would be impracticable, on account of the miserable
condition of their horses after a long winter’s
fasting from grass ; for Avhile the snoAV is on the
ground, there is no herbage for them, except for
those near the sea-coasts, where I understand they
may be seen greedily devouring every species of fuel
or sea-wced that are found plentifidiy on every part
of the coast. The small quantity of hay that is g enerally
got in is almost exclusively set apart for the
cou s ; on these and the sheep, which come in for a
share, every family in a great degree depends for its
clothing and sidisistence. The snow is sometimes
scraped off the ground to allow the sheep to
feed on the little herbage beneath it, as they can
subsist on a short bite, and the lichens afford them
a supply of nutritious food. The poor horses fare
the Avorst; the peasants hash up for them messes
of fishes’ heads and bones, chopped up AA'ith a little
hay, and boiled altogether in water; but Avith such
scanty food, especially Avhen it happens to be a hard
winter, towards the spring of the year they become
miserably poor and are reduced to mere skeletons;
it is surprising, hoAvever, Avhen the grass begins to
spring up, hoAv speedily they recoA'er themselves
and get into flesh.
Having missed this fair, there Avas little or
nothing going on at Reikiavik to engage our attention
; and as our present stay Avas intended to be
only just as long as Avas necessary to complete
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preparations for a journey to the Geysers, which,
Avith the leisurely or lazy manner, and the aAvkward
contrivances, of the persons employed to make
them, was estimated at three days. We proposed,
in the mean time, to devote one of those days to
an excursion to the Lax Elbe, or salmon river,
generally calledLaic-aa, the latter being pronounced
like our awe, and signifies river. This stream
empties itself into the bay of Reikiavik, at about
six or seven miles to the eastAvard of the toAvn.
As AA’e understood the river to be navigable by such
boats as our small cutter, as high up as the first
falls, near the foot of Avhich the salmon are usually
caught, Ave proceeded thither iu her. My tAVO
angling companions promised themselves a good
day’s sport, and armed themselves with their rods
and lines, and flies of various sizes, shapes, and
colours, to suit the eye or the taste of an Icelandic
salmon. For my own part, after the unsuccessful
experiment made at Lierfossen, I was content to go
as a mere looker on. We htid read, on the passage
out, of the extraordinary gay scene that Avas
exhibited on the appointed day for catching the
salmon in this river, Avhich was represented as a
regular annual festival, when all Reikiavik and the
country round about, far and near, assembled at a
particular spot to which the fisli had previously been
dri\’en, and iu such multitudes as to exceed belief;
that nothing Avas to be seen but happy and cheerful
countenances; that the utmost familiarity prevailed
G