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The country abounds with northern
antiquities, inch as caftles, ftrong-
holds, biirying'places, and monuments,
(Baiitaileinar) &c. and the people, who
are obliging and extremely hoipitabie,
have a number of cuftoins refembimg
thofe obferved by onr country-people,
fuch as the celebration of the firil of
May *, and many others.
We now left thefe iilands, and continuing
our voyage arrived at lail, 011
the 28th of Angufc, at Iceland, where
we call anchor at Beiieiledr, formerly
the dwelling-place of the famous Sturlefon.
We feemed heretobein another
wor ld; inilead of the fine profpeds
with which we had fed our eyes, we now
faw only the horrid remains of many
* It is called in Sweden xuar Fnidag-, lejoiir dc notrc
our Lady’s Day. T he witches are fuppofed to
take, iu the night preceding that day, their flight to
Blakulla, a fltmous mountain ; but it was formerly
believed in Germany, that the witches travelled to the
BIo.Kberg or Brocken, a high mountain contiguous to
the Hartz foreft. In Sweden the fpring comes on
pDout this time, and of confequence the hard labour
dr ploughing, mowing, and reaping follow one anther
from that time, and require the befl; exertion of
the ilrength of the hnibandmen, to which they prepaiy
themfelves on this day by frequent libations of their
firong ale; and they uiually fay, Mafic man dricka mar'g
; ksnen ; You muft drink marrow in your bones.
devafdevaftatlons.
Imagine to yoiirfelf a
country, which from one end to the
other prefents to your view only barren
mountains, whofe Iiimmits are covered
with eternal fnow, and between them
fields divided by vitrified cliffs, whofe
high and fliarp points feem to vie with
each other, to deprive you of the fight
o f a little grafs that fprings up fcan-
tily among them. Thefe fame dreary
rocks likewife conceal the few fcat-
tered habitations o f the natives, and
a iingle tree does no where appear that
may afford flielter to friendfnip and
innocence. I fuppofe, Sir, this will
not infpire you with any great inclination
of becoming an inhabitant o f
Iceland ; and indeed at firil fight o f
fuch a country one is tempted to believe
it impoffible to be inhabited by
any human creature, i f the fea, near
die fliores, was not every where covered
with boats.
Though there is fcarcely any country
fo little favoured by nature, and
where ilie appears throughout in fo
dreadful a form, yet Iceland contains
about 60,000 people, who cannot properly