The flowers of celebrated travellers : being a selection from the most elegant, entertaining and instructive travels

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Section I

Of the Volcanoes in Iceland, and particularly Mount Hecta.

UPON our arrival in Iceland, on the 28th of August 1772, we saw a prospect before us, which, though not pleasing, was uncommon and surprising. Whatever presented itself to our view bore the marks of devastation; and our eyes, accustomed to behold the pleasing coasts of England and Scotland, now saw only the vestiges of the operation of a fire," heaven knowfc how ancient!

The description of a country, where, quite close to the sea, you perceive almost nothing but craggy cliffs vitrified by fire, and where the eye loses itself in high and rocky mountains, covered with eternal snow, cannot possibly produce such emotions, as at first sight might entirely prepossess the thinking spectator. It is true, beauty is pleasing both to our eyes and our thoughts, but wonderful nature often makes the most lasting impressions.

We cast anchor not far from the dwelling-place of the celebrated Sturleson, where we found two tracks of lava, of which the last in particular was remarkable, since we found there, besides a large field covered with lava, which must have been liquid in the highest degree, whole mountains of turf. Chance had directed lis exactly to a spot, on which we could better than on any partof Iceland, consider the operations of a fire, which had laid waste a tract of sixty or seventy English miles. We spent several days here in examining every thing with so much the more pleasare, as we found ourselves, as it were, in a new world. 2

10 THE FLOWERS Or

We had now seen almost all the effects of a volcano, except the crater from which the fire had proceeded. In order, therefore, to examine this likewise, we undertook a journey of twelve days, to mount Hecla itself. We travelled ahout 300 miles over an uninterrupted track of lava, and gained the pleasure of being the first who ever reached the summit of this celebrated volcano. The cause that no one had been there before, is partly founded in superstition, and partly in the extreme difficulty of the ascent, before the last eruption of fire. There was not one of our company who did not wish to have his clothes a little singed, only for t hesake of seeing Hecla in a blaze; and we almost flattered ourselves with this hope, for the bishop of Shallholt had informed us by letter, in the night between the 5th and 6th of September, the day before our arrival, that flames had proceeded from it; but now the mountain was more quiet than we wished. We however passed our time very agreeably from one o'clock in the morning till two in the afternoon, in visiting the mountain. We were even so happy, that the clouds, which covered the greatest part of it, dispersed towards the evening, and procured us the most extensive prospect imaginable.

The mountain is something above 5000 feet high, and separates at the top into three points, of which that in the middle is the highest. The most inconsiderable part of the mountain consists of lava, the rest is ashes, with hard solid stones thrown from the craters, together with some pomice-stones, of which we found only a small piece, with a little native sulphur. A description of the various kinds of stones to be found here would be too prolix, and partly unintelligible.

.Amongst many other craters of openings, four were peculiarly remarkable; the first, the lava of which had taken the form of stacks of chimneys, half broken down; another from which water had streamed; a third, all the stones of which were red as brick; and lastly, one from which the lava had burst forth in a stream, and was divided at some distance into three arms.

I have said before, that we were not so happy as to see Hecla vomit fire. But there was sufficient traces of its burning inwardly: for, on the upper half of it, covered with snow four or five inches deep, we frequently observed spots without any snow; and on the highest point, where Farenheit's thermometer was 24° in the air, it rose to 153° when it was set down on the ground; and in some little holes it was so hot, that we could no longer observe the heat with a small pocket thermometer. It is not known whether, since the year 1693, Hecla has been burning, till 1776, when it began to vomit flames on the 1st of April, burnt for a long while, and destroyed the country many miles round. In December, 1771^, some flames likewise proceeded from it; and the people in the neighbourhood believe it will begin to burn again very soon, as they pretend to have observed that the rivers thereabouts are drying up. It is believed that this proceeds from the mountain's attracting the water, and is considered as a certain sign of an impending eruption. Dr. Troil.

SECTION II. Of the Warm Baths and Hot Spouting Springs of water in

Iceland.

THESE waters have different degrees of warmth, and are, on that account, divided by the inhabitants themselves into warm baths, and springs that throw up the water to a considerable height. The first are found in several other parts of Europe, though I do not beleive that they are employed to the same purposes in any other place; that is to say, the inhabitants do not bathe in them here merely for their Health, but they are likewise the occasion for a scene of gallantry. Here poverty prevents the lover from making presents to his fair one, and nature presents no flowers of which garlands elsewhere are made. It is therefore customary, that instead of all this, the swain perfectly cleanses one of these baths, which is to be afterwards honoured with the visits of his bride.

