The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-02

in the charge Of the librarian for week two be
ssen BY any who has the wish curiosity to do II
SHOWS every river lake and mountain every volcano ell
the hot spoutng and warm syringe and II also repre-
sents the botany and mnealogy Of the country Every
land distinguished from the barren. The coors show
much better in the day time The pink color represents
where the ground is covered with bossomng heather
and the brown shows where the ground is overrun with
lava The yellow ground sand and desert the green
in line engraving. bog and swamp, and the
green in stpple Is meadow and pasture land
farms. Houses represented by a square dot
and hot springs by round one The hot springs in Ice
land may be numbered by thousands; / have myself
entirecountry and even found the submits of
tans The most of these hot enough, and many Of
them eapacious enough to boil the dinners of the entire
population The blue and white spots and plains repre-
sent the Jokals, or mountains that covered with
eternasnow 1t will thus be that the map is geo
graphical descriptive, meteorological, and botanical 1t
is the result OF twelve constant travel and labor by
its indefatgabe author, Farni Gunnlangson native
resident ceander. Though have spoken most highly of
the native lcelanders-l am higher than they
deserve--there is some intemperance In the country
but believe few drunkards Their Incorporate
drinking where it exists is owing to their lack of society
and amusements and to the example and influence Of
the foreign merchants. They seem to lack enterprise
but what is there to duce them to beyond the
explore lands and plough unknown oceans? Their
trade all usurped BY the nation that pretends to be their
parent and protector cut off from all intercourse with
foreigners strangers seldom coming to them living in
poverty condemned to force churish soil for scauty
bread their ha nds politically tied that laws
he passed that do not please their royal master; how
expect to see emoherwise than quiet peaceful
and limited in knowledge to the books they read or
the compositions they writer The most they ask for is
free trade with all the wold give that they say
''and we can learn something new Improvement would
step in Iceanders themselves would travel some,
foreigners and foreign literature would exert an
influence among them, and they could with all
their disadvantages keep with the rest OF the world
believe they write and publish more books according to
their population, than any other nation As compared
to the nations ia the south OF Europe the dsproporon
sonan Institution have set the example of sending their
publications and other national works to the Iceland
Public Library 1t is to be hoped that some other of our
n ttutions societies State national aud do
likewise The directors OF their library forwarded by
valuable parcel Of books, including copy Of their ele
CANT to the Institution in return for the
similar favor to them They publish valuable books
in their own language and though they express quite
willingness to exchange with other nations and nstitu
they can reciprocaie literary favors but poorly Their
library consists of several thousand volumes in the Ice
languages It is to be hoped that his Majesty the intel
lgent and rather democratic King Of Denmark may
that it is not for the advantage of himself his Da
nsh and ceandic subjects to keep the Iceland trade re
stricted to his nation Iceland is elder brother
rather sister-we almost say mother-and il
personal acquaintance happen to find that in
some humors she has rather frgd breath we need not
that account give her the cold shoulder The more
become acquainted with her literature her language
her most remarkable natural phenomena her intelligent
citizens and learned the shall like them all
And if in the remarks that you have been pleased to
aught that viii make you feel interest in this
amiable and intellectual people shall consider myself
amply repaid and the little labor have bestowed the
subject not altogether in vain.
Loud applause followed the lecture, and vote of
thanks then moved, seconded, and carried unani.
mously TO Mr.. Miles, with request for copy of the
paper for the society," request to which Mr. Miles
ceded The lecturer illustrated his paper by beautiful
map published in Iceland containing the most minute
descriptions Of the country and by its admirable colorng
indicating at glance the entire surface of the country
and its various productions After the lecture several
members of the society inspected the map and regarded
it with deep interest Mr. Miles has kindly permitted it
remain for days at the rooms for the inspection
of the society at large.