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

rich, If she would entertain nuch company, II any,
thing was to be gained by paying her ci'ilities.
Persons Of large fortunes, or great naturaists are
the only travellers who stand q chance Of being
well received in Iceland. Ida brought no presents
gave no parties, enjoyed no prestige; nothing
could be expected Of her, and none came to meet
her. Quite common experience. Poor Ida dis
charges much superfuous bitterness on the people
of Reikjavick, entirely forgetting that human ma
ture is much the same everywhere.
Deprived OF frequent intercourse with her aeigh-
bors, she had ample leisure for solitary AXIS, and
was able to note with great accuracy whateverat-
tracted her attention. The little town has hardly
FIVE hundred inhabitants, and consists OF single
broad street. where the isolated houses and co..
tsges are scattered at random. The dwellings
of the rich are Of wood, and built entirely on
the ground floor. Some of the houses have
gardens attached TO them where, with incred-
ibe pains and expense the owners contrwe
TO raise few potatoes, and turnlps, with some
parsely, spinach, and salad. Between the beds
are grass walks, where a mesger growth of wild
flowers is sometimes seen.
The natives Of Iceland are Of mcdium hight and
strength, with light hair aud blue eyes. The men
are generally ugly, the women not so bad, and
occasionally you see one Of the young girls with
pleasing face. Neither sex often attains so great
an age as seventy or eighty. The peasants have
many children but most them die in infancy, few
surviving the first year. The mothers do not nurse
their infants, who are brought up on the most I'M
wholesome kind of food.
Among the salaried Offices the most laborious
are those Of the physicians and the clergy. Their
circuits often embrace distance of over hun
dred miles. When the doctor is sent for in win
ter the country people turn out with shovels and
pickaxes to clear the read. They bring several
horse. with them, so that he may change from
one exhausted animal to another during his long
rides through the fog and darkness, the snow
drifts and storms. Often as he returns to his own
freside worn out with Geld aud fatigue, he finds
another sumbons. He must leave his family aud
face new dangers, before he has had time to relate
the peril. he has just experienced The physi-
ci.ns receive but small salary the priests still
less. The richest benelices prodsce short of
hundred dollars. The Govenm mt provides
house for the priests, often no better tsaa a
peasants hut, small portion of ground, sad a
few head of cattle. They also receive share Of
the hay, wool, fish, and other products of the in
dustry Of the Pensioners. Most of them are
so poor that they and the families are dressed in
the usual garb of the peas,ntry, from which it is
difficult to distinguish them The wife attends
to the cattle, and nilks the cows and sheep, as
sisted by her maid while the priest goes into the
field and mOws the grass with the aid OF his hired
man. lie has little intercourse except with the
poorer classes.
In Iceland from the middle Of June till the close
of the month, there is no night. The sun disap-
pears for q short time behind the hills, but twi-
light and dawn are blended together, and the last
rays ofeveDng have not died from the sky before the
morning light breaks forth with renewed brillisncy
Madame Pfefer was in Iceland from the 18th Of
May till the Doth of July, but though never going
to bed before eleven o'clock, she did not once
quiIe the light of a candle. At first it seemed
very strange to retire at broad daylight, but she
soon got used to it, and no sunshine was bright
enough to keep her awake after eleven O'Clock. 1t
often struck her as very ridiculous, however, on
going out for an evening stroll about ten, to find
herself in the full light of day stead OF the soft
glimmerng of the moon and stars.
Our good friend found the peculiar fare of Ice
land almost intolerable to her taste. With the
exception Of delightful coffee and cream in the
morning, everything was repulsive. The dinners
always consisted of two dishes, boiled Goldfish, or
haddock, dressed with vinegar and melted butter
in the place of oil, and potatoes Ida hated fish,
and there was never soup, a morsel OF meat, or
vegetables. The sweet dishes were still worse.
She was sometimes tempted by her bland hostess
with dessert Of hashed fish, hard.boiled eggs
and potatoes, with thick brown sauce thrown
over them, sweet, sour and peppcred at once-Or
of potatoes roasted in sugar al butter-or cab
cage chopped fine, swestened and served with a
piece of very strongly favored dried lamb. But
nothing would do for the martyred Ida. Only in
Imagination could she feast on the savory dishes
of her native land. In June and July, indeed,
the prospect became little brighter. Excellent
salmon appeared, occasional piece Of roast lamb.
and new and then fine sDipe. The men take
small glass OF brandy when they begin their meals,
but beer is the universal beverage.
But we must not be enticed by the oquacous
Ida to listen much longer to her fac1e descrp-
tons. Her ranbles through the Island afford ma
terials for numerous pleasant sketches, but we
can only see her to the top Of Mount HecIa,
where we must part company. She tells the Oft
told tale of the volcano with considerable spirit
MOUNT HECLA.
The whole region at the foot OF Heca, and especially
at this psbe appears be undermined, and the heavy
footsteps OF the peasants ech led ia noow
In ones such had never heard nc Vesuvius any
where elAe. Thee sounds appeared very awful 10
inc when was alone at night, shut up In my dark
retreat
Ny Hecla guide call him so 10 distinguish him
frum the ole who bad accompanied me from Reixayck
-sns, uberd to that must be of by 40 o'clock.
readily agreed, though felt very certain that it would
be five before were way; aud 60 IL proved.
In fact il was past six when completely ready
to set out Beside store of bread and cheese, bot
tie OF ater FIR my and Of brandy for the guGe
we also provided Ourselves with long sticks, ling 10
a shap iron point which we were 70 lean upOa a. d
and hn.1lra "a N trcad