A Girls Ride in Iceland

Excerpt: ...It is agreeable to the taste, satisfying, and wholesome. While eating our lunch, our host and his numerous family circle-who all seemed much interested at our presence-did nothing but ply us with continual questions about England, the English people, and the cost of the various articles we either wore or carried with us. We invited our host and one or two of his friends to taste our cheese and chocolate, when after every mouthful they each shook hands with all the gentlemen of our party; whilst those of the women who shared our repast, after shaking hands with the gentlemen, kissed Miss T. and myself most affectionately. Class distinction is unknown in Iceland; in fact, there are no gentry, in our acceptation of the term, and little or no wealth among the inhabitants. I believe the Bishop is the richest man in the Island, and his income is about £150 a year, a sum which these simple-minded folk look upon as riches. Our coffee and skyr, with attendance for seven p. 78 people, cost 1s. 7¿d., a sum reasonable enough to meet any traveller's purse. At the ports, however, in Iceland as elsewhere, we found we had to keep our wits about us to avoid being cheated, the English being credited as made of money. Near to this farmhouse, at Reykir, there were some hot springs which we visited, and we stood and watched with much interest the water bubbling up to the surface. Close to one of these springs we noticed a large open tub in which the family washing was being done in the natural hot water thus supplied; but the water was yellow, and gave off a sulphureous odour-although it did not seem to discolour the clothes. The ground around the house was, as usual, piled up with dried fish. It is difficult to realise the stench caused by this food supply, unless one has experienced it. Cod liver oil is made in large quantities in Iceland, and exported to England, where it is then refined for use. If a lover of cod liver oil-and I...