some places to the East and in some other to the VVest At the South of Suderoe there is a whirle pool in the midst whereof stands a high Rock called Sumboe Munk neer that Rock there are six others that rise a little above the water on which when one setteth the Compass it turneth round and is so spoiled that it is afterwards of no use for some years ago there came a Ship too near this Sumboe Munk whereupon all the Compasses that were in the Ship as the Master related afterwards to the Inhabitants of Suderoe were spoiled and his Voyage had been so too had not a Seaman of the Ship by chance had a Loadstone wherewith he touched the Compasses anew The ordinary declination of the Loadstone on Feroe is otherwise 13 degrees 19 minutes to the North VVest which Severin Lawson formerly chief Marchant on Feroe a Burger of Copenhagen very expert in the Art of Navigation did mark and reckon out in the year 1659 the 26 of December at Thors Haven on Ferce Since we have described the Land of Feroe especially so that honest Marriners may the better know the Land Marks we will also here comprehend something of the Streams Between these several divided Islands there runneth many strong Currents in several manners according as the necks or points of Land meet against the streams and according to the scituation of the said land which causeth specially in VVinter when there is a storm and the wind bloweth against Tide a terrible and turbulent Sea principally where there is ground neer the surface of the water for where those grounds stretch themselves towards the Land the Sea raiseth it self and tumbleth about against it so that it is terrible to consider yea it breaketh so strengly against the Land that scarce any Ship where it is sufficiently deep can get over them which grounds with breaking waves are called in the Language of Feroe Boffves If there comes any Boats on these Boffves when they break it is presently sunk with men and all It happened for 16 years ago that Mr. John Hanson Hardy Curate of Suderoe on his Voyage to Thors Haven in a Sexâ—ing that is a great Boat rowed by twelve men came on such a Boffve in pretty good weather yet both he and his wife and all his Children with other of his Folks to the number of 21 souls were all drowned And the Boat sunk by the Boffve It happened in that sad accident that amongst these drowned Folks the Curates VVife floated up again eight days after and was found driving in the Current whereof doubtless the cause is that she had greater veins then ordinary as is usual for women to have by the blowing up of which her Corps was brought a Float It is very observable that when the said Boffve breaketh in bad weather it doth so three or seven times together without ceasing and then resteth some time therefore when the Inhabitants come to such a Boffve and must needs over it they lye still untill the Boffve hath broken and then get over it speedily with their Boat Besides the Boffve breaks also in still weather when it is very warm and when there will be Frost or Snow Thirdly when some Boat goeth something near the land over the Boffve that breaks not then but lyeth still it breaketh up unawares of it self and often bringeth people in danger I have been told by an old honest man yet living very expert from his youth both in Currents and Boffves who knew all the Boffves round about the Countrey where he lived that it happened some years since he went with a Boat from the Land whereon he dwelt namely Kolâ—er over to Stromoe to set there a man on land and went into a little Creek of the length of a Boat and half so broad where he set the man on shoar it being then quiet and still all about when against all expectation a Boffve broke upon him so that he and all his folks were in very great danger of their lives having never from his youth nor since that time perceived any Boffve to be there The Inhabitants are in this simple opinion that the Sea is sensible and that the Boffves cannot endure the Iron of the Boat But hereupon these are my reflections that the Boffve breaks up a certain number of times happeneth by the providence of God that hath created all things according to weight measure and number but that the Boffves break either against warm weather or against a North wind and Snow or a so when some Boat goeth over the same must have an occult cause which is hard to be found out and that one may the better understand the cause of it one must consider that there is this order in nature All motion that happeneth between the Elements and other beings that have neither sense nor life doth happen by a Magoetical Sympathy or Antipathy that is a hidden and inward affection in senseless beings whereby some things love eath other and are easily united together some hate one the other and cannot be united whereby there is made a motion in nature as if there were some life in the things which move themselves or suffer themselves to be moved This is perfectly seen in the Loadstone which by Sympathy loveth Iron and turneth it self towards it This is manifest enough amongst Medicaments and specially it is seen and perceived in Antidotes that is Medicines against poyson and in the poisons themselves for when a man hath taken some poison and thereupon taketh in an Antidote the poison is then driven out by the