When they returned to Norway in the following Spring, Floke, and thofe that had been with him, made a very different defcription of the country. Floke defcribed it as a wretched place; while one of his companions, named Thorulfr, praised it fo highly, that he affirmed butter dropped from every plant; which extravagant commendation procured him the name of Thorulfr-fmior, or Butter-Thorulfr.

From this time there are no accounts of any voyages to Iceland, till Ingolfr and his friend Leifr undertook one in 874. They spent the winter on the island, and determined to fettle there for the future. Ingolfr returned to Norway, to provide whatever might be neceffary for the comfortable establishment of a colony, and Leifr in the mean time went to affift in the war in England. After an interval of four years, they again met in Iceland, the one bringing with him a confiderable number of people, with the neceffary tools and inftruments for making the country habitable; and the other imported his acquired treasures. After this period many people went there to fettle; and, in the fpace of 60 years, the whole island was inhabited. The tyranny of Harold king of Norway contributed not a little to the population of Iceland; and fo great was the emigration of his fubjects, that he was at laft obliged to iffue an order, that no one fhould fail from Norway to Iceland without paying four ounces of fine filver to the king.

Befides the Norwegians, new colonies arrived from different nations, between whom wars foon commenced; and the Icelandic hiftories are full of the accounts of their battles. To prevent these conflicts for the future, a kind of chief was chofen in 928, upon whom great powers were conferred. This man was the fpeaker in all their public deliberations; pronounced fentence in difficult and intricate cafes; decided all disputes; and published new laws, after they had been received and approved of by the people at large: but he had no power to make laws without the approbation and confent of the reft. He therefore affembled the chiefs, whenever the circumstances seemed to require it; and, after they had deliberated among themselves, he reprefented the opinion of the majority to the people, whofe affent was neceffary before it could be confidered as a law. His authority among the chiefs and leaders, however, was inconfiderable, as he was chofen by them, and retained his place no longer than while he preferved their confidence.

This inftitution did not prove fufficient to reftrain the turbulent spirit of the Icelanders. They openly waged war with each other; and, by their inteftine conflicts, fo weakened all parties, that the whole became at laft a prey to a few arbitrary and enterprising men; who, as is too generally the cafe, wantonly abused their power to the oppreffion of their countrymen, and the difgrace of humanity. Notwithstanding thefe troubles, however, the Icelanders remained free from a foreign yoke till 1261; when the greateft part of them put themselves under the protection of Hakans king of Norway, promifing to pay him tribute upon

7

At the firft fettlement of the Norwegians in Iceland, Manners, they lived in the fame manner as they had done in their &c. of the own country, namely, by war and piracy. Their Icelanders fituation with regard to the kings of Norway, however, foon obliged them to apply to other states, in order to learn as much of the nowledge of government and politics as was neceffary to preferve their colony from fubjugation to a foreign yoke. For this purpose they often failed to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, England, and Scotland. The travellers, at their return, were obliged to give an account to their chiefs of the ftate of thofe kingdoms through which they paffed. For this reafon, hiftory, and what related to science, was held in high repute as long as the republican form of government lafted; and the great number of hiftories to be met with in the country, fhow at least the defire of the Icelanders to be inttructed. To fecure themfelves, therefore, againft their powerful neighbours, they were obliged to enlarge their hiftorical knowledge, They likewife took great pains in ftudying perfectly their own laws, for the maintenance and protection of their internal fecurity. Thus Iceland, at a time when ignorance and obfcurity overwhelmed the rest of Europe, was enabled to produce a confiderable number of poets and hiftorians. When the Chriftian religion was introduced about the end of the 10th century, more were found converfant in the law than could have been expected, confidering the extent of the country, and the number of its inhabitants. Fifhing was fol lowed among them; but they devoted their attention confiderably more to agriculture, which has fince entirely ceased.

