Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-09-19
LIFE IN ICELAND.
An Interesting sketch OF the Island and
its People.

An Interesting sketch OF the Island and
its People.
DR.. Hayes, writing of Iceland to the
Herald, says:
About every house in Reikiavik there
is little garden, and very pretty and
fresh and well cultivated many of them
are. 1t was a great change, therefore,
after leaving this little snuggery by the
sea, and coming out into the country,
to find ourselves in an almost perfectly
barren desert. Not tree or the sem
blance of one, not even of the most
tiny description, was anywhere to be
seen, not even the little dwarf willows
and birches which occur everywhere
in Greenland, and which I have met
there on mountain sides more than ff-
teen hundred feet above the sea. In
deed, until we had gone inland quite
ten miles, I discovered no trace Of
them, and scarcely any of the very
pretty Icelandic heather, and not much
of the stonecrop, which is hardy
enough almost to grow on a glacier.
Here and there, however, there was
discovered little grass of very pale
green color, and when patch of it was
deserted a long way of, the size of an
ordinary pocket handkerchief, by our
spare ponies, away they all darted for
it, pell-mell the pack animals also
dashed away after them, rafting the
sacks to the infinite risk of the destruc-
ton Of everything eatable and drink.
able in them. Away went the guides in
pursuit, shouting and whipping the air,
as if the air only were at fault and not
the ponies, and away with them dashed
our Iceland friend on two legs of his
indignant FLY.
A few miles out from the town there
is long strip of meadow land, near
some little lakes, through which lies
the road to Eyrarbakla and the south
ern coast. This furnishes pasturage for
the great multitude of horses required
for the inhabitants of Reikiavik. The
Kings ponies we're there, and a dozen
or more guides were gathering them
together to take them into town in
readiness for the start which was to oc.
cur about noon. When turned out tc
Craze in this manner the ponies are
hobbled by having their fore legs tied
| together within about six inches of each
other. Of course they cannot walk,
and, therefore, cannot stray away, and
they can be caught when wanted, which
would not otherwise happen, for if there
is one thing which an Iceland pony dis
likes more than another, it is to be
caught. In order to get from place tC
place as they nibble the grass, they are
compelled to lift both fore legs at once
and it is rather amusing to see two OF
three hundred of them skipping about
on their hind legs like kangaroos OF
rabbits in a warren.
On the opposite side of the patti
there is another low plain which doel
not, however, furnish pasturage, bu
fuel. 1t is vast peat bog, and sucf
beds are very numerous over the island
Many families in Reikiavik use it foI
fuel entirely while all use it more O.
less, mixing it with coal, which is, O.
course, imported from abroad, mainl,
from Great Britain. None of this coal
however, finds its way into the interior
In places where turf is not found, 81
far as 1 have observed, they are suf
fcieptly supplied with birch brush
which, while it gives little warmth, fur
nishes fuel for cooking-and, in truth
this is all the average islander eve
does with fire. Except on the seaboarC
did not see single stove, and Their
was no means whatever provided TO
warming the houses. This [ was no
prepared to see in so cold and bleak
country. Even in Greenland the Els
euimaux have the means of warmin,
their huts. But it may be said that tn
Iceiandic hut is almost impenetrable t.
the cold.
In the seaboard towns, where timbe
can be landed from ships, as a
Reikiavik, you see many neat, little
nicely painted, framed cottages, warme,
in winter as any cottage would b
warmed elsewhere but those not s.
situated, and those in Reikiavik no
rich enough to afford timber, bull
great walls of turf and stones.
measured one that was eight feet i
thickness. Usually the gables are @
wood, painted, or rather pitched, black
and the interior is lined with plane
boards, and the floor is laid with boards
Even this I found to be the case ninet
miles inland and one can readily un
derstand the labor and bother of get
ting sufficient supply from the capita
over such villainous roads upon tn
backs of these little Icelandic ponies
Yet they have an eye to comfort eve
here, and do the best they know t
make life enjoyable.
They seem quite contented with thei
lot, and, like the Swiss, the Icelande
loves his rugged mountains and hi
farm life. Very few of them emigrat
to other countries. A small humble
went to America a short time ago an,
founded colony in Wisconsin; but
is said in Reikiavik that the most dole
full accounts are returned from there
and those who had entertained the ide
of following them have become dis
couraged from so doing. I learned
however, that an effort had been mad
to get together party this season, an,
under the promise of being taken GU
| h.y nj, Ill e. I