ITS HISTORY AND INHABITANTS. 179 



The Secretary (Professor E. Hull, LL.D., F.R.S.)— iMr. 

 Chairman, I am sure we have had a very great treat to-night, 

 and I regret that we have not a larger number of members 

 present. We particularly miss Dr. Walker, who has, as jou 

 know, a good deal of knowledge of Iceland. I fully expected he 

 would have been here to take part in the discussion. However, 

 no doubt, for some good reason, he is not present. I wrote to the 

 Right Hon. James Bryce, M.P., to ask him to be present this 

 evening as he has visited and written on Iceland, and has per- 

 sonal acquaintance with Dr. Stcfansson. He replied thanking 

 me for the invitation and the copy of Dr. Stefansson's paper 

 which I had sent, and stating his intention to be present unless 

 unavoidably prevented by his engagements at the House of 

 Commons. 



The only observations I will ventui^e to offer upon this very 

 interesting and elaborate communication wall be in reference to 

 the volcanic phenomena of Iceland. As the author has stated, 

 the whole island is composed of volcanic rocks in great variety. 

 Whether there exists a core of older rocks round which these 

 volcanic lavas have accumulated we cannot tell ; but we are safe 

 in concluding that the eruptions of matter of which the island is 

 composed are in the main of very recent geological origin ; in 

 fact, of Middle Tertiary Age ; commencing with the Miocene 

 period and continuing with interruptions down to the present 

 day. As Lyell has observed* with regard to those of historic 

 times, thei'e is the most complete chronological record of the 

 successive eruptions coming' down from the ninth century of our 

 era ; and which go to show that since the twelfth century there 

 has never been an interval of more than forty years without 

 either an eruption or a great earthquake. So intense is the 

 volcanic energy in the island that some of the eruptions of Hekla 

 have lasted six years without cessation. Earthquakes have often 

 .shaken the whole island at once, causing great changes in the 

 interior, such as the sinking down of hills, the rending of 

 mountains, the desertion by rivers of their channels, and the 

 foi'mation of new lakes. New islands have been sometimes 

 thrown up near the coast, while others have disappeai'ed. The 

 volcanoes of Iceland may be considered as safety-valves to the 



* Principles of Geologij, 11th edit., vol. ii, j). 48. 



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