The New York Herald Newspaper, August 27, 1874, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD, ‘the people ree to choose their Chief Magistrate, as ‘we are, there would be no doubt of his a. yould ike There is no doubt that the lee janders WO! : op tohave back well to be free from Danish comtro!, Toa again the old repuviic which their joreathers I es ander for 400 years, and which was #0 crnelly be- by Suorro Sturlison, and after- lr 4 hard he union of the Danish ‘Ward feli to Denmark with ¢ and Norwegian crowns. The Icelanders have never uked the Danes, » their laws, Their lan- their language wor thelr guage differs more irom the Icelandic than the Norwegian, While theirs 1s the pure, upadulter- ated Scandinavian, the Danish 18 almost wholly mit, and no Dane thinks of speaking nged Ir e leelandie. cfals acquire it The people are very proud of their language, thelr sugas anc ror their language 18 rich, beautiful and expres- sive, their Sagas are the record of a hardy race of liberty-loving men—ol men who have never ceased to battle for freedom, who came here to escape from tyranny @ thousand years age, and enjoyed their freedom itor a time, and when they bad lost it through treachery, have never ceased the fight to regain it, and are fighting still toslay. Thanks to Jon Siguras- son, they have, at least in form, @ loca! govern- ment, as of old, for conducting the business and the legislation on their own soil. ‘To be sure the new constitution does not satisfy them, for the | Crown still holds practically the power of govern- ing the island; but they bave gained the great point that they can raise their owa revenues and expend them as they will. Besides the impertal government stipulates to pay back into the Ice. Jandi¢ Treasury some of its !ll-gotten gains, toward which the people have looked for a long, jong while, but until pow looked in yan, as their rightful fesnpots. So, now that the home government can no longer thrust its hands into the Icelandic money bags, it 4s not likely that it will care much to disturb the Icelanders with the cumbersome machinery of the new constitution. For, in truth, it practically gives them but this one right, and even this may be interrupted by the veto of the Crown or by the votes of the King’s appointees in the Althing. HOPEFUL PROSPECTS FOK THE ISLANDERS. Itisa mistake to suppose that the Icelanders are not worthy of being well goverued. Its climate 1s too rigid to allow of any great wealth being pre- duced from the sotl, but the seas about It, its lakes and clear, dashing rivers abound in the finest fish, and with their new “home rale,” with hands un- tied and feet anshackled, with abundant spirit and enterprise, there can be no doubt they will develop their resources, andin a very few years double them. Their exports of fish and wool are even now, with the Nopeless burden of misruie under which they have groaned, sapping their energies and destroying all ambition, surprisingly great. Phe population 1s about 70,000, and they are far srom being a poor people. ‘The Scandinavian people ate and always bave been lovers of liberty; but they have never been great adepts in the art of expressing the liberty they love so well in tne forma of law; hence the bungling defects of this new constitution, which, bad though it is, bas won their hearts and sealed their devotion to their King. They realy think if he had hia own way he would grant them everything they wisn. They like him and bis uynasty, and are thoroughly loyal, and none the Jeas is this the case that they have the impression that the dynasty is not popular with the Danisn peopie, whom they hate, a0 far as I can see, right cordially. CRITICISING THE CONSTITUTION. Though the constitution was not to-day formally promulgated by royal proclamation, it 1s in every body's hands and everybody is reading and com- menting on it, Some approve sparingly; some accept it with ill will; some say, ‘Well, it is a good step In the right direction and an entering wedge jor something better.” I heard one say, “Oh, it Would be all right enough if we were rid of this Danish Governor and the royal spies.” The truth is these hardy fellows simply want to be let alone to rear their sheep on the heath and catch their ish along the rocky coasts. Thorougnly peaceful, with neither army nor police to mainvain (there are only three policemen on the island, as 1 am in- jJormed), with little to expend their money upon, it is not surprising that they should grumble to see their revenues carried into the imperiai Treasury or swallowed up by officials who have Do interest in the prosperity of the island | lurther than that it givea them tne means of living at the public cost. Ihave belore me acopy of this new constitu- sion, which, as constitutions go with us and all English speaking people, would be esteemed little better than a huge joke of some shrewd politician, ‘md L will give a brief synopsis of tt. One of its uerits is certainly not brevity. It comprises in ali geven chapters and sixty-two articles. The Constitution of Iceland. CHAPTER I. RELATIONS BETWEEN ICELAND AND DENMARK. ArnicLe |. The power of legislation rests with the King aud the Althing. Executive power with the King alone. Judiciary power with the judges. Iceland has no part in imperial matters, pays no revenues to Denmark, snd has no representation in the Danish Rigsdag. 2 The King governs through a Mimster called Minister for Iceland. He may or may not be a member of the Cabinet. The King appoints the Governor, who receives bis orders through the Minister. 3. jhe Minister can be impeached by the Althing, after forms of law to be enacted hereatter. The Althing may petition the King against acts of the Governor, and the ing may order his impeachment at his pleasire, or re- move him. 4. All officers appointed by the King must be native born subjeats of Denmark and must sbeak the icelandic \anguage. He may remove an officer or transfer him, but wot degraue him to a lower office or salary. 