The springs that throw up the water in the air, deserve more attention. I have seen a great number of them, but will only say something of the # two most remarkable. Near Laugervatan, a small lake of about a mile in circumference, which is two days' journey from Hecla, I saw the first hot spouting springs; and I must confess, that it was one of the most beautiful sights I ever beheld. The morning was uncommonly clear, and the sun had already begun to gild the tops of the neighbouring mountains. It was. so perfect a calm, that the lake on which swans were swimming, was as smooth as a looking-glass, and round about it arose, in eight different places, the stream of the hot springs, which lost itself high in the air.

Water was spouting from all these springs; but one, in particular, continually threw up in the air a column from eighteen to twenty-four feet high, and from six to eight feet diameter. The water was extremely hot. A piece of mutton, and some salmontrouts, as also a ptarmigan, were almost boiled to pieces in six minutes, and tasted excellently. I wish it were in my power to give such a description of this place as it deserves; but I fear it would always remain inferior in point of expression: so much is certain at least, that nature never drew from any one a more cheerful homage to her great Creator, than I here paid him.

The description of the most remarkable water spout will appear almost incredible; but every part of it is perfectly true, for I would not aver any thing but what I have seen myself. At Gyser, not far from Shallholt, one of the episcopal sees ol Iceland, a most extraordinary large spouting fountain is to be -seen, with which the celebrated water-works at Marly and St. Cloud, and at Casscl, and Herrenhausen near Hanover, can hardly be compared. • One sees here, within the circumference of three English miles, forty or fifty boiling springs together, which 1 believe, all proceed from one and the same reservoir. In some, the water is perfectly clear, in others, thick and clayey; in some, where it passes through a fine ochre, it is tinged red as scarlet; and in others, where it flows over a paler clay, it is white as milk.

The largest spring, which is in the miadle, particularly engaged our attention the whole day that we spent here, from six in the morning till seven at night. The aperture through which the water arose, is nineteen feet in diameter; round the top of it is a bason, which, together with the pipe, has the form of a cauldron. The margin of the bason is upwards of nine feet higher than the conduit, and its diameter is fifty-six feet. Here the water does not spout continually, but only by intervals several times a day; and as I was informed by the people in the neighbourhood, in wet weather higher than at other times.

One day that we were there, the water spouted ten different times, between the hours of six and eleven in the morning, each time to the height of eight or ten fathoms. Till then the water had not risen above the margin of the pipe; but now it began by degrees to fill the upper bason, and at last it began to run over. The people who were with us, gave us to understand, that the water would soon spout out much higl er than it had done till then, and this appeared very credible to us. To determine its height, therefore, with the utmost accuracy, Dr. Lind, who had accompanied us on this voyage in the capacity of an astronomer, set up his quadrant.

Soon after four o'clock, we observed that the earth began to tremble in three different places, a6 well as the top of a mountain, which was about three hundred fathoms distant from the mouth of the spring. We also frequently heard a subterraneous noise, like the discharge of a cannon; and immediately after, a column of Water spouted from the opening, which, at a great height, divided itself into several rays, and according to the observations made with the quadrant, was ninety-two feet high. Our great surprise at this uncommon force of the air and fire was increased, when many stones, which we had flung into the aperture, were thrown up again with the spouting water. It is easy to conceive with how much pleasure we spent the day here; and indeed I am not surprised, that a people so much inclined to superstition as the Icelanders are, imagine this to be the entrace of hell. The idea is very natural to uninformed minds. Dr. Troil.,

SECTION III. Of the Manners of the Icelanders

THE Icelanders are of a good honest disposition; but they are, at the same time, so serious and sullen, that I hardly remember to have seen any of them laugh. They are by no means so strong as might be supposed, and much less handsome. Their chief amusement in their leisure hours, is to recount to one another the history of former times; so that 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.

Their houses are built of lava, thatched with turf, and so small that one can hardly find room to turn in. They have no floors; and their windows, instead of glass, are composed of thin membranes of certain animals. They make no use of chimneys, as they never light a fire except to dress their victuals, when they only lay the turf on the ground. It may therefore be said, that we saw no houses except shops and warehouses; and on our journey to Hecla, we were cbliged to take up our lodgings in the churches.

Their food principally consists of dried fish, sour butter, which they considei as a great dainty, milk mixed with water and whey, and a little meat. They receive so little bread from the Danish. Company, that there is scarcely any peasant who eats it above three or four months in the year. They likewise boil groats of a kind of moss, which has an agreeable taste The principal occupation of the men is fishing, which they follow both winter and summer. The women take care of the cattle, and knit stockings. They likewise dress and dry the fishes brought home by the men, ?nd otherwise assist in preparing this staple commodity of the country.

