JOURNEY TO THE GEYSERS. 
come with their linen, which was brought on hor¬ 
ses from the town, to the hot spring, where all 
the clothes of the people, for many miles rounds 
are washed. Some of them had a few little 
miserable potatoes *, not so large as a full-sized 
walnut, which they were cooking in the spring 
for their dinner, and which they offered me. 
I had carried with me some eider-ducks’ eggs* 
for the purpose of trying how long it would 
take to boil them hard, and I found they re¬ 
quired ten minutes, whilst lying in a part of the 
water where the thermometer rose to 200 °. 
Saturday, After a stormy night of wind and rain, 
July 8 ‘ the weather cleared up about nine o’clock, 
and, being furnished with horses, tents, &c., and 
a guide by the Stiftsamptman, I set out for 
the Geysers, which I proposed visiting before 
I went into Borgafiord; this I was the more 
anxious to do, as it seemed probable, from 
the many unlucky events which happened, and 
were inimical to the trading between the Ice¬ 
landers and the English, that we should not 
make any long stay, and Mr. Phelps was very 
particular in desiring me to come back at the 
* These potatoes, the growth of Iceland, and the best the 
island afforded this year, were not only wretchedly small, 
hut very bad; not being mealy within, but full of a yellow- 
ish tasteless mucilage. 
