The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-13
LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT sun.
Iceland Is . Country Where Civilization
Has Made Little Progress.

Iceland Is . Country Where Civilization
Has Made Little Progress.
Iceland to-day il fur behind civilization,
says the London Queen. II Is a peep into
the past to find a living people grinding
corn with the same kind of huge stones az
in the ancient world; weaving their own
clothing and linen in hand looms and
churning butter in the tall old~-fashioned
churns worked by pulling a rod up and
down by hand. Money il OF little value,
barter remains the chief means for the ex-
change of goods.
There is no telegraphic communication
with the island and during the six months
Of the year it is icebonnd the teslanders
are entirely cut of from the o1Sttde world.
They are go left to indoor occupations DUR
ing the winter's darkness that education
reaches o very high standard. Every one
on the island can read and writs and many
of the peasants understand another Ian
guags besides their own, although many
~well-known works have been translated
into Ioelandic.
Coffee can always be procured and fish is
always to be had near the coast. Skyr can
bc found everywhere-Hkyr is the Icelandi0
national dish. Il is made from the sleeps
milk which has gone sour. curded in fact,
and ia eaten with sugar. II is really not at
all bad, very nutritious and does one no
@tA - - ~ sc oAAOSVV - v haAS uAo0
during the time tho sheep are in full milk,
and there it remains, often for months, be-
fore it il used; indeed, what is made in the
autumn lasts till the following spring.
From May to November there is no night
in Iceland, and the midnight sun is Visible
sounds charming, but trying to slcep in a
tant in the light OF day is not SO charming
in practice. The want Of night, of the
NOON, Of stars, makes the constant light
very monotonous and trying, but nothing
10 what an equal length OF darkness must
he to the poor natives. An 'enterprising
Glasgow merchant wished to show the Ice
LADDERS the advantage of electric light as a
means Of cheering their long winters dark
ness. He sent forth a proclamation invit-
ing the natives to come on board his steam
yacht at Reikjavik and behold for them
solves the scientific wonder. It was August;
the night never came and the wonderful
display was totally Intellectual.
The Icelanders are gtolid, Woodworking
people, silent, slow in their ways, not too
c~leanly, but thoroughly honest in all their
dealings. Icslandic women are good look
ing, at least the younger n Q are, but like
every other country where women work
are very pretty and the cap quaint. The
hufa are finely knitted black skull caps,
quite small, from which hangs a tassel Of
black silk from six to ten inches long,
which passes at tho top through
a silver tube, often prottily en-
graved. The men are short, broad,
thickly set, and, with their furs
and saffron-colored comforters, s~urmounted
by shaggy red heads and boards, have a
very quaint appeal AGA Men, women and
children all wear skin shoes, made from the
seal, cut down and sewn together to the
shape Of this foot and pointed, at tho toe.
They are tied on by strings of gut. They
all wear doubie-thumbed gloves. These
gloves have nc fingers. but are made like a
baby's glove, only with a thumb at each
side instead of only one. When the palm
wears out the Icelander simply reverses the
glove and makes use of the other thumb.
The natives always wear gloves. whether
rowing, riding, fishing, washing or sewing.
Men always kiss when they meet, bus I
only once saw a man kiss a woman. Up
country every one shakes hands or takes
off the cap to any one they meet On the
lonely path, and wishes them God speed on
their way. They are polite, but they rarely
smile. Box and Cox was played once in
Reikiavik, and the natives laughed so
heartily that they felt the effects weeks af-
terward.
Every one who visits Iceland must be
prepared to ride. There is not 4 vehicls in
the island, and there is not q road, except
ting for a milo or two out of Reikjavik, on
The way to the Reysers.