THE EARTH. 137 



and travelling forward like a ship, in quest of new 

 adventures; this is certainly one of the most ex- 

 traordinary appearances that can be imagined ; 

 and to a people ignorant of the powers of nature, 

 might well be considered as a prodigy. Accord- 

 ingly, we find all our old historians mentioning it 

 as an omen of approaching calamities. In this 

 more enlightened age, however, its cause is very 

 well known ; and, instead of exciting ominous ap- 

 prehensions in the populace, it only gives rise to 

 some very ridiculous law-suits among them, about 

 whose the property shall be ; whether the land 

 which has thus slipt, shall belong to the original 

 possessor, or to him upon whose grounds it has 

 encroached and settled. What has been the de- 

 termination of the judges, is not so well known ; 

 but the circumstances of the slips have been 

 minutely and exactly described. 



In the lands of Slatberg,* in the kingdom of 

 Iceland, there stood a declivity, gradually ascend- 

 ing for near half a mile. In the year 1713, and 

 on the 10th of March, the inhabitants perceived 

 a crack on its side, somewhat like a furrow made 

 with a plough, which they imputed to the effects 

 of lightning, as there had been thunder the night 

 before. However, on the evening of the same 

 day, they were surprised to hear a hideous con- 

 fused noise issuing all round from the side of the 

 hill ; and their curiosity being raised, they resort- 

 ed to the place. There, to their amazement, they 

 found the earth, for near five acres, all in gentle 



* Phil. Trans, vol. \v. p. 25O. 



