Letters on Iceland: Containing Observations on the Civil, Literary, Ecclesiastical, and Natural History; Antiquities, Volcanos, Basaltes, Hot Springs; Customs, Dress, Manners of the Inhabitants, &c. &c

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W. Richardson, 1780 - Iceland - 400 pages
 

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Page 289 - ... from without, and the air within being agitated by the flux and reflux of the tides, is perfectly dry and wholesome...
Page 291 - Though they were broken and cracked through and through in all directions, yet their perpendicular figures might easily be traced: from whence it is easy to infer, that whatever the accident might have been, that caused the dislocation, it happened after the formation of the pillars.
Page 289 - I fuppofe, that has ever been defcribed by travellers. " The mind can hardly form an idea more magnificent than fuch a fpace, fupported on each fide by ranges of columns; and roofed by the bottoms of thofe, which have been broke off in order to form it...
Page 288 - Englijh gentleman, Mr. Leach*, who no fooner faw us than he told us, that about nine leagues from us was an ifland where he believed no one even in the highlands had been f, on which were pillars like thofe of the Giant...
Page 27 - Their chief amusement in their leisure hours is to recount to one another the history of former times; so to this day you do not meet with an Icelander who is not well acquainted with the history of his own country ; they also play at cards.
Page 291 - ... as have been broken off, which extends as far under water as the eye can reach. Here the forms of the pillars -are apparent : these are of three, four, five, six, and seven sides, but the numbers of five and six are by much the most prevalent.
Page 289 - ... arrived than we were struck with a scene of magnificence which exceeded our expectations...
Page 289 - ... formed into hills or vallies; each hill, which hung over the columns below, forming an ample pediment; some of...
Page 293 - ... of regularity occur till you have pafled round the SE end of the ifland (a fpace almoft as large as that occupied by the pillars,) which you meet again on the weft fide, beginning to form themfelves irregularly, as if the ftratum had an inclination to that form, and foon arrive at the bending pillars where I began. " The ftone of which the pillars are formed is a coarfe kind of bafaltes, very much...
Page 290 - How fortunate that in this cave we fhould meet with the remembrance of that chief, whofe exiftence, as well as that of the whole epic poem, is almoft doubted in England ! Enough for the beauties of Staffa ; I ftiall now proceed to defcribe it and its productions more philosophically.

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