ICELAND. 321 



from the mountains of the south, shook the entire 

 soil. The nascent island belched forth stones, which 

 fell even upon Ounimack. The earthquake ceased 

 at sunrise, the fire diminished, and the new island 

 appeared plainly visible, conical in shape, and of a 

 black colour. 



A month later, M. Krinckhoff saw it again. The 

 island was higher than before, and during all this 

 time it had not ceased to vomit fire. Afterwards it 

 appeared to increase in circumference and height, 

 but the fire continued to diminish. Generally it 

 emitted only vapour and smoke, and at the end of 

 four years this phenomenon ceased also. When, about 

 eight years subsequently, the island was visited by a 

 company of trappers, the surrounding water was 

 found to be of a very high temperature, an^l the soil 

 80 hot in many places tliat it was impossible to 

 walk on it. Its circumference, which had gone on 

 augmenting, was estimated at about two-and-a-half 

 miles, and its height at about 350 feet. The bottom 

 of the sea was strewn with stones even to a dijstance 

 of three miles. The hottest part of the soil was from 

 about the middle of the height to the summit, and 

 the vapour which ascended from the crater was 

 found to be of an agreeable odour. 



Iceland is a very furnace of volcanic activity, and 

 we observe in its neighbourhood phenomena of eleva- 



T 



