I(iS IIKKi; .ION STKI'ANSSON, ril.lt., ON M'KI.AND: 



l>("imi;irk willi n lavtf I() tcci in lliickiicss. Tlu- l.ir^cst 

 l)i\ Ji-(lt',scr( In llic ()(l;i^.•lll^;nlIl, uliicli covcfM ;iM nvvn of 1,7()() 

 N(lii!iro iiiil(>H, iiiul is IVom l,('i()() lo .'^AOO IVcl ;il>(>V(> N(Ni-lrvi>l. 

 TIiIh I.TVii li(«l(HmH Ix'cn loniKMl l>y lli(> (Mii|»( ions ol" j\I)omI 

 20 \ olrJinocs. TIh' cubic caimcitv ol' (ho lii\a. cJch-IchI Uvrc 

 would iual<(> a Molid culx^ (>acli wido of wliiiili would uu'aKuro 

 al»oul 50 miles. Tho most. iV(M|U(>ui lorni of nianiroslalioM of 

 volcanic ctuption is llu> lornialion ola H(M'i(\s ol" low^ ciaicrs 

 of! (Ml S(U'oral luilcs in 1(Mi<;|1i, aloni;' lines ol" clca\a^'0 in llio 

 crusi ol" (1h> cavlli. The lonj;'csl is llial ol" Laki, 20 miles 

 loup;, conlainini;- aboul 100 crators. Somelimes lava luiH 

 welled u|) out oi' lissures without, crali'is. 'The laii^'cHl ol" 

 lli(>se is l*'.ld_i;^jii, north of I\iyrdalsj(>kiill, ll> mih>s loii^-, AM 

 I'vvl de(>|), in oii(> j)la('i> ()/)() ivvt dvv\y, hotloin IdS feel wide. 

 'rii(> volcanocH ar(> not, as was l'orm(*rly supjioscd. limited to 

 tlu> ie<;iou ol" i>alaj;'oiiitt> hnn-cia. On tlio l<'axa-l»ay aro many 

 .small volcauoivs which hav(» hrokiMi tlirouf^^'li the basalt. 

 About, twonty-live xolcanooH hnvo been active in liistorii^ 

 times ('.too 1*.U)0). \'esiiviiis is dwarl'i'd into iiisii;nilicance. 

 Tor the laxa-llood ol'tlH" last (MMipt ion in Iceland, in 1«S7"), has 

 b(>(>n computed to contain ,'n,0()() millions ol" cubic leet, wdiih^ 

 in the iari;'est erupt it)n oi" Vesuvius on record, that in ITDl, 

 oiilv about. I'M) millions of cubic; i"iH»t of lava were ojiH'tod. 



The lava H(>ld of the crat(>r chain of Laki covcms houio 220 

 H(pinnf miles, and tlu^ lava curriMit llowed 17 miles away frt)nj 

 the place ol" <'i'Upt.ion. 'PIu» loiii;-est tlow of lava in Iceland 

 is that, from the craters of KiskivCttn. '.'0 mihvs loiii;-. On 

 March Vith, US7r), a lav;i lorrtMit fori'cd its way t>20 yardu 

 up an incliiu' of 0'' 2.'")'. On March 21Mh, 187"), tlu> pumiue 

 ash(>H ol" Mount Askja weri> carri(>d ov(>r 1,000 mihvs away to 

 Ni>rway in (>h>ven liouis forty minutes, and in .anothor toil 

 hours t(> Stockholni. The (•olunin ol" ashes risiiii;' from 

 llekia was me.asured on April 21st, I7()(). and was found to 

 ris(> hi.AOO feet above tlu> top of the mountain; ou l<\>bruary 

 filh. 18l(). it rose M.afK) \W\. On Ajiril Ath, 17(;(;, a fraj;-- 

 MUMit of basaltic wooi'ia was hurled Irom ll(>kla to Vidivt»llir, 

 a (listanct^ of 101^ uiiles. 



The i;i»yst>rs have beiMi so much written about that I shall 

 leav(> them out and trt*at more in di^lail of tlu> volcanoes of 

 b(d;uid. Several lu^w i;'eys(>rs burst out during;,' tlu^ earth- 

 tpiaUes in hSiUJ. while the welhknown Strokkur disappt^arcti, 

 having- beim in exiHtem^o 107 years. 



'['he cratcM* chains ;ind voleanit' fissures run in certain 

 ilirections, and there are at present two lines in active 