Money is very rare, which is the reason that all trade is carried on by fish and ells of coarse unshorn cloth. One ell is w T orth two fishes, and forty-eight fishes are worth a rix dollar in specie. They were better acquainted with gold at our departure than at our arrival.

•They are well provided with cattle, which are generally with* out horns. They have likewise sheep and very good horses. Both the last are the whole winter in the fields. Of wild animals they have only foxes and bears, which come every year from Greenland with" the floating ice; these, however, are kille as soon as they appear, partly on account of the reward of ten dollars which the king pays for every bear, and partly to prevent them from destx*oying their cattle. The present governor has introduced rein-deer into the island; but out of thirteen, ten died on their passage, nd the other three are alive with their young.

It is extraordinary that no wood grows successfully in Iceland; nay there is scarcely a single tree to be found on ihe whole island., though there arc certain proofs of wood having formerly grown there in great abundance. Corn cannot be cultivated here to any advantage, though I have met with cabbages, parsley, turnips, and peas, in five or six gardens, which are the only ones on the island.

Dr. Troll.

SECTION IV. Of the Food of the Icelanders

THE Icelanders in general, cat three meals a day; at seven in the morning, at two in the afternoon, and at nine in the evening.

In the morning and evening they commonly eat curds mixed with new milk, and sometimes with juniper-berries; in some parts they also have pottage of rock-grass, dried and made into flour, which is very palatable; or curdled milk boiled till it becomes a red colour; or new milk, boiled a long while.

At dinner their food consists of dried fish, with plenty of sour butter. They also sometimes eat fresh fish, and, when possible, a little bread and cheese with them. It is reported by some, that they do not eat any fish till it is quite rotten. This report perhaps proceeds from their being fond of it when a little tainted. However, they frequently eat fish that is quite fresh.

On Sunday, and in harvest time, they have broth made of meat, which is often boiled in syra, or fermented whey, instead of water; and >n winter they eat hung or dried meat.

Their common beverage is milk, either warm from the cow, or cold, and sometimes boiled. They likewise drink butter-milk, with or without water.

They seldom make use- of fresh or salt butter, but let it grow sour before they eat it. In this manner it may be kept twenty years, and even longer; and the Icelanders look upon it as more wholesome and palatable than the butter used amongst us. It is reckoned better the older it is; and one pound of it then is as much valued as two pounds of fresh butter.

This is the usual manner of life in Iceland. In all countries, the living of the poor diners essentially from that of the rich: and if an Iceland gentleman can afford to eat meat, butter, shark, and whale, the peasants are obliged to content themselves with fish, blanda, or milk mixed with water, and milk pottage or rock-grass. Though the Icelanders cannot be said to be in want of necessary aliment, yet the country has several times been visited by great famines. These, however, have been chiefly owing to the Greenland floating ice, which when it comes in great quantities, prevents the grass from growing, and puts an entire stop to their fishing. Dr. Troil.

SECTION V. Of the Manners of the Modem Egyptains

LIFE, at Grand Cairo, is rather passive than active. Nine months out of the year the body is oppressed with heat; the soul in a state of apathy, far from being continually tormented by a wish to know and act, sighs, after calm tranquillity. Inaction, under a temperate climate, is painful; here repose is enjoyment. The most frequent salutation at meeting or parting is, "Peace be with you." Effeminate indolence is born with the Egyptian, grows as he grows, and descends with him to the grave. It is the vice of the climate; it influences his inclinations, and governs his actions The sofa, therefore, is the most luxurious piece of furniture of an apartment. Their gardens have charming arbours., and convenient seats, but not a single walk. The Frenchman, born under an ever varying sky, is continually receiving new impressions, which keep his mind as continually awake. He is active, impatient, and agitated like the atmosphere in which he exists; while the Egyptian, feeling the same heat, the same sensation, two-thirds of the year, is idle, solemn and patient.

He rises with the sun, to enjoy the morning air, purifies himself, and repeats the appointed prayer. His pipe and coffee are brought him, and he reclines at ease on his sofa. Slaves with their arms crossed, remain silent at the far end of the chamber, with their eyes fixed on him, seeking to anticipate his smallest want. His children standing in his presence, unless he permits them to be seated, preserve every appearance of tenderness and respect. He gravely caresses them, gives them his blessing, and sends them back to the harem. He only questions, and they reply with modesty. He is the chief, the judge, the pontiff of the family, befor'e whom these sacred rights are all respected.

Breakfast ended, he transacts the business of his office; and as to disputes they are few, among a people where the voice of the hydra, chicanery, is never heard; where the name of attorney is unknown; where the whole code of laws consists in a few clear and precise commands in the Koran, and where each man is his own pleader.

