©LAFSEN AND POVELSEN's 



The first object that arrested our attention was a white, round, 

 little hill, from which the smoke issued with impetuosity by three 

 narrow winding apertures that occasioned the whistling. These 

 openings were about two inches in diameter. The borders 

 were of a red colour, mixed with white and green. We endea- 

 voured to sound them, but were unable on account of their sinu- 

 osity. The little stones which we threw into them were instantly 

 forced out, and the flat stones with which we attempted to cover 

 the mouths of the apertures were immediately driven away by the 

 pressure of the smoke. While we stood near them it was im- 

 possible for us to hear ourselves, even when calling out as loudly 

 as we could. In other respects Hverevalle is a large valley full 

 of herbage, and might be inhabited were it not for its height and 

 its position. On the north of the glacier of Bald Jokul, we saw 

 several swans swimming near the hill, and in a rivulet that 

 flows at no great distance we observed some trout. The ground 

 here is never frozen in winter ; on account of the subterraneous 

 fires, the heat of which we sensibly felt. Near the hill are 

 three large hot springs, where we perceived a great number of 

 petrifactions: the middle one is the most impetuous, as it propels 

 the water to the height of seven feet. But an extraordinary cir- 

 cumstance peculiar to all these springs, and which no others in 

 Iceland possess, is that a brilliant, fine, and hard crust is formed 

 at its surface, which resembles porcelain, and at a short distance 

 produces an appearance similar to a coating of ice. In this vi- 

 cinity we observe the ordinary variations of the petrefactis 

 tophaceis and the bolis thermarum, in their different colours of 

 white, grey, red, and yellow. In the part at which the lava 

 begins to run, there is a very deep chasm in the ground, from which 

 a kind of smoke issues that has tinged the rocks black and red, 

 and covered their sides with particles of thermal boles. If the 

 ancient Greek and Latin poets had been acquainted with these 

 places, they would certainly have described them as the residence 

 of Eolus and Vulcan ; for the Hverevalle is, beyond contradic- 

 tion, among the most admirable and extraordinary wonders of 

 Dature to be met with in Iceland. 



There may also be remarked here the remains of a large 

 building, which is supposed to have been inhabited by banditti ; 

 but this is not very probabie,as the place is accessible on all sides. 

 W e found in this vicinity a vast number of square lava-pebbles, 

 of which we formed a pyramid ten feet in height at a few : paces 

 from the Bellowing Hill ; and on this occasion we observed a 

 singular instance of the penetrating force of sound, as we found 

 that our pyramid re-echoed the roaring of the hill. 



In the district of Thingoe is a spring called the Oxehver, or" 

 ax-spring ; which is said to derive its name from the circumstance 