5. dhe revular Althiag is to assemble every second year, i to $if not more than six weeks, except by comman of te King. ‘This may be changed by la 6, The King may call extraordingry sessions and direct the period of their duration. 7. “EKe King may adjourn the regular Althing, but not over four weeks Unless the Althing consents; not more than, once, however, the same year. ,3 ‘the King may dissolve the Althing, in which case there shall be new el 3 within two months, and the ibe suminoned to meet the 10, It the King has not given bis assent to a bill within pe ong it cannot have the power of Jawand ts null Vol iL When the King considers it necessary id interim laws. These must not, however, violate t on. ‘Ihey must be laid before the Althing at the next session, though unless with the assent of the ‘King they cannot ve annuilea. 12, Ali power and reprieve rests with the King. 18 ‘The King may directly or by royal commission, Fesshexempulon irom the operation of enacted by ing under the new constitution, they con- Giet with iaws formerly in force. . CHAPTER IL THE CONSTITOTION OF Tilit ALTRING. 4i#, The Althing shali consist of thirty-six deputies; ‘hirty to be elected by the people, six appointed by the King. ‘The number of the former inay be altered by law. The Geputies sual be elected jor six years, unless the Aithiuw shall be sooner dissolved by the King. The six spnolited by the King, however, incase of dissolunon, hoid on to the end of the terin of their appointment All oF tlre thirty-six inust be Icelanders. It « deputy dies or resigns, aud tus place is filled by election, the new de- bufy bolds office only until the end of the tera i Tne althing shall consist ot two chambers, the up * comprising twelve. the iower twenty-four me , Wiese udmoeis tuny be altered vy lew. > vere lo, Those appotnied by the King are ez officio members ot the upper house. The other six are elected vy the e body meeting in general session. {1a seat be- # Vacant in the upper nouse the Aithing meets in ra} session to fli the vacancy after the district shali ¢ elected a new deputy. he may de. rf, 17. all bonds: ers) who cultivate @ grass field gud who p have the right of francnise. Special e: ay. however, be granted by law trom payimg some tucular tax without forfeit of tran- Chise. All rendenis of towns who, pay a municipal tax 61 four rixdoliars have the franchise; also men ot the ary Looth—that is, men Who have no cows, milkiess men, referring especially to fshermen—who pay a tx o 66 Year; public functionaries why ure elther’ by royal writ or by local wu. thority, and all who have passe an examina von ak the University or the theological Seminary at Rejkinsik, or other institutions provided by law, pro vide be is not &v bound as to have the action of his will econtrolied by others. A voter must be twenty-five Years oli, bave a good character and must have re- swed in tre district where be votes at least one year. He uust be of sound mind and without restraint. biust no ue be in receipt of support (rom the poor law . baving received it, he mi ave paid it back Tara ves may become deputies Nu the Althing, provided he 1s not the sub- ‘another Power ov in’ ity service. He must, how: r have resided auvect to ears of his life in lands completed his thirtieth last enmark and have CHAPTER IIL per 19, The Althing shall Jus overy secona y orders s the King o | be Reikiavik, anless on ‘x upon another place t isthe right to draft er wine 3 committees to sit dur onsiver matters of or persons wud pa 2 by law. and no land ry unless dyer or by va luet auteient paid QUE UL THe weneral i SES tat nature nay de) phe Governors and many other omi- | mperfectiy, and speak it but little. 4 their history; and well they may be, | | ofthe higner tunctionaries of the island and the Royai Comnnissioner at the Aithing. 28, rach chamber has the right to demand an ex- planation of every item in the budget, 27, No bill shail be passed by either ehamber-wntil it ad If ad three Limes, has passed one chamber it issentto tered it is returned, | has | 28. When | the other. | amended in the chamber where it originated it Is again | tent to the other chainver, when. If not how agreed to born chambers meet and ‘the bill 1s disposed of in Alt hing atone discussion. Incase of such meeting two | thirds of the members of each chamber shail ve pres ent and take partin the voting. @ majority raling on each parazraph. But on every bil the votes of Wo-thirds of ail Deputies present are re ‘go, he Depties shall deck lity of el 2 ihe pu ali decide mpon the legality of elec: tothe Althing. aa ’ 4%. Immediately on his election being declared valid | the Deputy shail take aa oath to obey the constitution. aL The Deputies bound only by their convictions aud are not to receive instructions trom the electors after being chosen. people ‘do not require permission trom the government % aceept, but they are bound, witout expense to the ‘reasur: tions wD. have teir official duties attended to in their ‘absence in # manner satisfactory to th 52. While the session lasts no Althing’s mi rested tor debt without consent ol th el | which he has bis seat, nor may be be imprisoned nor proceeded against at law, unless taken io the actual commission of crime, nor can he be called to account for pear jpoken in the Althing unless with consent of the chamber. St If any Deputy lawfully elected shall violate the rovision of the constitution which makés hin ineligi- Je, he violates his priviieges as a Deputy. Si The Governor (Landshoffeinger) shall ha right toa seatin the Althing and to take part in the bate, under the rules of the houses. The government may also give permission to ezomer an to sit, and on demand {deliver to the Althing all official documents ana reports which may be required. The Governor has only the right to Vote when he may be at the same time a legally elected Deputy. %. bach chamber élects its Forseti, President or Speaker—a Deputy; also the General Althing when to- . Neither chamber shall discuss any measure unless | two-thirds of its members are present. ] 37. No Deputy shall make apy proposal without per- mission of th mber, . No measure shall be considered unless # Deputy shall be responsible for its introduction. 