves, as are injured by the rain, and not fit for 
exportation. These form the principal article of 
their food, and are eaten raw, with the addition 
of butter, which, after the whey has been ex¬ 
pressed, is packed down in chests, and kept for 
several years. Their drink is either water, or sour 
milk, or whey, and sometimes, but rarely, new 
milk from their cows or ewes. Shiur 3 which is 
