Finding Himself Driven
So Far To The North, And Having Repaired His Ships, Zichmni Now Resolved To
Make An Attack
Upon the island of Iceland, which was under the dominion of
the king of Norway; but finding it too well
Fortified and defended for his
small force, and reflecting that his diminished fleet was now in bad
repair, he deemed it prudent to retire. In his way homewards, however, he
made an attack upon the islands of Estland, of which there are seven in
number. These are Tolas, Yeal or Zel; Broas, Brassa sound; Iscant,
Unst or Vust; Trans, Trondra; Mimant, Mainland; Danbert[12]; and
Bres, or Bressa; all of which he plundered, and built a fort in Bres,
where he left Nicolo Zeno in the command, with a sufficient garrison and a
few small barks, while he returned himself to Frisland. In the ensuing
spring, Nicolo Zeno resolved to go out upon discoveries; and, having fitted
out three small vessels, he set sail in July, shaping his course to the
northwards, and arrived in Engroveland[13], where he found a monastery of
predicant friars, and a church dedicated to St Thomas, hard by a mountain
that threw out fire like Etna or Vesuvius.
In this place there is a spring of boiling hot water, by means of which the
monks heat their church, monastery, and cells. It is likewise brought info
their kitchen, and is so hot that they use no fire for dressing their
victuals; and by enclosing their bread in brass pots without any water, it
is baked by means of this hot fountain as well as if an oven had been used
for the purpose.
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