andic, which, if literally translated, must surely mean that they
are a mixed product of codfish and brushwood. The size has but little
to do with the age, and all rules applicable as a test in other parts
of the world fail here. I judged some of them to be about four months
old, and was not at all astonished when informed by disinterested
spectators that they ranged from twelve to fifteen years. Nothing,
in fact, could astonish me after learning that the horses in Iceland
are fed during the winter on dried fish. This is a literal fact. Owing
to the absence of grain and the scarcity of grass, it becomes
necessary to keep life in the poor animals during the severest months
of the season by giving them the refuse of the fisheries; and, what is
very surprising, they relish it in preference to any other species of
food. Shade of Ceres! what an article of diet for horses! Only think
of it--riding on the back of a horse partly constructed of fish! No
wonder some of them blow like whales.

[Illustration: ICELANDIC HORSES.]

In one respect the traveler can not be cheated to any great extent; he
can not well lose more than twelve specie dollars on any one horse,
that being the average price. To do the animals justice, they are like
singed cats--a great deal better than they look. If they are not much
for beauty, they are at least hardy, docile, and faithful; and, what
is better, in a country where forage is sometimes difficult to find,
will eat any thing on the face of the earth short of very hard lava or
very indigestible trap-rock. Many of them, in consequence of these
valuable qualities, are exported every year to Scotland and Copenhagen
for breeding purposes. Two vessels were taking in cargoes of them
during our stay at Reykjavik.

I was saved the trouble of bargaining for my animals by Geir Zoega,
who agreed to furnish me with the necessary number at five Danish
dollars apiece the round trip; that is, about two dollars and a half
American, which was not at all unreasonable. For his own services he
only charged a dollar a day, with whatever _buono mano_ I might choose
to give him. These items I mention for the benefit of my friends at
home who may take a notion to make the trip.

I was anxious to get off at once, but the horses were in the country
and had to be brought up. Two days were lost in consequence of the
heavy rains, and the trail was said to be in very bad condition. On
the morning of the third day all was to