Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1942, Page 48

38
LE NORD
years of emigration, and during the years 1881—90 emigration
even exceeded the birth surplus by about 1500. After 1901 all
organized emigration came to a stop, and the annual number of
emigrants from now on till 1920 only averaged about 150 a year.
In the period 1920—30, the number of immigrants exceeded that
of emigrants by 791.
These figures fit in very well with what has been said above
about the causes of emigration: simultaneously with the begin-
ning of economic prosperity in Iceland emigration ceases, in spite
of the fact that it continues for some time in the other European
countries, where it does not culminate till the period 1900—1910.
These 12,000 Icelanders, who were only a small drop in the
enormous stream of emigrants leaving Europe for America
during these years, represented a very serious drain on the small
Icelandic population. Warnings and active opposition to emigra-
tion were not wanting in various quarters. A contributory factor
to this opposition was the activity of American agents, who
made propaganda tours through the country, and who, it was
urged with some justice by many critics, were apt to paint the
attractions of the promised land across the seas in rather too rosy
colours. Especially in the i88o’s there were stormy debates in
the Icelandic press on both sides of the Atlantic, the Icelandic
Americans usually taking the side of the intending emigrants
against those who wanted to stem the tide of emigration. An
acrimonious tone was sometimes adopted on both sides, and the
debate left a residue of mutual rancour. But as emigration began
to ebb, the bitterness gradually abated, and about the turn of
the century a better understanding sprang up between the home
country and those who had left it, and this understanding subse-
quently developed into a deliberate endeavour to promote co-
operation and mutual aid between the two branches of the Ice-
landic race.
Of the first great batch of Icelandic emigrants who landed
at Quebec in 1875 the rnajority remained for some time at
Rousseau in Ontario. During the next year other arrivals also
settled in Ontario. Many of them, however, moved to Nova
Scotia, where the Provincial Government had offered them land.
Each family received xoo acres, but when they had cleared the
forest it appeared that the soil was poor and stony, and that the
chances of becoming prosperous were small. This Icelandic colony,