The Delay Was The More Tantalising, As Several Ships Left The Port
In The Mean Time, And Herr Knudson, With
Whom I had crossed over
from Copenhagen, invited me to accompany him on his return; but all
the vessels went
To England or to Spain, and I did not wish to visit
either of these countries. I was waiting for an opportunity to go
to Scandinavia, to have at least a glance at these picturesque
districts.
At last there were two sloops which intended to sail towards the end
of July. The better of the two went to Altona; the destination of
the other was Copenhagen. I had intended to travel in the former;
but a merchant of Reikjavik had already engaged the only berth, - for
there rarely is more than one in such a small vessel, - and I deemed
myself lucky to obtain the one in the other ship. Herr Bernhoft
thought, indeed, that the vessel might be too bad for such a long
journey, and proposed to examine it, and report on its condition.
But as I had quite determined to go to Denmark, I requested him to
waive the examination, and agree with the captain about my passage.
If, as I anticipated, he found the vessel too wretched, his warnings
might have shaken my resolution, and I wished to avoid that
contingency.
We heard, soon, that a young Danish girl, who had been in service in
Iceland, wished to return by the same vessel. She had been
suffering so much from home-sickness, that she was determined, under
any circumstances, to see her beloved fatherland again.
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