underside, with which, while alive, it adheres
so firmly to whatever it fixes upon, that a
pail of water may be lifted up by means of
it. The bony ridge on the back of this animal,
in all the specimens that came under
my observation, was much more elevated
than the figures and descriptions both in
Pennant and Shaw had led me to suppose
I should find it, and added considerably to
the general deformity of the creature. To
render it an article of food among the Icelanders,
nothing more is requisite than to
cut away the muscular part of suction, together
with a considerable portion of the
skin of the belly, and then remove the entrails,
which form the greatest part of the
bulk of the fish; after which, the small portion
of flesh that remains upon the bones is
hung up to dry upon the walls of the houses.
Bad weather, as in other journies, also accompanied
me on this, and the rain, after we had
eaten our breakfast, poured down with such
violence, and continued so Ions', that we
thought it most prudent to accept Mr. Sivert-
sen s invitation, and remain at Havnfiord
the whole night. Indeed, we were far from
considering our time misemployed here, since
our host was a gentleman who had twice
visited England, and who, from his knowledge
of the language of our country, and his
excellent abilities, was both able and willing
to give us information on various subjects
relative to his own island.
Thursday, A t a n e a r l y h ° U r t h *S m 0 r n i n S
July 27. the rain had not in the least abated,
neither was there any prospect of its soon
doing so, and we therefore determined to
disregard it and proceed to Kreisevig immediately;
in pursuance of which, having procured
a guide, and being furnished with provisions,
at six o’clock we set off, in company
with Mr. Sivertsen’s son, a young man who
could converse with us a little in English,
and who kindly offered to attend us. We
rode round the head of the Bay of Havnfiord,
and continued our route over a very uninteresting
and desert country for about six or
eight miles, when we came to a part of the
great bed of lava which bears the name of
Hvassa-hraun *, where, on account of the
* Among this Sir George Mackenzie remarked some
lava, which appeared as if it had ascended in its course;
which, he says, may be accounted for by the formation