springs, which are thirty yards distance from each other. We came first to the cold one, when putting in a small cane I had in my hand, I was surprised, on taking it out again, to see the end which touched the bottom metamorphosed into iron.* From thence we went to the boiling fountain, from which we saw a number of what appeared to be fowls, of a red colour, and about the size of ducks, playing in the water; when being pleased with the novelty of the sight, we stood for some time looking at them, but on our approaching nearer they dived to the bottom; but we had no sooner left it, than they appeared again playing on the surface. Our guides informed us, that they always continue upon the water when nobody is in 'sight, and constantly dive to the bottom as soon as they see any person approach.

From this spring we travelled to the sea side, within half a league of which we heard very disagreeable sounds, that were not unlike the cries of persons complaining. Our ignorant guides, who were natives of the country, would fain have persuaded us, that they were the lamentations of the damned, who, when the devil had roasted them in the flames of Hecla, cooled them by plunging them amongst the ice on the coast; and that they were thus alternately tormented, by making them feel the extremes of heat and cold. But though we gave no credit to this Iceland tradition, we resolved to see those shoals of ice, which bound that part of the island and no other. These, we were told by our guides, come upon the coast in June, and go away in September. On our arrival at the coast,

*The author's mistake probably arose from the cane being incrusted with a stony concretion, resembling iron rust.

we found, that these imaginary complaints were only occasioned by the agitation of the ice and water, driven violently against the rocks by the wind.

Having seen all that was worth observation, we returned to Kirkebar, where we arrived on the 16th of September, and having staid a few hours in the town, went on board, when we found the governor of the island, accompanied by the bishop of Sceltholt, who, hearing that we had been at Zembla, came to see our ships, and to discourse with us.

As Iceland abounds in rich pastures, it produces great plenty of all sorts of cattle; and the beasts that feed in these pastures are so fond of an herb called caitophe, that the inhabitants are obliged to prevent their eating too much of it, for fear they should burst themselves: but though the fields look green and pleasant, yet the north-east wind, which blows here with great violence, is so very cold, that no wheat, or any other grain fit to make bread, will grow there, for it either kills the seed, or the corn while it is green.

The Icelanders for the most part dwell in caverns hewn out of the rocks, and the rest live in huts, built after the manner of those in Lapland, some with wood and others with fish-bones, covered with turf; and both they and their cattle lie under the same roof. Their beds are composed of hay or straw, upon which they lie in their clothes, with skins upon them, and make but one bed for the whole family. Both the men and women have very disagreeable persons; they are swarthy, and dressed in coats made of the skins of the sea-calf, with the hair outwards, and no other lining than sack-cloth: they live by fishing, and are very nasty. The food of the poor is very coarse, it consisting of a sort of

stock-fish, pounded with a stone, very bad butter and cheese, and no other drink but water, milk or whey; yet on this hard fare many of them are said to live, without the help of a physician, to a hundred and fifty years of age. Most of them pretend to witchcraft, and are said to worship the devil, under the name of Kobald, who, it is pretended, frequently appears to them under a human shape. They have also a kind of houshold god, cut out of a piece of wood with a knife, who is extremely hideous; this idol they adore privately, and hide it for fear of the Lutheran ministers, who endeavour to instruct them in the principles of Christianity.

Three days after our coming on board, we took the opportunity of a north wind, and set sail. We continued our course to the south-south-east, and at length happily arrived at Copenhagen, where, having saluted the castle, we dropped anchor, and went ashore.

His majesty being informed, on our entering the city, that we had brought some Zemblians with us, commanded us to bring them to court, which we immediately did, every person gazing at them as if they had been born in another world. The king himself admired the oddness of their dress, and the strangeness of their figures. He ordered the steward of his houshold to give directions for their being kept with care, well provided for, and taught the Danish language, hoping he might then get something out of them relating to their country, that would be beneficial to his own. He commanded us to give him an account of the several places we had visited, the manners of the people, and their way of living: and having given his majesty full satisfaction with respect to all he desired to know, we went to

wait upon our owners, in order to inform them of the markets we had met with, and what returns we had brought home, which proved highly to their advantage. Our ships were ordered up to Christian Haven, in order to be unladen, which was done in two days time; when one of the chief merchants of the company presented the king, in the name of the rest, with the two horns we had taken from the sea-horses, and his majesty received them as rarities of inestimable value; and believing that they were really the horns of the unicorn, he gave orders for their being deposited in the treasury-chamber, and in return promised to grant the company as many privileges as it was in the power of his prerogative to bestow. The merchant who presented the horns was rewarded with a chain of gold, with his majesty's picture hanging to it, and with a licence to trade custom-free for a certain term of years.