114 HISTORY OF 



There is not an appearance in all nature that so much astonished 

 our ancestors as these laud-slips. In fact, to behold a large up- 

 land, with its houses, its corn, and cattle, at once loosened from 

 Its place, and floating, as it were, upon the subjacent water ; to 

 behold it quitting its ancient situation, and travelling forward like 

 n shij) in quest of new adventures ; this is certainly one of the 

 most extraordinary appearances that can be imagined; and to 

 •' people ignorant of the powers of nature, might well be con- 

 sidered as a prodigy. Accordingly, v/e Und all our old histori- 

 ans 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 apprehensions in the 

 populace, it only gives rise to some very ridiculous law-suits 

 among them, about whose the property shall be ; whether the 

 land ivhich has thus slipt shall belong to the original possessor, 

 or to him upon whose grounds it has encroached and settled. 

 What has be^n the determination of the judges, is not so wel! 

 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 ascending for near half a mile. In 

 the year 1713, and on the 10th of March, the inhabitants per- 

 ceived rt crack on its side, somewhat like a furrow made with 

 a plough, which they imputed to the efl'eets 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 

 confused noise issuing all round from the side of the hill ; and 

 their curiosity being raised, they resorted to the place. There, 

 to their amazement, they found the earth for near five acres, all 

 in gentle motion, and sliding down the hill upon the subjacent 

 plain. This motion continued the remaining part of the day, 

 and the whole night; nor did the noise cease during the whole 

 time, proceeding probably, from the attrition of the ground be- 

 neath. The day following, however, this strange journey down 

 the hill ceased entirely ; and above an acre of the meadow be- 

 low was found covered with what before composed a part of the 

 declivity. 



H(/w<^ver, these slips, when a whole mountain's side seems 



1 Phil. Trans. \i>l iv. p. -ibO. 



