240 
BORGAFIORD. 
country in general, would not prove a sufficient 
guide. As we went along, we observed not far 
from the road a small turf-building, which we 
found on inquiry to be a printing-office, and at 
this time the only one in the island. Its dis¬ 
tance from Reikevig must necessarily be a source 
of great inconvenience, and cause considerable 
delay in the issuing of proclamations and other 
matters relative to government, to which, in¬ 
deed, may be attributed in some measure the 
misunderstanding between Count Tramp and 
Mr. Phelps; the former of whom made this a 
plea for the not having published earlier the con¬ 
vention that he had entered into with the captain 
of the Rover sloop of war. For other purposes it 
may serve well enough, and its vicinity to the 
Tatsroed, who furnishes it with more employ¬ 
ment than any other person, is of considerable 
advantage, both to himself and the proprietor. 
We now approached the mountain Skardsheidi , 
which we had to cross in our way to Hvamore, 
but we previously touched upon the borders of 
some brush-wood, which here bears the name of 
a forest, and is considered the finest in the island. 
To have entered into the wood would have led 
us too much out of our intended course, so that 
I was prevented from judging either of the size of 
the largest birches, of which it was composed, or 
of its rank in the scale of Icelandic forests. Of 
