TRAVELS IX ICELAND, 



151 



every where open. The inhabitants informed us that the neigh- 

 bourhood was always free from snow, as indeed great tracts of 

 lava generally are ; "but they asserted that the sudden deaths oc- 

 curred whether snow and ice were on the ground or not. They 

 added two othercircumstaiices: first, that the accidents in question 

 always happened during the winter solstice when the days were 

 short and dark, but always in the day time ; and secondly, 

 that those who died in this manner were almost all related 

 to the same family, the principal part of the number being 

 formed by four brothers and their children. As two of the bro- 

 thers were walking together one of them dropped dead, while 

 the other did not experience the least disagreeable sensation. All,, 

 however, who were thus struck were people of regular habits; 

 and it was not perceived that any of them was of a melancholic 

 temperament, or had any complaint that might induce a suspend 

 sion of vitality, 



The other event is no less strange, though of a different na- 

 ture* In the summer of 1754, on a morning when the weather 

 was serene, though the sky was rather cloudy and a slight wind 

 prevailed, there was seen at Orebaek a black cloud coming from 

 the mountains in the north-east, and descending obliquely through 

 the atmosphere towards Orebaek. Hie nearer it approached the, 

 smaller it became, and it darted along with the rapidity of a hawk, 

 This cloud, which then appeared round, new towards a spot 

 where several persons had assembled, as w T ell strangers as 

 natives, for the purposes of commerce; and on passing ra- 

 pidly before them it touched the jaw of a middle-aged man, 

 which gave him such paiu that he instantly became raving mad 

 and threw himself into the sea. Those who were near him ran 

 and prevented him from drowning; but he continued insane* 

 nttered all sorts of extravagant expressions, and made many 

 forcible attempts to free himself from those who held him. 

 They wrapped his head in flannel, and held him down for some 

 time upon the bed; when after two days the madness abated, 

 but he was not restored to his senses till the expiration of a 

 fortnight. Another account of this phenomenon states,, that 

 the persons in company with him did not perceive the cloud till 

 it came up with them, but simply heard a hissing in the aii 

 while it passed : those, however, who were farther off observed 

 its rapid course, and saw it sink and disappear on the sea-coast. 



The cheek of the man who was touched by this cloud was 

 turned of a deep black and blue colour, which gradually disap* 

 pearedas he recovered. Everyone will make his own reflec- 

 tions on these singular events ; those who are acquainted with 

 the secret effects of nature^ and versed in history, will doubt- 

 less find similar examples. In other respects the reader may 