89. Ifthe chamber cannot decide # question they may refer it to the Governor. 40. The sittings of both chambers shall be open to the public, yet on certain occasions discussions may be secre! 41. Roles forthe aittings of the collected Althing shall be fixed by law. CHAPTER IV. THE JUDICIARY. 42, The formation of the judiciary shall be fixed by The sudges shall decide the sphere of public tunc- tionaries when appealed to. "Judges can ouly proceed in accordance with law. A judge cannot be deprived of the magisterial tunc- tions without judgment of the other judges: and no judge can nsferred to any other office against his ‘will unless his affairs be mismanaged, At the f sixty-nive be may resign without losing his salary. CHAPTER V. ‘OF RELIGION, 45, The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the na- tional Church, the State shall assist it as such 46. The people have the right to form societies for the worahip of God according to their consciences, so long as ley respect good morals and public order, 47. No one shall forfeit his natiunal rights on account of religion, nor can he excuse himseli on that account from public duties. CHAPTER VI. BIGHTS OF THE CITIZEN, 48 Any person suspected of crime, and held as such, shail be taken before magistrate as'soon as possible. f he cannot be discharged immediately the judge | shall give his decision in three days as to whether 4s to be committed fortrial If he be discharged on pail the judge shall nx it. A decision in either case may be appealed to a higher authority. No person can be imprisoned for # misdemeanor which by law is punishable by fin : : 49. The house of the citizen shall be sacred. No domi- cile shall be invaded, nor any documents or leters stopped or opened, except upon the order of alaw court, unless the law shall provide a special exception. ‘0, ‘The right of property shall be sacred. No person shall be required to give up his property except for the public good, and then only, by special law, which shall at the same time grant full restitution. oi, Every man shall have the right to work at his trade without interference by the law or by other citizens. 52 He who cannot support himself and family shall have the right of support, trom the common podr law fond, and return shall perform such duties as the law requires. 53 If parents have not the means to educate their children, or if the children are orphans or paupers, it shall be the duty of the public to educate and, brin; them up. M. Freedom of the pi bsolute. There shall be No censorship, and the all be to the courts of law for his utterances In case of libel. 45 The people shail have the right to organize socie- ties, without leave of government, and the government Cannot dissolve & socie’ t they may be progecuted at law and dissolved by the decision of « court. ress man 68. The people have the right to meetin public, with- out weapons. The police have the right to attend ail public meetings, rubtic meetings may o' forbid- den when they are likely to disturb the public Deace. 57. Every able d citizen shall oe required to de- fend the land in case ot in’ 58. The rights of commun: to regulate their own atairs under, the apervision of government shall ve ule a . All ‘affairs concerning taxation shall be settled by law. 60. All special rights which the law has attached to nobility, ttle and dignities shall be annulled. CHAPTER VIL AMENDMENTS TO THR CONSTITUTION. 61, Amendments to the coustitution may be proposed @ither in a regular or an extraordinary Althing. If the shall at Proposal pass the lower chamber the Altning once dissolve and new elections shall take pla: 6 | new Althing approve, the amendment or alteration is Wa) This constitution comes into force on ine Ist of August, 1874. A GLIMPSE AT THE Past, ‘This constitution being now in force, it is not in- appropriate to refer to a few historical matters in connection with the past history of Icelandic gov- ernment. The Republic, first organized in 874, was be- trayed to Norway in 1241, and passed under the | rule of Norway in 1264, In 1380 she was hunded over to Denmark, at the time of the union of the crowns, and in 1662 all home rule was abolished under the general act of absolutism proclaimed throughout all the Danish dominions. Iceland, | being very remote and of less consequence then other parts, fell less under the influence of this tyrannical law than any other of the Danish pos- sessions, and while Norway fell completely under | the operation of the law and gave up every ves- | tige of liberty, Iceland still retained—without au- | thority, however—some voice in her local rule- This condition of things lasted until 1800, when the law was abolished, but the ancient Althing was not re-established until 1844, and then only in a modified form, and the local govern- ment of Iceland had only consultative concern im the regulation of its own affairs, The people have good cause for rejoicing, now that they have obtained a government which, although’ im form really placing their affairs under contro) of the | King, isin effect free, as it is not likely that the | home government willever wotry them much with | the saleguards in their tavor which the iramers of the constitution have carefully thrown around the instrument. The King, for instance, has six | and the people six representatives in the upper chamber, and these six, by absenting themselves or voting adversely to any popular measure, could always defeat it. THE CELEBRATION. The Scene in the Cathedral—Icelandic Masic and Fashions-The Millennial Ode REIKIAVIE, August 2, 1874. ‘The celebration of the Millennial began to-day. When I came on deck in the morning a very lively scene greeted me. Flags were flying from ail tne ships and from every housetop, and the men-of- war were decorated after the most approved naval | tasmion, The sun was shining Drilliantlyand the air was clearand warm. Away