lxii 
INTRODUCTION. 
way* excepting only what he gets from the 
northern and eastern coasts of his own island, 
where much timber is frequently cast by the 
waves of the sea, conveyed, as it is supposed, 
by the winds and currents from North America. 
The natural history of the island, its volcanoes, 
its sulphur-springs, and its boiling fountains, are 
spoken of so much at large in the Journal and 
Appendix that it is needless in this place to 
mention them. Those who may be desirous of 
more information on any of the points here 
glanced at, I beg to refer to the able works of 
Von Troil and Povelsen arid Olafsen; for these 
pages, to use the words of the most popular 
poet of our days, “ are but a tale of Iceland's 
u Isle and not a history.” 
Halesworthy March 14, 1811. 
