am, but several of them were
burnt before they could escape. The whole mountain was enveloped in
clouds of volcanic ashes and vapors. The rivers near the lava currents
became so hot as to kill the fish, and to be impassable even on
horseback.

About a fortnight later there was a fresh eruption, of greater violence,
which lasted twenty-two hours, and was accompanied by detonations so
loud as to be heard over the whole island. Two new craters were formed,
one on the southern, the other on the eastern slope of the cone. The
lava issuing from these craters flowed to a distance of more than
twenty-two miles. At about two miles from its source the fiery stream
was a mile wide, and from 40 to 50 feet deep. It destroyed a large
extent of fine pasture and many cattle. Nearly a month later, on the
15th of October, a fresh flood of lava burst from the southern crater,
and soon heaped up a mass at the foot of the mountain from 40 to 60 feet
in height, three great columns of vapor, dust and ashes rising at
the same time from the three new craters of the volcano. The mountain
continued in a state of greater or less activity during most of the
next year; and even as late as the month of October, 1846, after a brief
pause, it began again with renewed vehemence. The volumes of dust, ashes
and vapor, thrown up from the craters, and brightly illuminated by the
glowing lava beneath, assumed the appearance of flames, and ascended to
an immense height.

ELECTRIC PHENOMENA

Among the stones tossed out of the craters was one large mass of pumice
weighing nearly half a ton, which was carried to a distance of between
four and five miles. The rivers were flooded by the melting of ice
and snow which had accumulated on the mountain. The greatest mischief
wrought by these successive eruptions was the destruction of the
pasturages, which were for the most part covered with volcanic ashes.
Even where left exposed, the herbage acquired a poisonous taint which
proved fatal to the cattle, inducing among them a peculiar murrain.
Fortunately, owing to the nature of the district through which the lava
passed, there was on this occasion no loss of human life.

The Icelandic volcanoes are remarkable for the electric phenomena which
they produce in the atmosphere. Violent thunder-storms, with showers
of rain and hail, are frequent accompaniments of volcanic eruptions
everywhere; but owing to the coldness and dryness of the air into which
the vapors fr