| i l ■ Uii
L E T T E R Ilf.
To Chevalier I h r e .
On the phyfical Conjlitution o f the
Country.
Stockholm, June 20, 1773.
S I R,
'^ I^ H E R E is no duty more agree-
X able to me than that o f obey-
ing your commands, in tranfnntting
to you fome account of Iceland, its
antiquities, and what elfe relates to it.
As I have happily had an occafion o f
feeing the country myfelf, it may with
juftice be required o f me, that I ihould
willingly communicate to others the
informations I have been able to procure
; and it would give me peculiar
pleafure i f they enabled me to anfwer
fatisfaflorily thofe queilions that you
kindly propofed to me.
Iceland
f
Iceland is juilly reckoned amongfl
the largefl iilands in the known world.
It is fixty miles in length, and its
breadth exceeds forty Swedifli miles*.
The moil ufeful among many maps
o f this country is that which has been
made by MeiTrs. Erichifen and Schon-
ning in the year 17 7 1 , though it might
be further improved.
Beiieiledr, in the fouthern part o f
the iiland, not far from Hafnefiord,
lies, according to Horrebow’s account
.of Iceland, in 64 degrees 6 minutes
o f north latitude, and in 41 degrees
of longitude, from the meridian o f
Stockholm ; fo that it is almoil fn the
latitude o f Hernofand t«
The country does not afford a pleaft
ing profpeil to the eye o f the traveller,
though it prefents him with ob-
je6ls worthy o f attention in many re-
fpe<ffs : for befides innumerable ridges
of mountains that crofs it in feveral
diredlions, and fome o f which, on
* About 360 Britifli fea-miles in length, and about
240 in breadth,
t A town in Sweden.
c 3 account