182 
REIKEVIG. 
claimed possession of the whole island, yet, never-* 
theless, living unmolested by a single native, and 
undisturbed, except by a few, who seemed to have 
interested motives in falsely representing the peo¬ 
ple as ripe for insurrection. Our state of security 
was undoubtedly owing to the willingness of the 
natives to shake off the yoke of the Danes, and 
to the full persuasion they entertained that it was 
the British alone who could supply them, in times 
of scarcity, with necessary subsistence, and keep 
them from a state of actual starvation; in proof of 
which, both during the present and my succeed¬ 
ing excursions, the satisfaction of the inhabitants, 
at the prospect of being placed under English 
government, was repeatedly expressed to me, and 
that, not only by the poorer class of people, but 
also by those high in power in the island. On 
my arrival at Reikevig, between six and seven 
o’clock in the morning, so far from finding the 
Margaret and Anne in readiness to sail, it was 
even doubtful whether she would be so during the 
course of the next week, which was to me, and 
perhaps to me only, a fortunate circumstance, as 
it afforded an opportunity of seeing more of the 
country than I had lately expected it would be in 
my power to do. I determined therefore, follow¬ 
ing as well the recommendation of Stiftsampt- 
man Stephensen as my own inclination, to avail 
tnyself of the kind invitation given me by his son* 
