308 Analyses of Books. [Oct, 



was about to take place. Pitching tents in the open fields, they deserted their 

 houses, and awaited, in awful suspense, the issue of these terrifying prognostics. 

 On the morning of the 8th, a prodigious cloud of dense smoke darkened the atmo- 

 sphere, and was observed to be continually augmented by fresh columns arising 

 from behind the low hills, along the southern base of which, the farms, constituting 

 the parish of Sida, are situated. A strong south wind prevented the cloud from 

 advancing over the farms ; but the heath, or common, lying hetween them and the 

 volcano, was completely covered with ashes, pumice, and brimstone. The extreme 

 degree to which the eartli in the vicinity of the volcano was heated, melted an im- 

 mense quantity of ice, and caused a great overflow in all the rivers originating in 

 that quarter. 



" Upon the 10th, the flames first became visible. Vast fire-spouts were seen 

 rushing up amid the volumes of smoke, and the torrent of lava that were thrown up, 

 flowing in a south-west direction, through the valley called Ulfarsdal, till it reached 

 the river Skafta, when a violent contention between the two opposite elements 

 ensued, attended with the escape of an amazing quantity of steam; but the fiery 

 current ultimately prevailed, and, forcing itself across the channel of the river, 

 completely dried it up in less than 24 hours; so that, on the 11th, theSkapta could 

 be crossed in the low country on foot, at those places where it was only possible 

 before to pass it in boats. The cause of its desiccation soon became apparent ; for 

 the lava, having collected in the channel, which lies between high rocks, and is in 

 many places from 400 to 600 feet in depth, and near 200 in breadth, not only filled 

 it up to the brink, but overflowed the adjacent fields to a considerable extent; 

 and, pursuing the course of the river with great velocity, the dreadful torrent of 

 red-hot melted matter approached and laid waste the farms on both sides. In the 

 mean time, the thunder, lightning, and subterraneous concussions were continued 

 with little or no intermission; and besides the crackling of the rocks and earth, 

 which the lava burned in its progress, the ears of the inhabitants were stunned by 

 the tremendous roar of the volcano, which resembled that of a large caldron in the 

 most violent state of ebullition, or the noise of a number of massy bellows, blow- 

 ing with full power into the same furnace. 



" The torrents that continued to be poured down proceeded slowly over the tract 

 of ancient lava to the south and south-west of Skal, which underwent a fresh fusion 

 and was heaved up to a considerable elevation. It also rushed into the subterra- 

 neous caverns, and during its progress under ground, it threw up the crust either to 

 the side, or to a great height in the air. In such places as it proceeded below a 

 thick indurated crust, where there was no vent for the steam, the surface was burst 

 in pieces, and thrown up with the utmost violence and noise to the height of near 

 180 feet. 



" On the 18th another dreadful ejection of liquid and red-hot lava proceeded 

 from the volcano, which now entirely covered the rocks that had towered above 

 the reach of the former floods, during their progress through the channel of the 

 Skapta, and flowed down with amazing velocity and force over the masses that 

 were cooling, so that the one stream was literally heaped above the other. Masses 

 of flaming rock were seen swimming in the lava. The water that had been dam- 

 med up on both sides of its course was thrown into a violent state of ebullition, and 

 overflowing its boundaries, it did great damage to the grounds of Svinadal and 

 livammur, which farms had already been attacked by the edge of the lava, as also 

 to the underwood of Skaplardal on the east. 



" Continuing itsprogress the following day, thelavadivided into two streams, one 

 of which (lowed with the same velocity as the day before due south, along the river 

 Melquisl into Medelland ; while the other took an easterly direction over the parish 

 of Sida, burning the tract about Skalarstapa, and running with inconceivable force 

 from thence to Skalarfiall, by which it was prevented from spreading further north. 

 But, rising on the hill, it rolled up the soil before it, and approached within 120 

 feet of the church and houses of Skal, and overran the whole tract between that 

 place and Hollt. As Skal had now escaped the fury of two successive floods of 

 lava, sanguine hopes were entertained of its safety; but a great quantity of rain 

 having fallen on the 21st, and swelled the water already dammed up in the valley, 

 the church, the parsonage, and out-houses, were completely overflowed ; and the 

 whole tract was observed the following morning to be covered with water in a 

 state of violent ebullition. 



" While these awful devastations were going forward in the divisions of Skap- 

 tartunga, Medalland, Landbrot,and Sida, theonly inconveniences felt by the inha- 

 bitants of Fliotshverfi were the destruction of vegetation by the showers of red-hot 

 stones and ashes which fell upon it, and the impregnation of the atmosphere and 

 water with mephitic substances. They bad, indeed, twice been enveloped in almost 



