before him, and was followed by the twelve
sailors, who conducted the Count on board
the Margaret and Anne. At the same time
I also observed the British colors flying over
the Danish, on board the Count’s ship, the
Orion, which, I subsequently learned, had
been previously made a prize to our English
letter of marque. I had all along observed a
great dislike on the part of our countrymen
to the governor: this, as well as the apparent
acts of violence, that had j ust been committed,
was caused by information, which
Mr. Phelps had received, from what might
have been supposed good authority, that
Count Tramp had been using his influence
to prohibit the trade with the English, contrary
to the articles of an agreement, entered
into, by him and the captain of an English
sloop of war, that had been in Reikevig
harbor just before our arrival. During1 this o
transaction, the inhabitants of the town,
most of whom were witnesses to if, offered
no resistance, but looked on. with the most
perfect indifference. Many of them were
idling about the town (it being Sunday),
armed with their long poles, spiked at one
end with iron, which they use for the pm>
pose of assisting them in walking over the
frozen snow, and half a score of the lustiest
of these fellows might with ease have overpowered
our sailors, who were almost as
wholly unacquainted with the use of firearms
as the Icelanders, and, were, fnoreover,
a most wretched set, picked up from the
vilest parts of Gravesend. In the evening,
the bishop waited on Mr. Phelps, and entreated
that the Count might be allowed to
have his liberty, or, at least, that permission
might be granted for o o him to remain on shore
as a prisoner. Both these requests being refused,
he begged that he himself might be
suffered to go on board, and speak to him ;
but being disappointed in this third request,
also, he came to me, and, after expressing
the pleasure he felt on the information he
had received, that my object in visiting Iceland
was of a peaceable nature, as a naturalist,
adding every now and then, with much
emphasis and feeling, “ tibi semper pax est,”
he hoped that I would usé jny influence
with Mr. Phelps, at least to permit the governor
to come on shore for a few hours;
at the same time offering, as a surety for his
returning to the ship, that his own son, who