290 G. Poulett Scrope — Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland. 



From different parts of this wide opening columns of liquid fire were continually rising 

 to the height of 300 feet. Sometimes as many as thirty such columns rose together 

 at a short distance from each other. The outbursts were intermittent. At one time 

 many columns suddenly rose at the same time, then subsided, and after a few minutes 

 rose again. Inside the enormous cauldron there seems to be a lake of liquid fire, 

 which the steam throws up to the height mentioned. The columns seem quite solid 

 until they have reached their greatest height, then the tops spread out and scatter 

 a rain of molten lava all round. The volcano seemed to act on the same principle as 

 the hot springs, with this difference, that the volcano sent forth columns of liquid 

 fire, or molten lava, instead of hot water, and the columns rose to a far greater 

 height than that of the hot springs. That it was steam which sent the liquid 

 fire into the air is further proved by the fact that the outbursts were accompanied 

 by a tremendous roar, as if hundreds of steam-boilers were acting together, and con- 

 tinual reports were heard in the crater when the steam bubbles were bursting. This 

 eruption was accompanied by no smoke, or discharge of ashes, but a semi-transparent 

 steam-cloud rested over the whole. 



As this eruption has to this time been confined to the uninhabited parts, and has 

 not discharged any ashes, it has not done any damage ; but should the outbursts 

 follow up the same line much further to the north, both the Mijvatns sveit and the 

 districts further north will be in the greatest danger. 



On the 29th of March an outburst took place somewhere in the interior, most 

 probably near the sources of the Jokulsa., and a large quantity of ashes, to the depth 

 of three inches, fell in the east of Iceland, in the districts on both sides of the river, 

 or rather lake, called Lagarfljot, and in the middle of the day the whole neighbour- 

 hood was enveloped in total darkness. The ashes from this outbreak were carried as 

 far as Norway. This eruption, although further away from the inhabited parts, has 

 caused much more damage than the other ones, because the pastures have been 

 destroyed in the districts where the ashes fell, and the sheep have to be driven away 

 to other districts. 



According to the last accounts from the north, all the volcanic vents which have 

 been opened this year seemed to be in full activity. The glare of the fire was seen 

 in districts more than a hundred miles distant from the actual seat of the volcanos, 

 and even in the south some slight shocks of earthquake are felt. The weather still 

 continues uncommonly mild and fine, and by some this is attributed to the volcanic 

 fires." 



This statement does not appear to emanate from any scientific 

 authority ; and in some respects it is not quite clear. The main fea- 

 tures of the phenomena described, and the most remarkable, are : 



1. The arrangement of the points of eruption in lines stretching 

 from south to north, on one of which no less than fifteen different 

 craters (cones) were thrown up close to each other. 



2. On a continuation of the same line the further production of 

 three large crater-cones, one of them having an oblong form, mark- 

 ing a trench or rent no less than 600 yards in length, filled with 

 liquid fiery lava which was thrown up in columns of liquid fire, from 

 successive points, to the height of 300 feet ; as many as thirty such 

 columns rising together at a short distance from each other at the 

 same time. 



Such an eruption must have given rise, not so much to separate 

 regular cones of scorias, as to a continuous ridge-shaped hill, of which 

 examples not unfrequently occur in volcanic districts. 



3. This eruption, which is said to have been in activity on the 4th 

 April, discharged no ashes ; while on the 29th March another out- 

 burst, more to the east, produced clouds of ash which not only 

 covered the east of the island, but were carried as far as Norway 

 and Sweden. This latter fact is confirmed by Prof. Kjerulf, of 

 Christiania, who examined the dust, and found it to consist of finely 



