confess that, in spite of some pretty hard experience of
bad roads in the coast range of California, there were times during
our mad career over the lava-beds when visions of maimed limbs and a
mutilated head crossed my mind. Should my horse stumble on a stray
spike of lava, what possible chance of escape would there be? Falling
head foremost on harrows and rakes would be fun to a fall here, where
all the instruments capable of human destruction, from razors, saws,
and meat-axes down to spike-nails and punches, were duly represented.

In the course of our journey we frequently overtook pack-trains laden
with dried fish from the sea-shore. The main dependence of the people
throughout the country, during the winter, is upon the fish caught
during the summer. When dried it is done up in packs and fastened on
each side of the horse, something in the Mexican style; and each train
is attended by three or four men, and sometimes by women. About the
month of June the farmers and shepherds go down to Reykjavik, or some
other convenient fishing-station on the sea-shore, and lay in their
supplies of fish and groceries, which they purchase from the traders
by exchanges of wool, butter, and other domestic products. After a few
days of novelty and excitement they go back to their quiet homes,
where they live in an almost dormant state until the next season,
rarely receiving any news from the great outer world, or troubling
their heads about the affairs which concern the rest of mankind. Those
whom we met had in all probability not seen a stranger for a year.
They are an honest, primitive people, decently but very coarsely clad
in rough woolen garments manufactured by themselves, and shaped much
in the European style. On their feet they wear moccasins made of
sheepskin. Whenever we met these pack-trains in any convenient place,
the drivers stopped to have a talk with Zoega, often riding back a
mile or two to enjoy the novelty of his conversation. Being fresh from
the capital, he naturally abounded in stirring news about the price of
codfish, and the value of lard and butter, wool, stockings, mittens,
etc., and such other articles of traffic as they felt interested in.
He could also give them the latest intelligence by the steamer, which
always astonished them, no matter whether it concerned the throwing
overboard of three ponies on the last voyage, or the possible
resumption of operations on the Icelandic telegraph. In every way
Zoega