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694 VON TROIL’s LETTERS ON ICELAND.
The water in fome places taftes of fulphur, and in others not; but when drank as
foon as itis cold, tates like common boiled water. The inhabitants ufe it, at particular
times for dying; and were they to adopt proper regulations, it might be of {till greater
ufe. Victuals may alfo be boiled in it, by putting it into a pot covered, and boiling it
till a certain quantity is evaporated. Milk held over this water when boiling becomes
{weet, owing, moft probably, to its exceffive heat ; as the fame effect is produced by
boiling it a long time over the fire. They have begun to make falt, by boiling fea-
water over it, which, when it is refined, is very fineand good. The cows which drink
of it yield a great quantity of good milk. Egbert Olafsen informs us, that the water
does not become troubled when alkali is thrown into it, nor does it change colour from
fyrup of violets. I do not know what degree of credit ought to be given to Horre-
bow, who afferts, that if you fill a bottle at one of the fpouting fprings, the water con-
tained in the bottle will boil over two or three times during the time the fpring throws
it forth, and if corked too foon the bottle will burft.
Though it cannot be denied that thefe f{prings have fome communication with the
Icelandic volcanos, yet they are feldom found very near them, but are difperfed through-
out the whole country, For this reafon, hot {prings are found among the mountains,
and even on the top of the ice mountains; as on Torfa Jockul, where a great number of
hot f{prings are to be met with: and among them two large /vers, which throw up the
boiling water to a great height. ‘There is likewife a lukewarm {pring near Haadegis
Hauk, on Gutlands Jokul, at the foot of the mountain, with many traces of former
hvers. There are even in the fea hot {pouting fprings, which can only be approached
at low water; as at Reyka-fiord in Ifa-fiord, where four fprings may be obferved in the
water by the afcending fteam, and one Aver on the furface of the water. There are
alfo two othersin the Oddbiarnar fhoals, {till more at Drapfkar, and a great number at
Sando, Urdholm, Reykey, and on the flat iflands. To give a better idea of the fitua-
tion of thefe fprings, I will give a lift of them, which I will endeavour to make as to-
pographical as poilible.
In Borgarfiord’s Syffel, near Leyraa, not far from the foot of the mountain of
Skardfheides, we met with the firft bver, which is, however, not a very {trong one ;
and not far from it there is a fmall bath. At Lunda Reykiadal there is a buver and a
bath ; and near a farm-yard, Varma-Lakiar-Mula, a warm fpring and a bath. _ A little
farther to the north is the valley of Reykholts, which is two miles and a half in breadth,
in the bottom of which hot baths are every where to. be met with. This fpot may be
difcovered at feveral miles diftance by the vapours which exhale every where from the
hot water, and unite in the air, refembling a prodigious fmoke arifing from fome vol-
cano. ‘he three principal vers in this place are, Tunguhver, Aa-hver, and Scribla ;
the laft furnifhes water to Snorralaug, Snorre Sturlefon’s bath, which is efteemed the
beft in Iceland. From this place there is no hot fpring to be met with northward for a
very large tract, till you come to Sneefield’s Cape, where there is a lukewarm {pring
near the farm called Lyfehol, in Stadefveit : at this place many remains of ancient Avers
are to be feen. Still further to the north,, in Dale Syffel, is a warm bath with fome
fprings. In Soling’s Valley, and further on, near the farm Reyka-holer, in Reykianas,
are many {trong vers ; particularly three very large ones, the moft confiderable of
which is Krablanda. From thence we came to the hot fprings of Flatdarna, Oddfbiar-
marfkar, and Drapfkar; and afterwards vifited thofe at Talkne-fiord, Arnarfiord, and
Ma-fiord in Reyka-fiord, where there is a ftrong {pouting fpring. After we had paft
Cape Nord, or the northern extremity of Iceland, we met with fome warm fprings at
Reykar-fiord; others, together with a fine bath, at Biarnar-fiord, near Kaldadarna: at
Hruta-
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