70 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSENS 



pose and melt the earths and stones, carrying them off with the 

 matter in fusion. 



Of the acidulous mineral waters of the Hitardal, they have little 

 to observe, except that they are the best in all Iceland, being as 

 strong as the most spirituous beer, so that a person drinking above 

 a certain quantity- of them w ill become intoxicated. 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PARTICULARS, 



THE FORGES OF THE MYEAR. 



We have already observed, that there is a great quantity of 

 iron in this district,, particularly in the Myrar ; but there are* few 

 accounts of the ancient forges of Iceland, except in some of the 

 almost forgotten histories. In one of these, the Egiis-Saga, cap. 

 xxi. is an account of the celebrated Shalagrim, from which a 

 fabulous legend ought to be erased : it is said that this man 

 plunged into the sea, and succeeded in procuring a stone of an 

 enormous size, which is shewn as a curiosity to all strangers who 

 come to Roedenses, the place at which Shalagrim resided. There 

 are many traces to be perceived of a forge, and many authentic 

 proofs may be obtained of the knowledge possessed by the ancient 

 inhabitants of Iceland, as to the preparation of iron. 



ANCIENT INSCRIPTIONS. 



The scarcity of old inscriptions in Iceland is very astonishing, 

 because the people are known to have been very exact in noting 

 down remarkable occurrences. It may, therefore, be supposed, 

 that inscriptions were not in use amongst them, though the 

 Swedes generally adopted this practice, and in that country many 

 inscriptions are to be found of a very ancient date. 



That which remains at Borg, in the Myrar, is the oldest that 

 can be observed in Iceland. It is engraved on a stone that has 

 been conveyed hither from Baula, and is a piece of rock of the 

 nature of basal ties. The characters are so much worn out, 

 that it was with extreme difficulty they could be recognized, which 

 difficulty was increased by the circumstance of the stone being 

 broken into three pieces. The principal incsription is remarkable 

 for its simplicity. It is in large Roman characters: Her lige 

 I I ml Karian — " Here lies Charles Kartan." After this are 

 placed three straight lines, but so much worn out, that they could 

 not be deciphered; and as for the rest, they appear only to have 

 been the initial letters of words. It is, however, conjectured, that 

 these are the words intended — Firi svik af saari deydi — " He 

 died of the wounds given him by an assassin/' This Kartan was 

 descended by the father's side from blood royal, since his father 



