28 there is no fuel to burn it, for there is no wood anywhere, except a few worm-eaten pine trees or a balk of mahogany from some southern clime, cast on the shore by the Gulf Stream. He has no straw for thatch, no slates or tiles, no glass “save one dull pane” carried on horse back over vile bridlepaths and well-nigh impassable rivers. The house is therefore built of rough lava blocks, with layers of turf between, to the height of four or five feet. A roof of such wood as can be procured, or whale bones, rests upon these walls, and is covered with a thick layer of earth and sods (the best grass of the farm is that cut from the roof). A cask, with the ends out, may serve as a chimney, but the smoke is frequently allowed to escape through a hole in the roof. The only fire that is ever burnt within these walls is that of the kitchen. As the Icelander has no coal or wood, and scarcely any peat for fuel, he must content himself with a very little turf and dried horse dung. Hence the people keep themselues warm with overcrowding, the chief room being used as a sitting-room by day and bedroom by night. It is usually occupied by the farmer, wife, family and servants, male and female, in all often more than 20 persons. The beds are sometimes placed all round the chamber two deep, like the berths ox a ship, the lower row serving as seats in the day. Should there be no window, occasionally there will be one or two holes about an inch in diameter, closed by plugs, which can be (but rarely are) moved when it is desired to admit a little air. The state of such an atmosphere may be imagined. It is no doubt difficult to keep an earth house clean, for washing would only produce mud. The deposit of peat smoke gives a fine bit of colour from a picturesque point of view, but the personal dirt one often sees, in spite of plenty of fresh cold water running by the door, and often of hot water laid on by Nature, has no doubt much to do with the leprosy and other diseases which are far from uncommon. We were informed that in one district of the south 75 per cent, of the children born, die before they are a twelve months old. The dairy in one house was unique, for a clear swift stream ran round it inside and went out under a bridge at the door. It was most handy for washing the dishes, and in hot weather keeps everything pleasantly cool.

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(3) Saurblað
(4) Saurblað
(5) Kápa
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(7) Blaðsíða [1]
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(67) Saurblað
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(70) Saurblað
(71) Band
(72) Band
(73) Kjölur
(74) Framsnið
(75) Kvarði
(76) Litaspjald