Antidote Chymists do find the same amongst Mettals and Minerals for Gold hateth Brimstone driving it away and contrarywise loveth Salt drawing the same to it self being easily united with it in Operations Silver on the contrary hateth salt drives it away and instead thereof loveth Brimstone There is a natural Sympathy and Antipathy between the Elements and is even so as we have now exprest between Mettals and Minerals for suppose a Circle divided in 4 parts with A. B. C. D. Lâ—t A. be Gold and Earth B. Silver and Water C. Bâ—imstorâ— and Air D Salt and Fire as A. Gold suffereth it self easily to be united and melted together with B. Silver so A. Earth is easily mixt with B. Water attracts it willingly to its self and draweth its fatness from it water also loveth Earth as its proper mansion wherein it resteth Secondly as B. Silver loveth C. Brimstone so B. Water maketh much of its neighbour C. Aire suffers it self easily to be attracted into it and joyns it in operation with it self In the third place as C. Brimstone is united with D. Salt to work with joyned forces on Mettals so the Air C. taketh easily to it self the Fire D. to play with it in Nature the Fire again loveth Air so much that without it it is as dead and hath no force On the otherside the Fire D. adhears to the Earth A. as
to a fit matter from which it receiveth force and can exercise its Functions and Earth again receiveth Fire lovingly that it may be warmed by it and produce its fruits As Salt D. adhears to Gold A. as to its fit subject wherein 〈◊〉 can operate so Gold again receiveth Salt joyfully as its kindest Friend of whomi it receiveth food and nourishment More over as we thus find a natural Sympathy between the things now mentioned we find also an Antipathy between them for as Gold A. cannot suffer Brimstone C nor Silver B. Salt D. who as their respective Enemies stand opposed in the Figure so the Earth A. cannot abide the air C. nor the water B. the Fire D. which therefore stand also over against one another in the figure and yet they are bound together by an orderly Sympathy for air it self cannot be shut up within the Earth and if it happeneth so it doth not tarry long in that Lodging but breaketh out with great force and causeth those terrible Earth quakes neither can the Earth remain above in the air but stayeth in its proper Seat and if the Sun draweth any thing from it into the air that gross unpolished guest knoweth not how to behave himself in that subtile habitation neither can the Air well abide it and therefore there ariseth a quarrel between them with terrible Thunder and Lightning In the same manner Fire cannot be united with Water without one of the parties destruction as is known to every body Notwithstanding that the Elements are in their nature so contrary to one another neverthelese the one will not nor can be without the other suffering each other by a temperature but when that is wanting so that there be either excess or defect nature then suffereth and is moved by Antipathy by which reason this unexpected motion doth happen in the water over those grounds that are called Boffves For it is seen in Feroe when the Air is very warm so that there ariseth a Fog from the Sea rendring the Air dusky that not only the Currents run a great deal swifter and stronger then at other times but the Sea also groweth stormy beating against the Land and the Boffves break out though it be still weather which happeneth because of the Antipathy that is between Water and warmth in its excess whereby Water suffereth in its nature Quite contrary this happeneth also when there will come a strong Frost and Snow in Winter the Currents grow then stronger The Sea beats the Boffves arise though it be very still weather because there happeneth a deficiency in the temperature of warmth water being forced to lose a part of its natural heat and therefore cannot keep its innate fluiddity but must by suffering in its nature let it self be chang'd to a standing rigid matter namely Ice which affect the Elements do perceive afore hand and by the vertue of their Magnettical Antipathy move themselves This Motion is also perceived in houses for it happeneth in Feroe that when there is a great storm and the wind cannot have its passage between those many hills as in plain ground that it is sometimes quite still in the Valleys so that one may go with a light between the houses and on the contrary the gathered wind comes afterwards a great deal stronger and more terrible but before such weather cometh or that one can perceive any thing of it as the water ariseth before the coming of a hard Frost so are the houses moved before this stormy weather cometh so that every nail of the house cracks though the houses be scarce moved afterwards when the storm beats upon them they being low and Fortified about with thick walls of Turffs and Stones which motion must therefore necessarily happen in the manner aforesaid But that the Boffves break when there comes a Boat over them hath a far more hidden cause though it may happen by the aforesaid Magnettical Sympathy We have declared above how it is with the Loadstone in that Countrey on the Rocks near Sumboe Munk and I doubt not but there being so strong a Magnet in those Rocks that are so little above the water there may also