masters, and became, with them, subservient
to the crown of Denmark, in the year 1387.
The code of laws, called the Jonsbok, was
received in Iceland in 1280; but this seems
to have been principally founded on the
more ancient laws of the island. It underwent
much alteration when the Danes had
possession of the country, till, at length, most
matters were decided by the law of Denmark,
and continue to be so to this day,
with some few exceptions and alterations,
adapted to local circumstances.*
The Danes have entrusted the government*
of the island to a person who is
styled Stiftsamptman, that is, the supreme
governor of a province or stiftsampt. The
stiftsampt of Iceland is divided into four
ampts, each of which was formerly under
* For the account of the present state of the civil
as well as ecclesiastical establishments contained in
this Introduction, as well as for that of the state of
commerce of the island, I am greatly indebted to
Mr. Jorgensen, who, from the late situation he held
in Iceland, has been no less able than willing to
furnish me with much useful information.
the care of an Amptman, who is a sort of
deputy governor and the second magistrate
in the island; but at this time there are but
two of these; the southern ampt having been
put under the immediate cognizance of the
Stiftsamptman, and the eastern one united
with the northern.
The ampts are again divided into about
twenty syssels, and these into repps. To each
syssel is prefixed a Sysselman, whose office
it is to collect the royal revenues, either in
kind or money, according to the regulation
of each particular district. They all receive
their salaries out of the taxes, excepting
only one or two, who are paid an annual sum
by the Landfogued.
' A repp is superintended by a person called
Reppstiorar, who is subordinate to the Sysselman,
as the latter is to the Amptman, and
whose duty, besides that of seeing to the
peace and good order of the community, is
in a particular manner directed to the care
and maintenance of the poor^ A Repps-
tiorar’s emoluments are excessively small,
and his office a very inferior one.