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shall have the pleasure of laying before the next
Board of Managers, and in the mean time beg to
return you our thanks for them.
“ M. F a rad a a t.
“ John Barrow, Jun., Fsq.”
It may he of service to future visiters if I here
observe that our guides and people, and indeed
the party of the bishop’s son, were more comfortable
in their sleeping tents than we were, they
being simply a canvass covering over two poles and
a cross pole, very low and warm, and much better
adapted to the country than our tall one, with all
the machinery of lines and pins; they are also
much more convenient for carriagO e which,' in a
country like this, where everything must be slung
over a horse’s hack, is an advantage of no small importance.
As to our horses, they ivere turned
loose with shackles on their legs. But the Icelanders
have a most curious custom, and a most
effectual one, of preventing horses from straying,
which I believe is entirely peculiar to this island.
Two gentlemen, for instance, are riding together
without attendants, and wishing to alight for the
purpose of visiting some object at a distance from
the road, they tie the head of one horse to the tail
of another, and the head of this to the tail of the
former. In this state it is utterly impossible th a t
they can move on either backwards or forwards,
one pulling one way and the other the o th e r; and
therefore if disposed to move at all, it will be only
in a circle, and even then there must be an agreement
to turn their heads the same way.
In the evening of the day of our departure,
on our return to Reikiavik, we took up our abode
at the parsonage of Middalr, or rather in the
church; for the priest’s house Avas anything but
inviting. The poor man came out to us to offer
his services, and anything that his house afforded,
which amounted to nothing more than some hard,
heavy, and black rye bread and milk. The church
Avas miserably small, dirty, and stuffed fidl of
various articles; its dimensions Avere 25 feet 10
inches in length, the aisle extending 16 feet, and
the width 10 feet 7 inches. It was even more
croAvded than that of Thingvalla, planks having
been laid across the beams, Avhich Avere only 5
feet 9 inches from the ground, and loaded Avith
various articles, so as to serve for a store-room. The
lumber consisted of all kinds of domestic implements,
clothing, Avool, and provisions : add to these,
the aisle Avas already croAvded Avith an enormous
chest and a quantity of bedding, so that, Avith our
saddles, trunks, and other baggage, Ave pretty Avell
filled this little house of prayer. It AA'as, indeed, a
temple of the most humble structure and appearance
; the door through Avhich it Avas entered was ^ D
just 4 feet 6 inches high, and of course it reI
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