The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-08-28
ICELAND AND ITS PEOPLE.
A COUNTRY FORMED BY VOLCANIC
UPHEAvAL.
Primitive Existence of the tnha1i-
tnntS Farm Life Pond of Read
ing, Speaking Many Enngungcs.

VI JHC MOSJ active volcanic regions OIL inc
globe. 1t is situated in the North At.
lantic Ocean, just south of the arctic
circle, which it touches, and geograph
ically belongs to the Western Henri
sphere, though the circumstances of its
discovery and the political changes that
took place during the ensuing centuries
cast its lot with the Old Word. In area
the island is about 40, 900 square miles,
or somewhat similar to the States of
Maine and Ohio, but ninc-tcnIhs of this
is entirely uninhabited.
The farms and villages of Iceland are
all contained in a narrow belt hat runs
around the island, and arc situated in
the valleys between the mountain chains
that radiatc from the high land Of the
interior and extend far into the sea.
Within this inhabitablc ring The island
is one vast desert, a huge tableland that
has for ages been the trysting place Of
natures most violent forces. Rivcn and
torn and tosscd-the earthquake, ola-
cier, and volcano have united to produce
a scene that cannot be equalcd. For an
extent of 20, 600 miles there is utter desc
%lation, inhabited by no human being.
From this tableland again rise mountains
and volcanoes, singly or in groups, while
the snowy domes Of the Jokulls
pronounced Yae'kull, and meaning
q mountain eternally covered with snow,)
tower high above them all. Every century
sees changes in this interior. Hills rise
where before there were valleys; boiling
springs disappear OF burst forth where
they had not previously been known,
and in the mountain sides or on the level
plain huge chasms open with reverberat-
ing reports and bclch forth seas of molten
lava. In the southwestern part of the
island, about sixty miles from Reykiavik,
stands Hecla, a comparatively small,
though very active, volcano. Further to
the eastward is the terrible Vatna Jokull
stretching its glacier arms and riven cliffs
over the surrounding country, 600
miles of ice resting upon a nest of vol
canoes that, perhaps, are only waiting
the time when they shall, as before, open
their huge Threats and gashed sides and
spread destruction over sea and land,
suiTocating many birds, animals, and
men with their n~oXious gases, destroy
ing the fishes in the sea, and sending
the waters of the rivers kissing and
screaming into the air before the APP
proach of the fiery flood. The two most
violent cruptions on record have occurred
from this group, and several times have
they spread ashes and sand over the
farms that lay within the course of the
wind and over the seas for hundreds of
miles.
From the name and situation, one
might expect to find Iceland a cold,
dcsolatc country, shrouded much of the
time in snow and bordered like the east
coast of its neighbor, Greenland, with
almost impenctrable fields of ice. The
Gulf Stream, however, plays an
important part in modifying
and cqualizing the climate, and
though the summers are somewhat cooler
and shorter, the winters are far milder
than in some parts of oar " country.
Quite 4 difference exists between the
climates of the southern and northern
parts of the island; but if we trace the
isothcrmal or line of mean temperature,
equal to that of Akurey'ri on the north
coast, we will find it leading us far south
in other countries that boast of Il more
salubrious climate.
With the exception of the priests
Luthcran) and u few merchants, the
people are all farmers. Those who live
near the sea, or one Of the many fjords,
combine several occupations, and thus
gain a good livelihood, or even wealth.
The priests hold their position under the
government, and are paid from the public
treasury, but they generally add farming
to their official duties. The merchants
have their stores at one of the small vii
lagos about the coast, and carry a stock
comprising almost everything. Some
times they employ agents who travel
through the country buying ponies,
which they ship to Scotland, or perhaps
they own Il small vessel which coasts
around the island buying oil and Goldfish.
The farmer obtains all the ncccssaries Of
life from the land and waters around
him. The rocks and turf are his build
ing material, the boys furnish mex
haustible supplies Of peat for fuel, the
rivers swarm with salmon during the
summer, and the sheep yield wool for
his clothing. If near the sea, the almost
domesticated cider duck contributes its
eggs and down, the seals an sharks give
oil for his light, and Goldfish are added
to his winter stores. Once a year he
journeys to Reykjavik or one of the
smaller villages and barriers his produce
for things that serve to make his isolated
life more comfortable. Usually wool and
elder down are the things brought. For
these he is given credit by the merchant,
and permitted to draw his yearly supply
of goods, consisting of ryemcal, flour,
coffee, sugar, calico and lumber. Upon
the farms the houses. with very few
exceptions, are clusters of low,
turf-covered huts with gable ends,
doors and window frames cl
wood, and, if seen from a dis
lance, are not easily recognized by the
stranger. Sheep and even ponies are fire.
quently seen upon the roofs in quest of
the grass that grows more luXuriantly
there han in the pastures; but the in
terror Of the houses is often made very
comfortable by paneling and flooring
with wood, painted, and sometime,
nicely furnished. Not having much tt
do at any season, not caring to eXerl
himself beyond his yearly necessities, the
Icclauder finds much time for reading
hiAfavorite occupation. One who can
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