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common to the country. Dr. Hooker says that in
many of these little inclosures Avith turf, the
cabbages AA'ere so languid and small, that a half-
croAvii piece AA Ould have covered the Avhole of the
p lan t; and the potatoes and turnips also came
to nothing. I do not recollect that Ave saAV a cabbage
head at all in any part of our future journey;
and yet Avhen Ave Avere at Reikiavik the Aveather in
August Avas comparatively mild, Fahrenheit’s thermometer
fluctuating in the daytime from 49° to 63°,
and nothing approaching to frost occurred during
the short nights. If then there be not some other
circumstances adverse to the growth of a far more
hardy and vigorous vegetation, I should be disposed
to ascribe the Avant of success to misma-
nasement.
On our first landing, a croAvd of the male inhabitants
Avere assembled on the beach to congratulate
us on our arrival; among them Avas one
English merchant of the name of Robb, Avho had
resided there for tAventy years, and Avas married to
a native lady. No other Englishman, it appeared,
resided on the island, the trade Avith England
having almost entirely ceased, Avith the exception
of a ship noAv and then from Newcastle and from
Liverpool AA'ith salt. I did not observe any females
among them, and Ave Avere rather surprised, as well
as disappointed, that the novel event of so many
strangers arriving in a smart yacht had not
excited that degree of female curiosity Avhich we
have been told was so remarkably displayed by
the Iceland damsels on some former occasions.
Our first visit was to the house of Mr. Knudtzon,
a Danish merchant, and cousin to our excellent
companion of the same name, Avho had not been
apprized of our arrival, neither had he received the
least intimation of a visit from his relation, and Avas
therefore greatly astonished, as Avell as delighted, at
this unexpected arrival of his kinsman at Iceland.
Nothing could be more kind than was his reception
of all of us, and his attention Avas unabated durino- S3
our stay on the island. Accompanied by this
worthy gentleman, Ave next paid our respects to the
governor, who received us Avith the utmost politeness,
and offered his services, frankly and unostentatiously,
in every possible Avay in Avhich he could
be of use to us in prosecution of the objects of our
visit. I nnderstood his name to be Kriecar er y; and
while I Avas inquiring of Mr. Knudtzon Avhether it
was likely he could he a connexion of a Danish
gentleman of that name, Avhom I had travelled
Avith in Switzerland a fcAV years before, the governor
came up to me, and said he thought he recollected
my features, and asked Avhether we had not met
among the Alps, and if my name Avas not Barrow ?
It Avill readily be imagined how delighted, and at
the same time how astonished I Avas, to find that
this governor of Iceland was the self-same Krieger
that my brother and I had travelled with among the