be a Magnet in such grounds whence it comes that when a Boat passeth over them the Loadstone by its Sympathy attracts the Iron of the Boat which that shallow water not being able to endure riseth it self though I leave herein every one to his own judgment Concerning the Current of the stream it runneth very swistly about the points of Land especially in the new and full Moon eight men in a Boat not being able to overcome it but must stay till it hath run out and turneth it self by reason of which it happeneth often that when the poor Inhabitants are at Sea about their Fishing and there cometh an unexpected storm the stream being against them they must stay on the same place at all adventure untill the turning of the stream and till they get the Current with them towards the Land but if the storm groweth too strong those poor people often come to misfortunes It cannot be well exprest with a pen how fierce the Sea is nor to what height it raiseth it self when the wind and the stream are against one another And it is observable as is said above that when the Current runneth against the wind the wind bloweth with greater force then it doth else and when the stream runneth before the wind it stilleth it self so that they seem at first to strive against each other as two enemies and afterwards to grow milder when one of them doth fly I must here relate an Example of the Sea's terribleness by the reason aforesaid The little Island Kolter which is described above is exposed to the open Sea on the west side and there is towards the Main a Promontory thirty Fathoms high where the Sea almost every winter breaks over with a Western wind and that in such quantity that the Inhabitants are sometimes in danger though the Sea has yet 50 Fathoms to run without the Clifts before it reacheth the Land It happened for some years ago that there lay a large stone six foot long and four foot thick and broad on a corner of the said Promontory which stone the proud Sea tumbled about and threw some paces from the place where it lay before that seems incredible if one considers the bigness of the stone and the height of the Mountain and one might well say how is it possible that the Sea can rise fifty Ells up in the Air but it is nevertheless a perfect truth for it hath not only been related to me by the Countrymen of the Island but it lying in my Parish I have my self been there and exactly considered the place and he that takes good notice of it may rather wonder then conceive how it can be so The Fishers say also that when there hath been some days such a strange storm of water and wind and the wind afterwards
that since there is so strong a Magnete in the Center of the aforesaid lesser Rocks there may be also a strong Magnete in the other round grounds by reason of whose vertue besides the Streams Ships can so easily be brought into that danger And if there be a Magnetical vertue therein whereof I doubt not I leave to others Judgment whether it can be the cause of that extraordinary cold Insert here the second Figure The Form of the Whirlpoole at the South East of Sumboe with the Soundings Pag 52 The Whirle pool under Sandoe turneth about to its very middle point and hath no depth in the mid'st I have my self been twice on the third Whirle-pool between the North Islands and when one comes near it it droweth the Boat to it self as if it would swallow it so that the people have enough to doe to keep the stream from getting the upper hand all those of one side rowing strongly against the Gulf with their Oares whilest all those of the other side with their Oares row quite contrary And if the stream gets the upper hand is whirles first twice about with the Boat and then twice back again continuing so four or five times whence it is easie to conclude how the ground is figur'd below These sorts of grounds have tortur'd many sharp understandings and the fury of the stream being so great that none in a long time durst venture himself to search such grounds the reason of the most part hath concluded that such whirle-pools were Voragines or bottomless pits that caused Ebb and Floud Amongst others Athan. Kircheny l. 3. Hydrog writes of the Renowned Whirle pool under Norway called Moske Strom that it is a Sea Gulf wherein the Sea runs down under the land of Norway and runneth out again at another Sea Gulf within Sinus Bothnicus or Botthen whose opinion Mr. Herbinius in his publick dissertation held at Copenhagen in the year 1670. doth follow which opinion being grounded upon uncertain relations is very erroneous as will be proved by the following reasons First of all this Whirle-pool lyeth under the Land between two Territories or Islands where the bottom of the Sea ariseth and doth not descend in deep cavities even as is found in all the Whirle pools of Feroe and in that of Botthen In the like manner the said Kircherus in his Tabula Geographica Hydrographica describes many Sea Gulfs through the whole world but they are all found near the Continent or between small Islands Scylla and Charybdis are so in the Scicillian Sea the one under Scicilly the other near the point of Calabria and to confirm the thing the more Kircherus saith that there stands a high Rock in the midst of the stream which must be as the Munk in the mid'st of Sumboes Whirle pool