The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Side 49

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
47
one survived the hardships and the suff-
ering to which we were subjected: hard-
ships of travel; poor accommodation;
food generally unsatisfactory and partic-
ularly so for the children and the ailing.
Nor was there a doctor available in case
of need. It was indeed rashness, thus
to endanger the peoples’ lives, and the
people themselves lacked imagination
in taking health precautions.
I mentioned previously that my Valdis
had not been well, but I did not state
the cause. On the twenty-ninth of Nov-
ember, 1875, about half past one, she
gave birth to a boy. He was christened
on the ninth of December and named
Gunnlaugur. He was called away on the
fifteenth of December, a fortnight old,
and was buried on the following day.
Valdis was then on her feet again, and
as well as could be expected.
My GuSmundur and Andres cut wood
for the stove, and managed well for
their age. Erlendur and I often worked
for others. Community life was passable.
Thus time progressed, if slowly.
We had to make the most of our small
supplies. I shall enumerate just as I
wrote it at the time what I obtained for
Christmas from the store that had been
set up for distribution of supplies, in
order to give an idea of with what little
we had to content ourselves. To begin
with, there was no white sugar, and
brown sugar was not available till on the
third day preceding Christmas. My list
is: six pounds of brown sugar; two
pounds of pemmican; 5% pounds of
wheat; one pound of currants; one pound
of soda; three pounds of soda biscuits;
one-half pound of coffee; two pounds of
beans. From these purchases one and all
can see that the men and women in the
first years of the New Iceland settlement
did not live in luxury.
FriSjon FriSriksson looked after the
distribution and sale of supplies. The
government advanced the money as a
loan, and the lands were to be security.
For this reason Taylor urged that we
should move on the land as soon as
possible.
We possessed no means of transport
and had to haul or carry things our-
selves. Before the Advent season there
were severe frosts, ranging as low as
40° below zero, or more, and the snow-
fall was heavy. There were no roads
through the forest, and what with the
deep snow and fallen trees, we found it
scarcely possible, even when unencumb-
ered, to travel, except on the lake. It was
thus impossible for us to move on our
lands in the depth of winter.
Those who were on the most intimate
terms with Taylor acquired the best
located lots, those in the townsite and to
the south, along the waterfront. They
went about this very quietly, before
many knew what was happening. Thus
they had things more convenient than
those who had to carry all their neces-
saries some distance inland, and over
muddy and difficult trails. They had
this in mind.
Supplies began to run low, and about
the middle of December Taylor went to
Winnipeg. Two sleigh-loads of supplies
arrived at the end of the month, includ-
ing twelve sacks of wheat, but these
loads were small. The lake route was
not yet feasible, fodder for the horses
had to be carried and the freighting
equipment was inadequate, there being
no boxes on the sleighs, merely rails or
planks. Deep snow made travelling diffi-
cult. This kind of freighting was ex-
pensive.
The following men took turns at car-
rying the mail: SigurSur Kristofersson,
Kristjan Jonsson, Benedikt, and others.
Very few in the settlement received any
benefit from this mail service except
John Taylor and his brother, William,
for we were isolated in a strange land
and few could read the English papers.
Occasionally, during the winter, Tay-
lor held religious services, for he was a
good and God-fearing man, despite what
has been said about his lack of fore-
thought.
During the winter, too, those who were
most closely associated with Taylor
sometimes gathered in his home. Other-
wise there were, to my knowledge, no
concerts that year.