294 On the Glaciers and Climate of Iceland. 



experienced would seem exaggerated, or even almost incre- 

 dible, were it not that om' description of it agrees in sub- 

 stance with the description of such storms given by that emi- 

 nent Icelandic traveller. In the morning, when we left Rey- 

 nivellir, a violent wind was already blowing, and this in- 

 creased more and more until we reached, a little before noon, 

 a height which divides the Svinadal from the Hvalfiord. 

 Here the storm began to blow in such a fearful and inde- 

 scribable manner, that we could scarcely advance, and that 

 we sometimes thought we should lose our breath. Our cir- 

 cumstances became hazardous in the extreme, as we pro- 

 ceeded down the steep declivity on our way to Botnsdalr, the 

 eastern extremity of the Hvalfiord. The storm blew from 

 the south-east with such violence that it threw one of our 

 attendants from his horse, and threatened to hurl us over 

 steep precipices into the abysses below. While the storm 

 raged over the water of the fiord, the surface was converted 

 into a cloud of spray, which reached even to us, having passed 

 over hills 2000 feet high. In it there floated a rainbow of 

 the most brilliant colours, which appeared like a bridge unit- 

 ing the two sides of the dark-green fiord. During the after- 

 noon the storm still continued to rage with equal fury, and 

 it was only towards the evening, and during the following 

 night that it began to abate. This storm was not confined, 

 however, in accordance with the representations of Olafsen, 

 to a very limited space ; but, on the contrary, it was felt 

 along the whole south-west coast of the island ; and also, on 

 the same morning, a ship bound for Reykjavik ran ashore at 

 Oerebach (Eyrar Bakki). According to the statements of 

 some Icelandic traders, a perfect calm prevailed during this 



thus causes dreadful whirlwinds from the north and north-east, against which 

 travellers would require to be on their guard. § 186. At the inner extremity 

 of the Hvalfiord, especially around the hill Thyrill, violent whirlwinds blow. 

 These storms last always for several days ; and they are such as to carry up 

 the sea-water like snov into the air, whilst, at the same time, in the southern 

 country, beyond the rocks in the Borgarfiord, there is but little wind, or none 

 at all. From this reason, the district at the Hvalfiord is called by the neigh- 

 bouring inhabitants Wedra-Kista, that is, Box or Chest of Winds, which implies 

 that this inlet is, as it were, the abode of violent storms. 