Two things have principally contributed towards producing a great change both in their character and way of life, viz. the progrefs of the Christian religion, and their subjection firft to Norway, and afterwards to Denmark. For if religion, on one fide, commanded them to defift from their ravages and warlike expedi tions; the fecular power, on the other, deprived them of the neceffary forces for the execution of them: and, fince this time, we find no farther traces of their heroic deeds, except thofe which are preferved in their histories.

The modern Icelanders apply themselves to fishing and breeding of cattle. They are middle-fized and well made, though not very strong; and the women are in general ill-featured. Vices are much lefs common among them, than in other parts where luxury and riches have corrupted the morals of the people. Though their poverty difables them from imitating

wadmal, and reaches down to the ankles. Round the Iceland, top of it is a girdle of filver or fome other metal, to which they faften the apron, which is also of wadmal, and ornamented at top with buttons of chafed filver. Over all this they wear an upper drefs nearly refembling that of the Swedish peasants; with this difference, that it is wider at bottom: this is close at the neck and wrists, and a hand's-breadth shorter than the petticoat. It is adorned with a facing down to the bottom, which looks like cut velvet, and is generally wove by the Icelandic women. On their fingers they wear gold, filver, or brafs rings. Their head-drefs confifts of feveral cloths wrapped round the head almoft as high again as the face. It is tied faft with a handkerchief, and ferves more for warmth than ornament. Girls are not allowed to wear this head dress till they are marriageable. At their weddings they are adorned in a very particular manner: the bride wears, close to the face, round her head dress, a crown of filver gilt. She has two chains round her neck, one of which hangs down very low before, and the other refts on her fhoulders. Befides thefe, she wears a leffer chain, from whence generally hangs a little heart, which may be opened to put fome kind of perfume in it. This dress is worn by all the Icelandic women without exception: only with this difference, that the poorer fort have it of coarfe wadmal, with ornaments of brass; and those that are in cafier circumftances have it of broad cloth, with filver ornaments gilt.

Iceland. the hofpitality of their ancestors in all refpects, yet they continue to fhow their inclination to it: they cheerfully give away the little they have to fpare, and express the utmost joy and satisfaction if you are pleafed with their gift. They are uncommonly obliging and faithful, and extremely attached to government. They are very zealous in their religion. An Icelander never paffes a river or any other dangerous place, without previously taking off his hat, and imploring the divine protection; and he is always thankful for the protection of the Deity when he has paffed the danger in fafety. They have an inexpreffible attachment to their native country, and are nowhere fo happy. An Icelander therefore rarely fettles in Copenhagen, though ever fuch advantageous terms should be offered him. On the other hand, we cannot afcribe any great induftry or ingenuity to these people. They work on in the way to which they have all along been accuftomed, without thinking of improvements. They are not cheerful in conversation, but fimple and credulous; and have no aversion against a bottle, if they can find an opportunity. When they meet together, their chief paftime confifts in reading their hiftory. The mafter of the house makes the beginning, and the reft continue in their turns when he is tired. Some of them know these ftories by heart; others have them in print, and others in writing. Befides this, they are great players at chefs and cards, but only for their amufement, fince they never play for money: which, however, seems to have been formerly in ufe among them; fince, by one of their old laws, a fine is impofed upon those who play for money.

8

Their drefs.

The modern Icelanders have made very little alte ration in their drefs from what was formerly in ufe. The men all wear a linen fhirt next to the skin, with a fhort jacket, and a pair of wide breeches over it. When they travel, another fhort coat is put over all. The whole is made of coarse black cloth, called wadmal; but fome wear clothes of a white colour. On their head they wear large three-cornered hats, and on their feet Iceland fhoes and worfted ftockings. Some of them indeed have fhoes from Copenhagen; but, as they are rather too dear for them, they generally make their own fhoes, fometimes of the hide of oxen, but more frequently of fheep's leather. They make them by cutting a square piece of leather, rather wider than the length of the foot; this they few up at the toes and behind at the heel, and tie it on with leather thongs. These fhoes are convenient enough where the country is level; but it would be very difficult for us who are not accustomed to walk with them amongst the Jocks and ftones, though the Icelanders do it with great ease.

