152 



OLAFSEH AND POVELSES'i 



which burst with such a horrible report that we never heard any 

 thing like it. 



On the 21st of October the wind changed to the north-east ; 

 the darkness spread to the canton of Mjrdalj and the atmos- 

 phere was covered with a whirlwind of ashes. The column of 

 lire continued to rise till the 25th; when fhe wind changed to the 

 north-east, and the darkness prevailed, accompanied by a terrible 

 fall of ashes, which blackened the snow in the i ; le of Videy, in the 

 district of Goldbringue. In the vicinity of the mountain the 

 pumice and other stone and gravel had fallen to the depth of 

 three feet. In short, till the 17th of November the eruption, 

 earthquakes, and detonations, continued with little diminution: in 

 pohst of violence. 



In the following year, between January and September, this? 

 mountain made five eruptions; the last of which was accom- 

 panied with a terrible fall of stones and ashes, so as to throw the 

 inhabitants agafn into rhe utmost consternation. 



The disastrous effects of the eruption of Katlegiaa were — 



1. The devastation of the surrounding meadows by torrent- or" 

 water," and particularly also by the showers of sand, ashes, and 

 stones. . By this means nearly fifty farms -were destroyed, and 

 the owners rendered houseless- 



2. The monntainosis country beneath the volcano, as well a? 

 the sea-shore, afforded incredible proofs of the violence of the 

 eruption ; for there might be seen along the whole coast of the 

 rrroemtainous chain of -Myrdal, several large rocks in the space 

 of two league?, which had been detached from the glacier by 

 torrents 'of water. Three chains of rock, ice, and pumice- 

 stone, extended in a parallel direction along the Sands of Myr- 

 dal, and ran into the sea at the distance of three leagues from 

 the coast. These rocks still project above the sea, in place* 

 where the fishermen, formerly found forty fathoms of water. 



3. The eruption alluded to reduced the inhabitants of the vi- 

 cinity to misery ; and it is even a miracle that many of them 

 were not destroyed, though it was ascertained that only two per- 

 sons lost their lives by this fatal occurrence. The roads and 

 fields about Katlegiaa were filled with travellers on the day 

 of tie eruption, and the torrents of water thrown out by the 

 crater carried off numbers of cattle. The men who were sur- 

 prised by this sudden fail of water, saved themselves on the 

 mountain of Hafursoe; widen is insulated, and probably had 

 been surrounded several times with the aqueous fluid. Others 

 had already passed the fatal plain; and many saved themselves 

 upon the heights, leading up their horses: but these eminences 

 soon became isles by the inundation from the volcano i and the 

 unfortunate people were thereby exposed for seven days to starv- 



