Account of a Tiery Eruption in Iceland. 11 $ 



into the deep gulphs. The water of this rain was at the fame 

 tune fo fharp and acrid, on account of the many faline and 

 fulphureous particles which it contained, that it occafioned 

 fevere pain in the hands and feet where it fell. 



The places in the neighbourhood of this column were at 

 the fame time expofed to violent cold, fnow, and hail of an 

 uncommon magnitude; but, as the column extended farther, 

 thefe were lucceeded by a fcorching and almoft unfutTerable 

 heat, and the fun appeared like a red globe. This heat 

 continued for feveral days without interruption, and returned 

 feveral times in fucceffion. All thofe places to winch this 

 deftruftive column extended were, by the fhowers of ftones 

 and afhes that accompanied it, deprived of all their grafs 

 and every other plant ; fo that the inhabitants were reduced 

 to great diftrefs, and their cattle were frequently killed on 

 the fpot. In many places every vegetable production was 

 * S it were covered by a hard craft, from the continual ful- 

 phureous evaporation. 



When this fiery eruption firft broke out, the river Skapta 

 was fwelled up in an uncommon manner, and a like overflow- 

 ing was obferved in feveral other rivers. On the nth of 

 June the Skapta fuddenly difappeared, and became totally 

 dry in the courfe of twenty-four hours. Its bed was fituated 

 in a gulley called Skaptar-Gliufur, which extends four miles 

 northwards through the higheft rocks, and is above 200 

 fathoms deep. In this monftrous gulley there arofe, the 

 feoond day after the Skapta was dried up, a dreadful and 

 undefcribable fiery lake, which gradually increafed till it 

 overflowed the banks and filled all the neighbouring places 

 whether high or low, the mod exalted fummits only ex- 

 cepted. Having inundated the farm of Ruland, it covered 

 not only the adjacent fields and hedges, but alio the houfes 

 and the church, though the farm is (ituated on a high rock. 

 Towards the eaft it extended fix miles in breadth; It! 

 tent towards the weft was alio confiderablej but towards 

 Is l * lc 



