The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-29

under President Cleveland, was good
one. BY the way, it is not generally
understood that the 'Islendcktunga or
sNoresmaal is the oldest OF any language
in all Europe. 1t is owing, perhaps, to
to the fact that it has had less friction
with other tongues that it is so remark
ably we'll preserved. The people value
knowledge and seek after it.
"There are but two divisions of people
there-the Normans, or Freedmen, and
the Rodesmen or Boender. The Fried
mea are all members of the nobility, if
you will call it so, and members of this
class believe that they have no equals on
the earth except Americans. Anyone OF
this class is placed within reach of the
highest honors of government, and they
believe that no people who do not enjoy
tho same possibilities are their equals.
The FREEDMEN do no manual labor, and
either own land or else belong to one OF
the gentler professions, such as ministers,
PHYSICIANS and musicians. A very few
merchants and no tradesmen belong to
the upper caste.
'sBut Bodcsme1 are in no sense slaves.
They are paid according to law, and If
they work land they give their respec.
tive master or mistress onc-tenth ef their
labor. They are strictly free and eniov
freedom OF religion, freedom Of speech
and absolute personal liberty. By per-
sonal liberty, however, we do not include
the right to move from one place to an
other without permission, because if they
become impoverished away from home
they would become a burden upon a
strange community. A child, until it is
seventeen years of age, Cannot leave
home. There is an absolute equality
among all members of the Friedman and
the same may be said of the Boender.
The latter are very humble to their supe-
iiors, and are profuse in humility when
they salute masters or mattresses.
"There is but one city in Iceland
which is worthy of the Name. That, as
you well know, is Reykjavick or Reikia-
vik. You must not laugh when I tell
you that it contains but 10, 900 inhabit-
ants. Remember that it has very long
name. All other collections Of houses
and inhabitants are known as byers or
havns, such as Friederikhavn, Christians
havn, Sundsvalleshavn. The familiar
Icelandic appellatioa for villages Is
'kiodstaadt,' or place Of merchants.
"The domestic animals of Iceland are
the reindeer, the most useful of our servile
animals. 1t was introduced in Iceland
about 800 years ago and is used for all
kinds of work. It is Of an affectionate
nature and easily trained to the rein and
can be guided by words; few scrub
cattle; some pigs; curious long haired
dimunitive statured ponies who seem to
live and thrive with nothing to eat, and
many sheep. Mutton is the staff of life
in Iceland, and its wool, which is very
abundant has at times controlled the
European wool market.
"The commercial products of Iceland
are fish, wool, mutton, moss, creosote,
pumicestone, sulphur, salt, down horses
and wild birds eggs. The domestic pro-
ducts are rye, barley, oats, buckwheat,
potatoes, turnips, cabbage, kale, beets,
various other varieties of garden truck,
apples, plums and berries, the latter in
enormous quantities, particularly whortle-
berries and cranberries. cherries. straw
berries and sloes. Pears are very few and
small, and we rarely see peach, lemon
or orange, and those which are imported
to us are considered great luxuries.
Grapes, though not native to the island,
are grown, but never ripen, and arc pre-
served in the green shape.
"One peculiar feature about Iceland is
that such thing as native wood fuel is
unknown. But We are not entirely with