Volume 1

Iceland; or, the journal of a residence in that island, during the years 1814 and 1815 / Containing observations on the natural phenomena, history, literature, and antiquities of the island; and the religion, character, manners, and customs of its inhabitants. With an introduction and appendix. By Ebenezer Henderson. Illustrated with a map and engravings.

  • Henderson, E. (Ebenezer), 1784-1858.
Date:
1818
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Iceland; or, the journal of a residence in that island, during the years 1814 and 1815 / Containing observations on the natural phenomena, history, literature, and antiquities of the island; and the religion, character, manners, and customs of its inhabitants. With an introduction and appendix. By Ebenezer Henderson. Illustrated with a map and engravings. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    463/490 (page 359)
    with horror. Every animal is struck with ter¬ ror ; even the dogs of the hunters are seized with such dread that they will fall on the ground, and remain immoveable till the cause is over.” * From the picture which the foregoing part of the journal presents of the state of the roads, and the difficulties inseparably connected with travelling in Iceland during the summer, an idea may be formed of the almost total imprac¬ ticability of any such attempt in winter. The- distance between the houses; the dreadful chasms and rents in the lava hidden by the snow ; the rivers either choked full of ice, or but slightly frozen, with numerous other circum¬ stances,—all combine to present obstacles, which few have the courage, or the physical strength, to surmount. In general, no Icelander under¬ takes a journey of greater length the whole win¬ ter than to his parish-church ; and it often hap¬ pens—though naver without reluctance—that he must abandon even this tour for weeks toge¬ ther. Two posts are dispatdhed each season from the north, and one or two from Reykjavik to the eastern and western quarters of the island: otherwise, a traveller is scarcely ever heard of till near the end of winter, when the people be» gin to come from the north to the fishing. They then proceed across Holltavorduheidi, which is the shortest desert between the north and south countries ; yet they frequently suffer * Penant’s Arctic Zoology, Introduce p. 102.