6 



OLAFSEN AND FOVELSEN's 



modern chronicles of this country, we leam of many periods when 

 men and cattle have been destroyed by such accidents. One 

 instance, in particular, is worthy of mention; as M. Jonsen, a 

 learned man of extraordinary merit, lost his life on the occasion. 

 This event occurred in February, 1699* and overwhelmed a whole 

 presbytery with ail its inhabitants and cattle. 



NATURE OF THE MOUNTAINS. 



The mountains of Iceland should be divided into two kinds, 

 ordinary and extraordinary, in order that the one class may be 

 distinguished from the other ; though it is only from their ex- 

 ternal appearance, that they are intitled to this distinction. By 

 the ordinary, we mean the primordial or most ancient mountains 

 of the country, which appear to be formed by from twenty to 

 forty strata or beds of rock cemented on each other. The 

 extraordinary ones, on the contrary, consist of rocks intermixed, 

 as it were, by chance, and cemented together by gravel and 

 strong hillocks of earth ; hence it will not admit of a doubt, 

 that they have been formed by volcanoes. Some of them are 

 red, others black, and a few of a white colour: the red and 

 black are composed of lava and pumice-stone, while the 

 white, on the other hand, consist of gravel and of white or 

 greyish clay. In some of these white mountains may be ob- 

 served the effects of a boiling water. The extraordinary kinds 

 may be subdivided into ancient and modern ; among the former 

 of which are all the glaciers. With respect to their height, 

 the greatest are from 400 or 500 fathoms, to 1000 and upwards. 

 Those of a second rate are about 300 and the smallest 100 

 fathoms in height. We measured them with the astrolabe, and 

 others have done the same with the barometer. 



OF THE MOUNTAINS OF KIOSAR. 



The Kiosar, from which this district takes its name, and 

 several others in the vicinity, belong to the highest or primordial 

 class, as being the most ancient; they, however, consist of only 

 a small number of rocky strata, accumulated without order; 

 and their summits are composed of long masses of rock of a 

 deep grey colour, presenting an almost perpendicular facade, 

 while their bases are concealed by the eruptions that have 

 taken place. 



DIVISION OF THE INHABITED PART. 



The mountains of the district of Eios are intersected by 

 beautiful valiies and plains, which contain three dioceses and a 

 number of churches. It is watered by several rivers and rivulets- 

 abounding with fish ; but of these rivers the Helleraa and the 

 Laxaa are the principal. There are likewise numerous lakes 



