ICELANDIC REVOLUTION. 3 Q 9 
accomplishing it, only twelve men were em¬ 
ployed, not a life was lost, not a drop of blood 
was shed, not a gun fired, nor a sabre unsheathed. 
The island of Iceland, from its climate and 
situation, and from the exceeding barrenness of 
its soil, is necessarily compelled at all times to 
depend for a considerable part of its supplies of 
provisions upon foreign countries ; so that, even 
in those seasons which may be accounted the 
most favorable, it does not produce sufficient for 
the maintenance of its scanty population; and, 
as often as an unusually severe winter proves de¬ 
structive to the cattle of its inhabitants, or an 
unproductive fishery prevents them from laying 
up their winter stores of dried cod and salmon, 
nothing but the most abundant imports can avert 
an actual famine. Such imports in time of peace 
the parent state of Denmark has found no dif- 
gagedj but., after an action of forty-one minutes, was obliged 
to strike his colors, and was landed as a prisoner at Yarmouth $ 
whence he was taken to London, where he signed his parole, 
and remained, till the circumstances, of which the following 
narrative is intended to convey an aceount, induced him twice 
to leave the kingdom, without permission from the British 
government, and consequently to break his parole 5 though 
he did so, not only without any intention of serving against 
Great Britain, but, as was showed by the event in the first 
instance, and in the second by the proclamation issued in 
Iceland, with the full determination of returning to England. 
