AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592. 



Wherefore, if we will give credit unto them, even this 

 mountaine also, sithens it is covered with snowe, and 

 yet burneth, must be a prison of uncleane soules : which 

 thing they have not doubted to ascribe unto Hecla, in 

 regard of the frozen top, and the firie bottome. And 

 it is no marveile that fire lurking so deepe in the roots 

 of a mountaine, and never breaking forth except it be 

 very seldome, should not be able continually to melt 

 the snowe covering the toppe of the sayd mountaine. 



Cardanus. For in Caira (or Capira) also, the highest toppes of 

 the mountaine are sayd continually to be white with 

 snowe : and those in Veragua likewise, which are five 

 miles high, and never without snowe, being distant 

 notwithstanding but onely 10 degrees from the equi- 

 noctiall. We have heard that either of the forsayd 

 Provinces standeth neere unto Paria. What, if in 

 Teneriffa (which is one of the Canarie or fortunate 

 Hands) the Pike so called, arising into the ayre, according 

 to Munster, eight or nine Germaine miles in height, 

 and continually flaming like Aetna : yet (as Benzo an 

 Italian, and Historiographer of the West Indies witnes- 

 seth) is it not able to melt the girdle of snowe embracing 

 the middest thereof. Which thing, what reason have 

 we more to admire in the mountaine of Hecla 1 And 

 thus much briefly concerning firie mountaines. 



Now that also is to be amended, whereas they write 

 that these mountaines are lifted up even unto the skies. 

 For they have no extraordinarie height beyond the other 

 mountaines of Island, but especially that third mountaine, 

 called by Munster Helga, and by us Helgafel, that is the 

 holy mount, standing just by a monastery of the same 

 name, being covered with snowe, upon no part thereof 

 in Summer time, neither deserveth it the name of an high 

 mountaine, but rather of an humble hillocke, never yet 

 (as I sayd in the beginning of this section) so much 

 as once suspected of burning. Neither yet ought per- 

 petuall snowe to be ascribed to Hecla onely, or to a 

 few others ; for Island hath very many such snowy 



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