When visitors come, the master receives them without many compliments, but with an endearing manner. His equals are seated beside him, with their legs crossed, which posture is not fatiguing to the body, unembarrassed by dress. His inferiors kneel, and sit upon their heels. People of distinction are placed on a raised sofa, whence they overlook the company. Thus iEneas, in the paMke of Dido, had the place of honour, while .seated on a raised bed,* he related the burning of Troy to the

queen. "When every person is placed, the slaves bring pipes and Coffee, and set the perfume hrasier in the middle of the chamber, the air of which is impregnated with its odours, and afterwards present sweetmeats and sherbet.

When the visit is almost ended, a slave, bearing a silver plate on which precious essences are burning, goes round to the company; each in turn perfumes the beard, and afterward sprinkles rose-water on the head and hands. This is the last ceremony, and the guests are then permitted to retire. We see, therefore, that the ancient custom of perfuming the head and beard, as sung by the royal prophet,* is not lost. Anacreon, the father of the festive ode, and the poet of the Graces, incessantly repeats, "I delight to sprinkle my body with precious perfumes, and crown my head with roses."

About noon the table is prepared, and the viands brought in n large tray of tinned copper; and though no great variety, there is great plenty. In the centre there is a mountain of rice cooked with poultry, and highly seasoned with spice arte! saffron. Round this are harshed meats, pigeons, stuffed cucumbers, delicious melons and fruits. The roast meats are cut small, laid over with the fat of the animal, seasoned with salt, spitted, and done on the eoals. The guests seat themselves on a carpet round the table. A slave brings water in one hand, and a bason in the other, to wash. This is an indispensable ceremony, where each person puts his hand into the dish, and where the use of forks is unknown. It is repeated when the meal is ended.

After dinner they retire to the harem, where they slumber some hours among their wives and children.

Such is 1 he ordinary life of the Egyptians. Our shows, plays, and pleasures, are to them unknown A monotony, which to an European would be death, is delight to an Egyptian. Their days are passed in repeating the same thing, in following the same customs, without a wish or thought beyond. Having neither strong passions, nor ardent hopes, tneir minds know not lassitude. This is a torment reserved for those who, unable to moderate the violence of their desires, or satisfy their unbounded wants, are weary every where, and exist only where they are not. Savary.

SECTION VI. Of the River Nile

THE country of Egypt is in fact so low, that were it not for a few little hillocks, formed by the ruins of anciJIt Aiexmdria, and the prodigious height of Pompey's pillar^ the land would not be

* Psalm exxxiii.

CELEBRATED TRAVELLEBS. 17

distinguishable. The whole coast is horizon; and it is with difficulty one perceives, from three leagues off at sea, some palm trees, which seem to grow out of the water. It is not to. the flatness of the country alone, however, that Egypt is indebted for its periodical inundation.

The trade winds, from West and North, by pushing the clouds of Europe on Abyssinia, blow in the direction of the Nile, in which mechanism of nature it must be remarked, that the wind, by driving back the waters of the river, becomes the principal cause of its overflowing. Having reached its heighest degree towards the middle of September, the winds then becoming trade winds from the southward, concur with the natural descent, of the Nile, to accelerate the draining of the water, at the same time that they collect the superfluous clouds, now of no further use, over Abyssinia and Ethiopia, and carry them, for the same beneficial purpose of a periodical inundation, towards the sources of the Euphrates, to enrich Mesopotamia, 'vfter abundantly watering Egypt. At this period therefore, one sees a column of clouds pass the Red Sea, towards the Isthmus of Suez, spread over Syria, and collect on mount Ararat; whilst the same trade wind blowing in the gulph of Persia, compressing the waters of the Euphrates, produces in Mesopotamia, by the same means, the same advantages enjoyed by Egypt._

This meteorological observation, the particulars of which I have carefully attended to, may be verified every year, in a climate where the serenity of the heavens cannot admit of error.

All the descriptions of Egypt hitherto agree, in considering the mud, with which the waters of the Nile are loaded during its increase, and which are left on the land they overflow, as a fattener which fertilises the country. In analising it, however, no vegetative quality is discoverable before its union with the sand, which, together with the clay, composes the soil of Egypt, in about the same proportion as in the earrhen manufactures; nor is this mud any other than the produce of the crumbling of the two banks of the Nile,. when it carries off the clayey part. Its specific lightness, joined to the motions of the water, keeps its particles suspended, whilst the sand settles, and forms new islands for the inhabitants, after the draining of the waters. The cultivator takes immediate possession of them, his industry supplying the barrenness of the sand, with which he mixes pidgeon's dung, then sows his water-melons, and enjoys a plentiful crop, before the succeeding inundation destroys these islands to produce others.

