SAUDERKROK--RIDING.
At a short distance from shore, Sauderkrok, appeared to us at first a
most forlorn-looking little settlement, consisting of some few dozen
wooden houses and peat hovels. However, on a closer acquaintance with
the place, during the two days the steamer remained in port to enable
our captain to unload some 200 tons of cargo, we found plenty of things
to interest us in the little town.
There being no warehouses, or even sheds, to store the newly arrived
goods, they were piled on the beach, and there sold by auction. It was a
most amusing scene, the whole population turning out to witness, or take
part in, the bidding for the goods thus sold.
The goods were piled up in a half circle, the auctioneer sitting on a
table in the middle, assisted by one or two of the chief town's folk.
Outside the circle stood men, women, and children from all surrounding
parts of the Island; beyond them again, the patient little ponies
waiting for the loads they were to carry off inland. Much of the sale
was carried on by barter, a system of trading not wholly comprehensible
to us strangers, although we saw the natives offer specimens of what
they had to exchange. As onlookers, such a novel exhibition afforded a
fine field for the study of Icelandic physiognomy, the expressions of
anxiety, pleasure, or disappointment being depicted on their faces when
the coveted goods were knocked down to the would-be purchaser, or not.
To these poor people this must have been a meeting of the greatest
importance, as their winter comforts mostly depended thereon; but such
is their habitual apathy, that even this great event caused little
outward excitement.
No sooner were the goods purchased, than the ship's crew sorted them
out, and with the help of an interpreter they were handed over to their
owners, some of whom within a few hours were starting off on their
homeward journey; a considerable part of the goods, however, still
remained on the shore when we left two days later, the purchasers having
arranged to return for future loads.
In 1883 the imports amounted to £337,000, from bread, groceries, wines,
beer, spirits, tobacco, and stuffs. Trade has been open to all nations
since 1854.
THE EXPORTS OF ICELAND IN 1887.
Salted cod cwt. 112,201 value £138,506
Other salted fish " 57,226 " 46,810
Salted herring barrels 27,096 " 20,000
" salmon cwt. 218 " 763
Cod oil barrels 1,215 " 2,738
Shark oil " 7,508 " 22,524
Seal oil " 121 " 336
Whale oil " 230 " 460
Ponies numbers 3,476 " 10,428
Sheep " 10,000 " 10,000
Wool cwt. 12,134 " 47,561
Salted mutton " 9,336 " 11,968
Eider down lbs. 7,149 " 5,415
besides woollen stockings and gloves, skins, feathers, tallow, dried
fish, sounds, and roes.
Sauderkrok was to witness a new experiment in our mounting arrangements.
On our arrival, as usual we intended riding into the interior, and
applied at the only inn in the place for ponies, when to our
discomfiture we learnt no such thing as a lady's side-saddle was to be
obtained. The innkeeper and our party held a long consultation as to
what was to be done, during which the inhabitants of the place gathered
round us in full force, apparently much interested in our proceedings.
At last one of the lookers-on disappeared, and presently returned in
triumph with a chair-saddle, such as already described, used by the
native women. This was assigned to Miss T. No second one, however, was
obtainable, and I had to choose between remaining behind or overcoming
the difficulties of riding lady fashion on a man's saddle. My
determination was quickly taken, and much to the amusement of our party,
up I mounted, the whole village stolidly watching the proceeding, whilst
the absence of pommel contributed considerably to the difficulty I had
in keeping my seat.
Off we started, headed by our guide, and as long as the pony walked I
felt very comfortable in my new position, so much so that I ventured to
try a trot, when round went the saddle and off I slipped. Vaughan came
to my rescue, and after readjusting the saddle, and tightening the
girths, I remounted, but only with the same result. How was I to get
along at this rate?
I had often read that it was the custom for women in South America, and
in Albania, who have to accomplish long distances on horseback, to ride
man fashion. Indeed, women rode so in England, until side-saddles were
introduced by Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II., and many continued
to ride across the saddle until even a later date. In Iceland I had seen
women ride as men, and felt more convinced than ever that this mode was
safer and less fatiguing. Although I had ridden all my life, the
roughness of the Icelandic roads and ponies made ladywise on a man's
saddle impossible, and the sharpness of the pony's back, riding with no
saddle equally so. There was no alternative: I must either turn back, or
mount as a man. Necessity gives courage in emergencies. I determined
therefore to throw aside conventionality, and do in 'Iceland as the
Icelanders do.' Keeping my brother at my side, and bidding the rest ride
forward, I made him shorten the stirrups, and hold the saddle, and after
sundry attempts succeeded in landing myself man fashion on the animal's
back. The position felt very odd at first, and I was also somewhat
uncomfortable at my attitude, but on Vaughan's assuring me there was no
cause for my uneasiness, and arranging my dress so that it fell in folds
on either side, I decided to give the experiment a fair trial, and in a
very short time got quite accustomed to the position, and trotted along
merrily. Cantering was at first a little more difficult, but I
persevered, and in a couple of hours was quite at home in my new
position, and could trot, pace, or canter alike, without any fear of an
upset. The amusement of our party when I overtook them, and boldly
trotted past, was intense; but I felt so comfortable in my altered seat
that their derisive and chaffing remarks failed to disturb me. Perhaps
my boldness may rather surprise my readers; but after full experience,
under most unfavourable circumstances, I venture to put on paper the
result of my experiment.
