TERRIBLE FAMINE IN ICELAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1561, 25 September 1886, Page 4

TERRIBLE FAMINE IN ICELAND.

Captain Berkeley, R.N. lias communicated to the Western Morning News, funder date of July ‘23rd, the particulars of the fearful distress existing in Iceland, in consequence of the utter failure of the fishing season. The greatest suffering exists in the southern districts, which are ' usually the most productive portions of the islaed, so much so that 1 lie district in which Hufnafjovdr is situated is cilled the 1 Gold-bearing Land,’ In 1884 very little fish was cam-ht, in 1885 almost none, and this year the season has closed miserably. The herring and de, p sea cod fishings are in the hands of foreigners, the islanders having neither the means not appliances to avail themselves of these two sources of livelihood. I’o make matters worse the prices of dried and salted fish in Spain their principal racket—have greately delelioratcd, Tho terrible scourge of ‘skyibyn,’ nr scurvy, .has broken (mu, fum the enforced diet of refuse salt fish, without bread or vegetables. Women are begging in the streets of Reykjavik with children at their breasts and by their sides; and if this is the state now in their summer weather, what will be their state in winter, where the severity is akin to Arctic? Sach a state of things has not been known for forty years. Many families whoa ‘few years ago were well off now have Dothhig. Very few tourists have visited -the island this year. A fund to relieve immediate necessities is being raised.