Morning journal and courier., 1885-09-15

and down, the seals and sharks give oil for his light and codfish are added to his winter stores. Once year he journeys to Reykja vik or one of the smaller villages and bartsrs produce for things that serve to make his isolated life more comfortable. Usually wool and cider 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 ryemeal, four, 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 of wood, and, if seen from distance, are not easily recognized by the stranger. Sheep and even ponies are frequently seen upon the roofs in quest of the grass that grows more luxuriantly there than in the pastures; but the interior of the houses is often made very comfortable by panelling and flooring with wood, painted and some times nicely furnished. Not having much to do at any season, caring to exert him. self beyond his yearly necessities, the Ice lander finds much time for reading, his favor ite occupation. One who cannot both read and write is not to be found and indeed, as whole, they are one of the best educated peoples on the globe. We'll informed in his tory, geography, and literature, especially of thelr own country, the traveller is often sur. prised to find these people conversing very 1ntelligently about persons and events of all countries and ages, though they themselves may never have been out of sight of theiS island.
 faculty for learning languages is certain ly a trait of these people, every day one meets persons who converse fuentIy in Dan ish and English and perhaps German or French even Latin. This in the towns and villages where they come in contact with people of other nations Further inland no chance is afforded for practice, but many of the people read understandingly languages which they do not speak. There are those on the Island who have travelled extensively in other countries, and having studied their institutions and learned the people, are now trying to give their countrymen the benefit of that knowledge and to gain from other people that recognition to which their native learned societies lead fourishing existence here; and after years of inactivity the coun- try IS again bringing forth authors and scholars who cannot but be recognized among those of other nations
 At several places on the island there are well equipped printing offices From these, every year, turned out books, the work nanship of which, both in typography and binding, often surprises the visitor. At Revk- javik, four modest but ably conducted newspaper appear regularly, two of them weekly and one each bi and tri-monthly. At Akurey'ri we find two more, and at Sey disfjord, on the east coast, another, each ap- bearing thirty times year. Centuries of suppression and monopoly of trade produced their effect upon these people, but of late years, and especially since the acquisition of the newconstitution in 1874, some of the old energy seems to be slowly reviving, and the country is beginning to sho W signs of com mercial importance.