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724 
Ice may be preferred in any dry place under ground, 
by covering it well with chaff, It raw, or reeds. Great 
ufe is made of chaff in dome places, of Italy to., preferve 
ice; the. ice-houfe for this purpofe need only be a deep 
hole dug in the ground on the fide of a hill, from the 
bottom of which they can eafily carry out a drain, to 
let out the water which is fieparated at any time from the 
ice, that it may not melt and fpoil the reft. If the ground 
is tolerably dry, they do not line the tides with any thing, 
but leave -them naked, and only make a covering of 
thatch over the top of the hole; this pit they fill either 
with pure fnow, or elfe with ice taken from the pureit 
and cleared water; becaufe they do not ufe it as we do 
in England, to fet the bottles in, but really mix it with 
the wine. They fil'd cover the bottom of the hole with 
chaff, and then lay in the ice, not letting it any where 
touch the fides, but ramming in a.large bed of chaff all 
the way between ; they thus carry on the filling to the 
top, and then cover the furface with chad"; and in this 
manner it will keep as long as .they pleafe. When they 
take any of it out for ufe, they wrap the lump up in chaff, 
and it may then be carried to any didant place wdthout 
wade or running. 
I'CE-MARKET. See p. 720. 
I'CE-PLANT. See Mesembryanthemum. 
I'CEBERG, f. Seep. 719. 
f'CEING, f. The aft or art of turning into ice, or of 
applying ice to cool any thing. 
I'CELAND, a large ifland laying in the northern part 
of the Atlantic Ocean, between 63 and 68 degrees of north 
latitude, and between 10 and 26 of welt longitude; its 
greateft length being about 70c miles, and its breadth 300. 
It belongs to Denmark. 
This country, lying partly within the frigid zone, and 
being liable to be furrounded with vad quantities of ice 
which come from the polar feas, is, on account of the 
coldnefs of its climate, very inhofpitable; but much more 
fo for other reafons. It is exceedingly fubjeft to earth¬ 
quakes ; and fo full of volcanoes, that the little part of 
it which appears fit for the habitation of man feerns ai¬ 
med totally laid wade by them. The bed account that 
hath yet appeared of the ifland of Iceland is ii>alate pub¬ 
lication intitled, “ Letters on Iceland, &c. written by Uno 
Von Troil, D.D. firft chaplain to his Swedilh majefty.” 
This gentleman failed from London on the 12th of July, 
1772, in company with Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Dr. 
James Lind, of Edinburgh. After vifiting the wedern 
ifles of Scotland, they arrived on the 28th of Augud at 
Iceland, where they cad anchor at Beffededr or Beffadadr, 
lying in about 64. 6. N. lat. in the wedern part of the 
i-iland. The country had to them the mod difmal appear¬ 
ance that can be conceived. Imagine to yourfelf (fays 
Dr. Troil) a country, which from one end to the other 
prefents to your view only barren mountains, whofe fum- 
mits are covered w'ith eternal fnow, and between them 
fields divided by vitrified cliffs, whofe high and (harp 
points feenr to vie with each other to deprive you of the 
fight of a little grafs which fcantily fprings up among them. 
Thefe fame dreary rocks likewife conceal the few Matter¬ 
ed habitations of the natives ; and no where a Angle tree 
appears which might afford (belter. The profpeft, how¬ 
ever, though not pleafing, was uncommon and furprifirg. 
Whatever prefented itfelf to our view bore the marks of 
devaftation; and. our eyes, accuftonred to behold the 
pleafing coalts of England, now faw nothing but thf vel- 
tiges of the operation of afire, Heaven knows how an¬ 
cient ! 
The climate of Iceland, however, is not unwholefome, 
nor naturally fubjeft to exceflive colds, notwithdanding 
its northward fituation. There-have been indances in¬ 
deed of Fahrenheit’s thermometer finking to 24 0 below 
the freezing point in winter, and riling to 104 0 in lum- 
mer. Since the year 1749, obfervations have been made 
on the weather; and the refult of thefe obfervations hath 
been unfavourable, as the coldnefs of the climate is 
3 
I C E 
thought to been the increafc, and of confequehce the, 
country is in danger of becoming unfit for the habitation 1 
of the human race. Wood, which formerly grew in.great 
quantities all over the ifland, cannot now be failed. Even 
the hardy firs of Norway cannot be reared in this ifland. 
