•r '
I ■"
is valued according to the quantity of
fat it has, at the rate o f two marks for
every pound. The flefli alone, without
the head, feet, entrails, fat, ikin,
and woo], is valued at twenty yards,
and the bye-laws fix the price o f a
pound o f dried mutton at half a yard.
1 he ikin is fold by weight, after the
rate o f thirty fiffi for half a lifpfund.
They have goats in fome places,
but they are few in number ; and,
upon enquiry, I found the reafon to
be that they do not thrive in a country
where there is no wood.
Befides thefe animals they have
three kinds o f dogs in Iceland, fa r
hundar, or lumbar, fhag dogs ; and
dyrhundar and dverghundar. As alfo
tame and wild cats, which laft are
called urdarkettir ; rats, white and
brown foxes, fome o f which eat grafs,
and are on that account called g rL
tofur.^ To root out thefe animals,
the king has fet a premium of a rix-
dollar upon every ten fox fldns that
are fold to^ a merchant. The natives
have likewife made an agreement, that
V/nofoever deftroys a fox’s hole, together
•ii'
ther with the fox, the ihe-fox, and
their young, is to receive one rix^
dollar, which the neighbours collebl
among themfelves.
Rein-deers were not known here
formerly; but by governor Thodal’s
order, thirteen head were fent from
Norway in 1770, by Mr. Sorenfon,
merchant : ten o f which died before
they reached Iceland; for want o f
proper care; the three remaining ones
thrive extremely well, and had fanned
three times before we came there :
they do not want for food, as the country
abounds with mofs.
After having treated o f their fifliery
and the breed o f their cattle, I think
this a very proper place to fay fomething
of their birds, which, in regard
particularly to thofe o f the aquatic
kind, are very important to them.
They are found in great abundance
every where on the coaft ; but the
greateft number by far are caught in
the few places where they breed»
The eggs the Icelanders themfelves
make ufe of, as likewife o f the fleili,
which is eaten by a great m an y ;
but
S L P ! r . t r ' ift ■„
■:x\h