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medicines which are generally used in Denmark
are also in general use here.
34. Q. Are spirits much used—their effect ?
A . Of late years brandy has been much
cheaper than formerly, and consequently the.sale
has considerably increased, so that about 1000
barrels have been imported, which makes something
more than two bottles per annum for each
individual. The effects of the increased consumption
of brandy can be attended with no salutary
results, which however, be they good or bad, will
not be apparent to their whole extent till after the
lapse of some years.
35. Q. Are epidemics frequent ?
A . Epidemics are not very frequent.
36. Q. The state of crime, of punishment, of
morals, of education in Iceland?
A . Crimes are rare; small thefts, especially
of sheep, are the most frequent; but the high
tribunal of the country has seldom to decide more
than six or eight cases per annum, private as well
as public. The whip is the only punishment
applied in this countiy, excepting fines. Those
who are punished with hard labour are sent to
Copenhagen. Education is altogether domestic;
every head of a family teaches his children generally
to read and write, and the precepts of religion
according to the religions books presciibed by law.
Obs.—The gentle and peaceable disposition of
the natives, their moral and religious education
and sober habits, act as preventives of
crimes of a flagrant kind, so that capital
punishment, which is confined to murder, has
not occurred for many years. The last instance
of one condemned to die was of a
peasant for the murder of his wife, when no
one in the island could be prevailed on to
perform the office of executioner, and it was
necessary to send the criminal over to Norway
to undergo the sentence of the law. No Icelander,
unless for the accusation of a crime
th a t would, if proved, incur capital punishment
or imprisonment for life, can be kept in
confinement before the time of his trial—
indeed, so infrequent are crimes of any kind,
that the Governor told us the courts of law
at Reikiavik had little or nothing to do.
37. Q. Custom-house returns for a series of years,
■—the quantity of grain imported,—the statistics
of the fisheries for a series of years ?
Obs.—No return made to this question.
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