VOLCANOES. 
415 
u fiery lake now no longer spread itself, but re- 
mained burning nevertheless; and when any 
“ part of the surface by cooling was crusted over, 
■“ the fire from below broke the crust, which, 
u tumbling amongst the melted substance, was 
u rolled and tossed about with a prodigious noise 
“ and crackling; and in many parts of its surface 
cc small spouts, or at least ebullitions, were formed, 
“ which continued for some length of time. 
The river Skapta, that we have talked so 
iC much about, is situated on the north and 
u north-west sides of the province of Sidu: it 
“ takes its rise in the north-east, and running 
“ first westward, it turns to the south, and falls 
“ into the sea in a south-east direction. The 
u confined part of its channel, that we have 
u before made mention of, is an uninterrupted 
stretch of about four miles in length ; being in 
u some places two hundred fathoms deep (as in 
u the neighborhood of Swartanup, where the 
“ river cuts through a hill), in others a hundred 
u and fifty or a hundred; and in some parts a 
“ hundred, in others fifty, forty, and thirty fa- 
“ thorns broad. Along the whole of this part of 
ec its course the river is very rapid, though there 
“ are no considerable cataracts or falls above two 
“ feet high. There are several other such con- 
“ fined channels as this in other parts of Iceland, 
