6 2 VlDOE.
which at ohee convinced us of the excellence
of his Memory* and of his gratitude to* and
high esteem for* the great benefactor of Iceland.
He told us of his liberal presents, of
the splendor with which he travelled, and
of the many Icelanders, who, having during
the present war with Denmark been made
prisoners by the English, had been released,
and supplied with money till their return
to their country, by Sir Joseph Banks*
generosity. «London* he observed, might
produce as good a man, but it could not
produce a better. When we asked him to
return to England with us, he said, he
would, if he were but ten years younger,
were it only to see Baron Banks. He was
delighted with the presents from Sir Joseph,
and especially with some beautiful engravings
of the Geysers, taken from drawings
made by Sir John Stanley, in 1789. This
gentleman, also, the Stiftsamptman frequently
mentioned, and I was vexed that my
not having the honor of being acquainted
with him prevented my answering the various
questions, that were put to me respecting
him. During our conversation, some
rum and Norway biscuit were offered us,
VIDOE, 63
and we then took a little walk about the
island, which is scarcely more than two
miles in circumference, and is one of the
most fertile spots belonging to Iceland, producing
some of the best sheep, besides excellent
cows, horses, peat, and good water.
We were shown with great pleasure the immense
number of eider-ducks which breed
on Vidoe, and which were now sitting on
eggs or young ones, exhibiting a most interesting
scene. The Stiftsamptman made
us go and coax some of the old birds, who
did not on that account disturb themselves.
Almost every little hollow place, between the
rocks, is occupied with the nests of these
fowls, which are so numerous, that we were
obliged to walk with the greatest caution, to
avoid trampling upon them; but, besides
this, the Stiftsamptman has a number of
holes cut in the smooth and sloping side of
a hill, in two rows, and, in every one of
these, also, there is a nest. No Norfolk
housewife is half so solicitous after her poultry,
as the Stiftsamptman after his eider-
ducks, which, by their down and eggs, afford
him a considerable revenue; since the former
sells for three rix-dollars (twelve shillings) a