TRAVELS IN ICELAND* 



105 



they are" not unfrequently, in order to prevent such a misfortune, 

 obliged to throw a part of their timber overboard, and to cut 

 away and abandon the raft ; for the canoes are so small and 

 weak, that they cannot carry a sail in strong winds. But the fact 

 is, that from the time when the Icelanders abandoned the praams 

 used by their ancestors^ they were in want of wood for building 

 their houses and boats, and were obliged to make use of unsafe 

 and fragile canoes. 



GLACIER OF DRANGUE. 



On the 5th September we arrived from the Gruna-Viig, at 

 Sneefiaelds, where we remained till the 10th on account of the 

 bad weather. After a strong wind there came on such a violent 

 storm of snow, that we were obliged incessantly to remove it 

 from our tent with shoved without which precaution we should 

 have been buried beneath it. 



This country is always exposed to considerable falls of snow, 

 which take place in summer as well as winter : on this account 

 doubtless it has received the name of Sneefiaeldstrand. These 

 storms of snow are probably occasioned by the vicinity of the 

 glacier of Drangue. We could not but remark the striking 

 difference between the countries situated towards the northern, 

 and those of the southern part : here the fields and rocks were 

 covered with thick snow ; while on the other side there was a 

 radiant sun with mild air. From the same reason the coast of 

 Sneefiaelds is exposed to the dangerous falling of considerable 

 masses of snow, collected on the rocks ; which destroy both men 

 and beast, and often carry away entire houses. 



The inhabited part here consists only of a small village be- 

 tween the mountain and the shore : it terminates near the 

 bay of Lone, which we were obliged to cross during a violent 

 hurricane. Here the glacier of Drangue takes its principal base 

 in an ascent from the shore ; filing off between two high moun- 

 tains, the summits of which cause the glacier constantly to pro- 

 pel so much snow to the coast of Sneefiaelds. If we form an 

 idea of the extent of this glacier, which is twelve miles long 

 by six wide, and consider at the same time that its site is conti- 

 guous to the villages and the sea, it will not be surprising that 

 it should occasion the frequent recurrence of snow, fog, frost, 

 and variable weather. We cannot observe without admira* 

 tion how often this glacier is subject to increase and diminution : 

 those who reside in its vicinity agree in stating that the ice is 

 now to be seen where twenty years since there was a rich and 

 verdant soil. The continued winds which have prevailed of 

 late years to the east and north-east of the glacier, are the prin 

 cipal cause of this increase of congelation. The people in this 



