The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-02-27
ICELAND.


L06A91AOs
Pleasures OF Travel in that IsIand.
There are no roads in Iceland only |
family marked tracks leading through /
quazing boys, up mountain sides, across
rugged fields of iron-hard lava, and
over interminable wildernesses Of loose
blocks of stone. The island well de-
serves the name which one of its own
poets gave it in the tenth century,
" gallows of slush;" for nearly every
thing which is not rock or bare sand is
morass or quagmire, and it is even
harder to keep the path over the latter
kind Of ground than over the former.
Travelling has to be done on horseback,
and all baggage to be conveyed in the
same way. The most hardened pedes-
trian that ever shouldered a bnapsack
in the Rhode valley will find himself
quite helpless there, for he would have
TO wave or swim deep rivers-there are
scarcely any bridges in Iceland and few
ferries-and as he could not find his
way by map and compass for three
miles together, he must have n guide,
who of course must ride. In Iceland
nobody thinks of walking probably
there is not living soul in the island
who has gone on his own legs for half a
dozen miles at single stretch. The
travellers first business is, therefore, to
provide himself with horses, and this it
is often no easy matter to do. If he
lands at Reykjavid, the capital city,
and especially if he goes for a few days
only, as most visitors do, his best plan
is to hire from one person guides,
horses, and all other requisites at so
much day, paying heavily but cheer
fully.
But if he desires to cross the island
and it is hardly worth while TO go so
far without doing this-he must buy his
trotting stock, and trust to getting say
one-tifth of tho price for them when he
sells them on leaving OF late years
there has sprung up trade with Scot
land in ponies and sheep, so that the
price is considerably risen; in many
districts there are few ponies to be had,
and without a sufficient supply you can
not move a step, and may find yourself
stranded in the most disagIeeable spot.
The Icelandic farmer is usually a worthy
and honest sort of fellow, but in horse
dealing he is thorough Yorkshireman;
and your guide, if you invoke his help,
is more likely TO side with his country
man than with his employer-very like
ly he will try to make satisfactory
bargain for himself.
You pay, however, about twice the
value of the animal, for time is more
important 70 you than money. You
start with what seems whole regiment
of cavalry, and think your troubles are
ended One pony falls lame another
gets a saddle-sore, a third is discovered
to have been so hard worked by some
preceding traveller that it is Of no use
now; and on each occasion your guide
insists on your buying fresh ones, or al
least hiring others for short stages, Will
man TO accompany them and driv,
them back. Every time this happens
all TIE old worry of bargaining has t
be gone through, with the disadvantag,
of its being in language you do no
understand, so that some condition
often turns up in the sequel of which
your guide or interpreter gave you NJ
proper notice.
As you are practically ut the mercy o
the seller, You always yield in the Ions
run. Still more provoking than thes,
constant mishaps of the ponies is tn,
habit they have of straying and losin,
themselves. In Iceland a horse is neve
taken under roof until winter (when. o
course. it is housed for months TO
gether, and when the traveller reache
a baer Qarm) the saddles and bride
are simply taken off and the animal
turned loose without more ado. TIL
consequence is that they often wande
in the night, sometimes for many miles
and the next morning, when you hav
packed your boxes and are ready for
start, they cannot be found.
Now and then, by great energy G
Language, you may succeed in gettin
the guide to hobble them; but even
this is done they frequently break tn
hobble, and it is impossible to get hiI
to fasten them more securely next time
Pony-strnying seems in Iceland 10 b
looked upon as visitation of Prov
dence which it is impious (as som
people think of the sman-pox) to guar
against by human means. If they wal
der they wander, and the serenity G
your guide and his friends at the farr
is not troubled by your reproache
when you pace mp and down all tn
morning in vain longing for the abse1
ones.
rryr, xrATTpxr cr, TCTT7- e,rr. 49,