280 
REIKEVIG. 
his Natural History of Iceland , as being found 
upon the shores of that island. The common 
seal; Phoca vitulina, is extremely abundant, and 
is killed by the natives for the sake both of the 
skin and the oil: of the former they make their 
shoes, as well as bags for various purposes, and 
an excellent kind of portmanteau, which is com¬ 
posed of nearly the whole hide, with very little 
alteration, except the cutting away of the head 
and legs; each extremity being closed by a flat 
and circular piece of wood, while the opening 
made for the purpose of skinning the animal is 
left for the admission of different articles that 
may be wanted during a journey. It is then 
fastened behind the saddle upon the horse, as a 
cloak-bag. 
The horses of the Icelanders are small, but 
strong, and though, for want of a proper supply 
of food, generally in a miserable condition during 
the winters, when they for the most part are kept 
among the mountains to procure their subsistence 
as they can; yet, in the summer, when grass is 
plentiful, they are well furnished with flesh, 
and, if not worked too hard, will even grow fat. 
Every Icelander keeps his riding horse, and many 
of the peasants have, also, from fifty to sixty, or 
even a hundred, others for burthen. These of 
course are useless in the winter, but, as soon as 
