Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga - 01.01.1966, Qupperneq 68

Westward Journey
From Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason's novel — "Eiríkur Hansson"
Translaled by Jón K. Laxdal
The following translation consists of a
chapter from the novel Eirikur Hansson,
by the Icelandic author Johann Magnus
Bjarnason, 1866—1945. At the age of nine
years he immigrated with his parents to
Nova Scotia. The family later moved to
Winnipeg where he completed his sec-
ondary education and attended Normal
School. He taught for twenty-five years
in various Icelandic districts in Manitoba,
later spent some years in Vancouver. He
returned to Saskatchewan in 1922 to re-
tire among former friends and country-
men.
During his years as a teacher he won
the love and respect of all his pupils
many of whom as a result of his en-
couragement and guidance rose to posi-
tions of prominence in their respective
professions.
Although he received only limited for-
mal education many of his works show
marked evidence of extensive reading
from Icelandic and other foreign classical
sources. His style, in spite of its simpli-
city, is forceful and highly imaginative.
His characterizations are strong and his
descriptions clear and precise.
Clearly evident throughout his works
are the love of his native land and people.
Almost all of his characters are of Ice-
landic origin, men and women of honor
and integrity, who prized valour and
virtue above worldly wealth. Although
handicapped by frail health and the fact
that most of his writing was done in his
spare time he was one of the more proli-
fic writers of the older generation of Ice-
landers who immigrated to Canada. He
will hold an honoured place among his
contemporaries as long as their works
are read.
It was during the eighteenth week
of summer (as my grandmother later
told me) that we set sail from Ice-
land. The ship on which we travelled
was named Maria. It was a two mast-
ed Danish sailing ship, which had
brought merchandise to the “Liver-
pool Trading Company” at Seydis-
fjord and was now laden with salt
fish and wool, destined for Hull,
England. There, also, we three my
grandfather, grandmother and I were
to disembark. We were the only
passengers with the exception of a
girl named Matthildur who was go-
ing to Copenhagen.
I admired the vigor and the for-
titude with which my grandfather
was imbued when he ventured to
take us to America during the latter
part of summer when almost any
day the weather might be expected
to take a turn for the worse. He and
my grandmother were both past fifty
and I a young lad of little stamina.
There were no Icelandic travelling
companions and no interpreter. Our
ultimate destination was the Pro-
vince of Nova Scotia,in the Dominion
of Canada, in America. My grand-
father knew that a few Icelanders
who had left Iceland the previous
summer for Ont., Canada, proposed
to settle there that fall. He also knew
that Halifax was the capital city of
Nova Scotia and he felt assured that
all that was necessary to get there
was to know how to pronounce the
name Halifax and to have five hun-
dred rix dollars to pay our travelling
expenses. He did not feel that it was
a matter of great concern that he
knew not a single word of any lan-
guage besides his mother tongue for
he was equipped with Halldor