offto the north- through which Jules Verne made hia imaginary descent into the centre of the eafth; to the south. east was the sharp peak of Keyitr; tothe northa great line of sun illumined cliffs. At eignt o'clock and soon afterwards we went ashore to witness the ceremonies at the Cathedral. We found the large open green gbout tne build. ing already thronged with people who nad come from far and near, and every one I passed seemed to say, “Ab, look at me! sand years old.” And well they may be proud ofthese thousand years—so full of traditions of freedom and inde- pendence, so rich in poetry, higher tmpuises of humanity which have colored the common law of right and justice with te crimson blood of life that has flown away from tne great neart ot liberty through all the nations that owe their origin to ancient Norseland. And our own country ts not least among them. The idea of | liberty, a8 we anderstand \t now. first took root in | Iceland, and the north of Europe, where liberty | began, listened to the teachings of tne wise men of this bieak isiand in the Arctic Sea. THE CATHEDRAL | 19 not ap imposing edifice by any means, but is a | solid, respectadie looking building, withour any | pretence to architectura! beauty, and ts capaple of accommodating about 1,500 people. It was quite filled when we entered atten o'clock, Seats had been courteously re rty close to the front, aud the King, with bis suite, arrived promptiy. The audience arose, and would have cheered him had it not been in church. He passed up the aisie aod up the narrow winding stairs leuding to the gallery. where he sat througn @ ser- mon that Wes very iifeless aac hstened to chaunt ing that was very dal, But the simging was su. perb, und the whole scene withio the church A¥tremaly wiaat The interior It again altered or | HH, except the budget, | west loomed up the white crest of Snucfell Jokul, | lace was fired from the ships, | lam the citizen of a country thatisathou- | jo charged with those | everywhere decorated with green. Great festoons of birch and willow leaves, woven together with great skill, ornamented the chancel and galleries, while all about the altar were great quantities of bright fowers, evi- degty from private houses. The people greatly interested me. Their faces were brignt and | happy and they were arrayed im their very best. A few gay bonnets Were to be seen bere and tnere, but for the most part the headdresses were of the native costume. The poorer people wore the untversal little Diack patch of biack silk or cotton, about the size ofa saucer, which is pinned to the hair on the top of the head and has a long tassel dangling from the lett side, with a silver or brass orbument attacued thereto... It seemed to mea very useless piece of female furniture, but here, a5 elsewhere, it seems that the head of women furnishes @ field whereon woman’s fancy may work its will, in defiance of all utilitarian ideas; and who is there that ia not pleased with the gentle vanity which makes 8 wo- man’s hair so important in her thoughts. Those who could efford a more expensive dress, and were not corrupted by European travel, wore TAR GENUINE PULL DRESS ICELANDIC COSTUME, and very pretty and becoming it is, and witha) very costly. The skirt, of any dark stuff, is cut quite sbort, and the jacket is richly embroidered ‘with either gold or silver. But the headdress is the cunningest thing imaginable. It consists of a sort of helmet of white silk, about the heignt of a man’s stovepipe hat, curved forward, and 13 pinned to the hair. Around the base of ita thin white veil is fastened with gilt or silver orna- ments, sometimes in great protusion. It is loug enough to reach the waist and wide enough to en- circle the body; but it is not suffered to hide the face, for it is lifted up and thrown back over the heimet, and makes @n exceedingly graceful headdress. In such were all the fiiteen or twenty girls who sung in whe choir of the Catnedral on this millennial Sunday arrayed, and it was @ pretty picture to look upon. There were about an equal number of men, dressed in all sorts of fashions, and behind the singers was a very good organ. To say that the singing was fine is to pay it a very poor compliment. The Icelandic language is ‘wondrously musical, and every Icelander sings. The ordinary hymns of the churen service were sung as usual, but the event of the occasion was the singing of a hymn, composed for this milien- nial occasion by a man of genius, Matthias Jochumson, a resident of Reikiavik, and set to music by another Icelander, S, Sveinbjtrnsson. I give a@ literal translation, which 1s necessarily without rhyme, and sltnough giving some idea of the thought, cannot fully express the teeling of - 4 voralands,6 lands vor gud! vjer ofourland,O our land’s God! We 061 - ker-fam himn-ann-a \yt-8 pjer krans pinir solar systems of the heavens wind wreath,thine her-skar-ar, tim ann-« safn. Fyr- ir times’ col - lec - tions, Be - for E3 sem he und dr as thousand years, pis -und dr dag- ur ei meir, thousand years one day, not more tee 4 Is-lands til- bid - ur gud sinn deyr. bi God A dies Tce-land’s a - dores its and dies, eitt pisund 4dr, Is-lands one thousand years, Ice-land’s t! ala) pores ar oussnd years rN == = => ei - lifd- sr smd-bidm med titr- and- i @- tervi-tie's small flower with quiv-er- ing Zz +£= £ te FS e ( tir, sem ti DI. ur'gud sinn og de tear which wor - ships its God aud 2 O gud, o gud! ver filam fram og forum per |: brennandi |! aal, wud iadir, Vor drottinn ira kynl th kyns, Of KVOkuin vort helgasta mal: ver kYokith of pokkUIn ) prisundat pYi pu ert vort einaata skiol ‘er kvokam og pokkum med titrandi tar, pV! pu ttibjoat vort forlaga Biol. Islands pusuna ar +) voru morgunsins kumnkoidu brynjandi ter, sem hitna vid akinand: 601, 8 O wud vors lands, > lands vors gua! ver tum sera bi "er deyjum ef pie sem ad lyptir oss du O vert p. hver: ag vor feidto; zanna pradt, huimneaka bvud og vor Bilt plodutsins Draws pusund ar nds pyodiit med prorrends tar. wud brat © Goa, 0 Goa, we ta And offer thee var bu God father, out Lord tre And cry our holiest spe We cry (have crie}) and we thank (eq) for thousand years For Thou af our only detence, We cry, ahd we thaak with oir quivering toate the Wheel of our fate thousand y orning s chilly and downdewing teers otha ahimine om waren in if THURSDAY. AUGUST 27, 1874.