They leern indeed to thrive till they are about two feet 
high ; but then their tops wither, and they ceafe to grow. 
This is owing chiefly to the dorms and hurricanes which 
frequently happen in t!>e months of May and June, and 
which are very unfavourable to vegetation of every kind. 
In 1772, governor Thodal fowed a little barley, which 
grew very brilkly; but, a (hort time before it was to be 
reaped, a violent dorm fo effeflually dedroyed it, that 
only a few grains w'ere found Mattered about. Befides 
thefe violent winds, this ifland lies under another .difad- 
vantage, owing to the floating ice with which the coads 
are often befet. This ice comes on by degrees, always 
with an eaderly wind, and frequently in fuch quantities 
as to fill up all the gulfs on the- north-wed. fide of the- 
ifland, and even to cover the fea as far as the eye can reach ; 
it alio fometimes drives to other (bores. It generally 
comes in January, and goes away in March. Sometimes 
it only reaches the land in April; and, remaining there 
for a long time, does an incredible deal of mifehief. It 
confids partly of mountains of ice, laid to be fometimes 
fixty fathoms in height; and partly of field-ice, which is 
neither fo thick nor fo much dreaded. Sometimes thefe 
enormous maffes are grounded in Ihoal-water; and in 
thefe cafes they remain for many months, nay years, un- 
diffolved, chilling the atmofphere for a great way round. 
When many fuch bulky and lofty ice-maffes are floating 
together, the wood which is often found drifting between 
them, is fo much chafed, and prelied with fuch violence 
together, that it fometimes takes fire; which circumdance 
hasoccafioned fabulous accounts of the ice being in flames. 
In 17.53 and 1754, this ice occafioned fuch a violent 
cold, that horfes and fheep dropped down dead by reafon 
of it, as well as for want of food ; horfes were obferved 
to feed upon dead cattle, and the (heep ate of each other’s 
•wool. In 1755, towards the end of the month of May, 
the waters were frozen over in one night to the thicknefs 
of an inch and five lines. In 1756, on the 26th of June, 
fnow fell to the depth of a yard, and continued falling- 
through the months of July and Augud. In the year 
following it froze very hard towards the'end of Alay and 
beginning of June, in the fouth part of the ifland, which 
occafioned a great fcarcity of grafs. Thefe frods are ge¬ 
nerally followed by a famine, many examples of which 
are to be found in the Icelandic chronicles. Befides 
thefe calamities, a number of bears annualjy arrive with 
the ice, which commit great ravages among the (heep. 
The Icelanders attempt to dedroy thefe intruders as foon 
as they get fight of them. Sometimes they aflemble to¬ 
gether, and drive them back to the ice, with which they 
often float off again. For want of fire-arms, they are 
obliged to ufe (pears on thefe occafions. The govern¬ 
ment alfo encourage the dedruftion of thefe animals, by 
paying a premium of ten dollars for every bear that is 
killed, and purchaling the (kin of him who killed it.” 
Thunder and lightning are feldom heard in Iceland, 
except .in the neighbourhood of volcanoes. Aurora bo¬ 
realis is very frequent hnd drong. It mod commonly ap¬ 
pears in dry weather; though there are not wanting in¬ 
dances of its being feen before or after rain, or even dur¬ 
ing the time of it. The lunar halo,.which prognodicates 
bad weather, is likewife very frequent here; as are alfo 
parhelia, which appear from one fo nine in number at a 
time. Thefe parhelia are obferved chiefly at the approach 
of the Greenland ice, wh.en an intenle degree of cold is 
produced, and the frozen vapours fill the air. Fire-balls, 
fometimes round and fometimes oval, are obferved, and a 
kind.of ignis fatuus which attaches itfelf to men and beads ; 
and comets are alfo frequently mentioned in their chro¬ 
nicles. This lad circumdance delerves the attention of 
adronomers. 
Iceland, 
