ICELAND, is a large island situate on the verge of the Arc tic Ocean, between the 63° and 67° of north latitude, and the 12° and 25° of longitude west from Greenwich.
This island was discovered about the year 860 by a Nor wegian pirate named Naddodr, who was accidentally dri ven upon the coast while on a voyage to the Faroe islands. A few years afterwards a Swede, G ardor, succeeded in circumnavigating the island, and gave it the name of Gar darsholm. Its present name was given to it by Floke, a famous pirate of those times, who remained two years, during which he explored most of the southern and west ern coasts. The country was colonized in the year 874, from Norway ; the Subjugation of which, by HAROLD the fair-haired, had produced much discontent among the pet ty states which he reduced. The leader of the emigration from Norway was named Ingolf, who, with his kinsman Hi orleil, went to Iceland in the veer 870, and made arrange ments for the settlement. It is asserted by some of the Ice landic historians, that there were actual settlements in the is land before this period; but this seems improbable. The first of the Norwegian visitors found, on some parts of the coast, wooden crosses, and implements, from which it is inferred, that those who had preceded them were Christians. In the Landnama Bok, which is among the earliest of the Icelandic historical records, it is stated that, among other things, wri tings in the Irish language were found. The statements on this subject are so various, that it is impossible to form any probable conjecture on the point in question.
The colony first settled in the south-western part of the island, and the spot where the town of Reikiavik now stands was chosen, on account of the result of a superstitious ob servance, which guided many of the settlers in the choice of their future places of abode. When Ingolf approached the shores of Iceland, he threw into the sea the door of his former habitation in Norway, and having found it cast on the beach at Reikiavik, he there fixed his station. In the course of half a century, the coasts of this rem to country were well peopled ; and in the Landnama Bok, already mentioned, which contains minute details of the spreading of the colonies, we find several names of Scotch and families who came over and settled.
At first, every body of emigrants remained under the in fluence of a leader, who parcelled out the land to his fol lowers. But this feudal arrangement was soon found in convenient, from the contests which arose for possessions claimed by the various petty chieftains. By common con sent, a new system of government, which included the whole country, was settled in the year 928. The island was divided into four provinces, superintended by an hereditary gover nor. The southern and western provinces were subdivided into three prefectures, the northern one into four, and the eastern into two. The authorities over these were also hereditary. There were still more subdivisions, called Hren par, in each of which fi'.e officers were appointed, men of property and respectability, whose care it was to keep peace and good order, and to manage the contents of the poor in their respective districts. The proceedings of the superin tendants of districts were under the cognizance of the prefect and his deputies, who met once a year; from whom there was an appeal to the provincial court, and finally to the supreme assembly of Iceland.
This great assembly was held annually on the shores of the lake called Thingvalla, from the name of the assembly althing, which is derived from al. all, and thing, a court of justice. A president was chosen, with the title Laugman, or administrator of the laws, and was invested with all the symbols of dignity and power. It was his province to in terpret the laws, and pronounce sentence ; and his authori ty, though dependent on the will of the states, was often continued for life.
Such is an outline of a constitution settled without any contention, to which may be referred the arrangements in the government of almost every modern state in Europe. The Hreppstiores have the same jurisdiction with our justices of the peace, and the prefects of our shenfls. The provincial assemblies resemble our quarter sessions, and the supreme assembly our parliament. For a minute ac count of the Icelandic commonwealth, the reader may con sult the Crymog era of 4rngrim Jonas.