[Illustration: OUR MODE OF RIDING. _Page 66._]
Riding man-fashion is less tiring than on a side-saddle, and I soon
found it far more agreeable, especially when traversing rough ground. My
success soon inspired Miss T. to summon up courage and follow my lead.
She had been nearly shaken to pieces in her chair pannier, besides
having only obtained a one-sided view of the country through which she
rode; and we both returned from a 25 mile ride without feeling tired,
whilst from that day till we left the Island, we adopted no other mode
of travelling. I am quite sure had we allowed conventional scruples to
interfere, we should never have accomplished in four days the 160 miles'
ride to the Geysers, which was our ultimate achievement.
I may here mention our riding costume. We had procured very simply made
thick blue serge dresses before leaving home, anticipating rough
travelling. The skirts being full and loose, hung well down on either
side when riding, like a habit on the off and near sides, and we
flattered ourselves that, on the whole, we looked both picturesque and
practical. Our very long waterproof boots (reaching above the knee)
proved a great comfort when fording rivers, which in an Iceland ride are
crossed every few miles, sometimes oftener. For the rest, we wore
ordinary riding attire.
The crooked position of a side-saddle--for one must sit crooked to look
straight--is very fatiguing to a weak back, and many women to whom the
exercise would be of the greatest benefit, cannot stand the strain; so
this healthy mode of exercise is debarred them, because Society says
they must not ride like men. Society is a hard task-master. Nothing is
easier than to stick on a side-saddle, of course, and nothing more
difficult than to ride gracefully.
For comfort and safety, I say ride like a man. If you have not courage
to do this, in visiting Iceland take your own side-saddle and bridle
(for a pony), as, except in Reykjavik, horse furniture is of the most
miserable description, and the constant breakages cause many delays,
while there are actually no side-saddles, except in the capital, and a
chair is an instrument of torture only to be recommended to your worst
enemy.
On one occasion, while the rest of the party were settling and arranging
about ponies, which always occupied some time, I sat down to sketch on a
barrel of dried fish, and was at once surrounded by men, women, and
children, who stood still and stared, beckoning to all their passing
friends to join them, till quite a crowd collected.
They seemed to think me a most extraordinary being. The bolder ones of
the party ventured near and touched me, feeling my clothes, discussed
the material, and calmly lifted my dress to examine my high
riding-boots, a great curiosity to them, as they nearly all wear the
peculiar skin shoes already described. The odour of fish not only from
the barrel on which I was seated, but also from my admiring crowd, was
somewhat appalling as they stood around, nodding and chatting to one
another.
Their interest in my sketch was so great I cannot believe they had ever
seen such a thing before, and I much regretted my inability to speak
their language, so as to answer the many questions I was asked about it
all. I fancied they were satisfied, however, for before going away, they
one and all shook hands with me, till my hand quite ached from so many
friendly grasps.
The men in Iceland always kiss one another when they meet, as also do
the women, but I only once saw a man kiss a woman!
'Snuffing' is a great institution. The snuff is kept in a long box, like
a gourd, often a walrus tooth, with a long brass mouth. This they put
right up the nostril, turning the head to do so--a very dirty and
uncouth habit, but one constantly indulged in by both sexes. They also
smoke a great deal. On one occasion Vaughan gave a guide some tobacco.
He took it, filled his pipe, and put it back in his pocket, shaking his
head as much as to say he could not light his pipe in the wind. This
dilemma was overcome by Vaughan offering a fusee. The man took it,
looked at it, and grinned. So Vaughan showed him how to use it, and
struck a light. His astonishment and amusement were so overwhelming that
he got off his pony, and rolled about on the ground with delight. He had
evidently never seen such a curiosity before.
