Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-06-02
Curious Facts about Iceland.

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We published some time ago series u
entertaining narratives of travel all over
the world, oy German lady, Madame
Pfeifef. The same extraordinary female
has visited Iceland, and published book
thereon. From the age of ten years, Mad:
anne Pfeiffer tells us, she had passion for
travelling, and a particular desire to visi
it Iceland-which desire has now been
gratifed. In the year l945, she left Wen:
ma unattended as usual, and found hef.
way, after various perils, to the island OF
her hopes. She had formed high opinion
of the Icelanders, from the writings Of trav.
clers, conceiving them to be exempt from
the vices of European society, and to a;
bouud in all the patriarchial virtues. How
far her previous impressions were confirm;
ed, may be learned from the few facts
which we select from the interesting vol!
ume in which she relates her adventures
The houses of the high classes in Iceland
are arranged precisely in The ordinary. En-
ropean style, mahogany furniture, mirrors,
sofas, sc. In the capitaf she found sir pi.
ano-f fortes. The huts of the peasantry arc,
in external appearance, like natural hill
loc ks, "small low, made of lava blocks,
filled IN with dirt and covered with grass"
Within, they are filthy beyond possibility
of description. The Iceandic ladies are
more stiff and formal towards strangers
than any whom Madame Pfeifer had ever
before met, and by no means inclined to hos
piialuy. Persons Of large fortune and great
naturalists (well furnished with money and
presents) are the only persons likely to be
well received in Icelandic society. The men
are of a medium height, very ugly; the
women less so. The peasantry have great
many children, most Of whom die in infan-
cy, because, instead Of being nursed by
their mothers, they are brought up on the
most unwholesome kinds of food. There
is not carriage Of any description in lee
land, nor road upon which one could be
used. The clergy rcceire from niaety-siR
cents 10 ninefy-Sir dollars per annum, in ad.
dition to a house, few fields and some
cattle, which are furnished by the Govern.
ment. The people suffer more from heat
Than from cold. When the thermometer is
at seventy no one will work, and in the
midst of the harvest they wait till the even
ing before they begin the labors of the day.
The women wear no ornaments, but all are
comfortably clad. Every one can read, and
nearly all write, though there is but one
school in the island. The father of the fam
lily is usually the sole instructor of his chill:
dren. Books, mostly of a religious char
acter, are seen in euery house. The relii
zion is the Lutheran. The churches are
extremely small, & are used for storing pro-
visions, tools s clothing s aregenerallyap.
propriated as night quarters to a traueler!--
Madame Pfeiferusually slept in church du.
ring the whole of her solitary tour. The
Tcelandic peasantry are lazy to the last COM
ceivable degree, ievoltingly dirty in their
persons and habits, very curious, devoid OF
all notions of delicacy and propriety: tho
roughly selfish and mercenary. "No pow:
er on earth can divert an Icelander from
his accustomed ways" They think no
scenes IN any country can,'equal in beauty
some of their valleys which chance 70 have
a little green grass and few stuhted trees:
The universal mode of salutation, of meet.
ing and parting, is a loud KISS. The peas.
ant kisses the daughters Of the magistrate,
and they KISS him in return. The pastor is
also. kissed on Sunday after service, by all
his flock. In short, q Hiss IN Iceland is O.
quivalent to our hand-shakihg. Yet the
people are all honest. There is no PRISON Oh
the island; there are no cimihals,n no locks.
bolts or bars; though drunkenness is very
common vice. The reader will see. from
these statements, that Madame Pfeiffer was
in the people Of Iceland. She
commends their trustworthiness, but all the
other features of their character excited
her disgust.