The women are likewife dreffed in black wadmal. They wear a bodice over their fhifts, which are fewed up at the bofom; and above this a jacket laced before with long narrow fleeves reaching down to the wrifts. In the opening on the fide of the fleeve, they have buttons of chafed filver, with a plate fixed to each button; on which the lover, when he buys them in order to prefent them to his mistress, takes care to have his name engraved along with hers. At the top of the jacket a little black collar is fixed, of about three inches broad, of velvet or filk, and frequently trimmed with gold cord. The petticoat is likewife of

The houses of the Icelanders are very indifferent, House. but the worst are faid to be on the fouth fide of the inland. In fome parts they are built of drift-wood, in others of lava, almoft in the fame manner as the ftonewalls we make for inclosures, with moss stuffed between the pieces of lava. In fome houses the walls are wainscotted on the infide. The roof is covered with fods, laid over rafting, or sometimes over the ribs of whales; the walls are about three yards high, and the entrance fomewhat lower. Inftead of glass, the windows are made of the chorion and amnios of fheep, or the membranes which furround the womb of the ewe. These are stretched on a hoop, and laid over a hole in the roof. In the poorer fort of houfes they employ for the windows the inner membrane of the ftomach of animals, which is less transparent than the others.

10

As the island of Iceland produces no kind of grain, Dict the inhabitants of consequence have no bread but what is imported; and which being too dear for common ufe, is referved for weddings and other entertainments. The following lift of their viands is taken from Troil's Letters.

66

1. Flour of fialgras, (lichen iflandicus, or rockgrafs. The plant is firft washed, and then cut into fmall pieces by fome; though the greater number dry it by fire or in the fun, then put it into a bag in which it is well beaten, and laftly work it into a flour by ftamping.

"2. Flour of komfyrg, (polygonum biftorta), is prepared in the fame manner, as well as the two other forts of wild corn melur (Arundo arenaria, and Arundo foliorum lateribus convolutis), by feparating it from the chaff, pounding, and laftly grinding it.

"3. Surt fmoer, (four butter). The Icelanders feldom make ufe of fresh or falt butter, but let it grow M 2

four

Iceland, four before they eat it. In this manner it may be kept for 20 years, or even longer; and the Icelanders look upon it as more wholesome and palatable than the butter ufed among other nations. It is reckoned bet ter the older it grows; and one pound of it then is va. lued as much as two of fresh butter.

66

3. String, or whey boiled to the confiftence of four milk, and preferved for the winter.

"4. Fish of all kinds, both dried in the fun and in the air, and either falted or frozen. Those prepared in the laft manner are preferred by many.

"5. The flesh of bears, sheep, and birds, which is partly falted, partly hung or fmoked, and fome preferved in cafks with four or fermented whey poured over it.

"6. Mifeft, or whey boiled to cheese, which is very good. But the art of making other kinds of good cheese is loft, though fome tolerably palatable is fold in the east quarter of Iceland.

"7. Beina fring, bones and cartilages of beef and mutton, and likewife bones of cod, boiled in whey till they are quite diffolved; they are then left to ferment, and are eat with milk,

"8. Skyr. The curds from which the whey is fqueezed are preferved in casks or other veffels; they are fometimes mixed with black crow-berries or juniper berries, and are likewife eat with new milk.

9. Syra, is four whey kept in cafks, and left to ferment; which, however, is not reckoned fit for ufe till a year old.

10. Blanda, is a liquor made of water, to which a twelfth part of fyra is added. In winter, it is mixed with the juice of thyme and of the black crowberries..

"1. They likewife eat many vegetables, fome of which grow wild, and fome are cultivated; alfo fhellfish and mushrooms."

