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Of Yselondia. chap. 176.
YSeland is the last region in Europa, in the North deyond Norwaye. In the vttermost partes thereof it is alway Ise and srosen, and stretcheth vppon she cliffe of the Occean towarde the North, where the Sea is frore with greate and strong colde: And Iseland hash the ouet Scithin in the East side, and Norwaye in the South, and the Irish Occean in the West, and the Sea that is farre in the North, and is called Irelande, as it were the lande of Ise and of Glasse. For it is sayed, that there be mountaines of Snowe frore as harde as Ise or Glasse, there thristall is found. Also in that re∣gion be white Beares most greate and right fierce, that breake, Ise and Glasse with their clawes, and make manye holes therein, and diue there through in∣to the Sea, and take Fish vnder the Ise, and glasse, and drawe them out through the same hoales, and bring them to the cliffe, and liue thereby The land is bar∣raine, except few places in the valleys, in the which places vitheth grow Oats. In the place that men dwell in, onelye groweth hearbes, grasse and trées: And in those places bréede beastes same and wilde. And so for the more part men of the lande liue by Fish and by hunting of flesh Sheepe may not liue there for ••old. And therefore men of the lande weare for colde, felles and skinnes of Beares, and of wilde beasts, that they looke with hunting. Other clothing maye they not haue, but it come of other landes. The men be full grose of body and strong, and full white, and giue them to fishing and hunting.
(* 1.1Those that goe the thether on fishing, are meruailously troubled with a kinde of Flie like a Gnat, and stinketh foule.)
(* 1.2Island is interpreted the lande of Ise, and is called of olde writers Thyle, it is extended betwéene the South and the North, almost. 200. schones, in longi∣tude a schone is 60. furlongs, it is for the most parte full of mountaines, and vntilled, but in the plaines verye fruit∣full, the inhabitants are faine to driue their castell from their féeding, least they shoulde by ouermuch fatnesse strangle and die. There are thrée mountaines of meruailous height, the tops wherof are reuered continuallye with Snowe, but the lowēt partes are of lyke operation as is the mount Etna, flaming forth fire and Brimstone, Drie of these is called Helga, the other Mons Crosis. The third Hecla, whose flames consumeth not Flaxe nor Towe, nor yet is quenched with water, the fire breaketh forth with & hydeous casteling lyke Thunder, and casteth forth the pomisse stones of a mer∣uailous height, néere vnto these moun∣taines are there riuers or chinkes, lyke déepe raues, especially at the foote of the mount Hecla, so déepe that no eie canne perceiue any bottome, out of the which Abisme, appeareth as it were shapes of men, as though they were drownes, and yet breathing foorth a sound, saieng, that they must depart from thence is mount Hecla: as touching the fearefull noyse of the Ise, Read R. Eden, and R. Wells.)