The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Blaðsíða 56

54
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Winter 1946
essary. Certainly I was in no condition
to proceed any farther. I felt stiff and
my clothes had frozen so that I was
scarcely able to walk. This time how-
ever, we were made welcome, and a
good fire was started. Jon loaned me
clothes until I had dried my own.
During my experience I had not felt
fear, but at this point a strong reaction
set in. I began to shiver, as if at death’s
door, and I did not sleep a wink that
night. On the following day we con-
tinued on our way to Winnipeg.
The work which I was able to get was
mainly at sawing wood. Employment
was scarce, and wages low. We returned
home before Christmas.
It was then that I commenced fishing
at the mouth of the river, a practice
which I continued during my years in
the colony. I did not leave my nets to
lie in the water without frequent in-
spection, for this practice caused nets
to deteriorate quickly.
We had to make every effort to econ-
omize, but how patiently we endured
our difficulties, toil, and privations.
There was no expectation of comfort.
In the following spring, my GuSmund-
ur, along with other children, was con-
firmed by the Reverend H. Briem.
During the last two summers I earn-
ed a considerable amount in Winnipeg.
I worked at unloading boats, employ-
ment not deemed very genteel, and at
building houses. At that time was be-
gun the construction of the railway
bridge and the erection of the large
Hudson’s Bay Company building, the
Bank of Montreal, and many other fine
buildings.
In March, 1881, we left New Iceland.
We obtained an ox from Albert ThiS-
rikson, and also a rickety sleigh, on
which we stowed all our belongings.
There was a general shortage of hay
that year, due to floods, and my small
supply was spoiled by the wet. Con-
sequently, I had a cow and a heifer in
tow, in addition to my own cows, in-
cluding Bubot, who had become lean.
A beautiful red heifer calf I had been
compelled to sell to GuSmundur Nord-
mann to obtain two dollars towards ex-
penses on the way in. Actually, the price
agreed on was four dollars, but Gu5-
mundur was able to pay only half that
sum.
In our group were Arni Sveinson,
Thordur, and myself. The journey to
Winnipeg took two days.
We had no assured employment
awaiting us in Winnipeg. Besides, I had
to return the ox. Thus I found myself
once again on the road to the settle-
ment. In order to help to defray expens-
es, I transported goods for FriSjon. The
round trip took five days, and all this
time I was able to secure only snatches
of sleep.
I left Skogar for my return journey
late in the day. On the sleigh were load-
ed the chickens, cooped up in a cup-
board, and odds and ends which I had
previously left behind.
This time, also, I had to leave behind
all my lumber, together with fifty to
sixty well-squared logs which had cost
me many an hour of work. There was a
considerably large stock of the lumber,
for it was my intention to build a large
and well-constructed house. I had to
leave, too, the house, with the attached
•shed and all the windows, as well as a
number of implements. All this would
be subject to depredations. It did not
take long for abandoned houses to be
cleared of all worthwhile articles left
in them. Albert promised to bring me
some of the things which I was com-
pelled to leave behind, but this he failed
to do. It was with a keen sense of poign-
ancy that I left, close to night-fall pull-
ing a sled, and travelling past many
vacant and deserted houses.
It hastened my journey not a little
that all my best friends had left, and
also the fact that when I left my family
in Winnipeg they had as yet not obtain-
ed accommodation.
West of Selkirk, what with fatigue
from travel and lack of sleep, I threw
myself on the frozen ground for a rest.
My circumstances were reminiscent of
the time when I left the Old Country.
Then I had gone without sleep for three