OLAFSE2? AND 3POTEL3EBS 



Sepce before they arrive at the western point, wheFe they meet 

 with the sea-breezes, with which they contest a passage for several 

 ffe.ys, and sometimes for weeks together, which abates iheir im- 

 petuosity. Hence, the winters are rarely severe in the Westfioard, 

 The spi :ng wind*, however, are more inimical to vegetation anil 

 to cattle, 



PHENOMENA IN THE ATMOSPHERE, 



There may be seen here, as elsewhere, different phenomena 

 m the atmosphere ; but storms do_not often occur, and thunder 

 Is only heard at a distance. But, on the other hand, the air fre- 

 quently resounds with extraordinary noises, what is called Lap- 

 lelltus, and which means aerial fire, appears particularly at the 

 "Westhord, and in the northern parts of the district of Bardes- 

 trand ; it is only perceived in winter when the sky is rather loaded 

 with clouds, accompanied by strong winds .and falls of snows, 

 though the upper atmosphere is severe. At such times, during 

 the night, the sky seems a mass of tire, or as if lightened inces- 

 santly, while the earth, by reflexion^ has a similar appearance, 

 The most remarkable aurora borealis occurred on the 25th Janu- 

 ary, 1762. The circumstance which gives rise to these lumin- 

 ous phenomena, is that the winds blow with impetuosity and re- 

 pel into the upper air a great quantity of snow, which becomes 

 luminous by the light that remains in the atmosphere, The in- 

 habitants, who are ignorant of these causes, are terrified at their 

 effects, and take the aurora borealis to be lightning at a distance. 

 It is, however, so far dangerous, that it frightens cattle extremely, 

 particularly horses, whom it often drives mad, when they run 

 wildly amongst the mountains, and meet their death by leaping 

 over the rocky elevations. 



Amongst the rocks in this district is a chain called Froellah- 

 Iaud, which means mountains heaped up by the giants : they are 

 principally composed of basaltes arranged with order, and it 

 might be added, with art, since they appear to be only a variety 

 of the Saxum BasaUij'orme griseum. The most remarkable 

 difference in this chain of rocks is, that some of the strata are 

 not more than from six inches to a foot in thickness, and that they 

 are disposed in horizontal layers, as compact and even as if they 

 had been placed by the most scientific architect, and cut by the 

 chisel : each separation at the extremity is from six to twelve 

 feet in length. These edifices of nature might be taken for long 

 walls of masonry : they extend to nearly two miles across the 

 mountains, at the extremities of which they may be seen in the 

 gulphs. They also project very far mto the sea^ where there $re 

 isles and creeks. 



