have attained that rare privilege, not to form a fingle wifh."
I ought not to feparate ICELAND from Norway. This ifland, the largeſt in Europe next to Great Britain, is furrounded by that part of the northern fea, which geographers have been pleafed to call the Deucalidonian ocean. Its length from eaft to weft is about 112 Danifh miles (12 to a degree) and its mean breadth may be 50 of thofe miles t. Nature itfelf hath marked out the divifion of this country *. Two long chains of mountains run from the middle of the eaftern and weftern coafts, rifing by degrees till they meet in the center of the iſland: from whence two other chains of fmaller hills gradually defcend till they reach the coafts that lie north and fouth; thus making a primary divifion of the country into four quarters (fierdingers) which are distinguished by the four points of the compafs towards which they lie.
The whole ifland can only be confidered as one vaft mountain, interfperfed with long and deep vallies, concealing in its bofom heaps of minerals, of vitrified and bituminous fubftances, and rifing on all fides out of the ocean in the form of a fhort blunted cone +.
About 560 Engliſh
miles long, and 250 broad.
T.
- EGERH. OLAI
Enarrat. Histor. de Island. p. 18. § 6.
+ Vid. HORREBOW'S Natural History of Iceland, passim.
