1787. LOWENORN, EGEDE, AND ROTHE. 331 



the command of Lieutenant Egede, the son of 

 the Bishop. These vessels were to pass the winter 

 in Iceland, in order to resume their research the 

 following summer, in case they should not succeed 

 the first year. Mr. Lowenorn was ordered at 

 the same time to examine carefully the geogra- 

 phical situation of the Shetland Isles, and to 

 survey the coasts of Iceland, in order to improve 

 the hydrography of that island. He was also to 

 survev and ascertain the situation of a small 

 volcanic island which had appeared in the year 

 1783, but which, according to the reports of 

 several navigators, had disappeared the following 

 year. 



The two vessels set sail from Copenhagen on 

 the 2d May, 1786, and arrived at Iceland on the 

 l6th of the same month. They made some ob- 

 servations on the variation of the compass, which 

 are not much to be relied on, as, from the number 

 of volcanoes in almost every part of the island, 

 which they say contain magnetic matter, the 

 needle is so much aifected by them as to vary 

 many degrees in the shortest distances. Thus 

 Olafsen has observed that, on the summit of 

 Snoefell Jokul, the compass was so disorderly that 

 it pointed in all directions. 



Mr. Lowenorn was unable to obtain in Iceland 

 any correct information respecting Old Greenland; 

 nor could he ascertain the fact, that the coasts of 

 Iceland and Greenland might be seen at the same 



