326 
APPENDIX. A. 
all Danes to remain within their own houses, and 
prohibits every one from holding communication 
with them : the ninth article threatens those who 
act contrary to this decree with being brought 
before a military court and shot within two hours; 
while by the eighth tenth and eleventh articles, 
are promised to all native Icelanders undisturbed 
tranquillity and a felicity hitherto unknown^. 
ff of equivalent. Some years ago, a great eruption took place 
ff from Mount Hecla, which destroyed a number of people 
<e and ruined many. In Denmark and other countries a 
large sum of money was collected by subscription for the 
<f relief of the suffering inhabitants on the island, and de- 
“ posited in Copenhagen. The sums procured in such a 
fC manner have positively never been paid to the Icelanders, 
“ but detained by the Danish government. Also, to in- 
ff demnify Danish merchants for their losses by property 
“ confiscated, the court at Copenhagen has nothing to do, 
but to order them to be paid from the Icelandic funds; 
and so could the merchants not be sufferers, and there 
would still remain a surplus, which would more than in- 
demnify government for what public property was seized.” 
* Perhaps with a view of obtaining his share in the general 
felicity held forth by this proclamation, a poor peasant pre¬ 
sented a brief to his Excellency, Governor Jorgensen, who 
favored me with the following translation : 
“ A PETITION FROM BIARNE THORLEVSEN, 
tc Sheweth, 
“ That in the year 1805 my wife Thorunn Gunnlaugdatter 
was sentenced to two years labor in the Icelandic work- 
