I must confess that I found
the character of the Icelanders in every respect below the estimate
I had previously formed of it, and still further below the standard
given in books.
In spite of their scanty food, the Icelandic horses have a
marvellous power of endurance; they can often travel from thirty-
five to forty miles per diem for several consecutive days. But the
only difficulty is to keep the horse moving. The Icelanders have a
habit of continually kicking their heels against the poor beast's
sides; and the horse at last gets so accustomed to this mode of
treatment, that it will hardly go if the stimulus be discontinued.
In passing the bad pieces of road it is necessary to keep the bridle
tight in hand, or the horse will stumble frequently. This and the
continual urging forward of the horse render riding very fatiguing.
{33}
Not a little consideration is certainly required before undertaking
a journey into the far north; but nothing frightened me, - and even
in the midst of the greatest dangers and hardships I did not for one
moment regret my undertaking, and would not have relinquished it
under any consideration.
I made excursions to every part of Iceland, and am thus enabled to
place before my readers, in regular order, the chief curiosities of
this remarkable country.