The Icelanders in general eat three meals a day, at feven in the morning, two in the afternoon, and nine at night. In the morning and evening they commonly eat curds mixed with new milk, and fometimes with juniper or crow berries. In fome parts, they alfo have pottage made of rock-grafs, which is very palatable, or curdled milk boiled till it becomes of a red colour, or new milk boiled a long time. At dinner, their food confifts of dried fish, with plenty of four butter; they alfo fometimes eat fresh fish, and, when poffible, a little bread and cheese with them. It is reported by fome, that they do not eat any fifh till it is quite rotten; this report perhaps proceeds from their being fond of it when a little tainted: they however frequently eat fish which is quite fresh, though, in the fame manner as the rest of their food, often without falt.

Their common beverage is milk, either warm from the cow or cold and fometimes boiled: they likewife ufe butter-milk with or without water. On the coafts they generally drink blanda and four milk; which is fold after it is fkimmed at two-fifths of a rixdollar per cafk: : fome likewife fend for beer from Copenhagen, and fome brew their own. A few of the princi. pal inhabitants also have claret and coffee. The common people fometimes drink a kind of tea, which they make from the leaves of the dryas octopetala, and the veronica officinalis,

ment, m3.

On the coafts the men employ themselves in fish. Iceland, ing, both fummer and winter, On their return home, when they have drawn and cleaned their fish, they give them to their wives, whofe care it is to dry them. In Employ the winter, when the inclemency of the weather pre-nufactures, vents them from fishing, they are obliged to take care &c. of their cattle, and fpin wool. In fummer, they mow the grafs, dig turf, provide fuel, go in search of sheep and goats that were gone aftray, and kill cattle. They prepare leather with the Spiraca ulmaria instead of bark. Some few work in gold and filver; and others are inftructed in mechanics, in which they are tolerable proficients. The women prepare the fish, take care of the cattle, manage the milk and wool, few, fpin, and gather eggs and down. When they work in the evening, they ufe, inftead of an hour-glafs, a lamp with a wick made of epilobium dipt in train oil, which is contrived to burn four, fix, or eight hours.

Among the common people of Iceland, time is not reckoned by the courfe of the fun, but by the work they have done, and which is prefcribed by law. According to this prescription, a man is to mow as much hay in one day as grows on 30 fathoms of manured foil, or 40 fathoms of land which has not been manured; or he is to dig 700 pieces of turf eight feet long and three broad. If as much fnow falls as reaches to the horses bellies, a man is required daily to clear a piece of ground fufficient for 100 fheep, A woman is to rake together as much hay as three men can mow, or to weave three yards of wadmal a-day.

The wages of a man are fixed at four dollars and 12 yards of wadmal; and those of a woman at two dollars and five yards of wadmal. When men are fent a-fishing out of the country, there is allowed to each man, by law, from the 25th of September to the 14th of May, fix pounds of butter, and 18 pounds of dried fish every week. This may feem to be too great an allowance; but it must be remembered that they have nothing elfe to live upon. When they are at home, and can get milk, &c. every man receives only five pounds of dried fish and three quarters of a pound of butter a-week.

12

The food and manner of life of the Icelanders by no Difeafes means contribute to their longevity. It is very rare indeed to fee an inhabitant of Iceland exceed the age of 50 or 60; and the greater part are attacked by grievous difeafes before middle age. Of thefe the fcurvy and elephantiafis or leprofy are the worit. They are alfo fubject to the gout in their hands, owing to their frequent employment in fishing, and handling the wet fishing tackle in cold weather. St Anthony's fire, the jaundice, pleurify, and lownefs of fpirits, are frequent complaints in this country. The imall pox. alfo is exceedingly fatal, and not long ago destroyed 16,000 perfons. By these diseases, and the frequent famines with which the country has been afflicted, the inhabitants are reduced to a much smaller number than they formerly were, infomuch that it is computed they do not in all exceed 60,000.

