47 
of Edinburgh, Session 1875 - 76 . 
their linen, were surprised to find it covered with pepper from 
Hekla. But instances of this nature need not be multiplied. 
On July 17, while collecting specimens of brimstone from the 
great My-vatn mines, a select company of the expedition rode over 
the N&maskarb (“ Fountain-scaur ”), the gap in the Montes 
Phlegrcei, east of My-vatn, and thence we took the highroad, or 
rather the bridle-path, leading eastwards over the My-vatnsoroefi 
(Desert of the Midge- water) to the greatest of the three Jokuls&rs. 
After some three hours of sharp canter, which covered more than 
half-way, we sighted to the south of the road and north-east of 
Burfell, a low black-blue mound with white patches. It was about 
a mile long ; and a solitary puff, escaping every quarter of an hour, 
told us that it was burning low. Nothing could be meaner than 
this outbreak, which I will call the My-vatn eruption : it looked 
by the side of older formations as if Vulcan had struck work, and 
the underground furnace of Iceland were being “ drawn.” Shortly 
after our departure, however, Mr W. L. Watts here observed a 
huge Grjd, and an active eruption, which he briefly noticed in the 
“ Times ” newspaper, and which I hope he will presently describe 
at greater length, accompanying his description with a ground-plan 
and elevation. 
This No. 5 is connected by a band of old lava with No. 6, a 
mound to the north of the road. It was first seen (Feb. 18) from 
the Grimstbair farm, erupting to the west of the Sveinagjd, in what 
is called the Austurfjoll or My-vatnsfjoll. The great smoky fire 
(jarbeld) springing from 14 or 16 mound craters (gosborg) lying 
on a meridian, formed, say the natives, a molten river 300 to 
400 fathoms broad and one vegarleid ( = 3 English miles) long, 
throwing up lava, pumice (vikur) and stones, often the size of a 
man, which fell down upon the crater lips. Some of the hot 
material melted the snow. The lava soon set, but the ground was 
too hot for walking, and the stone flood glowed white beneath 2 to 4 
feet of the upper black stratum which had cooled in a few minutes. 
The plain around was split with hideous Gjar (fissures); the fre- 
quent hornitos, blisters, and hillocks on the run probably the 
effects of steam, were hollow, with a capacity of 2 to 4 hogsheads, 
and the smoke (vapour?) hung upoh the horizon like a cloud. On 
March 10 the eruption lasted all night, and the most violent effort 