described above God doubtless hath naturally set such high Rocks in the midst of thâ—se kind of streams as a Beacon for Seamen that they should not câ—me into danger Secondly Mr. Peter Clauson in his Description of Norway writes that the water runs about in such turbulent and boisterous manner that one can hear it some Leagues off at Sea which would not be if there were any deep ground to make a swallowing Gulf since the stillest water hath the deepest bottom but that great noise is made first because it is a narrow and small passage between two Islands for the large Ocean to run through with the Tide to the Continent and as narrow to fall back again into the Maine Sea and besides that overcome those high grounds which being winding in the manner of a Snail reason doth perswade that huge beating and running about must make a terrible noise In the third place Mr. Peter Clauson aforesaid writes that what whole Trees that stream draweth in come out again â—ugged with torn Roots and Branches which happeneth by reason that these high round and sharp grounds between which the Trees are whirled about by the strong stream doth beat and wear off the Roots Branches Bark and the uppermost of the Trunk thereof Of which sort of Trees there comes many ashoar to Feroe which would not happen if there were any pervious Gulf for then the hole would be large and the water run still round about and when any thing came to the Gulf it would hastily run through it without any damage as one may plainly see putting a piece of Wood in a Funnel and fill the Funnel full of water c. Kircherus to strengthen his opinion writes that near that high Rock in the midst of the stream there is an Abysme through which the Water is swallowed in that manner there should first be a Vortex or Whirle pool and within it a Vorâ—go or Sea-gulf that should have its way under Norway and it s out let within Botthen If it were so there would not then come out again the tenth part of what it swalloweth whereas the Whirle-pool rendreth as much as comes into it and the matter that is come out of it never returns into it again the stream that hath driven it out transporting it into the Main whence it â—omes driving to Feroe Island and Greenland as is more then sufficiently known In the like manner what comes up again in Botthen is driven by the stream to one of those Sea Coasts or else out into the East Sea and one should then see many of those Sea Wrecks in the East Sea whereof nothing hath been yet perceived Finally it is openly known to all those that have any ways frequented the Northern Countreys that the Inhabitants that dwell on the Islands and the Continent about Moskoe-Strome row out upon the Whirle pool when the weather is good and the stream slow in its reflux and fish there abundance of fish called Sey as I have been newly told by a Reverend man worthy of belief very well known in that place I confess nevertheless that there may be a deep hole near that high Rock which if there be as I do not at all doubt then Moskoe Strom doth agree in the ground perfectly with Sumboes Whirle-pool And it is in truth an admirable work of Nature that as she hath wonderfully formed the Shell of a Snaile so she forms the like figures in the air for Whirl-winds and in the ground for Whirl-pools setting in the middest of such whirlepools a token to be aware of danger and that nature might not be a hinderance to it self it hath made therein a receptacle or deep hole to receive and keep what the stream draweth in from time to time and afterwards restored it when it runs out again Neither will the Gulf within Botthen be found to be otherwise then a round ground since there is also perceived such a terrible noise and boistering as Olaus Magnus makes mention of which comes from the rapid ebb and â—loud through the long Bothmicus of the East-Sea whose great force yet is not much perceived because of the deep ground every where and therefore
even Polished that they serve to put in Rings whereunto they are used by some It is found that they grow in the Clifts and are washed off by the Sea-waves no body could yet know whether they be of any worth for some of them have by curiosity been carried to Jewelers but they have not been esteemed any thing My late private precept or the Learned and Famous Olaus Normins at my departure for Feroe shewed me amongst other Rarities in his Cabinet that sort of Stones sent him from Feroe and conceived they were Jaspis stones telling me also that they had lost their colour since he had them and desired me that I would send him some more of them which I did accordingly perform The Pearles whereof Mr. Peter Clauson writes in his Description of Norway that they are found in Muscles here are no other then those that are found in the Muscles of Denmark concerning the Stone which he also writes is found here by the sea side shaped like a Heart o Kidney called by the Inhabitants a Fairies Kidney that as Mr. Peter writeth according to the received opinion of the Inhabitants doth bring forth another Stone when it is kept long it is very certain that Fairies Kidneys ore found here but the Inhabitants have not that superstitious opinion of them neither is it any Stone but a West India Bean as hath been told me by a very knowing man for it hath a hard outward shell