of the European continent, obscuring the sun and
giving the sky a gray and gloomy aspect. In certain respects they
reproduced the phenomena of the explosion of Mount Krakatoa, which,
singularly, occurred just a century later, in 1883. The strange red
sunset phenomena of the latter were reproduced by this Icelandic event
of the eighteenth century.

Out of the 50,000 persons who then inhabited Iceland, 9,336 perished,
together with 11,460 head of cattle, 190,480 sheep and 28,000 horses.
This dreadful destruction of life was caused partly by the direct action
of the lava currents, partly by the noxious vapors they emitted, partly
by the floods of water, partly by the destruction of the herbage by the
falling ashes, and lastly in consequence of the desertion of the coasts
by the fish, which formed a large portion of the food of the people.

ERUPTION OF MOUNT HECLA

After this frightful eruption, no serious volcanic disturbance took
place in Iceland until 1845, when Mount Hecla again became disastrously
active. Mount Hecla has been the most frequent in its eruptions of any
of the Icelandic volcanoes. Previous to 1845 there had been twenty-two
recorded eruptions of this mountain, since the discovery of Iceland
in the ninth century; while from all the other volcanoes in the island
there had been only twenty during the same period. Hecla has more than
once remained in activity for six years at a time--a circumstance that
has rendered it the best known of the volcanoes of this region.

LATER OUTBREAKS

After enjoying a long rest of seventy-nine years, this volcano burst
again into violent activity in the beginning of September, 1845. The
first inkling of this eruption was conveyed to the British Islands by
a fall of volcanic ashes in the Orkneys, which occurred on the night
of September 2nd during a violent storm. This palpable hint was
soon confirmed by direct intelligence from Copenhagen. On the 1st
of September a severe earthquake, followed the same night by fearful
subterranean noises, alarmed the inhabitants and gave warning of what
was to come. About noon the next day, with a dreadful crash, there
opened in the sides of the volcano two new mouths, whence two great
streams of glowing lava poured forth. They fortunately flowed down the
northern and northwestern sides of the mountain, where the low grounds
are mere barren heaths, affording a scanty pasture for a few sheep.
These were driven before the fiery stre