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OLAFSEN AND POVELSENS 



lar dreary spectacle about the year 900 ; and from that pe- 

 riod to the time above-mentioned, the horrible scene has been 

 live times repeated. Nothing, however, indicated the lust 

 eruption ; except that towards the end of the preceding year two 

 new rivers arose from the glacier, and ran across a part of the 

 canton called the Sands of Myrdal. The people, nevertheless, 

 did not apprehend an eruption, though they had observed an 

 extraordinary melting of the ice of the glacier, which must have 

 been occasioned by the subterraneous tire; because, as soon 

 as the ice is dissolved, the water which drop? from it falls into 

 the bowels of the mountain, and meeting with the fire puis it in 

 agitation. Hence arises the earthquake w hith is felt at a dis- 

 tance: because the fire labours to open itself a passage, parti- 

 cularly near the volcanoes that are extinct; and there may often 

 be perceived vent-holes from which the fire exudes, very far from 

 the place of eruption. 



With respect to the eruption we are about to describe, it began 

 about ten in the morning on the 17th October; when sudden and 

 irregular shocks were felt throughout the whole canton of Myr- 

 dal, which did great damage to the houses. Soon afterwards 

 the lire burst out with great violence, totally melting all the 

 ice that remained: and afterwards a river darted from the Kat- 

 legiaa; and, spreading itself into three branches, inundated the 

 whole extent of lava called Myrdal Sands. This torrent ear* 

 ried with it, as far as the sea, a quantity of enormous pieces 

 of ice like small hills, which crashed together in their course 

 with a terrific noise, and which had torn off with them frag- 

 ments of rocks as large as mountains. The torrent of water 

 was filled besides with smaller lumps of ice and black pumice* 

 stone ; and it was in general thick and muddy, impregnated with 

 sulphureous and cineritious argilla. The continual shocks of the 

 earthquake absorbed the attention of the inhabitants: when sud- 

 denly a terrible noise, like the bursting of a thunder-cloud, issued 

 from the Katlegiaa, which was followed by a propulsion of fire 

 and water alternately, accompanied by a dreadful report ; at the 

 same time an internal disruption occurred with such violence, 

 that the inhabitants thought the moment was arrived for the total 

 destruction of Iceland. The eruption took place at three con- 

 tiguous apertures; and immediately after a deluge of water rushed 

 forth, carrying of! to the sea prodigious masses of ice and 

 rocks: it was preceded by a thick cloud of black smoke, and 

 followed by a hail of gravel and pumice-stone. During these 

 horrible scenes the earthquake continued with a singular subterra- 

 nean noise; and from time to time the volcano projected to a con- 

 siderable height vast globes of fire of a dazzling brightness, which 

 burst jo the air and' were seen at a great distance. After the first 



