Travels in Iceland

TRAVELS i if ICELAND: PERFORMED BY ORDER OF HIS DANISH MAJESTY, CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS ON THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE INHABITANTS, A DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKES, RIVERS, GLACIERS, HOT-SPRINGS, AND VOLCANOES; OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF EARTHS, STONES, FOSSILS, AND PETRIFACTIONS; AS WELL AS OF THE ANIMALS, IN- SECTS, FISHES, &C. BY Messrs. OLJFSEN % POFELSEN. TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH. LONDON: PRINTED FOR RICHARD PHILLIPS, 6, BRIDGE-STREET, BLACK FRIARS, By Barnard ft Sirftzer, Water Lane, Fleet Street* 1805. By transfei APR 6 1915 PREFACE. XI IS Danish Majesty being particularly anxious to acquire a proper knowledge of Iceland, one of the most interesting parts of his dominions, lately directed the Aca- demy of Sciences to employ proper persons to travel over that Island, relative to which only vague and imperfect ideas had hitherto prevailed. Messrs. Olafsest and Povelsek were in consequence chosen for this undertaking; the former being a native of Iceland, and the latter resident there in the quality of first physician. These two learned men, by the ala- crity and pleasure with which they performed their task, succeeded in collecting the most complete information on every subject, and have gratified the world with a full and au- thentic account of the civil and natural history of that island. From their own observations, with the assist- ance of the manuscripts of other learned men, the present work was prepared for the press, under the auspices of the King of Denmark and the Academy before-mentioned ; and hence no fact of the smallest interest relative to that region, is now unknown. a 2 iv PREFACE. The authors, in arranging their materials, divided the country into Quarters, Districts, and Jurisdictions; and of each portion of these they enter into separate details. The editor, in his translation, shall adhere to the same plan ; and he has no doubt, that the variety of intelligence thus afforded in a small compass, of which every sentence may be said to contain a fact, will be found more agreeable to his readers, than the uniformity which would prevail in such a work, if divided into a series of chap- ters. The English Translation will be illustrated with a map of the Island, and with copies of the principal engravings contained in the ori- ginal work. TRAVELS IN ICELAND, SOUTHERN QUARTER. DISTRICT OF KIOSAR. In the month of July, 1800, Messrs. Olafsen and Povelsen set off from Copenhagen and arrived at Laugernes, in the district of Goldbringue : they thence passed into that of Kiosar, but being desirous of entering the northern quarter before the approach of winter, by crossing the mountain of Kioei, they at first went through a very small portion of this southern district. They howT ever returned thither in the following year, and concluded their vast undertaking by completing their observations on the southern part of Iceland. OF THE DISTRICT OF KIOSAR, ITS MOUNTAINS, &C This district forms a tongue of land which passes into the great Farafiordour, between the glacier of Reykenes and that at the western extremity, which from its situation is called Waster Jceckel. This tongue of land extends as far as the sea, and at its southern extremity are the isles of Thernoe and Loundoe, the latter of which only is inhabited. The principal and highest mountain in this country, is that of Esian, to the north of which appears that of Rheinevalle-Halsen, with a file of others detached and of a smaller size. ERUPTIONS OF MOUNTAINS AND GLACIERS. From the situation of this country, it is often threatened and damaged by disruptions of the mountains, which generally happen after heavy rains in summer ; but principally when these- occur in spring and autumn, they undermine and detach from the mountains enormous masses of rock, which only adhere to them by a small portion of cemented gravel or mould. The inhabitants are also much exposed in winter by the rapid fall of vast conglomerations of snow, which are formed on the glaciers. When these heaps accumulate on the summits of the mountayis, they appear like arches above the vallies_, into which they are at length precipitated by their own weight. From the ancient and 6 OLAFSEN AND FOVELSEN's modern chronicles of this country, we leam of many periods when men and cattle have been destroyed by such accidents. One instance, in particular, is worthy of mention; as M. Jonsen, a learned man of extraordinary merit, lost his life on the occasion. This event occurred in February, 1699* and overwhelmed a whole presbytery with ail its inhabitants and cattle. NATURE OF THE MOUNTAINS. The mountains of Iceland should be divided