en　wintered　in　the　new　land；　built　houses；　and　prepared　to　colonize。　For　some　reason；　however；　the　intention　was　abandoned；　and　in　process　of　time　these　early　voyages　came　to　be　considered　as　aprocryphal　as　the　Phoenician　circumnavigation　of　Africa　in　the　time　of　Pharaoh　Necho。
  It　is　quite　uncertain　how　low　a　latitude　in　America　the　Northmen　ever　reached；　but　from　the　description　given　of　the　scenery；　products；　and　inhabitants；from　the　mildness　of　the　weather；and　from　the　length　of　the　day　on　the　21st　of　December；it　is　conjectured　they　could　not　have　descended　much　farther　than　Newfoundland；　Nova　Scotia；　or；　at　most；　the　coast　of　Massachusetts。　＇Footnote：　There　is　a　certain　piece　of　rock　on　the　Taunton　river；　in　Massachusetts；　called　the　Deighton　Stone；　on　which　are　to　be　seen　rude　configurations；　for　a　long　time　supposed　to　be　a　Runic　inscription　executed　by　these　Scandinavian　voyagers；　but　there　can　be　now　no　longer　any　doubt　of　this　inscription；　such　as　it　is；　being　of　Indian　execution。＇
  But　to　return　to　more　material　matters。
  Yesterdaynothe　day　beforein　fact　I　forget　the　date　of　the　dayI　don't　believe　it　had　oneall　I　know　is；　I　have　not　been　in　bed　since；we　dined　at　the　Governor's；　though　dinner　is　too　modest　a　term　to　apply　to　the　entertainment。
  The　invitation　was　for　four　o'clock；　and　at　half…past　three　we　pulled　ashore　in　the　gig；　I；　innocent　that　I　was；　in　a　well…fitting　white　waistcoat。
  The　Government　House；　like　all　the　others；　is　built　of　wood；　on　the　top　of　a　hillock；　the　only　accession　of　dignity　it　can　boast　being　a　little　bit　of　mangy　kitchen…garden　that　hangs　down　in　front　to　the　road；　like　a　soiled　apron。　There　was　no　lock；　handle；　bell；　or　knocker　to　the　door；　but　immediately　on　our　approach；　a　servant　presented　himself；　and　ushered　us　into　the　room　where　Count　Trampe　was　waiting　to　welcome　us。　After　having　been　presented　to　his　wife；　we　proceeded　to　shake　hands　with　the　other　guests；　most　of　whom　I　already　knew；　and　I　was　glad　to　find　that；　at　all　events　in　Iceland；　people　do　not　consider　it　necessary　to　pass　the　ten　minutes　which　precede　the　announcement　of　dinner；　as　if　they　had　assembled　to　assist　at　the　opening　of　their　entertainer's　will；　instead　of　his　oysters。　The　company　consisted　of　the　chief　dignitaries　of　the　island；　including　the　Bishop；　the　Chief　justice；　etc。　etc。；　some　of　them　in　uniform；　and　all　with　holiday　faces。　As　soon　as　the　door　was　opened；　Count　Trampe　tucked　me　under　his　armtwo　other　gentlemen　did　the　same　to　my　two　companionsand　we　streamed　into　the　dining…room。　The　table　was　very　prettily　arranged　with　flowers；　plate；　and　a　forest　of　glasses。　Fitzgerald　and　I　were　placed　on　either　side　of　our　host；　the　other　guests；　in　due　order；　beyond。　On　my　left　sat　the　Rector；　and　opposite；　next　to　Fitz；　the　chief　physician　of　the　island。　　Then　began　a　series　of　transactions　of　which　I　have　no　distinct　recollection；　in　fact；　the　events　of　the　next　five　hours　recur　to　me　in　as　great　disarray　as　reappear　the　vestiges　of　a　country　that　has　been　disfigured　by　some　deluge。　If　I　give　you　anything　like　a　connected　account　of　what　passed；　you　must　thank　Sigurdr's　more　solid　temperament；　for　the　Doctor　looked　quite　foolish　when　I　asked　himtried　to　feel　my　pulsecould　not　find　itand　then　wrote　the　following　prescription；　which　I　believe　to　be　nothing　more　than　an　invoice　of　the　number　of　bottles　he　himself　disposed　of。
