quisite, and farther
declaring the effect of the lake to be bewitching. I was obliged, for
politeness' sake, to acquiesce, and leave them in the supposition that I
had never seen a larger lake nor a finer prospect.

We now made a halt, and the whole party encamped in the meadow. While
the preparations for a social meal were going on, I proceeded to satisfy
my curiosity.

The peasant's house first attracted my attention. I found it to consist
of one large chamber, and two of smaller size, besides a storeroom and
extensive stables, from which I judged that the proprietor was rich in
cattle. I afterwards learnt that he owned fifty sheep, eight cows, and
five horses, and was looked upon as one of the richest farmers in the
neighbourhood. The kitchen was situated at the extreme end of the
building, and was furnished with a chimney that seemed intended only as a
protection against rain and snow, for the smoke dispersed itself
throughout the whole kitchen, drying the fish which hung from the
ceiling, and slowly making its exit through an air-hole.

The large apartment boasted a wooden bookshelf, containing about forty
volumes. Some of these I turned over, and in spite of my limited
knowledge of the Danish language, could make out enough to discover that
they were chiefly on religious subjects. But the farmer seemed also to
love poetry; among the works of this class in his library, I noticed
Kleist, Muller, and even Homer's _Odyssey_. I could make nothing of the
Icelandic books; but on inquiring their contents, I was told that they
all treated of religious matters.

After inspecting these, I walked out into the meadow to search for
flowers and herbs. Flowers I found but few, as it was not the right time
of the year for them; my search for herbs was more successful, and I even
found some wild clover. I saw neither beetles nor butterflies; but, to
my no small surprise, heard the humming of two wild bees, one of which I
was fortunate enough to catch, and took home to preserve in spirits of
wine.

On rejoining my party, I found them encamped in the meadow around a
table, which had in the meantime been spread with butter, cheese, bread,
cake, roast lamb, raisins and almonds, a few oranges, and wine. Neither
chairs nor benches were to be had, for even wealthy peasants only possess
planks nailed to the walls of their rooms; so we all sat down upon the
grass, and did ample justice to the capital coffee which made the
c