Star.
London, England, 1804-10-08 00:00:00

tDe ♦=th F.xe.

1,•• c • . ,•• • a ,tla• !Salmi gl r
t , v kwiiap, wasond lat two. 11.1.1... is 1 aTarn, Ilkeal-arCea.

;up,k

MY b7Ar IN ICELAND.

FITIACTID FROM THI TORT.iOI.IO OW • TRAVILLIt.

That which makes man inceliantly travel, the
defire of procuring the chief matter key to all
reßtial enjoyments; or, to fpcak without a figure, to
gain money, was alto what induced me to quit my
country for gloomy England. On my arrival in
London I found every place occupied, from the
poll of Minifier, down to that of the towel Clerk.
Competitors are now here well received. Pt ofellinnal
jealottry is at testa as ancient as the days of Hefiod.
The Icelanders have no gold ; all their commerce
confifls in exchanges of objeas of the firft neeeffity.
I now resolved to travel over all the island ; my pre-
parations ecntinued eight days. I at length fet out
in May, 1803, with a horfe loaded with ocelot mer-
chandife. I wandered from tribe to tribe, according
to the polls which ferve as guides to grangers, and
prevent them from being ingulphed in aby fres of fnow.
The me tdows, on which Ilrong honks are grazing,
exhale a halfamic odour, notwithflanding the (harp-
net's of the cold which continues almoft all the year.
In the fouthern part of the Mind it is often as hot as
in Africa ; but the caller's part never throws off the
white liveries of winter. The traveller may cattily
lore his way ; but he has no robbers to apprehend.
'the Icelanders inhabit the tea coal, ; their habitations
are almoll all fubterraneous, in which they are better
sheltered from the wind and cold. 'fire interior of
the armd is uninhabited ; it confills of very high
mountains, which the rigour of the cold does not ad-
mit of being climbed. It was yet twilight, when I
witneffed an eruption of Mount Hecla. Its mouth
vomited torrents of fire, which fell down with a for-
midable noire, mixed with globes of &ow, and enor-
mous pieces of ice. The Icelanders believe that the
fouls of the damned are tormented in the bofom of
that mountain, and that they are burning there,while
others are freezing. at the top.
When the good inhabitants of thefe fubterraneons
huts heard the Reps of my horfe, a father of a family
appeared. I demanded hospitality of him by a fign ;
I was received cordially, and the whole neighbour-
hood immediately joined round the granger and of- '
feted him their Cervices. The cullorn is to condat
Hungers under a kind of citcular cart-house, which
is the hall of honour of there good people. While
the father of the family prefides at the converfation,
the fire is lighted, and a repall is ferved,compored of
fills, fah meat, and a very agreeable fort of mot's,
which the women apply to more than one kind of ufe.
The kindnefs of my boils often induced me to pro-
long my nay among them. During the long winter
nights, they gave me for a bed fix bear &ins, Rretch-
ed ns a fubterraneous hut. In the morning they met
me under the cart-hook to breakfall, and to play at
chefs, a favourite game with the Icelanders. All the
family afterwards fepatated, in order to hunt or fib.
At night they alfernbled under ground by the light of
a lamp formed by a large ox's bone, with dry fodder
for a wick, and placed in a kind of chimney. The
day finifbM with chefs, as it began. Thus I went
from one family to another, leaving with each of
them Come ufeful recolleaion of me. That family
with whom I Raid longefl lived near Turlokthaven,
a little town furrounded by mountains and hills, on
which I frequently law the Icelanders running with
agility. Towards the end of May, the tbuth winds
often detached from countries Rill farther to the
northward, enormous banks of ice, often covered
with wood and animals. There Iloatittg manes der-
tend along the coal, of Iceland, and the inhabitants
go there to reek wood, of which their inand is dal-
tote, and even the furs of animals.
Marriage is facred in Iceland. Before marriage a
girl enjoys every liberty ; but once the has made her
choice, the is engaged for ever. Eight days before
the marriage the fat idgmom is obliged to cut out a
(mall path in a rock of a certain height. After hav-
ing received the nuptial bfnediaion, he conduffs his
wife to the top of a rock, by the pa,h, which has
been interfperfed with little done'. 'f he relations
and friends look at the young couple from below,
and judge, from the agility with which they at-tend,
of the degree of happincfs that will attend them. The
married pair remain the whole of the day at the top
of the rock, and thus wiLnefs, at a ditlance, the re-
joicings which are made on account of their nuptials,
the intention of this is to exercile them in the rc:ig.
nation which is nrecfrary in a married (fate. At ‘iilht
they are bit•ught down in ttiumph, and conduCted
into a hut which they inhabit during the firli days of
their union, hut sa tae:t rhey of I's aids quit, as it is
Ipecially conizcrated to that 'tic, that is to far, to
receive th,fe newly married of eazh family, from
father to fun.

._..._. ......
I patted my We agreeably enottgh among tilde
good itlaniers i—and your butinels, you will a(k ?
I had remarked that Hamburr.h voids exchanged
the procluEtions of the corntry in a very advantage-
ous manner. I waited their deparrur:. During their
abtence, I bought and formed aV. alLhoutc. The
rads returned and were obliged tar treat with me. I
gained a great deal of more, in ti, muntit•, and re-
turned home tick and fatklicd.

Friday. marlin, at ha bout is Viper Gtoranor-area, the
Cnunt•f• of Alhcmark, of a daughter.
M Yarmouth, iac or Wirht, the La
AntufleT, 44th regiment,of a 4,1 !OA'

!y of Clptain Marrai 5.