13

The exports of Iceland confift of dried fish, falted Commerce mutton and lamb, beef, butter, tallow, train-oil, and recoarfe woollen cloth, ftockings, gloves, raw wool, venue. sheep skins, lamb-fkins, fox-furs of various colours, eider down, feathers, and formerly fulphur; but there is

Krafle. The fiery ftream took its courfe towards Iceland. Myvatu, and ran into it with an horrid noife, which continued till the year 1730.

Iceland. no longer a demand for this mineral. On the other hand, the Icelanders import timber, fishing lines and hooks, tobacco, bread, horfe-fhoes, brandy, wine, salt, finen, a little filk, and a few other neceffaries, as well as fuperfluities for the better fort. The whole trade of Iceland is engroffed by a monopoly of Danes, indulged with an exclufive charter. This company maintains factories at all the harbours of Iceland, where they exchange their foreign goods for the merchandize of the country; and as the balance is in favour of the Icelanders, pay the overplus in Danish money, which is the only current coin in this ifland. All their accounts and payments are adjusted according to the number of fish: two pounds of fish are worth two fkillings in fpecie, and 48 fish amount to one rixdollar. A Danish crown is computed at 30 fish what falls under the value of 12 th cannot be paid in money; but must be bartered either for fifh or roll-tobacco, an ell of which is equal to one fifh. The weights and meafures of the Icelanders are nearly the fame with those used in Denmark. The Icelan ders being neither numerous nor warlike, and altogether unprovided with arms, ammunition, garrifons, or fleets, are in no condition to defend themselves from invafion, but depend entirely on the protection of his Danish majefty, to whom they are fubject. The re venues which he draws from this ifland confift of the income of divers eftates, as royal demefne, amounting to about 8000 dollars per annum; of the money paid by the company for an exclufive trade, to the value of 20,000 dollars; and of a fixed proportion in the tythes of fith paid in fome particular diftricts.

14 Volcanoes

Iceland is noted for the volcanoes with which it of Iceland. abounds, as already mentioned, and which feem to be more furious than any yet difcovered in the other parts of the globe. Indeed, from the latest accounts, it would feem that this miferable country were little other than one continued volcano. Mount Hecla has been commonly fuppofed to be the only burning mountain, or at leaft the principal one, in the island:. (fee HECLA). It has indeed been more taken notice of than many others of as great extent, partly from its having had more frequent eruptions than any fingle one, and partly from its fituation, which expofes it to the fight of fhips failing to Greenland and North America. But in a litt of eruptions published in the appendix to Pennant's Arctic Zoology, it appears, that out of 51. remarkable ones, only one third have proceeded from Hecla, the other mountains it feems being no lefs active in the work of deftruction than this celebrated one. Thefe eruptions take place in the mountains covered with ice, which the inhabitants call Jokuls. Some of thefe, as appears from a large map of Iceland made by order of his Danish Majefty in 1734, have been fwallowed up. Probably the great lakes met with in this country may have been occafioned by the finking of fuch mountains, as feveral iaftances of a fimilar nature are to be met with in other parts of the world. The great Icelandic lake called Mywatu may probably have been one. Its bottom is entirely formed of lava, divided by deep cracks, which fhelter during winter the great quantity of trouts which inhabit this lake. It is now only to feet deep; but originally was much deeper; being nearly filled up in the year 1728 by an eruption of the great mountain

"The mountains of Iceland (fays Mr Pennant) are of two kinds, primitive and pofterior. The former confift of ftrata ufually regular, but fometimes confufed. They are formed of different forts of tone without the leaft appearance of fire. Some are compofed of fand and free ftone, petrofilex or chirt, flaty or fiffile ftone, and various kinds of earth or bole, and steatitæ ; different forts of breccia or conglutinated stones; jafpers of different kinds, Iceland cryftal; the common rhomboid fpathum, chalcedonies stratified, and botryoid; zeolites of the most elegant kinds; cryftals, and various other fubfiances that have no relation to vol canoes. These primitive mountains are thofe called Jokuls, and are higher than the others. One of them, cailed fian or Rias, is 6000 feet high. It seems to be compofed of great and irregular rocks of a dark grey colour, piled on each other. Another, called Enneberg, is about 3000 feet high; the Snafeld Jokul, 2287 yards; the Snæfieldnas or promontory of Snafield is from 300 to 400 fathoms. Hornfrand or the coast by the north Cape Nord is very high, from 300 to 400 fathoms. The rocks of Drango are feven in number, ofa pyramidal figure, rifing out of the fea at a fmall ditance from the cliffs, four of which are of a vaft height, and have a mott magnificent appearance.