of a Chestnut brown colour and within a sweet Kernell This doubtless falls in other places off from its stalk into the Sea and is brought hither by the Stream They are carryed to Forreign Countreys and there carved to make Boxes for Sunff Tobacco here is also found but in small quantities some brittle Chrystal which cannot be wroâ—â—ht Though God hath denyed this land the riches aforesaid it hath nevertheless pleased him to enrich it with what can hardlyer be wanted in nature if the Land could be till'd every where as in other places it would in Fertility of Corn go beyond other Countreys equally large but here a Countryman cannot sow above one or two Tuns of Corn but in many places they Reap again 20 or 30 Tuns for one Tun of Seed specially in the Southerly Islands where they reap so much Corn that it need none to be imported from forreign Countryes Here is nothing sowed but Barley for other Seeds will not come to maturity and there being here but little sowed there is the more ground for Pastures In several places Grass is found so abundant and juicy that Oxen feed thereon both Winter and Summer growing sometimes so Fat that one can get in an Ox that is not big of growth 100 pound of Tallow and such places they call Feidelands It is very remarkable that where there are such Feidelands they ever turn to the North East and North wherefore would not think that the North or North East Wind could cause any Fertillity they being cold but rather the South West or West these being warm and moist and having more the Suns assistance to operate with them whence it comes that the old Grecians called the West Wind Zephirus as that which caused life in Plants Nevertheless the contrary is found in these pastures It is also observed that in Island the North part is more Fertile with Grass and Cattell then the South Greenland is also found to be given with Grass on the North East side whence it hath also received its name but on the West side there is found little or no grass If you will inquire the natural cause of this we must consult the Chymists who write much of their great Monarch or Lyon of the North especially mentioned by Theophrastus Paracelsus whereby they mean nothing but Nitre a special Agent in Chymical Operations The cause wherefore they call Nitre a Monarch and Lyon of the North is that in the Snow coming from the North or North East there is naturally found Salt Peter Wherefore when one cannot have other more convenient liquors to make Salt Peter of or sor other Chymical Operations they make use of North or North East Rain and Snow Besides there is found in their writings that Salt peter is not only used in the particular transmutation of Mettals but also that being dissolved and Corn dipt in it it may be sowed without dunging in the very leanest ground giving it an extraordinary production all dunging whereby the Earth is made Feftile having its inward vertue and essence consisting in Nitre or the Salt thereof which is clearly proved by an example known almost every where for those that make Salt Peter dig up old Floors from under Cattel or Sheep whereof they extract the Nitre that is ingendred there of the Beasts virtue whence it comes that Dunghills where Cattels Urine remains and rots are better for Dâ—ngning then dry dung it self For a further example it is seen here in Feroe that they take Sea weeds from the Shoare and lay them on heaps to â—ot wherewith afterwards they lung their ground which then bearâ—th abundance of Corn that effect proceeding doubtless of the Salt in â—he Sea weeds since Salt Peter can naturally be prepared of Salt from the premises North East Snow and Rain having Salt Peter in it self and all lunging consisting in Nitre The Reader may easily conclude that such plaâ—es as are exposed to North East Winds must consequently be more fruitful then others But here is also â—o be observed that the said places are Valleys arising usually with a high Promontory against the Sun which also helps to their Fertility the Scorching Beams of the Sun being hindred thereby One might here well imagine that since it Snoweth and Raineth from the North East or North over the whole Island and the Sun draweth Plants out of the Earth it might be most fruitful where the Sun doth shine the whole day with its beams it is found in nature that the Sun it self doth not produce the Plants from the Earth but warmeth nature and the night cooleth and moistneth what the Sun hath dryed and scorch'd whence principally Plants are produc'd In the Lands which lye under the torrid Zone nothing at all could grow because of the heat of the Sun if the night was not as long as the day and by its cooling and dew did not temperate the Plants It is observed here in Feroe that in the midst of Summer when in two months time there is almost no night Corn groweth but very little though it rainethâ— nor herbs though they be watered in dry weather and when the night beginneth to be longer Corn and Herbs grow more in a night and day then otherwise in fourteen from whence it is seen that the Sun at certain times doth indamage Plants and where it striketh directly down with its gathered Beams consumeth the moisture and fatness of the ground but where by a moderate reflexion it warmeth the Earth which happeneth in the Valleys aforesaid where