-TRIPLE SHEET. 8 of our land, © our land's God! © God We live as trembling straws We die it thou art not our light, and the life Hel Ite us up from the duu ud ateve be ( and captain 's thousand years. Be they a growing @ national life, with lessening tears, And may it increase on the heavenly kingdom’s path. 4 MEMORABLE SCENB. was sung with remarkable power and sweetness, the entire congre- gation joining im the chorus, Everyboay was filled with emotion, I saw many & moist eye; and, indeed, I have never anywhere seen such an emotional congregation. Lt was an event in one’s life to have witnessea such @ thousand beart-gushing as came forth with the chorus, “islands Tnousand Ar’ (“Iceland’s Thousand Years”). Even the crowd about the doorway who could not gain access to the church took it up, and the glorious music swelled away over the green and was echoed by the crags; and then all was still, as if it were a calm following a great storm, and in the midst of it the King, evidently touched, walkea down the aisle, in the midst of the great solemn atiiiness, and this first act of the celebration of the thousandth anniversary of Iceland was at an end, 4 ROYAL BANQUET. The second act was @ dinner given by the King at four o'clock to the principal pablic functionaries of the isiand and naval and civil guests. Among the naval guests were the Swedish, French and Norwegian commanders of the ships-of-war in the harbor, ana among the civil was your correspon- dent, who, with such others of our party as had brought credentials, were received through tne King’s Marshal yesterday. The dinner was served in the large hall of the Theological Seminary, and @ band of music from the King’s ship added greatly to what otherwise was quite excellent. The Governor's wife, Mme. Finsen, the only lady present, sat on the King’s right. To her right was Prince Waldemar, a hand- some, jolly young fellow of about eighteen or nine- teen, who has evidently come out to Iceland to enjoy himself and means not to be disappointed. The feature of the dinner was, of course, the speeches, THE KING DRINKS TO ICRLAND. When the champagne came on the King pro- posed the first toast, rising and fourisping his glass in true hearty Norse style. It was to the honor of old Iceland. His lips had scarcely ut- tered the words when the loud booming of guns was heard, and every ship in the harbor respond- ing to the signal, A grand royal salute told the Reikiavikers that their King had drunk to them and wished them well. It wasa happy thought and exceedingly well timed. There were filty-lour persons ai the table, and led by the King, who waved his glass heartily and did not spare his voice, we joined our burrahs in three times three to the voices of the guns. After this came toasts of all sorts and speeches from all kinds of offictal persons, and aj] were heartily cheered, the King invariably leading. He seemed to enjoy it, snd his handsome features seemed moved too when he rose to re- spond toa toast feelingly put by a native, whose mame I did not know, to himself and the royal family. It wasevidentiy @ most gratifying thing to him to find such earnest proofs of loyalty away off in these dreary Arctic regions. 4 CHAT WITH THE KING. - After dinner coffee was served in an adjoining Toom, likewise cigars. Your correspondent had the honor of receiving one fromthe King, who paused before him for the space of ten minutes, and ins Chatty, easy manner, and in excellent English, spoke of many topics in which he sup- posed I took an interest, and, as he seemed anx- This hymn feus to learn sometning from me of his subjects in Greenland, I expatiated on that topic, somewhat to his amusement, if not to his instraction, I was greatly struck with the manly, straightforward mapper ofthe King, He smoked his cigar and chatted as freely with everybody as if he were no king at all, and he seemed determined to neglect no one. Passing from one to another he shook -bands with each ip turn as he chanced to come upon him in the crowd, and paused awhile to speak a few words of hospitable greeting. After coffee had been served I observed that he went through the usual form of thanking the lady of the house for it, and her fan taliing on the floor he anticipated all those around her in picking it up. With his Ad- miral and other officers he was very free and pleasant, and they seemed to like him greatly, This part of the entertainment over, the King retired, which was our signal to take leave of Mme. Finsen, who had performed her part in a rather embarrassing situation with great dignity and self possession. She 1s, indeed. a very grace- ful and beautiiul woman, even if she does live in bleak Iceland, and 1am glad to learn sne is very | popular. The King is her guest while here, and I an plainly see that he wishes to make himself aa little troublesome as a king can be. » Upon leaving the Governor’s house we walked to the top of a billabout a mile from the town to witness THE THIRD ACT OF THIS MILLENNIAL DRAMA. For several days past there had been posted all over the town a notice to the following effect :— bJODHATID | a OSKJU BLID Sunnndag 2an August 1874. KL 8} e. m. safnast meno saman a Aasturvelll, eg er eetlast tll, ad menn gangi padan | fyiking, 6 trod, a hatiéarstadinn. BL 4-6) e. m. ee fees » sve cem oy ang ir LITLU-OSKJUBLiD. Sjerhver, sem sekir hatidna, og Oskar ad vera edor bora, eru skyldir ad bera merki, er kostar 16 ek., og fest keypt { sdlut idum herra Coxr- sul M Smits og hér { benum. in very large and very smail letters. The tollow- ing is the transiation :— NATIONS HIGH TIDE (TAJODHATID) AT OSKJUHLID (Basket Slope Hiii,) ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 187%, at 5% P.M, the people will gather