Eastward from the Snafield begins the Eifberge, foaring to a vaft height; many parts of which have felt the effects of fire, and in fome of the melted rocks. are large cavities. Budda-lekkur, a rock at one end of this mountain, is alfo volcanic, and has in it a great cavern hung with stalactita. The name of Solvahamar is given to a tremendous range of volcanic rocks, compofed entirely of flags, and covered in the season with fea-fowl. It would be endless, however, to mention all the places which bear the marks of fire in various forms, either by having been vitrified, changed into a fiery colour, ragged and black, or bear the marks of having run for miles in a floping courfe towards the fea."

Thefe volcanoes, though fo dreadful in their effects,, seldom begin to throw out fire without giving warning. A fubterraneous rumbling noise heard at a confiderable diftance, as in other volcanoes, precedes the erup tion for feveral days, with a roaring and cracking in the place from whence the fire is about to burst forth; many fiery meteors are obferved, but generally unat tended with any violent concuffion of the earth, though fometimes earthquakes, of which feveral inftances are recorded, have accompanied thefe dreadful conflagrations. The drying up of fmall lakes, ftreams, and rivulets, is alfo confidered as a fign of an impending eruption; and it is thought to hatten the eruption when a mountain is fo covered with ice, that the holes are ftopped up through which the exhalations formerly found a free paffage. The immediate fign is the bursting of the mass of ice with a dreadful noise; flaines then iffue forth from the earth, and lightning and fire balls from the fmoke; ftones, alhes, &c. are thrown out to vaft diftances. Egbert Olaffsen relates,. that, in an eruption of Kattle giau in 1755, a ftone: weighing 290 pounds was thrown to the diftance of 24. English miles. A quantity of white pumice stone is, 4+

thrown

Iceland. thrown up by the boiling waters; and it is conjectured with great probability, that the latter proceeds from the fea, as a quantity of falt, fufficient to load feveral horfes, has frequently been found after the mountain has ceafed to burn.

To enumerate the ravages of fo many dreadful volcanoes, which from time immemorial have contributed to render this dreary country ftill lefs habitable 15 than it is from the climate, would greatly exceed our The coun- limits. It will be fufficient to give an account of that try almoft which happened in 1783, and which from its violence defolated by an erupfeems to have been unparalleled in history. tion in 1783.

Its fiift figns were observed on the ift of June by a trembling of the earth in the western part of the province of Shapterfall. It increased gradually to the 11th, and became at laft fo great that the inhabitants quitted their houses, and lay at night in tents on the ground. A continual fmoke or team was perceived rifing out of the earth in the northern and uninhabited parts of the country. Three fire Spouts, as they were called, broke out in different places, one in Ulfarfdal, a little to the east of the river Skapta; the other two were a little to the weftward of the river called Ilwerfisfliot. The river Skapta takes its rife in the northeaft, and running firft weftward, it turns to the fouth, and falls into the fea in a foutheast direction. Part of its channel is confined for about 24 English miles in length, and is in fome places 200 fathoms deep, in others 100 or 150, and its breadth in fome places 100, 50, or 40 fathoms. Along the whole of this part of its course the river is very rapid, though there are no confiderable cataracts or falls. There are feveral other fuch confined channels in the country, but this is the most confiderable.

