Árdís - 01.01.1953, Page 65

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
63
in the fall and this proved of immeasurable help to them that first
winter. There was little opportunity to obtain fish, because of the
distance from the lake and the lack of suitable winter shoes and
clothing. Haying, cutting of trees for logs, the building of the
houses, and securing them as well as possible against the cold,
occupied the men during the first months. The outbreak of the
small-pox epidemic in November curtailed activities to a great
degree.
Fridrik Sveinson writes that the first three settlers at what was
then called White Mud River were all from Eyjafjord in Iceland.
They were Johannes Sigurdson from Hrisum, Flovent Jonsson from
Skridulandi and Olafur Olafson from Espiholi, with their families.
They found shelter in a log cabin belonging to the Hudson’s Bay
Company. This cabin was located just north of where the church
is now and was later called “Bola”, for there appeared the first case
of small-pox in this part of New Iceland. Thorgrimur Jonsson says
that it was thought that the infection was brought to the settlement
in cloth bought in Quebec.
He tells of leaving Gimli on September 6, one of a group of 27
crowded on a boat too weak to withstand Lake Winnipeg waves.
They were caught in a north-east gale and forced to land in shallow
water. Waves splashed over their heads as they unloaded the boat.
When they pulled it up on the beach, the seams gave way, and the
old tub began wearily to fall apart. Mr. Jonsson does not say
whether they managed to repair it, or whether they secured another
boat, but five days later, September 11, they finally reached the
river. When stranded on the lake shore they huddled around a long-
fire, (langeld) the first day. On the second day it rained, but a nearby
settler, Benedikt Olafson, from Breidagerdi in Skagafjord came to
their aid. This boat trip was probably typical of many during the
first years. The difficulties to contend with were the wind and the
waves, the rain and the cold, and in early summer, the clouds of
mosquitoes, who found the warm, rich blood of the immigrant a
rare treat.
On the day after their arrival at the river they started the
surveying; on the 13th they walked down to Sandy Bar to meet the
boat bringing the government loan; on the 16th they started haying,
carrying the hay together on their backs or on poles. On the 24th,
the first case of small-pox appeared and by the end of November,
nineteen people had died.