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This intelligence of the prince having gone on his
travels in the island was to me a disappointment
almost as great as that of missing the ship-of-Avar
that carried him out from Copenhagen; for had
I been here, Avhen he set out, I have no doubt
Avhatever— indeed Ave afterAvards learnt—that he
Avonld most cheerfully have admitted the Avhole of
our party to join him. On mentioning to the governor
the difficulty Ave had in finding Reikiavik,
he said Ave Avere not singular, for that a French
brig of Avar, in the preceding year, had got by mistake
into Havnefiord. *
Our next visit Avas to the bishop, Avho received us
Avith great kindness and affability: his manners
Avere condescending and extremely agreeable, shoAA -
ing him at once to be a man of education, and a
gentleman Avho had seen the AAorld. His name is
Jonson, and his age about sixty-eight or scA'enty;
he possesses a good library of the best books, in
various languages, and Avell stored Avith a variety of
manuscripts relating to Iceland, chiefly to the
ecclesiastical department. Though our visit Avas
but an hour before dinner-time, he ordered wine
and coffee to he served to us, according to the
* This was La Lilloise, sent to protect the cod-fisheiy on the
coast of Iceland. No t returning in 1833, another brig, La Bor-
delaise, was despatched in search of her, but could obtain no
intelligence o f h e r ; in fact, the commander o f the latter does not
appear to have been a good selection for this service, having a
dread of being caught in the ice, which however he never once fell
in with. I t is said that a whaler picked up a floating chest, in
which was found a chart of the track of the unfortunate Lilloise.
\
custom of the country, Avhich is always observed,
whatever the hour may be Avhen a visit is made.
= The principal officers of the government of Iceland
are soon enumerated : the stiftamptman, the
chief magistrate or gOA'ernor of the island ; the steff
or staff being the ensign of his authority; and the
amptman, the lieutenant-governor under him. This
large island Avas formerly di\dded into four ampts
or provinces, corresponding Avith the four cardinal
points of the compass, Avhich are now reduced to
th re e ; and as the governor acts in that capacity in
the southern provinces, there are, in fact, but tAVo
amptmen. F ach ampt is divided into syssels or
districts, over Avhich a sysselman presides, Avho
surveys and values the several estates in his district,
collects the king’s taxes, regulates the assessments,
and corresponds in these matters with the
landfoGued or treasurer at o Reikiavik. He is also
the chief magistrate of the district; holds courts for
the settlement of disputes, and for trying petty
offences. Fach sysselman has a repstiore, Avho is
overseer of the poor, and constable of the parish.
The tAvo amptmen, the sysselmen, and the repstiore
reside of course in their several districts. The
tatsroed, or chief justice, holds, with two assessors,
a criminal court at Reikiavik; but the office, Ave
were told, is nearly a sinecure, not more than six
or eight cases, civil and criminal, coming before the
court in the course of a year. The common crimes
III
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