We rode to Reykir, 10 or 12 miles from Sauderkrok, where there are hot
springs. The road was very bad, and it took us nearly three hours to
accomplish the distance, but this may be partly accounted for by our
stopping every half-hour to mend some one's broken harness. My only
girth, a dilapidated old thing, was mended with string, and when
trotting along soon after starting, the saddle and I both rolled off
together, the only fall I have ever had in my life, and from a little
Icelandic pony too! I was thoroughly disgusted at the accident, and my
want of balance. However, I soon had occasion to comfort myself on my
easy fall, when our guide and pony turned three complete somersaults
down a hill, the man disappearing. But he soon rolled out from beneath
the animal, shook himself, and mounted once again. How every bone in his
body was not broken I can't imagine, so rough and strewn with lava
boulders, was the ground on which he fell.
Shortly after our party had left Sauderkrok, a young Icelander was
noticed riding after us, and when my fall occurred, he advanced towards
us politely, and offered me the use of his pony and saddle, which I
gratefully accepted, and he mounted mine, riding without any girths, and
gracefully balancing himself in a most marvellous manner. This new
addition to our party proved a very valuable one, as he talked English
perfectly, and was most intelligent and communicative. He told us he was
on his way to Copenhagen to study languages, preparatory to trying for a
professorship at Reykjavik, and we found he had already mastered
English, French, Latin, and Danish. His name never transpired, but we
learnt that as soon as the news reached him that an English party had
landed and started for 'Reykir,' he had saddled a pony and ridden after
us, wanting to see what we were like, and also to endeavour to make our
acquaintance, and thus be able to air his English with English people,
for until then he had never spoken it except with his teacher. My fall
gave him the opportunity he wanted, as he was then able to offer his
services without intrusion, which he did with the politest manners.
The Icelanders are a wonderfully well-educated people. Our new friend
told us he did not believe there was a man or woman in the Island who
could not read and write, and certainly on our visits to the various
farm-houses, we never failed to notice a Lutheran Bible, and many of the
old 'Sagas,' by native poets, beside translations of such works as
Shakespear, Göethe, John Stuart Mill's 'Political Economy,' and other
well-known writings.
Icelandic is the oldest of the present German dialects, being purer than
the Norwegian of to-day, and its literature dates from 1057, immediately
after the introduction of writing.
The literature has been ascertained to be of so deeply interesting a
character, that the fact of establishing an 'Icelandic Chair' in one of
our Universities is now, I believe, under consideration. Many of the
natives speak, and understand, Danish--indeed the laws are read to them
in that language; and between Danish and Icelandic, we ladies succeeded
in making our German understood. Icelandic is now given with English and
Anglo-Saxon as optional subjects for the examination at Cambridge for
the Modern Language Tripos.
Appended are a few Icelandic sentences, which we found useful in our
travels. They are spelt phonetically, as we learnt a few phrases from
such of the guides as could speak a little English.
G. C. Locke, in his most interesting work 'The Home of the Eddas,' in
speaking of Icelandic literature, says, 'Might not some of the hours so
fruitlessly spent in misinterpreting incomprehensible Horace be more
fitly devoted to the classics of Northern Europe?... Snovri Sturluson
the author of the "Elder Edda," has no compeer in Europe.'
Can you lend us any ponies? Getithir launath okir hesta?
Can you give us five ponies? Getithir launath okir fim
hesta?
No; I cannot lend you so Neg; jeg getiki launath
many. īkur (_īdhur_ when speaking
to one person) sō mārga.
I can give you two. Jeg gyet launath tvōa.
How many? Kwādh mārga?
Thank you; please bring Thākur fir (_or_ tāk) Kurisō vel
them. ath Kwawma meth.
How long will you be Kwā lengi verthidh fīr (_thīeth_,
away? when speaking to more
than one) bŭrtū?
We shall come back after Vīeth Kwawmim āftur
riding six hours. eftarath hāver rēdhith
īsechstūna.
Where is Reykir? Kwāreru R[ēikir?
You are not going the right Thīer fārith eki rēhtir lēdh.
way.
You must go back a little Thīer verdhith afara til paka
way. taulitith.
Our young Icelandic student was very proud of
the native Sagas, and justly so. They are works
highly esteemed, and of interest to the scholar,
embodying the history of the Island, tales of its
former chiefs, their laws, their feuds, their adoption
of Christianity, the sittings of the Althing, great
volcanic eruptions, handed down by word of mouth
from generation to generation, until the pastors
and learned men committed them to manuscript.
They are also full of the most romantic adventures,
stirring incidents, and courageous assaults, dear to
the heart of every Icelander, and treasured by them
as a record of their country's history and its people's
hardihood.
[Illustration: Icelandic Farm. Cod fish drying.
Etched by F.P.Fellows from a sketch by the Author, 1888.]