ment which I had received from Madame
Joneson, made me feel anxious to make her
in return some little acknowledgement, and
I was vexed, on examination of my stock,
to find it so much reduced as to render it
not a little difficult what to fix upon that
might be acceptable. My tea and coffee
were already expended ; nor could I think
of any thing to offer her but a shirt, a few
cravats, and a pocket handkerchief. 1 felt
how unworthy such trifles were of her acceptance,
as a reward for so much hospita-
Jity, and I was therefore the more pleased
to find them received with evident marks
of gratification. Her happiness was manifested
by a friendly salute, and by the
eagerness with which she unfolded and surveyed
the different articles. She was greatly
puzzled, however, to ascertain the use of
the frill of the shirt, and led me into no
less perplexity by consulting me on the best
mode of converting it into an article of apparel
that might be serviceable to herself.
I was much struck with this incident, as
singularly characteristic of the simplicity of
manners even of the higher classes of the
inhabitants, and, trifling as it may appear in
itself, I therefore record the anecdote in
my journal, A rainy afternoon made me
come to a determination to turn our backs
at once on Hecla *, and return without
delay to Reikevig, in pursuance of which,
about six o’clock in the evening, having
struck our tents and procured guides, we
took leave of our kind hostess at Skalholt,
and set out upon our journey, proposing to
travel on, keeping along the south side of
Apn-vatn, till we reached Thingevalle. The
first part of our route was truly execrable,
lying over rocky hills, whose surfaces were
every where strewed with loose angular
pieces of stone. A steep descent brought
us to the banks of a deep and wide river,
where we found a miserable conveyance for
ourselves and luggage in a boat which had
been formed out of half a larger one, and
was so leaky as to require continual baling
till we reached the opposite shore. Our
horses were obliged to swim, which they
did with great dexterity, keeping only their
noses above the water, though carried by
the rapidity of the current a considerable
* See Appendix C. for an account of this mountain.