The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-03-18
LIFE IN ICELAND.
Guests Packed Away Promiscuously in
Narrow, Undesirable Huni1s.

u
Narrow, Undesirable Bunl1s.
All members of an Iceland family
sleep III one room, and this, indeed
often serves all purposes save that of
Kitchen, says = correspondent of the
Philadelphia Press. Very narrow, and
from six to twenty feet long, according
to the size of the family, with row Of
low hunks on either side, leaving q
space three or four tcct wdo down tho
center, these rooms arc lighted by one
small window at the end. ventilated bv
the door or trap through which they are
entered from below, and warmed by
the heat ofthc lodicS collected in them.
The Stccply-ptchcd roof, constructed of
raftcrs and overlapping boards and
covered on the outside with q thick
layer of growing turf. rests on low
walls and makes il impossible 20 stand
upright except under the ridge The
priests house and Il few others have
gucst-chambcrs, with sometimes q stove,
which is only used on extraordinary
occasions, owing to the difficulty OF
transporting fuel from the sya-ports.
farucS OF tourists stop where there is a
church and shivcr out the right on the
| clght-lnch-WldC benches, the vcStmpnt
chests, on the floor; but if there arc ONLY
one or two OF YOU and no gucst-room,
or that is already filled, YOU generally
share, for experiences sake. in the
somewhat promiscuous nightly packing
OF the family-for experience sake, mind
you. and you always get il, as well as
the only good idea of the home life of
the people.
Upon this evening found myself in
a room smokily and dimly lighted by
scal-oil, burned with u wick of cotton
grass in 4 lamp Of brass, much like the
ancient lamps of the Greeks, but fur
nishcd with an ovcrhanging arm and
Il swivel and bo"t-hook arrangement,
which permits of its being stuck or hlnr
wherever the user wishes. Two hunks
on one side and one on the other were
literally full. In one Il man and two
boys, III another two women and child
rcn, and i'll the third three men, all
sleeping like sardincS in Il box, the head
OF one on the same pillow as the feet of
his next bcd-icilQwS, and the space that
was not occupied by human beings
probably was by beings inhuman.
After shaking up the many boxes and
bundles under the rude mattress and
giving an extra poke or two 10 the fcath-
ur or doWn-bcd. which is the ONLY form
4
the girls mUlionGd us to the bed where
We were TO sleep Gan Iceland gentleman
WAS 10 share my brD, and then, Ms
II 1t were an everyday occurrence to
shock the senses OF u modest traveller,
while we were undressing she. with
two others, proceeded to disrobc and
take possession OF the bunk opposite
ours, until 1.-The last in bed put out the
light My companion Somcwhmt sur
priScu me by warning 10 SuCrctG any
valuablcS ! might have, hut as he was
an lccirndcr thought it better to follow
his advice than TO trust TO the provcrbial
honesty OF his cOuntryMcn. and after an
application from 4 box of rough on rats
no, well, never mind / was soon un-
. conscious, breathing carbonic acid GAS
by the cubic yard, but in sweet oblivion
g. until awakened during the general turn
out next morning.
The daylight revealed nothing new
except, perhaps, the many little articles
stuffed into every nook and crcvicc
Furniture is scarce and Il chest of
drawers Il luxury in an lcclandc habi-
tatiOn, and odds and ends arc huno ON
nails in the roof, stuffed into the cracks,
or in boxes hidden away under the
mattresses in the bunks. Horn spoons,
knives and forks, bits of cloth, needles,
books, and iish-hooks were tucked
promiscuOualy away, and old clothes
and fish hung over lines stretched length
wise Of the rldgc-polr. 1t WAS interest
ing to see the men, after slipping into
thc few clothes they had removed upon
retiring, sit on the edge of the beds
chatting and slipping the coffee brought
by the women.
Several times was reused from nv
musings by the rlstling Of the disar-
ranged covering in Il bed which | had
supposed empty, and presently Il half
naked child would start up from the
depths and stare in oprn-rycd wonder
at the stranger, who returned The gaze
with sense of the ludicrons rising
within him. From beds where had
counted three The night before four had
already risen, and how many more
were to follow? At the farther end of
the a!Sl& n mattress spread upon the
floor had served for The rc>ting-placo of
three more girls, whose accustomed
bunk myself and companion had prob
ably occupied. BY this time ! had be-
gun to feel the need ofu little clean air,
and, getting into my clothes, | descend
ed to the gucst-rOom, where | break
lasted on more mutton and turnips, but
lighted this time with q cup Of chocolate
and some English crackers.
--s.---
a Singular Bird.