rled it from its reiervoirs, where, heated
by the warmth, and compreifed by the
exhalations, it at laft burfts from its
confinement by gufliing forth at another
place, in order make way for
its vapours.
The water in fome places taftes of
fulphur, and in others not ; but when
drank as foon as it is cold, taftes like
common boiled water. The inhabitants
ufe fome hvers at particular times
for dying ; and were they to adopt proper
regulations, it might be ftill ofmore
ufe. Vifluals may alfo be boiled in
it, by putting it into a covered pot,
and boiling it till a certain quantity is
evaporated. Milk held over this water
when boiling becomes fweet, owing,
moft probably, to its exceffive hea t ;
as the fame eftefl is produced by boiling
it a long time over the fire. They
have begun to make fait, by boiling
fea-water over it, which, when it
is refined, is very fine and good. The
cows that drink of it yield a great
quantity of good milk. Eggert Olaf-
fen informs us, that the water does
not become troubled when an alkali is
th row n
thrown into it, nor does it change colour
from fyrup of violets. I do not know
what degree o f credit ought to be given
to Horrebow, who afferts, tliat i f you
fill a bottle at one o f the fpouting
fprings, the water contained in the
bottle will boil over two or three times
during the time the fpring throws it
forth, and i f corked too foon the bottle
will burft,
Though it cannot be denied that
thefe fprings have fome communication
with the Icelandic volcanos, yet
they are feldom found very near them,
but are difperfed throughout the whole
country. For this reafon, hot iprings
are found not only among the mountains,
but alfo on the top o f the ice
mountains ; as on Torfa Jockul, where
a great number o f hot ijirings are to be
met with; and among them tw'o large
hvers, that throw up the boiling water
to a great height. There is likewife a
lukewarrn fpring near Haadegis Hunk,
on Geitland’s Jokul, at the foot o f the
mountain, with many traces o f former
Ipvers, There are even in the fea hot
fpouting fprings, that can only be approached