Account of a "Fiery Eruption in Iceland. 1 19 



counts, has for a long time burnt day and night. We have 

 been informed alfo bv accounts from Iceland and Norway, 

 that a violent fiery eruption took place in the raoft diftanl 

 wilds of Greenland, oppofite to the northern part of Ice- 

 land; and alfo in other places, previous to that of the latter 

 above described. This is confirmed by letters dated Sep- 

 tember the 14th, in which it is faid that a violent north 

 wind from the fea had brought over to the northern coaft of 

 Iceland abundance of ames, with a ftrong fulphureous 

 fmell; and this phenomenon continued the whole fummer. 

 The effefts of thefe remarkable phenomena feem to have 

 extended alfo to other countries. At the time when the 

 before mentioned acrid rain prevailed in Iceland, an uncom- 

 monly fharp and penetrating rain of the like kind fell at 

 Dronthcim and other parts of Norway. In the Feroe 

 iflands this rain burnt as it were the leaves of the trees, 

 and the grafs on the fields had a blackiih appearance. 

 When the wind blew from the N.W. great quantities of 

 •afhes, fand and fulphureous vapour fell in thefe iflands, 

 though they are eighty miles diftant from Iceland; and the 

 fails and decks of feveral fliips, while on their paflage 

 between Copenhagen and Iceland, were covered with black 

 fandy duft. Even in Zealand and at Copenhagen the fun, 

 from the beginning of June till the 8th of Auguft, feemed 

 remarkably red ; and throughout the whole month of July 

 the atmofphere was fo filled with duft and vapour, that the 

 fun could not be f^n in the evening after eight or nine 

 o'clock. Even at noon the fun was red, and this was ob- 

 served in the night-time to be the cafe with the moon and 

 the ftars. The learned Profeffor Kratzenltein faid that 

 thefe phenomena muft proceed from a fiery eruption in 

 Iceland; which was the more remarkable as Iceland lies at 

 the diltance of almoft 300 miles from Copenhagen, towards 

 the norlh-weft. Others faid they arofe from the great 

 heats which frequently happened, and particularly on the 

 37th and 29th of July, and the 5th of Augult. The earth 

 I4 at 