The three fire-spouts, or ftreams of lava, which had broke out, united into one, after having risen a confiderable height into the air, arriving at last at fuch an amazing altitude as to be feen at the diftance of more than 200 English miles; the whole country, for double that diftance, being covered with a smoke or fteam not to be described.

On the 8th of June this fire firft became vifible. Vaft quantities of fand, afhes, and other volcanic matters were ejected, and scattered over the country by the wind, which at that time was very high. The atmosphere was filled with fand, brimftone, and ashes, in fuch a manner as to occafion continual darkness; and confiderable damage was done by the pumice flones which fell, red hot, in great quantities. Along with these a tenacious fubftance like pitch fell in valt quantity; fometimes rolled up like balls, at other times like rings or garlands, which proved no lefs deftructive to vegetation than the other. This fhower having continued for three days, the fire became very vifible, and at last arrived at the amazing height already mentioned. Sometimes it appeared in a continued ftream, at others in flashes or flames feen at the diftance of 30 or 40 Danish miles (180 or 24c of ours), with a continual noife like thunder, which lafted the whole fummer.

The fame day that the fire broke out there fell a aft quantity of rain, which running in ftreams on the hot ground tore it up in large quantities, and brought it down upon the lower lands. This rain water was much impregnated with acid and other falts, so as to be

highly corrofive, and occafion a painful fenfation when Iceland. it fell on the hands or face. At a greater diftance from the fire the air was exceffively cold. Snow lay upon the ground three feet deep in fome places; and in others there fell great quantities of hail, which did very much damage to the cattle and every thing without doors. Thus the grafs and every kind of vegetation in thofe places neareft the fire was deftroyed, being covered with a thick cruft of fulphureous and footy matter. Such a quantity of vapour was raised by the conteft of the two adverse elements, that the fun was darkened and appeared like blood, the whole face of nature feeming to be changed; and this obfcurity feems to have reached as far as the island of Britain; for during the whole fummer of 1783, an obfcurity reigned throughout all parts of this island; the atmosphere appearing to be covered with a continual haze, which prevented the fun from appearing with his ufual splendor.

The dreadful scene above defcribed lafted in Iceland for several days; the whole country was laid waste, and the inhabitants fled every where to the remoteft parts of their miserable country, to seek for safety from the fury of this unparalleled tempeft.

On the first breaking out of the fire, the river Skapta was confiderably augmented, on the eaft fide of which one of the fire fpouts was fituated; and a fimilar overflow of water was obferved at the fame time in the great river Piorfa, which runs into the fea a little to the eastward of a town called Orrebakka, and into which another river called Tuna, after having run through a large tract of barren and uncultivated land, empties itself. But on the 11th of June the waters of the Skapta were leffened, and in lefs than 24 hours totally dried up. The day following, a prodigious ftream of liquid and red-hot lava, which the fire-spout had discharged, ran down the channel of the river. This burning torrent not only filled up the deep channel above mentioned, but, overflowing the banks of it, fpread itself over the whole valley, covering all the low grounds in its neighbourhood; and not having any fufficient outlet to empty itself by, it rose to a vaft height, fo that the whole adjacent country was overflowed, infinuating itself between the hills, and covering fome of the lower ones. The hills here are not continued in a long chain or feries, but are feparated from one another, and detached, and between them run little rivulets or brooks; fo that, befides filling up the whole valley in which the river Skapta ran, the fiery ftream spread itself for a confiderable diftance on each fide, getting vent between the above mentioned hills, and laying all the neighbouring country under fire.

The fpouts ftill continuing to fupply fresh quantities of inflamed matter, the lava took its courfe up the channel of the river, overflowing all the grounds above, as it had done those below the place whence it iffued. The river was dried up before it, until at last it was ftopped by the hill whence the Skapta takes its rife. Finding now no proper outlet, it rofe to a prodigious height, and overflowed the village of Buland, confuming the houses, church, and every thing that flood in its way; though the high ground on which this village ftood feemed to enfure it from any danger of this kind.

The