The Most Remarkable Circumstance Connected With The Eider-Ducks Is
Their Tameness During The Period Of Incubation.
I had always
regarded as myths the stories told about them in this respect, and
should do so still had I not convinced myself of the truth of these
assertions by laying hands upon the ducks myself.
I could go quite
up to them and caress them, and even then they would not often leave
their nests. Some few birds, indeed, did so when I wished to touch
them; but they did not fly up, but contented themselves with coolly
walking a few paces away from the nest, and there sitting quietly
down until I had departed. But those which already had live young,
beat out boldly with their wings when I approached, struck at me
with their bills, and allowed themselves to be taken up bodily
rather than leave the nest. They are about the size of our ducks;
their eggs are of a greenish grey, rather larger than hen's eggs,
and taste very well. Altogether they lay about eleven eggs. The
finest down is that with which they line their nests at first; it is
of a dark grey colour. The Icelanders take away this down, and the
first nest of eggs. The poor bird now robs herself once more of a
quantity of down (which is, however, not of so fine a quality as the
first), and again lays eggs. For the second time every thing is
taken from her; and not until she has a third time lined the nest
with her down is the eider-duck left in peace. The down of the
second, and that of the third quality especially, are much lighter
than that of the first. I also was sufficiently cruel to take a few
eggs and some down out of several of the nests. {34}
I did not witness the dangerous operation of collecting this down
from between the clefts of rocks and from unapproachable precipices,
where people are let down, or to which they are drawn up, by ropes,
at peril of their lives. There are, however, none of these break-
neck places in the neighbourhood of Reikjavik.
SALMON FISHERY.
I made another excursion to a very short distance (two miles) from
Reikjavik, in the company of Herr Bernhoft and his daughter, to the
Laxselv (salmon river) to witness the salmon-fishing, which takes
place every week from the middle of June to the middle of August.
It is conducted in a very simple manner. The fish come up the river
in the spawning season; the stream is then dammed up with several
walls of stone loosely piled to the height of some three feet; and
the retreat of the fish to the sea is thus cut off. When the day
arrives on which the salmon are to be caught, a net is spread behind
each of these walls. Three or four such dams are erected at
intervals, of from eighty to a hundred paces, so that even if the
fishes escape one barrier, they are generally caught at the next.
The water is now made to run off as much as possible; the poor
salmon dart to and fro, becoming every moment more and more aware of
the sinking of the water, and crowd to the weirs, cutting themselves
by contact with the sharp stones of which they are built. This is
the deepest part of the water; and it is soon so thronged with fish,
that men, stationed in readiness, can seize them in their hands and
fling them ashore.
The salmon possess remarkable swiftness and strength. The fisherman
is obliged to take them quickly by the head and tail, and to throw
them ashore, when they are immediately caught by other men, who
fling them still farther from the water. If this is not done with
great quickness and care, many of the fishes escape. It is
wonderful how these creatures can struggle themselves free, and leap
into the air. The fishermen are obliged to wear woollen mittens, or
they would be quite unable to hold the smooth salmon. At every
day's fishing, from five hundred to a thousand fish are taken, each
weighing from five to fifteen pounds. On the day when I was present
eight hundred were killed. This salmon-stream is farmed by a
merchant of Reikjavik.
The fishermen receive very liberal pay, - in fact, one-half of the
fish taken. And yet they are dissatisfied, and show so little
gratitude, as seldom to finish their work properly. So, for
instance, they only brought the share of the merchant to the harbour
of Reikjavik, and were far too lazy to carry the salmon from the
boat to the warehouse, a distance certainly not more than sixty or
seventy paces from the shore. They sent a message to their
employer, bidding him "send some fresh hands, for they were much too
tired." Of course, in a case like this, all remonstrance is
unavailing.
As in the rest of the world, so also in Iceland, every occasion that
offers is seized upon for a feast or a merry-making. The day on
which I witnessed the salmon-fishing happened to be one of the few
fine days that occur during a summer in Iceland. It was therefore
unanimously concluded by several merchants, that the day and the
salmon-fishing should be celebrated by a dejeuner a la fourchette.
Every one contributed something, and a plentiful and elegant
breakfast was soon arranged, which quite resembled an entertainment
of the kind in our country; this one circumstance excepted, that we
were obliged to seat ourselves on the ground, by reason of a
scarcity of tables and benches. Spanish and French wines, as well
as cold punch, were there in plenty, and the greatest hilarity
prevailed.
I made a fourth excursion, but to a very inconsiderable distance, -
in fact, only a mile and a half from Reikjavik. It was to see a hot
and slightly sulphurous spring, which falls into a river of cold
water.
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