ed taste when I declared it to be unpalatable.

The second day brought a piece of bacon, boiled in sea-water, with the
barley repeated. On the third we had cod-fish with peas. Although the
latter were boiled hard and without butter, they were the most eatable of
all the dishes. On the fourth day the bill of fare of the first was
repeated, and the same course followed again. At the end of every dinner
we had black coffee. The supper was like the breakfast,--tea-water,
ship's biscuit and butter.

I wished to have provided myself with some chickens, eggs, and potatoes
in Reikjavik, but I could not obtain any of these luxuries. Very few
chickens are kept--only the higher officials or merchants have them; eggs
of eider-ducks and other birds may often be had, but more are never
collected than are wanted for the daily supply, and then only in spring;
for potatoes the season was not advanced enough. My readers have now a
picture of the luxurious life I led on board the ship. Had I been
fortunate enough to voyage in a better vessel, where the passengers are
more commodiously lodged and better fed, the seasickness would certainly
not have attacked me; but in consequence of the stifling atmosphere of
the cabin and the bad food, I suffered from it the first day. But on the
second I was well again, regained my appetite, and ate salt meat, bacon,
and peas as well as a sailor; the stockfish, the barley, and the coffee
and tea, I left untouched.

A real sailor never drinks water; and this observation of mine was
confirmed by our captain and steersman: instead of beer or wine, they
took tea, and, except at meals, cold tea.

On Sunday evenings we had a grand supper, for the captain had eight eggs,
which he had brought from Denmark, boiled for us four people. The crew
had a few glasses of punch-essence mixed in their tea.

As my readers are now acquainted with the varied bill of fare in such a
ship, I will say a few words of the table-linen. This consisted only of
an old sailcloth, which was spread over the table, and looked so dirty
and greasy that I thought it would be much better and more agreeable to
leave the table uncovered. But I soon repented the unwise thought, and
discovered how important this cloth was. One morning I saw our valet
treating a piece of sailcloth quite outrageously: he had spread it upon
the deck, stood upon it, and brushed it clean with the ship's broom. I
recognised our tablecloth by the many s