[Sidenote: Nauigation Open To Island From March Till The Midst Of Nouember.] But The Last Yere, Being 1591, There Lay

A certeine shippe of Germanie laden with Copper within the hauen of Vopnafiord in the coast of Island about fourteene

Dayes in the moneth of Nouember, which time being expired, she fortunately set saile. Wherefore, seeing that ice, neither continually, nor yet eight moneths cleaueth vnto Iland, Munster and Frisius are much deceiued. [Footnote: The mean temperature of Iceland is said to be 40 degrees.]

SECTIO QUARTA

[Sidenote: Kranzius. Munsterus.] Tam grandis Insula, vt populos multos contineat. Item, Zieglerus. Situs Insula extenditur inter austrum & boream ducentorum prope Schanorum longitudine.

Grandis.) Wilstenius quidam, rector Schola OLDENBVRGENSIS Anno 1591. ad auunculum meum in Islandia Occidentali misit breuem commentarium, quem ex scriptorum rapsodijs de Islandia collegerat. Vbi sic reperimus Islandia duplo maior Sicilia,&c. Sicilia autem secundum Munsterum 150. milliaria Germanica in ambitu habet. [Sidenote: Magnitudo Islandia.] Nostra vero Insula ambitus etsi nobis non est exacte cognitus, tamen vetus & constans opinio, & apud nostrates recepta 144. milliaria numerat per duodecim videlicet promontoria Islandia insigniora, qua singula 12. inter se milliaribus distent, aut circiter, qua collecta pradictam summam ostendunt.

Populos multos.) Gysserus quidam, circa annum Domini 1090, Episcopus Schalholtensts in Islandia, omnes Insula colonos seu rusticos qui tantas facultates possiderent, vt regi tributum soluere tenerentur (reliquis pauperibus cum foeminis & promiscuo vulgo omissis) lustrari curauit, reperitque in parte Insula Orientali 700, meridionali 1000, Occidentali 1100, Aquilonari 1200. Summa 4000. colonorum tributa soluentium. Iam si quis experiatur, inueniet Insulam plus dimidio fuisse inhabitatam.

The same in English.

THE FOURTH SECTION.

[Sidenote: Krantzius. Munsterus.] The Iland is so great that it conteineth many people. Item Zieglerus sayth: The situation of the Iland is extended betweene the South and the North almost 200 leagues in length.

So great, &c. One Wilstenius schoolemaster of Oldenburg, in the yere 1591, sent vnto mine Vncle in West Island, a short treatise which he had gathered out of the fragments of sundrie writers, concerning Island. Where we found thus written: Island is twise as great as Sicilie, &c. But Sicilie, according to Munster, hath 150. Germaine miles in compasse. [Sidenote: 144. Germaine miles in compasse.] As for the circuit of our Iland, although it be not exactly knowen vnto vs, yet the ancient, constant, and receiued opinion of the inhabitants accounteth it l44 leagues; namely by the 12 promontories of Iland, which are commonly knowen, being distant one from another 12 leagues or thereabout, which two numbers being mulitplied, produce the whole summe. [Footnote: The exact area is 39,737 square miles.]

Many people, &c. One Gysserus about the yere of our Lord 1090, being bishop of Schalholten in Island, caused all the husbandmen, or countreymen of the Iland, who, in regard of their possessions were bound to pay tribute to the king, to be numbred (omitting the poorer sort with women, and the meaner sort of the communally) and he found in the East part of Island 700, in the South part 1000, in the West part 1100, in the North part 1200, to the number of 4000. inhabitants paying tribute. Now if any man will trie, he shall finde that more then halfe the Iland was at that time vnpeopled. [Footnote: In 1875 the population was 69,800.]

SECTIO QUINTA.

[Sidenote: Munst. Frisius, Ziegler] Insula multa sui parte montosa est & inculta. Qua parte autem plana est prastat plurimum pabulo, tam lato, vt pecus depellatur a pascuis, ne ab aruina suffocetur.

Id suffocationis periculum nullo testimomo, nec nostra nec patrum nostrorum, vel quam longe retro numeraris, memoria confirmari potest.

The same in English.

THE FIFTH SECTION.

[Sidenote: Munster. Frisius. Zieglerus.] The Iland, most part thereof, is mountainous and vntilled But that part which is plaine doth greatly abound with fodder, which is so ranke, that they are faine to driue their cattell from the pasture, least they surfet or be choaked.

That danger of surfetting or choaking was neuer heard tell of, in our fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers or any of our predecessours dayes, be they neuer so ancient. [Footnote: In the tenth and eleventh centuries, corn and other crops seem to have been raised in considerable quantities, but at present only small crops of potatoes, turnips, and cabbages are grown. The pastures are good, and many horses, cattle, and sheep are reared.]

SECTIO SEXTA.

[Sidenote: Munst. Frisius.] Sunt in hac Insula montes elati in coelum, quorum vertices perpetua niue candent, radices sempiterno igne astuant. Primus Occidentem versus est, qui vocatur Hecla, alter crucis, tertius Helga. Item Zieglerus. Rupes siue promontorium Hecla astuans perpetuis ignibus. Item Saxo. In hac itidem Insula mons est, qui rupem sideream perpetua flagrationis astibus imitatus, incendia sempiterna iugi flammarum eructatione continuat.

Miracula Islandia Munsterus & Frisius narraturi mox in vestibulo, magno suo cum incommodo impingunt. Nam quod hic de monte Hecla asserunt, etsi aliquam habet veritatis speciem, tamen quod idem de duobus alijs montibus perpetuo igne astuantibus dicunt, manifeste erroneum est. Illi enim in Islandia non extant, nec quicquam, quod huic tanto scriptorum errori occasionem dederit, imaginari possumus. Facta tamen est, sed nunc demum Anno 1581. ex monte quodam australis Islandia, maritimo, perpetuis niuibus & glacie obducto memorabilis fumi ac flamma eruptio, magna saxorum ac cineris copia eiecta. Caterum ille mons longe est ab his tribus, quos authores commemorant, diuersissimus. Porro etsi hac de montibus ignitis maxime vera narrarent, annon naturaliter ista contingerent? An ad extruendam illam, qua mox in Munstero, Zieglero & Frisio sequitur, de orco Islandico opinionem aliquid faciunt? Ego sane nefas esse duco, his vel similibus natura miraculis ab absurda asserenda abuti, vel hac tanquam impossibilia cum quadam impietate mirari. Quasi vero non concurrant in huiusmodi incendijs causa ad hanc rem satis valida. Est in horum montium radicibus materia vri aptissima, nempe sulphurea & bituminosa. Accedit aer per poros ac cauernas in terra viscera ingressus, ac illum maximi incendij fomitem exsufflans vna cum nitro, qua exsufflatione tanquam follibus quibusdam, ardentissima excitatur flamma. Habet siquidem ignis, his ita conacnientibus, qua tria ad vrendum sunt necessaria, materiam scilicet, motum, & tandem penetrandi facultatem: Materiam quidem pinguem & humidam ideoque flammas diuturnas alentem:

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