together at the east wali (Austervelll), aNd itis meant that the people go thence in procession, six abreast, to the festin ace, Bs From 4 to 6+; o'clock, SPEECHES AND SONGS, From 644 to 1d, Amusements, such as Songs, Music, Dancing, &c. Each one who seeks the high tide and wishes to be inside the cleared space must weur a badge, | which costs 16 skilings (5 cents.) OUTDOOR PERSTIVITIR | @ We found an immense throug gathered at the Oskjubiid (Which is little bill overlooking the sea), eagerly awuiting the coming of the King. His Majesty did not keep them jong waiting, for he came soon after us on foot, looking as pleased as could be and delighted with the hearty Icelandic welcome, A tent bad been pitched for him, and, the crowd in front of the Ustie stand, where the speeches were to de made and the songs sung. The songs had aii more or less reference to the occasion and were greetings irom Denmark, Nor- way, Sweden and Aiverica. The songs were ail composed for the occasion by | Mattnias Jochumsson, and Were sung with good | \ eect. indeed, woe iceiandic language seems | wonderiuily adapted for vooai music. No language | that i oi ever heard 1# more sweet, and the | | peuple are Musical in their tastes, @ striking in. | stance 0} the invariable harmony between national | Inpqnege and Cacvie Altar each sone there Wasa fyrir innan hid hreintada svedi, fullordnir | era kaupmanne V. Fishers, | It was, of course, after the fashion of all posters, | YOM 114, Fireworks (Flugeldar ol literally great ving | res, aiter retiring there fora few minutes, he joined | speech by some representative of the country. Adumural Lagercrantz, of the Swedish frigate, re- sponded for Sweden, and there being no American to respond for America, our Icelandic friend and companion on the voyage, Eirikr Magnusson, who Speaks Engiish perfectly, responded to the song in @ very happy specch, and closea with introducing & poem which Bayard Taylor had written the even- tg before at our supper table. As it has been printed and distributed here, and become, there- fore, public property, I have no hesitation in giv- ing it below. ‘The translation into Icelandic, which was hastliy done by Matthias Jochumsson, I may say 18 pronounced excellent, and the poem 18 al- ready immensely popular :— AMERIKA TIL ISLANDS. Her koma born pins bjarta Vinlands, Sem byggjum yngsta heimsins grund, Pir wtlland kappa, son Ad sigua pig a emgdarst undt® Ver hleyptum s Hina Squuan-prudt sia Finn Og par sem tanar d Ver, porfinns nidyar, setcum m” Heill, hetll per modir hetiu skal ap hop a iS ry a Ge adem peed henna Pa trylitur otsi evddi pjddum, Op belain od og iregdia foraa rey for ifr festa Uyegs's snbiitestrand. eins og lindin brein ser heldar, pare eeee ore Her lifdi solarkaldel sleds Pott gleymd, og hrjad og hrakin varin Pin Wetiupiea skoptriepiarram, Erselair til pin sigurpjodir 44 jai dag pin tregu tun. tt pil Se pet ae harps pagna eigi Ver koul meee ait Nonland, mabe, yniand, médir, Pa kappa, skalda, s0gu pod! He 98R DIOd Math. Jochumsson. AMERICA TO ICELAND. We come, the chilcren of tny vinland, ‘The youngest of the world’s high peers, © Lana of steel, and song, and saga. To greet thy glorious thousand years! Across that sea the son of Erik Dared with his venturous dragon’s prow; From shores where ‘'horfinn set thy banner, ‘Their latest children seek thee now. Bail, mother-land of skalds and heroes, By’ love of ireedom hither hurled, Fire in their hearts as in thy mountains, And strength like thie to shake the world! When war and ravage wrecked the nations, ‘The bird of song made thee her home: The ancient gous, the ancient glory Stil dwelt within thy shores of foam. Here, as o fount may keep its virtue While all the rivers turbid run, The manly growth o} nd daring ‘Was thine beneath a scantier sun. Set far apart, neglected, exiled. Thy children wrote their runes of pride, With power that brings, in this thy triumph, The conquering nations to thy side. What though thy native harps be silent ? The chord they struck shall ours prolong; We claim thee kindred, call thee mother. O land of saga, steel and song! Bayard Taylor. Acchilly breeze coming in from the sea, I retired before the dancing and fireworks came off; but the iatter I could see from the ship, and they were very creditable, so far as @ bright night will allow, for even at midnight I can read distinctly in the open air. To-morrow morning (or, rather, this morning, for it is already far into the “wee sma’ hours ayant the twa") we start for Thingvalla, where the final ceremont ire to take place on the famous Classic ground where the people of old used to assemble in their annual Althing (Allthink) to discuss their political affairs anda hear from the Sagborg, or Law Mount, the laws pro- claimed. If time permits we go on to the Geysers. Oar preparations are all com- pleted, thanks to the energetic action of Mr. Field and the obliging disposi.ion of Bans Leger, a man wealthy alter the fashion of Iceland, who owns & great many horses and two schooners, and is esteemed one of tbe solid men of Reikiavik. At any other time we should bave had no difficulty in securing a8 many horses as we wanted, but the coming of the King hag put the traveller to great inconvenience. Tne King requires 160, and it is only after much delay and more vexation that we have secured thirty-five for luggage, ten for our- selves and fifteen spare ones, to be saddled at the middle of the day’s journey. AFTER THE CELEBRATION. A Journey to the Plain of Thingvalla— Miserles of Icelandiq,Travel—Terrible Grandeur of the Sce_‘ry—Welcome to the King—A Norse wie—Intelligence and Poetic Feelings of the Icelanders. Ox BoaRp THE Steam YACHT ALBION, aT SEA, August 10, 1874, ‘We are now on our retura voyage, and if all goes well my former letters will be mailed from Thor so, Scotland, for which port we are bound, and this if the yacht will only keep quiet enough to let me write, for asit was on the out- ward voyage soisitnow. A heavy gale is blow- ing, and really 1 am half inclined to believe tnata