Saga - 1977, Blaðsíða 45

ÁLITSGERÐ SKÚLA MAGNÚSSONAR 1784
39
Tilsammen 56 eller af 6 komme 50 i 4 Aar. Naar eet faar
giver to Lam, som ofte skeer, men er ikke almindeligt, da
bliver formeere [1] sen i 4 Aar 100de saa man kan sætte 70ve.
Det Tilstöd fieldegræset giver til Jndbyggernes under-
holdning, i sær i de 4 Nordlands og Nordere Mulesysseler,
samt mindre i Myre Syssel er her begrebet under den föde,
som falder af Qvilderne og giör intet Tillæg a parte. Denne
Nærings Gren er i bemelte Sysseler meget gammel og
aldrig forsömt, med mindre Heste Mangelen nu skulde for-
volde sligt, og da tillige formeere deres Trang til Korn-
varene, thi bemelte fielde græs blandes eller koges med
Vand og Melk til daglig Mad ligesom Rug og Bygmeel.
Sommer og ferskvands fiskeri er ligesaa at forstaae und-
er fisken i Hensigt til föden.
SUMMARY
The Móðuharðindi, or catastrophe following on the Lakagígar-
eruptions of 1783, was the greatest disaster in the history of Ice-
land. The convulsions of nature and the famine were on such a
scale that men almost lost faith in the future of Iceland as a place
for human habitation. People turned in large numbers to begging,
and flocked to the coast in the areas where there was most hope
of help: namely, the fishing centres of Reykjanes and Snæfellsnes.
In these places there were soon crowds of hungry and homeless
people, though many died before reaching them.
The Danish government did what it could to save the Icelandic
nation in its calamity. An appeal was launched and supplies of food
shipped out to check the ravages of starvation, but sea-ice closed
these harbours and made the passage to others difficult or impossi-
ble. In order to obtain accurate information on the situation, the
government sent out two men, Magnús Stephensen and Levetzow,
later provincial governor, to investigate the eruptions and their
effects and the state of the people. These two returned to Copen-
hagen in the autumn of 1784 and their account of the country and
situation was considered far from encouraging. The idea then arose
that a committee be formed, the second Land Committee, to find
some kind of solution. The possibility of transporting people from
the country was also considered, especially homeless children and