158 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSEN's TRAVELS, Sec. 



baticn of ilie judicious and learned reader; but particularly of 

 such of our countrymen as reside in Iceland, or have any con- 

 nection with that part of the Danish dominions, which has 

 hitherto been so imperfectly known. 



The Editor of this work, on concluding his translation of the 

 Travels in Iceland, feels it necessary to offer a few observations: 

 It will be perceived by those who possess the original volumes, or 

 any of the editions which have been published in the different 

 continental languages, that the present translation has undergone 

 a considerable reduction in point of quantity. But it will rea- 

 dily be discovered, that the work of Messrs. Glafsen and Povel- 

 sen is so local in its nature, and contains so many uninter- 

 esting details, that a literal translation of it in English, would 

 be an ungracious tax upon the purchaser. The Editor has 

 therefore performed the laborious duty of extracting from the 

 original work, all such passages as he trusts will be considered to 

 possess a general interest; of connecting them in such a way that 

 no inconsistency will be apparent, and of excluding a variety of 

 matter, so minute and unimportant, that he is convinced no satis- 

 faction whatever could be derived from its perusal : — the trans- 

 lation however, in its present state, will not only deserve the at- 

 tention of the general reader, but of the man of science; 

 inasmuch as it contains every incident from which the philo- 

 sopher or the naturalist can be supposed to derive gratification. 



As the authors frequently mention the remarks which they 

 made in different parts of the island upwards of half a century 

 ago, particularly at the time of the eruption of the Katlegiaa, 

 it might be supposed that their travels are of a very old date; 

 the contrary however is the case, for though in their work, they 

 have evidently included the observations which occurred to them 

 at various periods of their lives, yet some of their information 

 is brought down to a very late epoch, and it was not till the year 

 1802 that their production first obtained publicity. 



* F. W. B, 



THE END. 



