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mentioned above deferves more attention.
I have feen a great number o f
them ; but will only fay fomething o f
three of the moil I'emarkahle. Near
Laugervatn, a fmall lake of about a
mile in circumference, which is about
two days journey diilant from Heckla,
I faw the firil hot fpouting fprings;
and I muil confefs that it was one of
the moil beautiful lights I ever beheld.
The morning was uncommonly clear,
and the fun liad already begun to gild
the tops o f the neighbouring mountains;
it was fo perfefl a calm, that
the lake on which fome fwans were
iwimming was as fmooth as a looking-
glafs, and round about it arofe, in eight
different places, the fleam of the hot
fprings, which loil itfelf high in the air.
Water was fpouting from all thefe
fprings ; but one in particular continually
threw up in the air a column
from 1 8 to 24 feet high, and from 6
to 8 feet diameter ; the water was extremely
hot, A piece o f mutton, and
fome falmon trouts, as likewife a ptarmigan,
were almoil boiled to pieces
in fix minutes, and tailed excellently.
2, I wiili
I wifli it was in my power, Sir, to
give you a defcription of this place as
it deferves ; but I fear it would always
remain inferior in point o f ex-
preffion. So much is certain at leail,
nature never drew from any one a
more chearful homage to her great
Creator than I here paid him.
At Reikum was another fpout o f the
fame fort ; the water of which, I was
aifured, rofe to 6o or 70 feet perpendicular
height fome years ago ; but a
fall o f earth having almoil covered the
whole opening, it now fpouted only
between 54 and 60 feet fideways. We
found here a great many petrified
leaves in this place, as likewife fome
native fulphur, o f which alfo the water
had a much ilronger taile than any
where elfe.
I have referved the moil remarkable
water-fpout for the end ; the defcription
of which will appear as incredible
to you as it did to me, could I not
affure you that it is all perfeftly true,
for I would not aver any thing but
what I have feen myfelf. At Geyier,
pot far from Skallholt, one o f the epifcopal