Griggs courier., 1896-10-23

AN ICELAND FARM.
a wom.n's Notes On Oae Of the Bsss n
tho Island.
In approaching an Icehndic farm Ger
tain formalities must be observed. You
should not descend from the pony, even
though you know quite well that you
are to remain; nor should the packs be
taken off. The proper thing is to wait
until your guide finds some enc in au-
thocity and proifers a request for shell
ter. For single night this cannot be
refused, though the farmer may, if ne
chooses, decline to keep you for several
days. Permission having been granted,1
you can alight and enter the guest room,
which is rarely absent, even in the poor
est farms.
Opposite the church stand the house
buildings. Facing the path are Eve
thick walls Of turf and stone. The cen
trail one is the entrance to the main body
of the house, and the others serve as post
office, guestroom, wool and storeroom,
and for harness and tools. We pass un-
der the low entrance, and through
long, dark passage, with earth floors
and walls; on either side Of this tun-
mel open storerooms for milk and pro-
visions and the eldhus, where cooking,
washing and churning are done. This
room is lighted only by hole in the
roof, which serves as chimney for the
central fireplace. Quite at the end of
the passage the badstofa, or general
living-room, is usually found, where
men, women and children sleep in open
hunks around the room. But this farm
has separate rooms for the men and
women servants, small kitchen and
chambers overhead for the pastor and
his family; and in addition is cozy lit
tie room, half library, half dining-room,
for guests, where Isaw q bookcase, we'll
filed with Icelandic sagas, German aud
Danish books and trunslations from
standard English works.
Above all is the turfy roof, with it's
peep out from among the grasses, and
often the earthen walls slope so grad
ually to the ground that it is hard to tell
where the house ends and the tun, or
home grass lands, begin. Indeed, one
+! story is told Of traveller who rode up on
top of house one dark night, and only
discovered his mistake by his horses
putting a leg down one of the chimneys.
Damp these houses usually are, but the
temperature is equally like that of a
cave, and they are certainly well
adapted to resist the sudden, fierce
storms which sweep over the country.
This farm is IN exceptionally fine one;
you will hardly find score like it in
Iceland. There was an air Of life and
hustle about the place, and the farm
work went on with swing and energy
not often seen in these leisurely Ice
landers. Night and morning 100 sheep
trotted down from their rocky pastures
to be milked, and the making Of s',yr
went on diligently. Skyr is ono Of the
great staples of Icelandic food; 1t is
made by heating the milk slowly, curd-
ling it with rennet and drawing off the
whey. When done it is stored away in
hogsheads for use during the year.
1had come ina busy time for the farm
people; not only was there the skyr and
butter making, but the wool had to be
cleaned and sent on ponies to market,
and then the haying began. This is a
long two months affair. From the
grandfather to the babies. all were at
work; first, the tun was moved, then
the "out hay" or distant meadows, then
the walls, roofs-every place that Of
forded whisp of hay; for on the scanty
grass crop the livesof the flocks depend,
and they are the Icelander's chief de-
pendence. From the wool clothes for
the s1en and women are made, blankets,
harness, ropes, gloves, stockings and
heavy scarfs, while the surplus wool is
bartered for groceries and other neces-
saries. e..
| The Icelandic pastor is really farmer
and must work hard on the land which
accompanies every church living, in or
der to ele out his small stipend. Csu.
ally he has three churches in his charge,
the head church and two "annexes;' y
and he holds one MONDAY service in
each once in three weeks.
Everywhere in Iceland was treated
with the greatest courtesy and kind.
ness, and not once did 1 meet with dis.
honesty or overcharging of any kind.
Sometimes one member of peasants
family would speak little English, and
almost every one understood Danish
of which had s1nattering. The curl.
osity of the people was sometimes an
noying, but it was very natural. Many
had never seen an American woman,
and all had much interest in America,
and wished to know if I had met their
relatives in Manitoba and on the Pa.
cific coast.
found that many 1celanders return
to their old homes; they usually explain
this by: ''Thc old folks needed me" and
often add: "And I did not like the eli.
mate" the great heat of our northern
summers being very trying to people
accustomed to cool, damp summers end