Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North Part 22

My readers may imagine our disappointment on arriving at the gates of Prague, when our pa.s.sports were taken from us and not returned. In vain we referred to the _vise_ of the boundary-town Peterswalde; in vain we spoke of our haste. The answer always was, "That is nothing to us; you can have your papers back to-morrow at the police-office." Thus we were put off, and lost twenty-four hours.

I must mention a little joke I had on the ride from Dresden to Prague.

Two gentlemen and a lady beside myself occupied the mail-coach; the lady happened to have read my diary of Palestine, and asked me, when she heard my name, if I were that traveller. When I had acknowledged I was that same person, our conversation turned on that and on my present journey.

One of the gentlemen, Herr Katze, was very intelligent, and conversed in a most interesting manner on countries, nationalities, and scientific subjects. The other gentleman was probably equally well informed, but he made less use of his acquirements. Herr Katze remained in Teplitz, and the other gentleman proceeded with us to Vienna. Before arriving at our destination, he asked me if Herr Katze had not requested me to mention his name in my next book, and added, that if I would promise to do the same, he would tell me his name. I could not refrain from smiling, but a.s.sured him that Herr Katze had not thought of such a thing, and begged him not to communicate his name to me, so that he might see that we females were not so curious as we are said to be. But the poor man could not refrain from giving me his name--Nicholas B.--before we parted. I do not insert it for two reasons: first, because I did not promise to name him; and secondly, because I do not think it would do him any service.

The railway from Prague to Vienna goes over Olmutz, and makes such a considerable round, that the distance is now nearly 320 miles, and the arrangements on the railway are very imperfect.

There were no hotels erected on the road, and we had to be content with fruit, beer, bread, and b.u.t.ter, &c. the whole time. And these provisions were not easily obtained, as we could not venture to leave the carriages.

The conductor called out at every station that we should go on directly, although the train frequently stood upwards of half an hour; but as we did not know that before, we were obliged to remain on our seats. The conductors were not of the most amiable character, which may perhaps be ascribed to the climate; for when we approached the boundary of the Austrian states at Peterswalde, the inspector received us very gruffly.

We wished him good evening twice, but he took no notice of it, and demanded our papers in a loud and peremptory tone; he probably thought us as deaf as we thought him. At Ganserndorf, twenty-five miles from Vienna, they took our papers from us in a very uncivil, uncourteous manner.

On the 4th of October, 1845, after an absence of six months, I arrived again in sight of the dear Stephen's steeple, as most of my countrywomen would say.

I had suffered many hardships; but my love of travelling would not have been abated, nor would my courage have failed me, had they been ten times greater. I had been amply compensated for all. I had seen things which never occur in our common life, and had met with people as they are rarely met with--in their natural state. And I brought back with me the recollections of my travels, which will always remain, and which will afford me renewed pleasure for years.

And now I take leave of my dear readers, requesting them to accept with indulgence my descriptions, which are always true, though they may not be amusing. If I have, as I can scarcely hope, afforded them some amus.e.m.e.nt, I trust they will in return grant me a small corner in their memories.

In conclusion, I beg to add an Appendix, which may not be uninteresting to many of my readers, namely:

1. A doc.u.ment which I procured in Reikjavik, giving the salaries of the royal Danish officials, and the sources from whence they are paid.

2. A list of Icelandic insects, b.u.t.terflies, flowers, and plants, which I collected and brought home with me.

APPENDIX A

Salaries of the Royal Danish Officials in Iceland, which they receive from the Icelandic land-revenues.

Florins {58} The Governor of Iceland 2000 Office expenses 600 The deputy for the western 1586 district Office expenses 400 Rent 200 The deputy for the northern and 1286 eastern districts Office expenses 400 The bishop of Iceland, who draws 800 his salary from the school-revenues, has paid him from this treasury The members of the Supreme Court: One judge 1184 First a.s.sessor 890 Second a.s.sessor 740 The land-bailiff of Iceland 600 Office expenses 200 Rent 150 The town-bailiff of Reikjavik 300 The first police-officer of 200 Reikjavik, who is at the same time gaoler, and therefore has 50 _fl._ more than the second officer The second police-officer 150 The mayor of Reikjavik only draws 150 from this treasury his house-rent, which is The sysselman of the Westmanns 296 Islands The other sysselmen, each 230 Medical department and midwifery: The physician 900 House-rent 150 Apothecary of Reikjavik 185 House-rent 150 The second apothecary at 90 Sikkisholm Six surgeons in the country, 300 each House-rent for some 30 For others 25 A medical pract.i.tioner on the 110 Northland Reikjavik has two midwives, 50 each receives The other midwives in Iceland, 100 amounting to thirty, each receives These midwives are instructed and examined by the land physician, who has the charge of paying them annually.

Organist of Reikjavik 100 From the school-revenues The bishop receives 1200 The teachers at the high school: The teacher of theology 800 The head a.s.sistant, besides 500 free lodging The second a.s.sistant 500 House-rent 50 The third a.s.sistant 500 House-rent 50 The resident at the school 170

LIST OF INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS collected in Iceland

1. CRUSTACEA.

Pagarus Bernhardus, _Linnaeus_.

2. INSECTA.

a. _Coleoptera_. Nebria rubripes, _Dejean_. Patrobus hyperboreus.

Calathus melanocephalus, _Fabr_. Notiophilus aquaticus. Amara vulgaris, _Duftsihm_. Ptinus fur, _Linn_. Aphodius Lapponum, _Schh_.

Otiorhynchus laevigatus, _Dhl_. Otiorhynchus Pinastri, _Fabr_.

Otiorhynchus ovatus. Staphylinus maxillosus. Byrrhus pillula.

b. _Neuroptera_. Limnophilus lineola, _Schrank_.

c. _Hymenoptera_. Pimpla instigator, _Gravh_. Bombus subterraneus, _Linn_.

d. _Lepidoptera_. Geometra russata, Hub. Geom. alche millata. Geom.

spec. nov.

e. _Diptera_. Tipula lunata, _Meig_. Scatophaga stercoraria. Musca vomitaria. Musca mortuorum. Helomyza serrata. Lecogaster islandicus, _Scheff_. {59} Anthomyia decolor, _Fallin_.

LIST OF ICELANDIC PLANTS _collected by Ida Pfeiffer in the Summer of the year_ 1845

_Felices_. Cystopteris fragilis.

_Equisetaceae_. Equisetum Teltamegra.

_Graminae_. Festuca uniglumis.

_Cyperaceae_. Carea filiformis. Carea caespitosa. Eriophorum caespitosum.

_Juncaceae_. Luzula spicata. Luzula campestris.

_Salicineae_. Salix polaris.

_Polygoneae_. Remux arifolus. Oxyria reniformes.

_Plumbagineae_. Armeria alpina (in the interior mountainous districts).

_Compositae_. Chrysanthemum maritimum (on the sea-sh.o.r.e, and on marshy fields). Hieracium alpinum (on gra.s.sy plains). Taraxac.u.m alpinum.

Erigeron uniflorum (west of Havenfiord, on rocky soil).

_Rubiaceae_. Gallium pusillum. Gallium verum.

_l.a.b.i.atae_. Thynus serpyllum.

_Asperifoliae_. Myosotis alpestris. Myosotis scorpioicles.

_Scrophularineae_. Bartsia alpina (in the interior north-western valleys). Rhinanthus alpestris.

_Utricularieae_. Pinguicula alpina. Pinguicula vulgaris.

_Umbelliferae_. Archangelica officinalis (Havenfiord).