100 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSEn's 



with the intention of continuing his journey, he finds it impossl- 

 Ible to depart without accepting a dinner. When persons of con- 

 dition or those who hold official situations travel in the southern 

 quarter, and sleep at the house of a peasant, they give him on 

 their departure whatever they think proper. It should finally be 

 observed, that the greatest riches of these insular people consist 

 in the productions of the country, which they employ for them- 

 selves and others. There are very few rich among them ; but 

 most of them live at their ease, and very poor families are sel- 

 dom to be met with. 



Our travellers now undertook a journey to ! the Hornestrand, 

 or along the coast to the North Cape. Near the bay of Kolla, 

 at the door of the church, they met with a remarkable ancient 

 monument : it was a flat round plate, about two feet and a half in 

 diameter ; and containing forty-two characters, which they could 

 not decypher, but considered as magical hieroglyphics. In the 

 middle of the plate was the figure of a man on horseback with 

 cuirasses, and holding in his hand a naked sword.. The horse is 

 represented in full gallop, and surrounded with stars : at its feet 

 is a quadruped with a long tail, and covered with scales ; it re-* 

 sembles an otter, and has several horns on its head. This animal 

 is pierced with a javelin, and by its side is the figure of a wo- 

 man wearing on her head a bonnet nearly in the shape of a 

 crown ; she is prostrate before the cavalier. The words which 

 the characters compose are repeated four times, and fill the line 

 which forms a circle. The writing seems to denote an ancient 

 German dialect of the tenth or eleventh century, or perhaps of 

 a still earlier period. Some other figures on this plate seem to 

 represent the history of Saint George. 



EXTRAORDINARY HURRICANES. 



On the. 29th August, being near Reykefiord, about half a mile 

 from the port, there arose a terrible hurricane, which detached 

 from the shore an enormous mass of rock, to which was affixed 

 the cable of a ship. The inhabitants in the vicinity attributed 

 this wind to the effects of witchcraft ; as there resided near the 

 spot a very adroit and sensible peasant, whom they regarded as a 

 great magiciail. We amused ourseh;es in talking with him on 

 magic and mpematural events : he had no aversion to open his 

 mind- to us, and answered all our questions with much frankness 

 and sagacity. He possessed very considerable knowledge of the 

 different stones and plants in this part of the country. 



in the evening, after the wind had subsided, we heard a 

 very loud noise in the air ; which was succeeded by a dreadful 

 storm which beat down our tent, and broke the stakes that 

 supported it, though they were retained by a number of cords 



