122 OMAFSEN AND POVELSEn’s The first object that arrested our attention was a white, round, little hill, from which the smoke issued with impetuosity by three narrow' winding apertures that occasioned the whistling. These openings were about two inches in diameter. The borders were of a red colour, mixed with white and green. We endea- voured to sound them, but were unable on account of their sinu- osity. The little stones which w'e threw into them were instantly forced out, and the fiat stones with which w'e attempted to cover the mouths of the apertures were immediately driven away by the pressure of the smoke. While we stood near them it was im- possible for us to hear ourselves, even when calling out as loudly as we could. In other respects Hvcrevallc. is a large valley full of herbage,.'and might be inhabited were it not for its height arid its position. On the north of the glacier of Bald Jokul, we saw several swans sw'imming near the hill, and in a rivulet that flows at no great distance we observed some trout. The ground here is never frozen in winter ; on account of (lie subterraneous fires, the heat of which we sensibly felt. Near the hill are three large hot springs, where we perceived a great number of petrifactions : the middle one is the most impetuous, ad it propels the water to the height of seven feet. But an extraordinary cir- cumstance peculiar to all these springs, and which no others in Iceland possess, is that a brilliant, tine, arid hard crust is formed at its surface, which resembles porcelain, and at a short distance produces an appearance similar to a coating of ice. In this vi- cinity • w’e observe the ordinary variations of the petrefactis tophaceis and the bolts thermarum, in their different colours of white, grey, fed, and yellow. In the part at which the lava begins to run, there is a very deep chasm in the ground, from which a kind of smoke issues that has tinged the rocks black and red, and covered their sides with particles of thermal boles. If the ■ancient Greek and Latin poets had been acquainted with thesb places, they would certainly have described them as the residence of Bolus and Vulcan; for the Hvcrevalle is, beyond contradic- tion, among the most admirable and extraordinary wonders 'of Mature to be met with in Iceland. There may also be remarked here the remains of a large building, which is supposed to have been inhabited by banditti; but this is not very probable,as the place is accessible on all sides. We fount! in this vicinity a vast number of square lava-pebbled, of which we formed a pyramid ten feet in height at a few pace's from the Bellowing Hill; and on this occasion we observed a singular instance of the penetrating forefe of sound, as we found "that orir pyraihid re-6chbed the rob ring of the hill. Ill the district of Thirigoe is a spring called the Oxehver, dr Oi-spritrg; -which is said to derive its name from the circiuristdridb

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