itj
1766, when It began to vomit flames
on the firft o f April, burnt for a
long while, and deftroyed the country
many miles around. Laft December
fome flames likewife proceeded from
it ; and the people in the neighbourhood
believe it will begin to burn
again very foon, as they pretend to
have obferved, that the rivers thereabouts
are drying up. It is believed
that tliis proceeds from the mountain’s
attrafting the water, and is confidered
as a certain fign of an impending eruption.
Befides this, the mountains o f
Myvatn and Kattlegia are known in
this century, on account o f the violent
eruptions o f the former, between
the years 1730 and 1740» and o f the
latter in 1756.
But permit me. Sir, tp omit a farther
account of the volcano at this time*, in
order to fpeak o f another eiL^l o f the
fire, which is more curious and as wonderful
as the firft, therefore muft be the
more remarkable, as there is not in
* Dr. Troil treats more at large of the Icelandic
volcanoes in his i8th and 19th letters; and in the
2,0th he fpeaks more particularly of Mount Heckla.
any
any part o f the known world any
thing that refembles it ; I mean the
hot firings o f water which abound in
Iceland *.
They have different degrees o f
warmth, and are on that account divided
by the inhabitants themfelves
into laugar, or warm baths, and huerer,
or fprings that throw up the water to
a confiderable height ; the firft are
found in feveral other parts of Europe,
though I do not believe that they are
employed to the fame purpofes in any
other place ; that is to fay, the inhabitants
do not bathe in them here merely
for their health, but they are likewife
the occafion for a fcene of gallantry.
Poverty prevents here the lover from
making prefents to his fair one, and
nature prefents no flowers o f which
garlands elfewhere are made : it is
therefore cuftomary, that inftead o f
all this the Twain perfedly cleanfes
one of thefe baths, which is to be afterwards
honoured with the vifits of
his bride. The other kind of fprings
^ The 2 1 ft letter treats more fully of the hot fprings
in Iceland.
men