The whirlpools which occasiofi these variations, necessarily arise from the double effort of the descent of the water, and the wind which counteracts them; but the Nile notwithstanding this agitation; is so easy to be kept within its bounds, that many fields, situated below the service of the water ia its increase, are preserY- 3

IS tllF FLOWERS OF

ed from suffering from the inundation, by means only of a dam of eight or ten inches thick in moist ground.

This method, which costs the husbandman but little labor, is made use of to preserve the Delta, when it is threatened by an inundation. This island, which produces annually three crops, is constantly watered by machines built on the Nile, and on the canals which intersect it, but is very seldom in danger of being drowned; and this rich part of Egypt which is close to the sea, would feel the effects of the swelling still less, did not the trade-winds accumulate the waters of the Mediterranean towards the south.

It is important to observe, that the Delta, higher than the rest of Egypt, is bordered towards the sea, by a forest of palm-trees, called the forest of Beleros, the ground of which is far above the highest elevation of the waters, a topographical remark, of itself sufficient to overthrow the formation of the Delta by a sediment. Land, which is higher than the greatest inundations, can never owe its origin to them. It can only hive occasioned the division of the Nile into two branches. But neither this circumstance, nor the existence of the island, which separates them, required so much labor; and Mr. Maillet might, in this respect, have spared himself the repetition of the system of Ephorus, which was not held in estimation, even by his cotemporaries.

The vestiges of the canals, which watered the eastern and western provinces of the Delta, prove that it was formerly the seat of the richest cultivation in Egypt. It may also be presumed, from the extent of the ruins of Alexandria, the structure of the canal, and the natural equality of the lands which surround lake Mareotis. and which extend from the westward, as far as the kingdom of Barca, that this country, now in possession of the Arabs, and almost totally uncultivated, was formerly as rich in productions of every kind, as was necessary for the subsistence of Alexandria.

One sees from the situation of the canal of Alexandria, that after watering that town, and assisting its commerce, it must have fertilised the upper part of those lands situated on the left bank of the Nile, opposite to the Delta; whilst a dyke, thrown up at Bequers, keeping off the sea, added a large territory to Egypt, the cultivation of which reached to the suburbs of that immense city, reduced at present to a small town built on the new isthmus, formed between the two ports, and which joins the isle of Pharos to the continent. This capital of the commerce of the universe, long since condemned to serve only as a staple for the consumption of Egypt, seems to have banished itself from its own walls; but it is impossible to throw one's eyes on the extent and magnificence of its ruins, without feeling, that the greatest powers have only a value proportionate to the age which employs them, and the genius of the men intrusted with their management.

Egypt, so situated as to combine the commerce of Europe, Africa, and the East Indies, was in want of a port, which should at once be spacious and easy to approach. The mouth of the Nile offered none of these requisites. The only harbor on that coast was in the midst of a desert, at twelve leagues from the river, and could onty be discovered by an elevated genius. A town was to be built, and it was himself who furnished the plan of it.

To what a pitch of splendor did he not raise Alexandria, in its origin? He joined it to the Nile by a canal at once navigable and useful for cultivation* It became the city of all nations, the metropolis of commerce He is honoured even by its ashes, piled up by the barbarity of ages, and which wait only for some beneficient hand to expand them, and cement the reconstruction of the most stupendous edifice hitherto conceived by the human mind.

The nature of the rock, which lines the coast of Egypt, proves that the island on which the Pharos is built, can only have been formed by the ashes of Alexandria, and that the shallow, which separates the two basons, arose from the ruins brought there by the sea. This new shore further testifies the truth of this observation; and the waves daily exposed to view a number of engraved stones, which must have belonged to the ruins of the ancient city.

Its ruins testify, at every step, its ancient splendor; and the form of its enclosure, which represents a Macedonian cloak, seems to have awed the very barbarians, in their different sackings of this town, by recalling the memory of its founder. The same walls, which protected its industry and riches, defend, at this day, its ruins, and exhibit a master-piece of masonry.

Some historians pretend, that the Saracens built the present walls, instead of those they had destroyed. But, if the hand of these plunderers is to be traced at all, it is only in the repairs, which are as destitute of neatness as of regularity. Baron de Tott.

Section VII

Of the Manners and General Character of the French.

ONE can scarcely believe the influence which men of letters have in the gay and dissipated city of Paris. Their opinions not only determine the merit of works of taste and science, but they have considerable weight on the manners and sentiments of people of rank, of the public in general, and consequently, are not without effect on the measures of government.