8o NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



affirms this vortex to arife only from the violence and rapidity of 

 the daily ebb and flood, occafioned by the contraction of its courfe 

 betwixt the rocks, whereby, in calm weather, but much more 

 when the fea is rouzed by the wind, this Mofkoeftrom is rendered 

 fo dangerous and dreadful, both on account of its found, and the 

 furious agitation of its mountainous waves. 

 The like vor- For the illuftration of this ftrange phenomenon, I mail add a 

 roe. defcription of three vortices, equally rapid, but not bottomlefs, 



rata, cap. i. here in the north-fea, near the ifland of Ferroe r What the late 

 Rev. Mr. Lucas Debes, fuperintendant there writes of them, de- 

 ferves to be read in his own words : "In Ferro are three whirl- 

 pools, one betwixt the iflands of Vider, Suine, and Bord, but here 

 is no great danger : the fecond is off the ifland of Sand, near 

 Dalsflaes ; it is diftinguifhed by the appellation Quaerne, i. e. 

 mill-wheel, and in blowing weather, or a high tide, is dangerous; 

 but the greatefl danger lies in the third, which is ibuthward oi 

 the Suder ifland, and runs round Sumboe-munk. Thefe, and the 

 like whirlpools, are not occafioned by any extraordinary abyfs, or 

 fubterraneous cavities, into which the water is violently attracted 

 in the time of ebb, and again ejected at the time of flood ; as 

 fome imagine the flux and reflux, over the whole ocean, to refult 

 from the like caufes ; for if this were the cafe, it would not be 

 attended with fuch a terrible found, a deep bottom making a 

 {till water ; but the real caufe lies in the convexity of the bottom, 

 interfered with canals or trenches. 



I have made the moft diligent refearch into thefe whirlpools, 

 having been fent from Ferroe with two perfons, deputed with pub- 

 lic powers, to negociate fome provincial matters ; and, on this 

 occafion, one of them, John Joenfen, an inhabitant of Suderoe, 

 informed me, that he was the firft, who ventured in a row-boat on 

 the fouthern whirlpool, which runs from Suderoe round Sumboe- 

 munk, and from his own certain and long experience, gave me 

 the following account : This ftream, is in itfelf very dreadful and 

 dangerous, efpecially in a ftorm or ftrong tide, it abforbs every 

 thing near it, and immediately plunges it to the bottom, infomuch. 

 that a large fhip, within its draught, is infallibly fwallowed up. It 

 is but a few years fince the above-mentioned John Joenfen, about 

 Chriftmas* faw a large fhip driven into this ftream. by a ftorm, 



firft 



