the other a woman. The man seemed to be about twenty-four years of age; his face was very broad, his nose flat, and his complexion swarthy; he had neither beard on his chin, nor hair on his head; at his back hung a quiver filled with arrows; on his shoulder he carried an axe, and in his other hand held a bow. The woman seemed to be about twenty, and held a dart in her hand; her hair hung down in two twisted locks on each shoulder; she had blue streaks on her forehead and chin, and her ears and nostrils had holes bored in them, in which were fish-bone rings, to which were fastened blue stones, those in her ears being as large as filberts, and those in her nose no bigger than peas.

We tried all the ways we could think of to oblige them to show us where they dwelt, but without effect. They were as resolute and sullen as those we had taken in the boat, and we carried them on board without making any farther discoveries. When we brought them to their fellow-prisoners, we found that, notwithstanding their being so differently dressed, they knew each other. These four Zemblians seemed the most despicable part of the human species I had ever seen. Their features were extremely disagreeable, and when they walked they waddled like ducks. We could never make them eat any bread, salt meat or fish, nor drink any beer, they being used to nothing but water; they sometimes tasted our brandy, but had a great aversion to the smell of tobacco. The wood-work of their bows and darts was very heavy, and of a red brown colour, but that of the arrows was much lighter and paler. Their needles, the point of their darts, arrows, and all their other sharp instruments, were made of fish-bones.

CHAP. VI.

The author sails to the coast of Greenland, lands in Iceland, and ascends Mount Hecla, where he is exposed to great dan ger by an irruption of that burning mountain. Other curiosities in the island described, with some account of the inhabi tants. The author sails on his return to Denmark, and arrives at Copenhagen.

THE summer was now far advanced, it being the latter end of August, and the cold increasing, we began to think of returning home, and therefore weighing, held on a south-west course; but the wind shifting to the southward, obliged us to make the coast of Greenland, where we dropped anchor near a French and Dutch fleet employed in the whale fishery. The ships seldom lie far from the shore, for the whales, which are caught in the same manner as we took the sea-horses, are, like them, commonly found near the land. When they are caught they are cut to pieces, and the blubber being taken out, is put into large kettles, and melted to oil, in huts erected for that purpose along the sea shore. During our stay here, I saw one whale that yielded three hundred and fifty pounds weight of good bone, which, together with its oil, must have afforded a very considerable profit. Our arrival in this place proved very fortunate for our Zemblian prisoners, who had for some time pined away for want of whale oil, they being able to eat nothing, unless it was soaked in it, and our store was entirely exhausted; but for their sakes we here took in a fresh supply.

Having staid two days on this coast, we took the advantage of a north-east wind, and proceeded on

our voyage; but being overtaken by a storm, we steered to the coast of Iceland. On our approaching that island, we heard a dreadful noise at land, like the firing of several pieces of ordnance, after which we saw flames issue in abundance from Mount Hecla. We found so many rocks on the coast, and the sea was so extremely rough, that we were afraid of venturing within a league of the land; but we steered to Cape Heri, where we anchored in safety.

Soon after a strong party of us landed at the village of Heri, whence we proceeded to Kirkebar, a large town, where we met eight or nine Danish merchants, who were much surprised at seeing us there, and entertained us very cordially with dishes of fresh meat, good bread, and excellent wine. From them we learned, that the day before the island had so terrible an earthquake, that they expected to be swallowed up alive.

Our captain, supercargo, and others of our company, intimating to the chief merchant at Kirkebar, that they were desirous of seeing whatever was worth notice in the island, he very obligingly ordered horses to be got ready for all of us, that were willing to go into the country; and I saying I would make one of them, eight of us mounted, while the rest, having less curiosity, chose to stay and drink at this merchant's house. This gentleman gave us one of his servants, and two Icelanders, to be our guides, and also furnished us with a horse-load of provisions. We travelled two days in rugged and unfrequented roads, when we found ourselves about five miles from Mount Hecla, and perceived the ground strewed with ashes and pumice-stones, over which we passed to the foot of the mountain. The

weather being now very serene and calm, and seeing no flames issue out of the volcano, we resolved to go up to the top; but being informed by our guides, that if we went farther, we should be in danger of falling into pits, where we might be suffocated with the fumes caused by the fire in the bowels of the earth, and that it would be impossible to pull us out, all our company, except myself, declared against proceeding: but I told them, that if they would stay for me, I would go up alone, and they promising that they would, I alighted and prepared to ascend the mountain, when one of the Danish merchants whom we met at Kirkebar, and who accompanied us out of curiosity, said he would go along with me.

Having given our horses to our guides, who staid behind with the rest of our company, we boldly ventured forward, resolving to reach the top of Hecla, and in a short time saw a flight of crows and vultures, that had their nests on the top of the mountain. When we had ascended about half a league, we felt the ground shake under us, and heard a terrible noise in the bowels of the earth, which seemed ready to burst open. At the same time there appeared on all sides chinks, out of which issued blueish flames, that had a strong suffocating smell of burning brimstone. This made us turn back, for fear of being burned to ashes; but we had scarce proceeded thirty yards, before a black cloud of smoke ascended out of the mountain, obscured the light of the sun, and covered us so thick that we could not see each other. Our fears increased every step we took; for behind us came flames of fire, showers of ashes and pumice-stones, that fell as thick as hail, and this dreadful storm was attended

with horrible noises. We, besides, every moment expected that the earth would open and swallow us up, which added wings to our flight, and we ran as fast as we were able, to escape the danger to which we had exposed ourselves by our idle curiosity; and indeed our fears made us so nimble, that in a quarter of an hour we got to the bottom of the mountain.

Our companions, on seeing us come down so fast, burst into a fit of laughter, which was soon increased by their observing us to be as black as if we had been covered with soot; their mirth, however, soon abated, for on approaching them we both dropped down speechless. They immediately came to our assistance, and by rubbing our temples, nostrils and hands, with vinegar, brought us to ourselves, and then revived us with a cup of canary; upon which, recovering our strength and spirits, we related what had happened, and they were rejoiced at our escape.

We now left the foot of the mountain, in order to see two springs at ten or twelve miles distance, one of which is always boiling, and the other so cold, that it is said to turn every thing put into it into iron. When we had proceeded about one hundred yards from the foot of Mount Hecla, we found a pumice-stone as large as a hogshead, which had been lately thrown out of the volcano; when our guides, seing us astonished at its prodigious size, said they had seen several much bigger, which ten men could not stir; and that instead of flames, ashes and pumice-stones, the volcano sometimes casts up water, at others nothing but flames, and at others again, nothing but ashes or stones.

After three hours riding we drew near to the