OFF ICELAND. 
7 
which a boat under sail might pass ; all of them 
were of a dark brown color, but whitened in 
places by the dung of the immense quantity of 
birds which constantly frequent them. In the 
afternoon, we saw other Jokuls, which were co¬ 
vered with snow, and extended in uninterrupted 
lines almost as far as our sight could reach. 
Hence, we bore a little more to the southward, 
in order to double a dangerous chain of rocks 
running out from the south-east corner of Ice¬ 
land, and called the Fugle Skiers. We soon 
lost sight of our snow mountains, and, instead of 
feasting our eyes with these wonders of the 
northern regions, had to encounter three days of 
almost incessant squalls, sleet, rain, and a most 
boisterous sea. When, at length, we supposed 
we had sailed far beyond the outermost rock 
(for we gave it a birth of twenty-five miles), 
we steered to the northward, and reckoned the 
next morning upon entering the great bay of 
Faxa-fiord. We were all thrown into confusion, 
however, by Mr. Jorgensen’s accidentally look¬ 
ing out a-head, and discovering, within a few 
minutes sail, some breakers dashing over a sunken 
rock directly in our course. He immediately 
gave orders for putting the vessel about, and flew 
himself, with the greatest alertness, from one part 
of the deck to another, to assist, by his own 
exertions, where fear or hurry prevented the com- 
