Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-09-19

hold an energetic prisoner anyhow,
unless he was chained, for there are
no bars across the windows, but the
experiment has not in any case been
tried; and the Rejkiavikers are not
seriously disinclined to mention the
subject, for it is the strongest pre-
sentiment that can be made of the
universal prevalence of virtue.
ltwould be a mistake, however.
to suppose that the Icelanders are
all &c ottciO, as it were superhuman
In their ighteousness-to infer. for
instance, that sin is as scarce IN Ice
land as snakes in Ireland. Bv the
way there is no more trouble about
snakes in Iceland than there is in
Ireland. Fifteen per cent. of the
births in Iceland are illegitimate;
and it is not true that there are neith-
er drunkards nor beggars; for
there are sufficient specimens of
those classes in 10th islands. 1t is
not true that the people of Iceland
refuse to take money for the. enter
tainment of strangers at their
houses. They invariably take it, ae
eOrding to my observation; and in
one instance they said enough had
not been given, though that was
matter reasonably within dispute.
You are told that you need not give
any money in return, unless you care
to do so, but that only increases the
obligation to pay, for you are under
stood to be very shabby if you do
not. The rate, at which charges are
made ON the island in regular busi
ness transactions are not excessive.
The hire of pony per day is about
one of our dollars. Pasturage for
thirty ponies for thirty hours, brush
for FIRE, hay for beds, milk for
coffee, and a big salmon at the Gey-
sers, only cost about thirteen dol
lars.
EDUCATION AND INTELLIGENCE.
1t must be said, in all fairness, of
the people of the island that they
know much of their own literature,
and that is a great deal and very
creditable to them. They flash up
in moment from stolidity to eager
interest, and turn from impassiVe-
ness to enthusiasm, when their old
sages are mentioned; and the history
and legends of the scandinavian
race E'are familiar in their mouths
as household words" Many of
them have considerable knowledge
of German history and literature,
and Mr.. Bayard Taylor, when talk
ing of English poetry to one of our
guides, an orphan boy of seventeen,
who has never been out of the Is
land, was startled by the inquiry
whether he s'did not think the song
of the spirits in Manfred very finer"
OF course, this of itself might be a
random shot for a smart boy, but
he was pretty thoroughly examined
as to his English literary studies,
and it turned out that he was slngu-
larly intelligent and that his inquiry
about Manfred was not based on a
merely accidental acquaintance with
the poem, or the product of an af-
fectation of scholarship. The boy
was well informed student,
| who had carefully, from his infancy,
improved the long winter nights,
and he had learned to speak English
when guiding English gentlemen
about the Island. and then he learn
ed to read that language. He had
not perfected himself in 1T, and
when he could not manage an En-
glish expression, he would ask:
SIHow is it in Latin?"
TRAITS OF THE ICELANDERs.
Icelanders seem habitually TO cul-
tiyate the concealment of their
thoughts, and especially of their
feelings. One would infer that they
must estimate reticence as cardI-
nal virtue, or, at least, as showing
the presence of a very desirable re-
served force. They are, however,
really warm hearted and impulsive.
They 90 about before strangers
naked in an affee4atiou of imPaS-
s1veness. / do not know whether
to think this affec1atiou Is most
largely the products OF the con-
ceits of self laudatiOn, or OF modesty
that hesitates at comparisons with
the strangers who are necessarily
unknown quantities. Pride of an
cestry is large in these people, and
they have confused way of con-
founding reserve with dignity.
There is a good deal Of popular
error in respect 10 the vitality of the
race of Icelanders, and their stature
and appearance. They are not |
dwarfs, or uniformly or generally |
insignificant and of mean presence.
Many of them are above the meGl,
um size of Europeans, and should
not think it entirely imPractleaOle
to raise in the island a regiment oI
six footers,. The hardshiPs OF
thousand years have made their
mari however. Middle-aged Peo-
nIe as a rule, have harsh and wealth
or besten faces, and the majority
are clearly the products of genera
tions of hard work and poor fare
One sees often in Iceland the same
form, and features, and expressions,
as among those in Ireland, who, like
their fathers before them, have been
stunted and chilled by penury.
Are the Icelanders an affectionate
peopleP Yes, quite so. There is no
greater mistake than to suppose that
passionate attachments and high ca
pacities for enjoyment belong exclu-
sively or more especially TO South
ern races, and are developed only in |
the warm climates. The human heart
is not always sympathetic with the
thermometer. The people are prob
ably as warm-hearted in Iceland as
in the isles of Greece or Celon, but
they do not wear their hearts on
their sleeves. The Icelander, too
seems to be rather more fond OF ms
own wife than of his neighbors wiz
"a characteristic not always helu T
in the highest estimation IN the low
latitudes.