The flood was followed by such heavy shots and continual thunder, that the people thought the heavens would burst to pieces, and they were surrounded with continual flashes of lightning. The pasturages were so covered with ashes and pumice, that cattle, horses, and sheep could not get any food, and were seen running about in wild confusion. During the eruption such a darkness prevailed sometimes that days were darker than nights; and it is related that showers of ashes from this eruption reached the town of Bergen in Norway, which is the greatest distance to which volcanic ashes were ever thrown from Iceland."* The account in the "Islendingur" (of 16th June, p. 45) mentions farther, that the mixed water and ice flood flowed in cascades and waves over Myrdals-sand; that the inhabitants fled to the heights for safety; that the depth of the water-flood, which surrounded the monastery of Thyckvaboe, was such that a large ocean-vessel might have sailed between the byres and the principal building, and that there was an excessive falling of sand in the district to the north-east of Kötlugjá, called the Skaptartunga. This eruption thus lasted for about twelve days, wholly destroying many farms, and partially destroying, or rendering temporarily useless, others. The damage done was greatest in the low lands to the east, north-east, and south-east of Kötlugjá.

10th, 1660-commencing on 3d November-appears scarcely to have been less formidable than the preceding eruption. Water-floods overwhelmed and destroyed the farm and church of Höfdabrekka, which latter was cast into the sea immediately adjoining, apparently by an earthquake-shock. Only such articles were saved from the buildings as could at the moment be snatched away by the clergyman, Jón Salamonsson. The quantity of sand, ashes, and sulphur, thrown out and deposited on the coast about Höfdabrekka was such, that what formerly was a depth of twenty fathoms of sea-water became at once dry land. Such is the account in the "Islendingur." Dr Hjaltalin says the clouds of pumice, ashes, and sand rendered the atmosphere in the vicinity of Kötlugjá very dark

During the eruption of 1693, ashes were borne from Hekla to Faröe; in September 1845 to Orkney and the north of Scotland, seven hundred miles distant; and in 1783 from the Skaptar-jökul to Faröe.

during nine days. Many farms were destroyed. Flames and ashes were ejected during the greater part of the winter. Henderson asserts that "the quantity of ice, &c., carried down by the inundation was so great, that where it was deposited it rose to the height of forty-nine fathoms above the surface of the former depositions. The church of Höfdabrekka was observed to swim among the masses of ice to a considerable distance in the sea ere it fell to pieces.* The volcano appears, with some intermission, to have erupted sand the two following years." (Pp. 312, 313.)

11th, 1721, beginning at nine A.M. on the 11th May.Dr Hjaltalin says the narrative of this eruption proceeds from certain inhabitants of the north of Iceland, who observed the phenomenon from a distance of about a hundred English miles! These distant witnesses state that the eruption was preceded by "heavy shots," like "shots of artillery," lasting less or more for several days, and distinctly heard by them in the north of the island. These sounds were followed by a "heavy fire" (which expression seems translatable as vivid flames), also visible at the great distance above named. The flames or fire were followed by clouds of ashes, so dense and so extensive as to have produced complete darkness for some hours at the remoteness of eighty or a hundred miles. The same witnesses heard that the eruption had destroyed several farms near the volcano itself. But the source and character of the narrative naturally lead to doubts as to its veracity. The Islendingur" gives a much more circumstantial account; and it may here be observed that throughout the chronological history of Kötlugjá's eruptions, from the first to the last, there are many discrepancies between the accounts of the "Islendingur" and those of Dr Hjaltalin. It is impossible to decide which is the more correct, or whether either is in all respects correct. But seeing that this is a matter of doubt, I can avoid the difficulty of decision only by giving the accounts of both, wherever these at all differ in fulness or fact.

The "Islendingur" refers to an earthquake chiefly felt

*In explanation of this, at first sight, startling statement, it is necessary to bear in mind that the majority of the Icelandic parish churches are of very limited dimensions, and are constructed wholly of wood.

in Myrdal, but extending eastward to Sidu, and westward to Fljótshlíd. About noon of the same day (11th May), the earth became fissured at various points; loud sounds were heard; and, lastly, flames with steam or smoke were seen to issue from Kötlugjá. A water-flood now descended from the volcano, bearing huge pieces of ice, resembling in bulk small islands; which icebergs sailed along as rapidly as a ship in a good breeze. These icebergs were borne by the flood from Höfdabrekka eastward to Hjörleifshöfdi and Hafrsey. One village was destroyed in the east of the Myrdals-sand district. Again, Henderson states (p. 313),* the "inundations lasted nearly three days, and carried along with them such amazing quantities of ice, stones, earth, and sand, that the sea was filled with them to the distance of three miles from the shore. The sun was darkened by the smoke and ashes which were thrown into the air; sand and pumice were blown almost over the whole island; and the ice and water desolated a considerable tract of grass land over which they flowed."

