loO 



OLAFSEN ANP PDVELSEN's 



have not been able to resist its violence. The Stummga Saga, 

 and many other of the Icelandic annals, assert that the fire has 

 broken forth in this spot; and that there have been extraordinary 

 eruptions as often as five times in the thirteenth century, in con- 

 sequence of which ancient and modern isles have successively 

 appeared and disappeared in a manner as astonishing as dreadful. 

 The fire broke out again in 14C2: but on its rage being ex- 

 hausted, it remained tranquil till 158,3; when, accordiug to 

 bishop Oddsen, it was seen for the last time at a great distance 

 in the sea, by the crew of a ship that was passing. 



The opinion which we have already hazarded as to the incre- 

 dible force of the eruptions of the volcanoes in Iceland, receives 

 additional weight and elucidation from what has just been stated ; 

 inasmuch as that the sea itself may become the focus of great and 

 terrible eruptions, while it has such a remarkable communication 

 with the mountains on land. 



ON THE PESTIFEROUS EFFECTS OF THE AlR. 



If the two events which we are about to describe had not re- 

 cently occurred, and been w itnessed by a number of persons, 

 they would not perhaps be credited. Hence the people attri- 

 bute them to the operation of evil spirits : and for this they can- 

 not be blamed; as the holy scriptures afford them sufficient 

 authority, and they are in want of that knowledge which would 

 enable them to discover the natural causes of such accidents. 

 The first is as follows: 



We learnt that three or four persons had dropped dead sud- 

 denly on the coast of Vandlos-sirand, to the south of Hafnefiord, 

 in the winter of 1753-4; some before, and others after Christ- 

 mas: but particularly on the estate called Landekot. The soil in 

 this part is open and burnt; and we conjectured that it exhaled 

 some vapours that were more pestilential than ordinary on accouut 

 of the subterraneous sewers being blocked up by the snow and ice. 

 In the following winter the same accident happened to some others, 

 and in the third year the total number of persons suffocated 

 amounted to nineteen. The inhabitants now became so terri- 

 fied that they talked of abandoning the canton, which was very po- 

 pulous on account of the abundance of fish. As the persons 

 dropped down while walking through the fields, suddenly gave_a 

 shriek and expired, the survivors believed that it was a punishment 

 with which the Almighty had entrusted the evil genii ; neverthe- 

 less they were persuaded to remain there the fourth winter, though 

 not without being in a panic of terror lest they should be afflicted 

 with sudden death. But in that year no person died in the man- 

 ner described., nor has any similar example occurred since. We vi- 

 sited the spot in the summer of 1 7 do, and observed that the soil was 



