13 ERUPTION IN 



ran by the fide of a hill called Holtfidll, and deftroyed the village Holts, which 

 flood upon a fine level ground, and was furrounded with very rich corn and paf- 

 ture land. Proceeding eaflward, it came to a village called //«</; and deftroying 

 a quantity of meadow land and wood belonging to that village, it went on down 

 the river Skapta, between the two hills Heilderjiapa and Dalbarjlopa, which 

 lie on each fide of the river, and dellroyed the villages Hunkabakke, Holmur^ 

 and Dalbear ; and proceeded on eaftward towards the village Nyibear, within 

 a hundred yards of which it flopped. In this courfe there is a very great catarafl 

 of the river Skapta, about 14 fathoms high, where the lava falling down, was 

 thrown about, together with the ftones which it tore up, to a very confiderable 

 ^iftance. From Dalbear the ftream of lava went fouthward, over that large traift 

 of land called Hratms-melar, quite down to Efrijie'ins-myrl, the edge of it to thg 

 eaft paiSng by Lutandahah, Luiandajlt, and Rofa. In paffing over this broad tra<5t 

 of land the fire did confiderable damage, for the whole was good and rich meadow; 

 and paflure land. The ftream of lava went within 30 fathoms of Efrjjleins-myri^ 

 on the weft ; and falling into the channel of the river Steins-myrijliot, vi'hich is among 

 the larger ones, it filled the whole valley between Efrijleins-myri and Sydrijietns- 

 myri, going on in an eaftward direflion : thefe two villages are totally deftroyedj. 

 although the edge of fire only approached within 100 fathoms of them. The main 

 body of the lava from this place went in a fouth-weft diredlion, and came to the 

 village Hnaufer ; which, although it was not deftroyed by the fire,, yet was over- 

 flowed by the water of the two rivers Steins-myrijiiot and Fegdaqutjl being dammed, 

 up. Here the lava ftopped on the fouth ; and its edge goes all the way from Eyf- 

 trlbrun before mentioned, north of Stadarbolt, to Strandarholt. In this neighbor- 

 hood the lava deftroyed five villages ; namely, Holmafel, with, its church ; Botna, 

 Holma, Efrifliota, and Sydrifiiota; befides a great quantity of corn and meadow 

 lands, with woods and other property belonging to the villages fouthward. 



The fpouts ftill continuing to fend forth immenfe quantities of frefli lava, and 

 all the pafTage to the fouth or low lands being Ihut up, the lava fpread itfelf to the 

 north and north-eaft, over a traft of land eight miles long and fix broad. All this 

 place is barren and uninhabited, fo that no obfervations were made how the fiery 

 ^ ftream proceeded ; all we know is, that it dried up the rivers tuna and Axafyrdi, 

 The lava, on account of the high hills on the eaft of Hwerfisfiiot, could proceed no 

 farther in an eaftward dire<Stion ; for thefe hills form a continued chain for three 

 miles in length, running in a diredion north and fouth. There was then no 

 other outlet for the lava than the channel of the river HwerfsfiiSt : this branch. 

 broke out from the main body about a quarter of a mile north of Ytridalur and 

 Hyftridalur, two villages fituated oppofite to each othsr, on each fide of the river : 



tfee 



