Icelanders, not only by peasants, but also by people of the so-called
higher classes, and who all implicitly believe it.

It is asserted that the inhospitable interior is likewise populated, but
by a peculiar race of men, to whom alone the paths through these deserts
are known. These savages have no intercourse with their
fellow-countrymen during the whole year, and only come to one of the
ports in the beginning of July, for one day at the utmost, to buy several
necessaries, for which they pay in money. They then vanish suddenly, and
no one knows in which direction they are gone. No one knows them; they
never bring their wives or children with them, and never reply to the
question whence they come. Their language, also, is said to be more
difficult than that of the other inhabitants of Iceland.

One gentleman, whom I do not wish to name, expressed a wish to have the
command of twenty to twenty-five well-armed soldiers, to search for these
wild men.

The people who maintain that they have seen these children of nature,
assert that they are taller and stronger than other Icelanders; that
their horses' hoofs, instead of being shod earth iron, have shoes of
horn; and that they have much money, which they can only have acquired by
pillage. When I inquired what respectable inhabitants of Iceland had
been robbed by these savages, and when and where, no one could give me an
answer. For my part, I scarcely think that one man, certainly not a
whole race, could live by pillage in Iceland.

DEPARTURE FROM ICELAND.--JOURNEY TO COPENHAGEN.

I had seen all there was to be seen in Iceland, had finished all my
excursions, and awaited with inexpressible impatience the sailing of the
vessel which was destined to bring me nearer my beloved home. But I had
to stay four very long weeks in Reikjavik, my patience being more
exhausted from day to day, and had after this long delay to be satisfied
with the most wretched accommodation.

The delay was the more tantalising, as several ships left the port in the
mean time, and Herr Knudson, with whom I had crossed over from
Copenhagen, invited me to accompany him on his return; but all the
vessels went to England or to Spain, and I did not wish to visit either
of these countries. I was waiting for an opportunity to go to
Scandinavia, to have at least a glance at these picturesque districts.

At last there were two sloops which intended to sail towards the end of
July. The bet