gale of wind set in bere atthe creation and will continue to the end of time, ‘he deck is leaking over head, my bed is water soaked and I have a mackintosh tacked above my head to keep the paper dry, while Ihave to prop myself up on my side to write at all. leit off Monday morning last with a description of the Sunday’s festivities, According to previous arrangements we set out that morning for Thing. valla at eight o'clock. This allowed your corre- spondent precious little sleep, but the last requisite of @ correspondent being sleep I aid not complala, King's party atarted at noon, so that we kept com- pletely out of their way and were there to greet them when they came, tired enough as I am very sure, MISERIES OF ICELANDIO TRAVELLING. Now tnie Icelandic travelling is not by any means an easy or simple matter. In the frst Place itis not @ horse you ride but a little pony, astride of it your feet are not much above tweive inches from the ground, These ponies are very Date, but they are hardy to the last degree, They can carry very heavy weights, greater even, one ] would think, than themselves, if one might judge | by the appearance simply of the ponies and tue bulk of some members of our party who vestrode them. There is notning in Iceland corivsponding to what we call a road, for there are no wagons and ajl transportation is done by means of these little ponies. There are, however, certain tra- versed routes which are, from time to time, insome | measure repaired. Here a rude wall is built toprevent you irom breaking your neck over a precipice, and there some sods are removed to | prevent you /rom breaking your legs as the pony paws along a narrowed footpath, only wide enough for him to move in and deep enough to require you to haul up your feet or allowing them to bump along the rough tur! and stones on either si.¢ at the imminent risk ofa sprained ankle or something worse, ‘The rule of Icelandic travel 1a to march about twenty miles, more or less, until you have reached @ place where your ponies may graze, for these curious Gnimais will not eat grain and must be fed on either grass or hay. They are then turned | loose, the packs, saddies and bridles being re- moved, ald at the end of an hour the spare porses, which have run loose thus far, are put in the places of the jaded ones, There is little lear of the whole herd not keeping togetner, tor these leclandic ponies love company, and generally prefer the society of their felio’ ven to nibbling the stunted grass by tue wayside. 1 whi not bere pause to describe in detail our Journey; that must serve ior another letter. My | present concern is with (he object of it, whicu wag vo attend the great millenmiai celebration at Thingvaila, It is enough for me here to aay that we jollowed the King’s party next day to the Geysers and returned Thursday evening, the éth, in time to witness tne opening ceremozt | 1 Simple and without pomp, were, taken in cun+ sideration With the natural surroundings, very | impressive, They certainly were to me, and | ieel quite sure that J was not alone in being moved by what I witnessed. Now I would have you look over and not think of the ride we ued among the most rugged Mills, down precipices and through desolate wastes of | lava, but iunagine your correspondent at tae tere ; Minatiog of @ most dreary and unsigntiy piaia, | With mountains cumbinw up at aronud end Qewine $$$ SL ning to descend by a steep winding ‘Path ww the side Of @ lofty precipice. The further we descend the more this precipice develops, and is now seen to trend away ina Rortheasterly direction for several miles. Pres- ently we come to the bottom of the sloping path, and another cliff, not so high as the other, rises on the right, There is much green grass and great Masses of lava blocks in the space between the two, Itisastrange sight and a grand one that meets the eye as we look along this vale between the cliffs, which om the one side may be three hundred and om the other flity feet high. Tu> lava rocks present all sorts of wonderfui shapes. We are in the famous Almana gja. Beyond we discover a five waterfall. 1t is the Oxara River tumbling into the gja (rilt.) The stream courses through the gja for something hke a quarter of a mile, and then travels to the right through a break in the wall into a broad plain below. Through another break we descend into this plain, cross the Oxara below tne last fall, and are on THE PLAIN OF THINGVALLA, and near the head of Thingvaila Lake, which is & beautiful sheet of water, girdied round by hgh monntains, Rising a little siope we are at the Church of Thingvalla, and a few yards further on is the farm house, where lives the pastor, who ad- dresses us in Latin and bida us welcome. The King’s camp 1s pitched to the right, and is all ready tor him. We go tothe leit, through a par row lane, and pitch our single tentin a green field beside it. And now let us leave the turf ana climb a little hillock near at hand, We see the conformation of the plain perfectly. The Almana ga stretches away to the left; seven miles to the right is seen another rift, running parallel to it, called the Hrafna gja, while all through the plain are seen other rifts, some running diagonally, but most of them nearly paralle) with the Almana gja and the Hraina gja. Two ofthese strike the eye at once. Curiosity leads us on to the narrow space between them. We reach @ place not above tweive feet wide, bounded by a yawning chaSm on either side (which no man can pass over), and wander on. The space widens and becomes smooth, and wa find it covered with rich soa :rom which @ crop of grass has been recently mowed. We go abouta hundred yards and the width oetween the chasms has increased to forty yards. We follow on beyond the green to some ugly hummoks of lava, which we with some difficulty ascend, and at three hundred yards distance irom the narrow passage, which was only twelve feet wide, we come to a sharp point. Beyond these is a rift, with the most marvellously pictar- esque walls abouta hundred feet hign and