He has a good salary with little to do,
and in some places enjoys in addition the "strand-right," which is
at times no inconsiderable privilege, from the quantity of drift
timber washed ashore from the American continent.
Fishing and the chase are open to all, with the exception of the
salmon-fisheries in the rivers; these are farmed by the government.
Eider-ducks may not be shot, under penalty of a fine. There is no
military service, for throughout the whole island no soldiers are
required. Even Reikjavik itself boasts only two police-officers.
Commerce is also free; but the islanders possess so little
commercial spirit, that even if they had the necessary capital, they
would never embark in speculation.
The whole commerce of Iceland thus lies in the hands of Danish
merchants, who send their ships to the island every year, and have
established factories in the different ports where the retail trade
is carried on.
These ships bring every thing to Iceland, corn, wood, wines,
manufactured goods, and colonial produce, &c. The imports are free,
for it would not pay the government to establish offices, and give
servants salaries to collect duties upon the small amount of produce
required for the island. Wine, and in fact all colonial produce,
are therefore much cheaper than in other countries.
