ERUPTION IN 



An Account of the Eruption of Fire in Icda7^d, 



PON the ill o^June^ ^783, there was obferved a trembling or fliaking 

 of the earth, in the wefcern part of the province of Shaptarfiall^ which 

 increafed more and more until the nth. It waiS fo great that the inhabitants 

 -were under the necefllty of quitting their houfes, and lying at night in tents upon 

 the open ground. All this time there v/as obferved a continual fmoak or fteam 

 arifing out of the earth, in the northern and uninhabited parts of the country» 

 Three fire-fpouts broke out, of which that in the north-weft was the greateft : 

 one of thefe fpouts broke out in Ulfarfdal, a little to the eaft of the river Skapta ; 

 the other two were a little weft of the river Hwerfisjliot. Thefe three fire fpouts, 

 after they had rifen to a confiderable height in the air, were collefted into one 

 itream, which rofe fo high as to be feen at the diftance of 34 miles*, and upwards. 

 The whole country, for double that diftance all about, was continually covered 

 with a thick fmoak and fteam not to be defcribed. 



The 8th of "June gave fufHcient notice of the above-mentioned, fire fpouts 

 breaking out, for upon that day the fire became vifible. It was mixed with pro- 

 digious quantities of brimftone, fand, pumice-ftones, and aflies, which, being 

 thrown up with great force, noife, and (liaking of the earth, were fcattered in 

 the neighborhood of the fpouts ; and a part of them being blov/n about by the 

 wind (which at that time w^as very high) all over the country, fell in the fields, 

 villages, and towns, at a confiderable diftance. The whole atmofphere was fill- 

 ed with fand, duft, and brimftone, fo thick as to occafion a continual dark- 

 nefs. The pumice which fell in the villages, being red hot, did confiderable 

 damage. Along with the pumice ftones there fell a great quantity of a dirty fub- 

 ft:ance like pitch, rolled up fometimes in the form of fmall balls, and fometimes 

 ■like rings or garlands. The falling of thefe hot fubftances was attended with great 

 mifchief, as they totally deftroyed all manner of vegetation that they came near. 



Upon the third day of this dreadful fhower, the fire became very vifible, and 

 came out fometimes in a continued ftream, and fometimes in flafhes or flames, 

 which were leen at the diftance of 30 or 40 miles, accompanied at the fame time 

 with a noife like thunder : this continued the whole fummer. Upon the fame 

 day that the fire firft broke out, there fell a very great quantity of rain in all 

 tliat neighborhood, which did almoft as much harm as the fire ; Inafmuch as 



* The reader will obferve, that the diftances mentioned here are in the meafure of Danijb 

 miles, twelve of which make one degree ; fo that each Danifi mile is nearly five and three quar. 

 4SIS of our ftatute miles. 



' the 



