460 Th. Thoroddsen— Volcanic History of Iceland. 
this peak are on record, which have been erroneously transferred by 
various writers to a volcano of a similar name in the north of Iceland. 
Exp-rysar (Fire-isles), a series of volcanic rocks situate in the sea 
11 eeographical miles off the $.W. point of Reykjanes ; about the 
neighbourhood of these rocks, and sometimes as far out at sea as 
eight miles from the land, voleanic eruptions are known to have 
taken place. 
In the extensive complex of glaciers, comprehensively denominated 
as M¥rpaus-soxutt (Moor [= Fen] -dale-jokul [=icle, t.e. ice = 
glacier ]), S.E. of Hekla, there are two volcanos: Byja-fjalla-jokull 
(Isle-fell-glacier, deriving its name undoubtedly from the islands, 
called Vest-manna-eyjar, #.e., the West-mens’ = [the Irelanders’ ] 
Tslands, so calléd from the fact of their having been occupied, 
when the country was discovered, by Irish hermits,—a group of. 
islands outside the coast from which the Eyjafj6ll (Isle-fells) rise 
—63° 37/ n.1. 82° 16’ w.lo.), 5482 feet high; and Karta (Kettle, 
Caldron), which is not shaped like a volcano, but is merely a vol- 
canic chasm, generally covered with ice. It is situate in the eastern 
part of Myrdals-jékull (63° 87/ n. 1. 31° 35’ w. lo.) ; but has never 
been explored. Eyjafjalla-jokull has twice been in a state of erup- 
tion, but Katla thirteen times. It should be observed that eruptions 
from these last-named eruptive sources, as well as indeed from some 
other mountains in Iceland, are accompanied by enormous floods of 
water, bringing down huge blocks of ice, which covered the surface 
of the crater before the eruption took place. The lowlands below 
such volcanos represent extensive and entirely barren wastes, which 
have been produced by the masses of pulverized lava and the 
prodigious glacier-slips which are brought down by the inundations 
caused by the eruptions.- To the N.H. of Myrdals-jokull are many 
craters to be found in the so-called Varmar-dalr (Warm-river-dale), 
in the neighbourhood of Skaptd (Shaft-river?), as well as in the 
vicinity of Hverfisfljot (Wharf-fleet), which in 1783 emitted enormous 
masses of lava. 
Along the borders of Vatna-jokull (Waters’ glacier), a glacial up- 
heaval of no less than 150 square geographical miles in extent, 
volcanos are found in great number. On its southern boundary, the 
easternmost is ORHFA-JOKULL (Desert-glacier, 64° n.1. 29° 21’ w.lo.), 
the highest mountain in Iceland, rising to 6241 feet. This mountain 
has been in a state of eruption three or four times. Some distance 
to the westward, on the borders of Skei%Sarar-jokull, various craters 
are found, as also in the neighbourhood of Grimsvétn (Grim’s waters), 
and SiSwékull (Side-glacier), where many and most violent eruptions 
have taken place. But these tracts constitute as yet a terra incognita. 
On the northern lorder ef Vatnajiékull we find Kverk-fjoll (Kverk = 
throat, 29° 20’ w.lo.), almost entirely unknown, although eruptions 
have taken place in that neighbourhood three or four times. To 
the north of Vatna-jékull is the so-called OdaSahraun (Misdeed- 
lava), 60 square geographical miles in extent, where there are a 
good many almost entirely unknown volcanos. The only volcanic 
Spot in these tracts which has been examined is the Dynesu-FJOLL, 
