"The mountain continued to burn night and day, from the 8th of August, as already mentioned, till the beginning of summer, in the month of April the following year, at which time the stones were still so hot, that they could not be touched; and it did not cease to emit smoke till near the end of summer. Some of them had been completely calcined; some were black and full of holes; and others were so loose in their contexture, that one could blow through them. On the first day of summer 1728, I went in company with a person of quality to examine the cracks in the mountain, the most of which were so large that we could creep into them. I found here a quantity of saltpetre, and could have collected it, but did not choose to stay long in the excessive heat. At one place, a heavy calcined stone lay across a large aperture; and as it rested on a small basis, we easily dislodged it into the chasm, but could not observe the least sign of its having reached the bottom. These are the more remarkable particulars that have occurred to me with respect to this mountain; and thus God hath led me through fire and water, and brought me, through much trouble and adversity, to my eightieth year. To Him be the honour, the praise, and the glory for ever." Pp. 602— 607.

As those who live in the vicinity of the volcano, had heard a number of Yöklahliod, i. c. reports in the Yökul this summer, they were living in the apprehension that a fresh revolution was at hand; such crackings and reports being considered as precursors of the calamitous event. It seems, however, more probable, that they were occasioned merely by the disruption of certain parts of the ice, in virtue of its own weight; especially as it has made considerable approximations towards the plain since last winter. It was my intention to have rode up to the foot of the mountain, and visited the present incumbent of Sandfell, but having been apprised of his absence from home, I pursued my course over a long tract of ashes and sand, which was ultimately relieved by a morass, that appeared to have the same materials for its foundation. The farm of Skaftafell, lying on

the brow of a hill, was conspicuous at a distance, but we were benighted before we got within three miles of it, and had two formidable rivers to cross, the one of which, though not so broad, had nearly as rapid a current as that of the river on Breidamark-sand. After we had rode some time in the direction in which the house had appeared while it was light, we came to the eastern bank of the roaring Skeiderâ, and entered a deep gulley to the right, but were instantly arrested by a steep hill, which debarred all further progress. Surrounded as we were, on every hand, by Yökuls and Yökul rivers, enveloped in darkness, and not being able to find any pass by which we might extricate ourselves, we began to feel our situation very unpleasant, and it is difficult to say what alternative we would have chosen, had we not been most agreeably relieved in the midst of our perplexity by a dog which "howled from the hut of the hill," at the distance of not more than a stone-cast above us. Never shall I forget the joyful emotion that started in my breast on this occasion; and while I meditate on the occur rence, I am more than ever convinced that there is no such thing as chance under the government of God, and that all things, whether animate or inanimate, rational or irrational, are the subjects of his influence, though the mode of that influence be hidden from us, and contribute, each in its place, and according to the nature with which he hath endowed it, to the advancement of his infinitely wise and gracious designs.

On the 10th, we had a continuation of the same clear and favourable weather we had enjoyed the whole of the week. As one of the baggage-horses had gone astray in the night, I had plenty of time on my hand, and ascended the mountain behind Skaftafell, in the hopes of being able to command a prospect of the ice-mountains in the interior; but after I had, with considerable exertion, reached the summit, I had the disappointment to find, that a long ridge of rugged pointed cliffs intercepted the view in that direction. However, I had no reason to regret my toil, for I had still a noble and magnificent exhibition of the east country Yö

kuls. To the south-east, rose the Öræfu Yökul, vying in splendour and altitude with the meridian sun. From the regions of perpetual snow, descended the glaciers of Sandfell, Svinafell, and Skaftafell, the smaragdine appearance of whose base had the most vivid and enchanting effect. The flat sandy country in front, was beautifully divided by the multifarious branches of the Skeiderâ, which has its egress close by, and pours an immense quantity of water into the main. Below me, to the right, lay the broad Skeiderá Yökul, over which, towards the north, appeared the ice mountains in the vicinity of the Skapta volcano; while due west, beyond the dark projecting Lomagnupr, I could descry the lofty Eyafialla Yökul; to the north of which rose the aquaigneous volcano Kötlugiâ, whose tremendously yawning crater was distinctly visible. Behind Skaftafell lies a pretty extensive valley called Morár-dal, which has constituted a parish in former times; but it has been entirely depopulated by the encroachments of the surrounding ice, and is now remarkable for nothing but its stunted forest, consisting of mountain-ash, birch, and willows, and a hot spring, the water of which, however, is not hotter than to admit of a person's holding his hand in it without being scalded. Previous to the fourteenth century, the whole of the district, between this place and Breidamark-sand, formed a fertile and populous tract, under the denomination of Litla Herad, but has suffered so much from the effects of volcanic fury, that it now contains only eight farms, and well answers to its present name, Öræfi, or "the Desert."

Having got all ready, we left Skaftafell about noon, accompanied by the peasant, who had undertaken to guide us through the different rivers that lay in our way. Following him into the Skeiderâ, and proceeding in a zig-zag direction from one sand-bank to another, now fording the branches against the current, and now with it, we got across this dangerous river without much difficulty in somewhat less than an hour. On our right we had the Southern Skeiderâ Yökul, which in situation and size pretty much resembles that of Breidamark, only it is not so high. Being more