The Iceland year-book - 01.01.1926, Blaðsíða 68

to the abundance of water-power. Otherwise
paraffin oil is used for illumination. In the rural
parts, peat, though frequently of inferior quality,
is the principal fuel, for coal has to be imported,
and inland transport is, besides, rather costly.
Seams of coal of poor quality have, indeed, been
discovered in various parts of the country, hut
it has not been found a paying proposition to ex-
ploit these mines. Gasworks are as yet only in
Reykjavik, where gas is commonly used for cook-
ing. Central heating is fast becoming universal.
Agriculture Agriculture and fishing have from
and earliest times been the chief sources
Fisheries, of livelihood in Iceland, but it was
not until the 19th century that a
distinct class of fishermen came into existence,
and even in 1850 only 7 per cent, of the popula-
tion obtained their living as fishermen, while at
that time 82 per cent, were agriculturists. Sixty
years later the percentages were 19 and 51 re-
spectively and are now about 40 and 25. For
hundreds of years the only boats used for fishing
were open rowing boats, hut in the 18th century
small decked vessels were introduced. Their use,
however, remained quite insignificant until about
1850, hut from that time onwards their number
continued to increase. Motorboats were introduced
about 1900, and in 1904 the first steamtrawler
was bought, after English trawlers had for 13
years frequented Icelandic fishing grounds. The
adoption of this type of vessel, synchronizing with
improved methods in the herring fishery, has
virtually revolutionized the fishing industry in
62