  ＇Footnote：　Copy　of　Dr。　F。's　prescription　：　　　　vin：　claret：　　　　iii　btls。　　　　vin：　champ：　　　　　iv　btls。　　　　vin：　sherr：　　　　　1/2　btl。　　　　vin：　Rheni：　　　　　ii　btls。　　　　aqua　vitae　　　　　　viii　gls。　　　　trigint：　poc：　aegrot：　cap：　quotid：　　　　　　　　　C。　E。　F。　Reik：　die　Martis；　Junii　27。＇
  I　gather；　then；　from　evidenceinternal　and　otherwise　that　the　dinner　was　excellent；　and　that　we　were　helped　in　Benjamite　proportions；　but　as　before　the　soup　was　finished　I　was　already　hard　at　work　hob…nobbing　with　my　two　neighbours；　it　is　not　to　be　expected　I　should　remember　the　bill　of　fare。
  With　the　peculiar　manners　used　in　Scandinavian　skoal…　drinking　I　was　already　well　acquainted。　In　the　nice　conduct　of　a　wine…glass　I　knew　that　I　excelled；　and　having　an　hereditary　horror　of　heel…taps；　I　prepared　with　a　firm　heart　to　respond　to　the　friendly　provocations　of　my　host。　I　only　wish　you　could　have　seen　how　his　kind　face　beamed　with　approval　when　I　chinked　my　first　bumper　against　his；　and　having　emptied　it　at　a　draught；　turned　it　towards　him　bottom　upwards；　with　the　orthodox　twist。　Soon；　however；　things　began　to　look　more　serious　even　than　I　had　expected。　I　knew　well　that　to　refuse　a　toast；　or　to　half　empty　your　glass；　was　considered　churlish。　I　had　come　determined　to　accept　my　host's　hospitality　as　cordially　as　it　was　offered。　I　was　willing；　at　a　pinch；　to　payer　de　ma　personne；　should　he　not　be　content　with　seeing　me　at　his　table；　I　was　ready；　if　need　were；　to　remain　UNDER　it！　but　at　the　rate　we　were　then　going　it　seemed　probable　this　consummation　would　take　place　before　the　second　course：　so；　after　having　exchanged　a　dozen　rounds　of　sherry　and　champagne　with　my　two　neighbours；　I　pretended　not　to　observe　that　my　glass　had　been　refilled；　and；　like　the　sea…captain；　who；　slipping　from　between　his　two　opponents；　left　them　to　blaze　away　at　each　other　the　long　night　through；withdrew　from　the　combat。　But　it　would　not　do；　with　untasted　bumpers；　and　dejected　faces；　they　politely　waited　until　I　should　give　the　signal　for　a　renewal　of　HOSTilities；　as　they　well　deserved　to　be　called。　　Then　there　came　over　me　a　horrid；　wicked　feeling。　What　if　I　should　endeavour　to　floor　the　Governor；　and　so　literally　turn　the　tables　on　him！　It　is　true　I　had　lived　for　five…and…twenty　years　without　touching　wine；but　was　not　I　my　great…grandfather's　great…grandson；　and　an　Irish　peer　to　boot？　Were　there　not　traditions；　too；　on　the　other　side　of　the　house；　of　casks　of　claret　brought　up　into　the　dining…room；　the　door　locked；　and　the　key　thrown　out　of　the　window？　With　such　antecedents　to　sustain　me；　I　ought　to　be　able　to　hold　my　own　against　the　staunchest　toper　in　Iceland！　So；　with　a　devil　glittering　in　my　left　eye；　I　winked　defiance　right　and　left；　and　away　we　went　at　it　again　for　another　five…and…forty　minutes。　