Bernhoft's own brewing, which was very good. On Sundays, a bottle of
port or Bordeaux sometimes made its appearance at our table; and as we
fared at Herr Bernhoft's, so it was the custom in the houses of all the
merchants and officials.

At Reikjavik I had an opportunity of witnessing a great religious
ceremony. Three candidates of theology were raised to the ministerial
office. Though the whole community here is Lutheran, the ceremonies
differ in many respects from those of the continent of Europe, and I will
therefore give a short sketch of what I saw. The solemnity began at
noon, and lasted till four o'clock. I noticed at once that all the
people covered their faces for a moment on entering the church, the men
with their hats, and the women with their handkerchiefs. Most of the
congregation sat with their faces turned towards the altar; but this rule
had its exceptions. The vestments of the priests were the same as those
worn by our clergymen, and the commencement of the service also closely
resembled the ritual of our own Church; but soon this resemblance ceased.
The bishop stepped up to the altar with the candidates, and performed
certain ceremonies; then one would mount the pulpit and read part of a
sermon, or sing a psalm, while the other clergymen sat round on chairs,
and appeared to listen; then a second and a third ascended the pulpit,
and afterwards another sermon was preached from the altar, and another
psalm sung; then a sermon was again read from the pulpit. While
ceremonies were performed at the altar, the sacerdotal garments were
often put on and taken off again. I frequently thought the service was
coming to a close, but it always began afresh, and lasted, as I said
before, until four o'clock. The number of forms surprised me greatly, as
the ritual of the Lutheran Church is in general exceedingly simple.

On this occasion a considerable number of the country people were
assembled, and I had thus a good opportunity of noticing their costumes.
The dresses worn by the women and girls are all made of coarse black
woollen stuffs. The dress consists of a long skirt, a spencer, and a
coloured apron. On their heads they wear a man's nightcap of black
cloth, the point turned downwards, and terminating in a large tassel of
wool or silk, which hangs down to the shoulder. Their hair is unbound,
and reaches only to the shoulder: some of the women wear it slightly
curled. I involuntarily thought of the