Letters on Iceland: containing observations on the natural history of the country, antiquities, manners and customs of the inhabitants, &c. &c. Made, during a voyage undertaken in the year 1772, by Sir Joseph Banks, P.R.S. assisted by Dr. Solander, F.R.S. Dr. J. Lind, F.R.S. and several other literary and ingenious gentlemen / written by Uno von Troil ; with notes and additions by the translator. The whole revised and corrected by E. Mendes da Costa.

  • Troil, Uno von, 1746-1803.
Date:
1783
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters on Iceland: containing observations on the natural history of the country, antiquities, manners and customs of the inhabitants, &c. &c. Made, during a voyage undertaken in the year 1772, by Sir Joseph Banks, P.R.S. assisted by Dr. Solander, F.R.S. Dr. J. Lind, F.R.S. and several other literary and ingenious gentlemen / written by Uno von Troil ; with notes and additions by the translator. The whole revised and corrected by E. Mendes da Costa. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    high above water, and announce their arrival by a great noife, and partly of field-ice [helhi-is) of the depth of one or even two fathoms. Of this laft fome parts foon melt, and other parts remain undifTolved many months, of- ten producing very dangerous effedls to the country*. The ice caufed fo violent a cold in 1753 and 1754, that horles and Iheep dropped down dead on account of it, as well as for want of food ; horfes I * The immenfe mafles of ice that are fo dreadful, and afFedt the climate of the country along the north- ern and northweft coaft of Iceland, arrive commonly with a N.W. or N.N.W. wind from Greenland. The field-ice is of two or three fathoms thicknefs, is ie- parated by the winds, and lefs dreaded than the rock or mountain ice, which is often feen fifty and more feet above water, and is at leaf!: nine times the fame depth below water: thefe immenfe mafies of ice are frequently left in (hoal water, fixed, as it were, to the ground, and in that Mate remain many months, nay years, un- diflolved, chilling all the ambient part of the atmo- fphere for many miles round. When many fuch lofty and bulky mafies of ice are floating together, the wood that is often drifted along between them is fo much chafed, and preflTed with fuch violence together, that it takes fire; which circumftance has occafioned fabu- lous accounts of the ice being in flames; otthebulkof fuch ice-mafies, feeForfter’sObfervations made during a voyage round the world, p. 69, 1773 and 1774. D were