[Sidenote: Island Free From Snakes And Other Venemous Beasts.] And Therefore In This Regard, We Render Vnto God Immortall Thanks, Because He Hath Vouchsafed To Preserue Our Nation From Such Fountains, From Serpents And Venemous Wormes, & From Al Other Pestiferous & Contagious Creatures.

Furthermore about the foresaid mountaines there is such abundance of brimstone.

The three mountains called by Munster and Frisius, Fierie mountains, do all of them stand an huge distance from our Mines. Wherefore, when as neere vnto these hils they haue found out a place for foure fountains, which they doe so mightily extoll for wonders, they must needs haue some Brimstone Mines also, standing a like distance from the said fountaines. And assuredly, neither about mount Hecla, as Munster would haue it, nor by Frisius his fountaines (the report whereof how true it is, hath bene hitherto declared) is Brimstone digged vp at this day: nor I thinke euer was within the remembrance of our fathers. Neither is it true that Munster reporteth concerning the abundance of Brimstone namely, that it is almost the onely merchandize and tribute of the Iland. [Sidenote: Brimstone Mines onely in the North part of Island.] For whereas the Iland is deuided into foure partes, the fourth part onely towards the North (nay, but euen the halfe thereof) doeth vse it for merchandize, and there is not one crumme of Brimstone paied for tribute the Iland.

SECTIO DVODECIMA.

[Sidenote: Munst] Piscium tanta est copia in hac Insula, vt ad altitudinem domorum sub aperto coelo vendedi exponantur.

Sub aperto coelo. Id quidem facere vidimus mercatores extraneos, donec naues mercibus extraneis exonerarint, incipiantque easdem rursus piscibus & reliquis nostratium mercibus onerare. An vero nostri homines id aliquando fecerint, non satis liquet. Certe copiosa illa & vetus piscium abundantia iam desijt, Islandis & istius boni, & aliorum penuria laborare incipientibus, Domino Deo meritum impietatis nostra flagellum, quod vtinam fite agnoscamus, immittente.

The same in English.

THE TWELFTH SECTION.

[Sidenote: Munster] There are so great store of fishes in this Iland, that they are laid foorth on piles to be sold in the open aire, as high as the tops of houses.

In the open aire. In deed we haue seen other country merchants doe so, vntill they had vnladen their ships of outlandish wares, & filled them againe with fishes & with other of our countrey merchandize. But whether our men haue done the like at any time, it is not manifest. [Sidenote: Abundance of fish about island diminished.] Certainly, that plentifull and ancient abundance of fish is now decaied, and the Islanders now begin to be pinched with the want of these and other good things, the Lord laying the iust scourge of our impietie vpon vs, which I pray God we may duely acknowledge.

SECTIO DECIMATERTIA.

[Sidenote: Frisius.] Equos habent velocissimos, qui sine intermissione 30. millaria continuo cursu conficiunt.

Quidam in sua mappa Islandia, 20. millaria comunuo cursu assequi tradit cuiusdam paroscia equos. Sed vtrumque impossibile ducimus. Nam maxima celeritatis & roboris bestias (Rangiferos appellant) scribit Munsterus non nisi 30.

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