134 



OLAFSEN AND PCHSELSETi's 



became swollm, and suppuration took place: the tire extended 

 to her intestines ; and this unfortunate girl, after lingering for some 

 days, expired in the most shocking agony. Several persons ob- 

 served that this fire perforated in various parts the hard and com- 

 pact roots which it met with in its passage; making round holes 

 which were smaller on the side from which it issued, than on 

 that where it entered. 



GLACIER OE KATLF.GIAA, SlC 



Our travellers made a journey to the summit of this glacier, 

 accompanied by a guide; and reached it, after encountering 

 many difficulties exactly similar to those they experienced on tra- 

 velling to other eminences. When they arrived within a league 

 of the glacier, they were surrounded by a heavy fall of snow, and 

 the winds became so violent that they could scarcely stand. A 

 fog covered the mountain on which they stood, as well as the 

 summit of Katlegiaa; and they w ould not venture to- pass the 

 night at such £n elevation, lest the cold should be too severe. 

 -But the greatest danger they incurred was, their proximity 

 to the Katlegiaa itself: which was then in a stale of fermenta- 

 tion, and, as they were informed by the guides, had been vomit- 

 ing fire for two days before; while from the direction of the 

 w ind at the time of their journey, they were exposed to any 

 shower of stones and sand that might occur. They therefore 

 returned to their tent by eight o'clock in the evening. On the 

 following day, say our travellers, at six in the evening, a loud 

 report similar to a clap of thunder, was heard from Katlegiaa. 

 Our guide, who was born and brought up in the vicinity of the- 

 mountain, told us, that the masses of ice had given way in the 

 parts were the noise was heard. In the evening w e saw towards 

 the west a globe of lire, at no very great height above the ho- 

 rizon: it w as about the size of a full moon, and had a tail like 

 a comet ; while above it, another stream of light appeared in a 

 zigzag form like lightning. In a short time both these meteors 

 sunk, and disappeared in the clouds that surrounded the glaciers 

 of Myrdal. 



On the 30th August w e pursued our journey over various sum- 

 mits till we reached the top of the glacier; where we had a fine 

 field tor contemplation on the nature and effects of the lava, both 

 of which have been already described. The result of our obser- 

 vations on this and the neighbouring glaciers, may be comprised 

 in a short compass. The degree of heat and cold is very dif- 

 ferent in these cantons; but no one has hitherto thought of 

 making observations on the thermometer, which might neverthe- 

 less be highly interesting, particularly in the neighbourhood of 

 Oraefe, which is contiguous to the glaciers. It would be very 



