150 OLAFSEN AND f>0VELSEN’S have not been able to resist its violence. The Sturlunga Saga, and many other of the Icelandic annals, assert that the lire has broken forth in this sj>ot; and that there have been extraordinary eruptions as often as five times in the thirteenth century, in con- sequence of which ancient and modern isles have successively appeared and disappeared in a manner as astonishing as dreadful. The fire broke out again in I4‘J2: but on its rage being ex- hausted, it remained tranquil till 1583; when, according to bishop Oddsen, it was seen for the last time at a great distance in the sea, by the crew of a ship that was passing. The opinion which vre have already hazarded as to the incre- dible force of the eruptions of the volcanoes in Iceland, receives additional weight and elucidation from what has just been stated; Inasmuch as that the sea itself may become the focus of great and terrible eruption s while it has such a remarkable communication with the, mountains on lard. ON THE PESTIFEROUS EFFECTS OF THE AIR. Ifth e two events which we are about to describe had not re- cently or-urn (1, and been witnessed by a number ot persons, they would not perhaps be ciedited. IT, < v the people attri- bute them to the . peration of evil spirits: an I for this they can- not be blamed; as the holy , scriptures all -rd them sufficient authority, and they are in want of that knowledge which would enable them to discover the natural causes of such accidents. The first is as follows: We learnt that three or four persons had dropped dead sud- denly on the coast of Vandlos-strand, to the south ol Hafnefiord, in the winter of 1753-4; some before, and others aitir Christ- mas: but particu arly on tlie estate called Landekot. The soil in this part is open and burnt; and we conjectured that it exhaled some vapours that were more pestilential than ordinary on account of the snbt. rt ancons sewers being blocked up by the snow and ice. In thefollow.ng winter the same accident happened to some others, and iu the third year the total number of persons suiioia.ed amounted to nineteen. The inhabitants now became so terri- fied that they talked of abandoning the canton, which was very po- pulous on account of the abundance of fish. As the persons dropped down while walking through the fields, suddenly gave a shriek and expired, the survivors believed that it was a punishment with which tlie Almighty had entrusted the evil genii; neverthe- less they w ere persuaded to remain there the fourth winter, though not without being in a panic of terror lest they should be afflicted with sudden death. But in that year no person died in the man- ner described, nor has any similar example occurred since. We vi- sited the spot in the summer of 1755, and observed that the soil was

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