hereafter swell to a size too large to be restrained within its present limits, and, uniting with the Skaptaa itself, should at some future time rush forward with destruction commensurate to their violence. The Landbrotet, I should hope, will always be secure against these inundations; but, on the other hand, the Medalland is exposed to the greatest hazard, since, immediately to the north of it, large quantities of water have been dammed up by the lava, and these at the time of my visit were evidently increasing, and the several pools were uniting one with another. When we were at the farm of Stadarholt, in Medalland, in the morning of the 28th of July, we heard a loud noise and splashing, which arose from the falling of water within the lava. Taking it for granted, therefore, that the Skaptaa itself, together with the other confined waters, must in the course of time force a passage through the lava, it follows that they must either overflow Medalland, to the great injury of that district, or must precipitate themselves into the Kuda creek, which will consequently be rendered impassable for people on horse

back. The only apparent mode of crossing it therefore would be in boats or on rafts; for the union of the Skaptaa with the Kuda river, would not only make the body of water considerably increase in depth, but would also cause it to flow with a much stronger current than is the case at present, and thus, necessarily, render it impassable for horses. Even the expedient just mentioned might be attended with many difficulties; since the bed of the river consists of loose sand, which, by the force of the stream, is driven about, and formed here and there into large banks, over which it would not be found easy to pass with laden boats; especially when at the same time is taken into consideration the difficulty arising from the rapidity of the current. This, however, is stated merely on conjecture; and I am led into such remarks from the idea that these accumulated waters may force a passage at one or other of the two places just mentioned; there being no other obvious means by which they can make their escape. Nevertheless, as it is not given to man to penetrate into, or to anticipate, the hidden ope

rations of the Deity, so we must hope and expect that the best result will happen in this, as well as in all other cases, from the superintendance and direction of his allwise Providence.

§ XXIV.

It has been already remarked (§ xx1) that some branches of the Skaptaa, which formerly flowed through Landbrotet, as Gloppulækur, Vordulækur and Tungulækur, have, together with the parent fountain, been dried up. This district has not indeed sustained any great injury from the fire immediately; yet, nevertheless, since the disappearance of the Skaptaa, it is exposed to continual droughts, and may possibly in the course of time be totally Flying or drifted destroyed by the flying sands from the eastern country. It

sand.

is true it has always been subject to such disasters, but it had constantly in former cases great protection in the Skaptaa, which, by swallowing up the sand, prevented it from driving over to the western side, at least, in such a quantity as to effect any material damage. Now, on the contrary,

most of the farms in this district are in the greatest danger; and so imminent is the peril to which Kirkebai-cloister is stated to have been exposed, even during the last year, from the drift-sand, that in case of its being annually revisited by similar misfortunes, it will in the course of a very short period become uninhabitable. When I travelled through this district, in the month of July last, the grass, in a great part of the enclosed pastures, was covered with sand, and large heaps of drifted sand lay between the houses, as well as scattered over the adjacent country.

Phænomena

§ XXV.

Some of the The principal phænomena attendattending ing this eruption have been already

the fire.

described. The thick smoke which by day issued from those districts that had been burnt, and at night appeared like a flame of fire, was still to be perceived in the month of March last, arising here and there from the lava. Since that period, however, the smoke alone has appeared. Whilst lying in my tent at Kudafliot, I noticed, not without wonder, the innumerable columns of smoke

rising from the current of lava between Skaptartunga and Landbrot. These were particularly visible in three places towards the north, among the mountains; and I learned during my journey, that the most westerly arose from the channel of the Skaptaa, the eastern from the Hverfisfliot, and the middle ones from the source of the fire, and the district adjoining it. Beyond Skal our attention was excited by a very thick column, far surpassing all the others, which from this spot were to be seen rising by thousands, almost in a direct line with the burnt district towards the east, in forms innumerable and the most agreeable to the eye. Large bodies of smoke, together with some smaller columns, were issuing in various places from the eastern lava, near Fliotshverfet; but the smoke broke out in the greatest quantity between Nupar and Selialand, and also between Eystridal and Tholvardal, where the channel of the river had formerly been, and where, indeed, it might still be traced from the bay quite up to the place at which the river was first choked by the lava. Below this place the smoke appears to increase, contrary to what