New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

AJoURNEY TO ICELAND; Trsassted from the Ger Ger
man Of IpA PFEIFFrR, BY CHARLOTTE Kenmore Coop
Err IL mo PIP. 273 George T. Putnam
Iceland was one of the many favOrlte
dreams that hsunted the young imagination OF Mad
anne Pieifer. The desire to visit its strange scenes
was active from her earliest recollection. la that
country, to which nothing similar is to be found on
earth she hored to find materials for and unut-
terable astonshment. As soon as her family affairs
permitted her to engage in the cherished enter
prise, she set forth Fl ON Vienna with light heart
an iron WILL but not single companion. This
was in the spring Of lSi5. Passing through
Prague, Dresden, Leipsic, and Hamburger, she
met with no remarkable adventures, though sew
eral amusing incidents recorded, and arriv ng at
Copenhagen she takes passage in trading ves-
sci for Iceland. The passage was uncommonly
rapid. Iceland appeared in eight on the seventh
day, but Ida was half-dead with sea-sickness.
Old stager as she vas, she had not been able to
conquer this little weakness. Her sufenn.s had
reached such pass, that by the fifth day she
thought her last hour had come. She was COW
cred with an icy sweat, her mouth was parched
with consuming fever, her limbs were almost
paral, zed. In this condition, she tries heroic
renedies. The last, which she records for the
benefit of felow-sufferers the world over, proved
-eifectual. This was nothing else than piece of
raw bacon, well peppered, and seasoned with a few
drops ofrum. Swallowing the rspulsi'e dose with
great effort, she soon found hersefa new woman.
She advises all concerned 20 make use Of her pre-
scription.
At the close of the eleventh day she arrived at
D.oIr. H.,
tai of Iceland, having accomplished distance Of
over fifteen hundred miles. Ida was greatly disap-
pointed in her first impressions ofthe Iceland coast.
1t was entirely different from the descriptions she
had read in books. She had fancicd barren, desc
late waste, without a bush or a tree. Instead Of
that, she saw grass-covered hillocks copscs, and
patches of dwarfsh woods. But this Opt.
cal illusion. She was soon undeceived. As she
approached the shore the hillocks were changed
into human habitations, and the groups of trees
became huge masses Of lava, ten or fifteen feet in
hight, and completely overgrown with grass aud
moss. Every thing was so new and surprising to
the excited tourist that she could hardly wait to
land.
DISSEMINATING at length in the harbor of Haven-
ford she was gratfed with stepping foot on the
soil of Iceland. Still gidiy from sea-sckncss aud
the motion Of the ship, and hardly able to walk
steadily, she could not remain in the house, to
which she had been invited, but sailed forth an
exploring excursion. The place was little worth
the trouble. 1t consisted merely of three dwell
lings built of wood, few low houses of the same
material, and several huts inhabited by the peas
antry. In the houses, which were occupied by
the merchants, the arrangements were entirely
European. The mahogany furniture is all brought
from Copenhagen, as we'll as the mirrors, and the
cast-irOn stoves. Handsome rugs spread in
front Of the sofas neat curtains hang before the
windows; the white washed walls are orbamented
with foreign engrayings; china, silver, and cut
glass figure the side boards; and the rooms
scented with rOses, mIgnonette, pinks and other
fragrant flowers. The traveller would imagine him.
self in some European city, and not in Iceland, the
distant region OF poverty and barrenness. Madame
Pfeer found the habitatons of the easy classes in
Reikjavick, and the other places which she Wis.,
tied on the island exactly similar to those in
Havenford.
The huts of the pessants, however, were of a
more peculiar character, decidedly betraying an
Iceaudic origin. These were low, narrow struc-
lures built with blocks Of lava, fitted in with
earth, and sodded over with grass. A dark
passage, not more than four feet high, leads on
one hand to the dwelling room, and on the other
to the store-room where the provisions are kept,
and which is used also in winter as a stable for
COWS and sheep. The walls and floors are not
boarded the rooms are barely large enough to
sleep in; the whole furniture consists Of the bed
steads a scanty supply Of bedding and few
chests the latter being used for seats as well as
the beds. Clothes, shoes and stockings are hung
on poles fastened in the walls A little shell, with
few books on it, is usually found in each hut.
No stoves are needed in these crowded rooms
they are sufficiently heated by the warmth Of
their numerous inmates but from fire place, the
smoke spreads the room, and slowly escapes
through the air. holes. There is no wood for fuel
in the whole island. The poor burn turf to which
they add ish bones fat, causing most offensive
smoke.
Having recovered from her dscomforts at sea,
Ida determines to make her way TO Reikjavick in
the evening. Her kind host at Havenliord en-
deavored to disuade her from the attempt, on ac-
count of the bad roads and dangerous abysses she
wosld have to pass. But she was not to be dis
couaged. She pnded herself on her horsemaa-
ship, and had seen bad roads in her day in Syria.
Mounting her poney, she accordingly sets of with
female guide, who proved to be one Of the most
curious antiquities Of Iceland. She was more
than seventy years old, though she hardly looked
fity her rich light brown hair still curied on her
head she was dressed in a complete suit of Ice
landic Bloomers was mp TO any task; steering
boat with the skill Of Il fisherman; one of the bold
est Of riders; and equal in all masculine accom-
plishments, except an acquaintance with the bran
dy bottle, to any man in Iceland.
Under the guidance of this highly-gifted old
crone, Ida finds the journey safe aud pleasant
She saM none Of the div nrenincns She hnd haen