12th, 1727.-Dr Hjaltalin mentions an eruption of this date, concerning which he confesses he has been unable to find any particulars, and which he believes to have been of little intensity or importance. It is not referred to either in the "Islendingur," or by Henderson. The Edinburgh Cabinet Library volume on Iceland (p. 36)-I know not on what authority-mentions an eruption in 1753, characterised by the ejection of "every variety of volcanic matter." The eruption which follows is the most celebrated of all the outbreaks of Kötlugjá, on account alike of its grandeur, its duration, and its frightful results-an eruption which has since caused Kötlugjá to be dreaded by the Icelanders as one of their most dangerous volcanoes, if not their most dangerous one.

13th, 1755.-The eruption began about noon on the 17th October 1755, and continued, with intermissions, till 25th August 1756-its duration, therefore, being nearly a year. The "Islendingur" gives a very short reference merely; but the accounts of Dr Hjaltalin and of Henderson are compara

*Founding his statements on the MSS. of the surgeon Sveinn Pálsson, and on Horrebow's "Natural History of Iceland," p. 12: Lond. 1758.

tively full. According to Dr Hjaltalin, the eruption was preceded by a series of earthquakes,* beginning in September; they were especially severe in the north-east of Iceland, near Cape Langanes, about 150 or 180 miles distant from Kötlujgá. In this district they overthrew several farms; and in a milder degree they were felt over a considerable extent of country. The eruption itself began at 10 A.M. of 17th October, about a fortnight prior to the earthquake which destroyed Lisbon. Vivid flames shot towards the sky, accompanied by severe earthquakes, sounds like thunder, and lightnings. The volcano was enveloped in smoke or steam; showers of ashes and pumice fell constantly, while volcanic bombs were hurled high into the air. The latter must have been of great size, for they were seen bursting, and the accompanying detonating reports were heard, at a distance of upwards of a hundred miles. The days, it is said, were darker than the nights; and the flames and bombs gave so unearthly a character to the scene, that the poor inhabitants fancied the day of judgment had arrived, and that our globe was bursting into atoms. Over large tracts of country, the soil was covered with sand and ashes to a depth of two or three feet; † cattle, horses, and sheep, consequently died in great numbers. This devastation caused a famine and pestilence among the inhabitants, who perished by the hundred. The eruption was violent for fourteen days. The water-floods overflowed the district of Myrdals-sand, which is about twenty miles long and sixteen broad. Five parishes were more or less devastated, and fifty farms were destroyed. These were the more local disasters; but, in addition to this, the sand and ashes were spread over a great portion of the island, producing fatal epidemics and epizootics, and it is said even the wild-fowl fled from many parts of the island. The earthquakes were characterised by distinct wave-like motions

* These earthquakes were attended by, or were productive of, a considerable local elevation of land. The Edinburgh Cabinet Library volume on Iceland (p. 364, foot-note) says that a tract of coast, "more than two miles wide, and extending fourteen miles into the sea, was raised in three ridges from 120 to 240 feet high... Indeed the whole southern coast seems rising, the sea having at the Skeidará sands retired some miles Danish (each 4 English miles)."

†The volume on Iceland immediately above quoted (p. 359) says that the depth of volcanic sand in some of the valleys near Kötlugjá was four to six feet.

of the land, which fluctuated like an agitated ocean, and the same earthquake-waves were propagated from the coasts outwards to sea, to the serious damage of the shipping. Henderson says (vol. i. p. 314,), "The inhabitants of the tract about Kötlugjá were first apprised of the impending catastrophe on the forenoon of the 17th of October by a number of quick and irregular tremifactions, which were followed by three immense floods from the jökul, that completely overflowed Myrdalssand, and carried before them almost incredible quantities of ice and gravel. Masses of ice, resembling small mountains in size, pushed one another forward, and bore vast pieces of solid rock on their surface. After the rocking had continued some time, an exceedingly loud report was heard, when fire and water were observed to be emitted alternately by the volcano, which appeared to vent its rage through three apertures situated close to each other. At times the column of fire was carried to such a height that it illuminated the whole of the surrounding atmosphere, and was seen at the distance of 180 miles; at other times the air was so filled with smoke and ashes that the adjacent parishes were enveloped in total darkness. Between these alternations of light and obscurity, vast red-hot globes were thrown to a great height, and broken into a thousand pieces. The following night presented one of the most awful and sublime spectacles imaginable. An unremitting noise, like that produced by the discharge of heavy artillery, was heard from the volcano. A fiery column of variegated hues rose into the atmosphere; flames and sparks were scattered in every direction, and blazed in the most vivid manner."

"The eruption continued with more or less violence till the 7th of November, during which period dreadful exundations of hot water were poured forth on the low country; and the masses of ice, clay, and solid rock, that they hurled into the sea, were so great that it was filled to the distance of more than fifteen miles; and in some places, where formerly it was forty fathoms deep, the tops of the newly deposited rocks were now seen towering above the water. A violent eruption happened again on the 17th of November, when the volcano remained inactive till the following year, during which it emitted fire. NEW SERIES.VOL. XIII. NO. I.-JAN. 1860.

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