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Some of these are brought from England, but the greater part come from Denmark. On the king's birthday, which is kept every year at the house of the Stiftsamtmann, the festivities are said to be very grand; on this occasion the matrons appear arrayed in silk, and the maidens in white jaconet; the rooms are lighted with wax tapers.
There is at least something to be got besides the rich presents; the "Stiftsamtmann" even receives 600 florins per annum from the French government to defray the expense of a few return balls which he gives to the naval officers. With me this was not the case: I gave no parties I brought no presents they had nothing to expect from me; and therefore they left me to myself.
The lady of the house never accompanies her guests beyond the door of the room, after a call; if the husband is present, he goes a little further; but when this is not the case, you are often at a loss which way to turn, as there is no servant on the spot to open the street door for you, unless it may happen to be in the house of the Stiftsamtmann, the first dignitary of the island."
I gladly accepted the invitation, for, according to the description given by the Stiftsamtmann, I hoped to behold a very Eden, and rejoiced at the prospect of observing the recreations of the higher classes, and at the same time gaining many acquisitions in specimens of plants, butterflies, and beetles.
The houses of the wealthier inhabitants are of wood-work, and contain merely a ground-floor, with the exception of a single building of one story, to which the high school, now held at Bassastadt, will be transferred next year. The house of the "Stiftsamtmann" is built of stone.
I made excursions to every part of Iceland, and am thus enabled to place before my readers, in regular order, the chief curiosities of this remarkable country. I will commence with the immediate neighbourhood of Reikjavik. May 25th. Stiftsamtmann von H was to-day kind enough to pay me a visit, and to invite me to join his party for a ride to the great lake Vatne.
Here the town grandees and the handicraftsmen, in fact all who choose to come, assemble; and the ball is said to be conducted in a very republican spirit. The shoemaker leads forth the wife of the Stiftsamtmann to the dance, while that official himself has perhaps chosen the wife or daughter of the shoemaker or baker for his partner.
As an instance of this fact, I relate the following trait: Among other kind letters of recommendation, I had received one addressed to Herr von H , the "Stiftsamtmann" of Iceland. On my arrival at Copenhagen, I heard that Herr von H happened to be there. I therefore betook myself to his residence, and was shewn into a room where I found two young ladies and three children.
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