Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-04-28
The Climate ofIceland.

TFron the London Standard Correspondencel
1t is quite mistake to imagine that the
Icelanders are ever called upon to endure a
cold equal to that of many parts of inland
Canada and the United States during al
most any winter. During February, for
instance, the Thermometer at Assinlboia
registered fifty degrees below zero. and at
Edmonton, in the northwest territory, q
minus of sixty was reported. Nothing like
this Ia known in Iceland. The very name
of the island Is a misnomer, Just as that of
Greenland is. Snow and glaciers there are,
no doubt, just as there are vast fields of
lava and volcanoes, the fres of which are
not yet extinct. But, except on rare occa-
sions, when the Spitzbergen and the East
Greenland ice is driven by the wind
against the Northern Ceast-bringing cold
and fogs in summer, and polar bears which
play havoc with the hocks-ses Ice is prsc-
tically unknown In Iceland.
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate
of the southern parts of the island, with
the exception that IL is rather colder. close.
ly resembles that of the north of Scotland,
and the northerly districts though the tenn
perature is naturally lower, are NOT 90 wet
Thunder storms are rare, and, strangely
enough, occur usually In winter, when the
mean is about three degrees above the
freezing point, but there are, Of course, ex-
oeptional frosts, and variations that In q
single month will range through twenty
seven degrees. AS q whole, however, IL the
climate of Iceland is neither 30 hot nor 90
cold as any part of the settled area of
North America, its average Is lower. II
may not know the meaning of sixty de-
grees below zero, but, on the other hand,
one hundred degrees In the shade Ia q rec
ord which does not appear among the
Reykisvik meteorological returns. Nor
can the Ioelanders grow mairs, grapes,
tomatoes or pumpkins during their brief
summer, as the Manitobans do with ease
They cannot even grow grain. A kind of
wild oats is the only cereal which is seen
In Iceland. But cabbsges, potatoes, tur-
nips and carrots come to perfection.
As the birch alone attains to even twelve
or thirteen feet. fruit trees are not among
the inmates OF Rsyfjayik garden. Grass,
however, fourishes, and II is to grass that
the Icelandic crofter (who is what the Scot
tish crofter was intended to be, but gener-
| ally 10 not, fisherman slsol looks for his
profits Wherever little pasture Ia 10 be
found, there the horned sheep may be
seen grazing against the time when the
4 Lsith steamers arrive to carry the surplus
| south. Dwarfsh cows are also among the
northern islemen's stock, and little shaggy
ponies-unfortunstely in such dsmand
that, like the Shetland ones, they are be-
coming eteriorated-complete the List OF
four-legged animals which the farmer has
10 sell. Most of the lcelandic trade is now
done with Scotland. English spertsmen
rent its best rivers for q few weeks sport
in summer, and Euglish tourists are tie
most numerous and the most welcome OF
visitors to the homely farms, where the
quantity attired girls seem 10 be for ever
weaving the 'tvsthmaln on old-fsshioned
looms for tbs clothing of their men.foIk.
To these August sightseers, the island
which can be reached in lees than weeks
pleasant steaming, Is land of old romance
and the exodus of its people would b,
heard of with more than regret.