into two kinds, ordinary and extraordinary, in order that the one class may be distinguished from the other ; though it is only from their ex- ternal appearance, that they are intitled to this distinction. By the ordinary, we mean the primordial or most ancient mountains of the country, which appear to be formed by from twenty to forty strata or beds of rock cemented on each other. The extraordinary ones, on the contrary, consist of rocks intermixed, as it were, by chance, and cemented together by gravel and strong hillocks of earth ; hence it will not admit of a doubt, that they have been formed by volcanoes. Some of them are red, others black, and a few of a white colour: the red and black are composed of lava and pumice-stone, while the white, on the other hand, consist of gravel and of white or greyish clay. In some of these white mountains may be ob- served the effects of a boiling water. The extraordinary kinds may be subdivided into ancient and modern ; among the former of which are all the glaciers. With respect to their height, the greatest are from 400 or 500 fathoms, to 1000 and upwards. Those of a second rate are about 300 and the smallest 100 fathoms in height. We measured them with the astrolabe, and others have done the same with the barometer. OF THE MOUNTAINS OF KIOSAR. The Kiosar, from which this district takes its name, and several others in the vicinity, belong to the highest or primordial class, as being the most ancient; they, however, consist of only a small number of rocky strata, accumulated without order; and their summits are composed of long masses of rock of a deep grey colour, presenting an almost perpendicular facade, while their bases are concealed by the eruptions that have taken place. DIVISION OF THE INHABITED PART. The mountains of the district of Eios are intersected by beautiful valiies and plains, which contain three dioceses and a number of churches. It is watered by several rivers and rivulets- and the abounding with fish ; but of these rivers the Helleraa Laxaa are the principal. There are likewise numerous lakes TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 7 of fresh water, containing plenty of trout. The principal lake is the Medalfells-Vata, in the diocese of Kim, and from this is formed lie Laxaa: it surpasses all the others in grandeur and utility ; and affords throughout the year a quantity of trout of a most excellent flavour. The springs and rivulets yield abun- dance of very limpid water throughout the whole country ; but it is rather of a styptic quality, probably, in consequence of the ferruginous earths through which it filtrates. The inhabitants, however, do not experience the least inconvenience from this circumstance. In the eastern part of the first diocese called Mosfell-Sweit, are some hot mineral springs, the water of which is light, limpid, and tasteless ; while its degree of heat will admit of the immersion of the hand without scalding. One remarkable effect of this water merits attention. The pebbles over which it runs in the open air, are covered by it with a thin white incrustation, on which aquafortis will not act. OF THE AIR. AND TEMPERATURE. Although the frost in this country is not very severe, the air is sensibly affected by the saline vapours, conveyed from the sea by the W. S. W. and N. W. winds ; hence the inhabitants complain of extreme cold, though the thermometer is only at zero; while, on the other hand, it does not affect them, when with the N. and N. E. winds, the thermometer is at its lowest degree. It is also remarkable, that the cattle left in winter in the fields, are much more sensible of the W. than of the N. E. winds. To the saline vapours may also be attributed the frequent rains that fall in the vallies, while it snows in the mountains. It also often happens, that rain falls in the canton of Kios, while the environs are perfectly dry. This undoubtedly arises from the clouds breaking against the mountains that surround the plains. OF THE HEAT AND COLD. In winter the cold is not very severe ; for, from various ob-* nervations with Fahrenheit's thermometer, it is ascertained, that the extreme degree does not pass beyond 24 or 20, except when is the sky very serene ; at which time the mercury falls to 12> and sometimes even into the bowl. The greatest degrees of cold prevail in January, February, aud March. PERNICIOUS WINDS OF SPRING. In April and May there occurred strong easterly winds which are very cold ; and when they are of long continuance, they weaken the cattle to such a degree, that they often die. They also dry up the ground so as to prevent the grass and plants from shooting in the ensuing summer. : ; OLAFSEN AND POVELSEN's OF THE HEAT OF THIS CLIMATE.

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