138 On the Glaciers and Climate of Iceland. 



is not completely explained, yet one cannot avoid com- 

 paring these rigid fields of ice with an advancing lava stream, 

 although the internal texture of the two, and thus the 

 cause of their motion, is different. With a slight inclina- 

 tion, which rarely exceeds ten degrees, but in most places is 

 less, the glacier we have been describing leans on Arnarfell, 

 having almost perpendicular edges, just as is the case with 

 the lava at the exterior border of ^tna, where it meets with 

 interruption from the lateral cones. 



Close to the abrupt edge of the ice, which is covered over 

 with sand and rolled stones, there lies a bulwark of shattered 

 rocks, through which the newly liquid water, penetrating in 

 streams of various magnitude, finds its issue. Near the 

 glacier, a triple row of moraines surrounds it, and indicates 

 decidedly that, in former times, it has had a somewhat 

 greater extension. The extreme limits of these remarkable 

 strong ramparts may be estimated as being at a distance of 

 scarcely a thousand metres (3280 English feet) from the 

 present border of the ice. It is, therefore, clear that the 

 amount by which the glacier has receded from its former 

 extension is very inconsiderable, when compared to the en- 

 tire sui'face of the ice, which we estimate at 30 square 

 miles (about 600 English square miles). The diminution, in 

 fact, forms only a very small per-centage of the whole. "Were 

 we, however, to regard as moraines of glaciers all the allu- 

 vium which has really been deposited from rivers and from 

 the sea, and which is found occupying entire valleys and 

 fiords, and covering widely-extended plateaux, we should 

 adopt an erroneous view, in justification of which no well- 

 founded fact could be brought forward. 



In our opinion, the extension of the glaciers of Iceland is 

 at present in a medium condition, with reference to which it 

 oscillates backwards and forwards. During one period of 

 time, they will probably be found to increase in some degree 

 and during another to diminish, without the occurrence for 

 centuries to come, or even for still greater periods, of a real 

 perceptible change of the climate. It is also probable, that, 

 during all the time Iceland has been inhabited, and more 

 especially during all the time of which we have histoi'ical 



