HOT SPRINGS in ICELAND. 141 
and by her kindnefs made ample amends for her former inat- 
tention. She put us in pofleffion of her beft room, and fet be- 
fore us plenty of good cream, fome wheat cakes, fugar, and a 
kind of tea made of the leaves of the dryas octopetala *. 
I MENTION thefe circumftances of our reception at Haukadal,, 
as chara¢teriftic of the manners of the Icelanders. Several’ 
times during my ftay in the country, I experienced this fuc- 
ceffion of civility to coldnefs. The Icelanders are naturally 
good, but not eafily roufed to feeling. When once their con- 
ftitutional indifference was overcome, we ufually found them 
defirous of pleafing, and zealous to do us fervice. 
As the houfe was not fufficiently large to contain the whole 
of our party, we were under the necefflity of returning again 
to the church as foon as our baggage arrived. Here we paffed 
the firft and fecond nights of our ftay, in the neighbourhood 
of the fprings. On the third day, we left Haukadal, to fix- 
ourfelves in fome ftation nearer to them, from which we 
could watch their eruptions with more convenience. 
Tue view from near the church was very beautiful. It ex- 
tended toward the fouth along the plain into an open country. 
On the other fides, it was bounded by hills, which had not the: 
barren and’ rugged appearance that deform almoft every fcene: 
in this divifion of the ifland. It was, however, ftill finer from 
fome of the eminences near the fprings. The plain and the: 
furrounding mountains, feen from a height, appeared to more: 
advantage ; and the eruptions from the great wells breaking 
from time to time, the general ftillnefs that prevailed, were- 
much more diftiné. The courfe of the river, winding under- 
the eye, could be traced with greater accuracy. It flows through: 
. the: 
* Called in Englifh the Mountain Avens. We found this plant growing very lux- 
uriantly, and in great abundance, in.every part of Iceland that we vilited.. 
‘ 