At　last　their　fire　slackened：　I　had　partially　quelled　both　the　Governor　and　the　Rector；　and　still　survived。　　It　is　true　I　did　not　feel　comfortable；　but　it　was　in　the　neighbourhood　of　my　waistcoat；　not　my　head；　I　suffered。　〃I　am　not　well；　but　I　will　not　out；〃　I　soliloquized；　with　Lepidus　＇footnote：　Antony　and　Cleopatra。＇　（Greek）　〃Sos　moi　ro　prepov；〃　I　would　have　added；　had　I　dared。　　Still　the　neck　of　the　banquet　was　brokenFitzgerald's　chair　was　not　yet　empty；could　we　hold　out　perhaps　a　quarter　of　an　hour　longer；　our　reputation　was　established；　guess　then　my　horror；　when　the　Icelandic　Doctor；　shouting　his　favourite　dogma；　by　way　of　battle　cry；　〃Si　trigintis　guttis；　morbum　curare　velis；　erras；〃　gave　the　signal　for　an　unexpected　onslaught；　and　the　twenty　guests　poured　down　on　me　in　succession。　I　really　thought　I　should　have　run　away　from　the　house；　but　the　true　family　blood；　I　suppose；　began　to　show　itself；　and　with　a　calmness　almost　frightful；　I　received　them　one　by　one。
  After　this　began　the　public　toasts。
  Although　up　to　this　time　I　had　kept　a　certain　portion　of　my　wits　about　me；　the　subsequent　hours　of　the　entertainment　became　henceforth　developed　in　a　dreamy　mystery。　I　can　perfectly　recall　the　look　of　the　sheaf　of　glasses　that　stood　before　me；　six　in　number；　I　could　draw　the　pattern　of　each　remember　feeling　a　lazy　wonder　they　should　always　be　full；　though　I　did　nothing　but　empty　them；and　at　last　solved　the　phenomenon　by　concluding　I　had　become　a　kind　of　Danaid；　whose　punishment；　not　whose　sentence；　had　been　reversed：　then　suddenly　I　felt　as　if　I　were　disembodied；a　distant　spectator　of　my　own　performances；　and　of　the　feast　at　which　my　person　remained　seated。　The　voices　of　my　host；　of　the　〃Rector；　of　the　Chief　Justice；　became　thin　and　low；　as　though　they　reached　me　through　a　whispering　tube；　and　when　I　rose　to　speak；　it　was　as　to　an　audience　in　another　sphere；　and　in　a　language　of　another　state　of　being：　yet；　however　unintelligible　to　myself；　I　must　have　been　in　some　sort　understood；　for　at　the　end　of　each　sentence；　cheers；　faint　as　the　roar　of　waters　on　a　far…off　strand；　floated　towards　me；　and　if　I　am　to　believe　a　report　of　the　proceedings　subsequently　shown　us；　I　must　have　become　polyglot　in　my　cups。　According　to　that　report　it　seems　the　Governor　threw　off　（I　wonder　he　did　not　do　something　else）；　with　the　Queen's　health　in　French：　to　which　I　responded　in　the　same　language。　Then　the　Rector；　in　English；　proposed　my　health；　under　the　circumstances　a　cruel　mockery；but　to　which；　ill　as　I　was；　I　responded　very　gallantly　by　drinking　to　the　beaux　yeux　of　the　Countess。　Then　somebody　else　drank　success　to　Great　Britain；　and　I　see　it　was　followed　by　really　a　very　learned　discourse　by　Lord　D。；　in　honour　of　the　ancient　Icelanders；　during　which　he　alluded　to　their　discovery　of　America；　and　Columbus'　visit。　Then　came　a　couple　of　speeches　in　Icelandic；　after　which　the　Bishop；　in　a　magnificent　Latin　oration　of　some　twenty　minutes；　a　second　time　proposes　my　health；　to　which；　utterly　at　my　wits'　end；　I　had　the　audacity　to　reply　in　the　same　language。　As　it　is　f