say thirty or forty yards apart, with water of immense depth and perfec transparency at the bottom. The water is still, and we look away down into it and see the very pebbles on the bottom. This rift branches at our feet, one branch running to the left, the other to the rignt. We have passed over the ancient Lugborg, or LAW MOUNT, where the Althing of the Icelanders was held for so many centuries, and from which the laws were annually prociaimed, where the judges sat, where justice was meted out between man and man and man and the State, and where all who could come flocked to listen and to plead and argue, or were brought for judgment, Ten thou- sand people might gather together apon it, but, except the narrow passage vy which We ap proached it, no human being could reach it & single sentinel might (amd history says did so ip the olden time) guard it. Thereis no place where @ man conld spring across the rut on either side, and if he should descend by a rope on the one side and swim across the chilly waters he could not possibly climb up on the other. OLD ICELANDIC JUSTICE. The place where the judges sat 18 the green spot near the centre, and from the judgment seat, now & mound o! grass covered with earth, many @ poor wretch has been doomed to destruction by being hurled forthwitn headlong into the yawn- ing abyss below, or ordered to prove his tnuo- cence by doing battle on a little island 1a the river, below the iall; or, if a woman, to be tossed into that same fall, from the rushing whirlpool beneath which no one ever escaped with lile, ‘The view {rom the top of this Law Mount is grand ana wild and almost terrible. Thingvalla Plain, about two miles long, 1s almost wholly deso- lute, with little vegetation and oaly patches of stunted birch and willow bushes here and there, On every side it meets the mountain slope, except to the southwest, wuere it melts into Thingvalla | Lake. The great rugzed cliffs of the Alinaua gia and the Hrafna gja seem to be huge walls, making of it a vastenclosure. These rifts are, ladeed, only to be passed at one point. bat took my place with the rest of the party and | Kot over forty tailes of Icelandic roads befure camp- | ing, aud wis then at the classic Thingvalla. The | from twelve to thirteen hands bigh, and when | easy in their gait, very sure footed and very obati- | The origin of tnis yingular plain seems easy enough of explanation. Many years ago the whole ‘Was @ Mass of molten lava, cooling year by year. But the flery liquid at the bottom did not cool before a hard crust was formed on top, and, fnd- ing an outlet, NMowed away and the crust has fallen in and cracked, and ieft the two great rite that are 8o wonderful and so gloomy. Other rifts have crossed it here and there, as it ‘ell, and left it as we now behold it, only that time bas rounded many of the svarp fractures and broken down many of the ragged cliffs. The only part of the plain which exbibits any richness at all of vegetation is along the banks of tue river alter it leaves the gja, and in the valley tor nal! a mile above. From the Law Mount to the gja is about a quarter of a mile. The river fom quietly through it, enclosing, directly opposite the Law Mount, the little green isle already refer red to, called THE ISLE OF BATTLE; for, when the old Icelanders held their Althing here, the whole world has agreed that tne ordeal of battle was the most sound Kind of law. No man dare refuse the challenge. The guilty man might be condemned to punishment, but if he appealed to nis judges ior sucn a trial nis accuser dare notre- use him; and this was the grand tournament of the annual Althing. An Althing was seldom held Without a display of such gladiatorial skill; and when the trial came, the women sat on the slope of the Almana gia, while the men sat upon the Lagborg. The men had already given judgment and it was the women now who pronounced upon the question ot fair or four play as the fight Went on, and cheered the victor as he stood trk umphant over the prostrate body of bis dead foe and made obeisance to them, Along this plain it was that the people pitched their camps and planted their booths, and some ol them, meant to last from year to year, are not yet so broken down by time that their foundations may not be traced. One of them, indeed, very near the Lagborg, is quite conspicuous. It was certainly most appropriate that this hie toric ground should have been selected for the celebration of Iceland’s millennial. On returning | from the Geysers a bright and cheery scene Waa which, | there to greet us. About one hundred clean white tents were pitched im tne green valiey, and four thousand people and at ljeast double that mamber of horses were scattered about here and there, presenting such an enlivening sight as las, I dare say, never been before witnessed since the good old days of the Althing, when the people came together to neat the law, to get judgment, to witness the vattie trials, to see the wicked women pitched into tne fall and the wicked men into the low mount rifte; to make love, as they doubtless did, and to buy and fell their different wares, as people must needs do who meet so rarely. MAKRB WAY FOR THE KING. Tne King came in irom his long ride to the Geysers at five o'clock, and he must bave been a® tonished at the display, ior surely nobody ever ex- pected suchalively scene in such a wilderness, About two miles out from Thingvalia there isa farm house, to which the committee of arrange. ments had sent twelve bondermen, or farmers, io meet and escort the King tothe grounds, Tie bead man had never seen a king before, but he did mot seem to care for that, but told His Majeacy what he had come for and what be wanted him to | do, and that was to listen to @ short adarcss (whicu had the singular merit of being waut is projessed to be), and, 1 His Majesty sed, tO ; follow where he and nia fellow bondermen might | lead. When they came into camp there was @ great shouting. and two long oes were sormed | aad twenty-iour Joelandic gifla drseseu 1s thet “=~ ——