PREFACE.

An ornamental woodcut drop cap letter 'A'. Inside the square frame, a man in seventeenth-century dress stands in a landscape with a walking stick. The frame is decorated with blooming flowers and scrollwork.Since it is now more than 40 years ago that I was in Iceland, you will wonder that this Description now first sees the light: But I shall briefly relate the cause thereof.

From Iceland I traveled (as shall follow hereafter) with falconers to Lisbon, where I understood that three Ships lay ready to sail for India. For this voyage I was very eager, as were also two young Netherlanders, whom I had found in Lisbon: We then traveled with the three of us to Cadiz; but before we arrived there, the ships were already gone: upon which we all three traveled to Goletta in Barbary, where I found a Renegade a person who has deserted and changed their religious allegiance, who was born in Deventer, and could speak Latin passably; he lived in Numidia, now called Morocco, in the City of Tingit, where he had his principal Household and Wives, which, according to the Law of Mahomet, were three.

When my two Companions had returned to Spain, I traveled around with this man as a servant, or rather a slave; and I carried a large pack of Linen, with which he traded, upon my back. Thus we traveled first to Biferta and Tunis, thereafter through the Kingdom of Morocco, to the City of Tingit. Of this City Procopius writes, that it was built in the days of the Judge Joshua, by those who fled before him, which History was said to be engraved on two Marble Columns (Pillars), with these words: We are Muarusii, who have fled before the robber Joshua, and although Antimachiavellus considers these things to be fabricated, I did at that time see some signs of fallen Marble Columns with unknown Letters, by a beautiful Fountain: But as I had not read Procopius at that time, I did not inquire further about it; I will therefore for my person give credence to Procopius, the more so, since he writes, that Carthage was built at that time, and by the same Peoples: But I let Procopius be. Five years passed in this journey, meanwhile I always carefully kept the things concerning Iceland; having thereafter returned to my initial Studies, I was called to the Ministry at the Court of Count Otto of Schouwenburg, with whom I have made many journeys, so that I have never had time to arrange the things which I had drafted in a jumble in Iceland into proper order.