THINGEVALLE. 
91 
ably larger than the other buildings, to which, 
however, it is united, but has a separate entrance. 
The fronts of all these places resemble the gable 
ends of English houses, and are formed of un¬ 
painted boards, standing vertically. With regard 
to the inside of the houses, both walls and floors 
are but seldom boarded: the sides are usually 
nothing but the black stone and turf, and the 
bottom only the bare ground. Generally, there 
are small openings, either in the walls or roof, by 
way of windows; but these are rarely glazed, and 
more frequently covered with the amnion of the 
sheep, which allows but a small portion of light; 
yet even this is the case only in one or two of the 
rooms. A chimney, or rather an aperture for the 
emission of the smoke, usually made with a tub, 
is seen only in the best houses, in others the 
smoke is left to find its way out at the door, by 
which, also, the only air that they can possibly 
receive is admitted. The son of the old priest 
accompanied us in a walk among the neighbour¬ 
ing chasms; which are, every where, so nume¬ 
rous, that we could scarcely go ten feet without 
coming to the edge of one that barred our further 
progress in that direction. Some at the bottom 
have snow and ice, others contain the purest 
water that can possibly be conceived, but so 
deep, that in many places no bottom is to be 
found, yet so clear, that, on throwing in a stone. 
