This Desert Is Occupied Partly By Snow Mountains And Glaciers, Partly By Enormous Lava Streams, Partly By Undulating Plains Of Black Volcanic Sand, Shingle, And Loose Stones.

This region is of course without verdure, and entirely uninhabited.

The rocks are all of igneous origin, but of very different ages, traps, basalts, amygdaloids, tufas, ochres, and porous lavas. The number of active volcanoes is, at present, not great, but hot springs and mud volcanoes testify to the existence of volcanic action along a line running from the extreme south west at Cape Reykjanes to the north coast near Husavik. The only recent well ascertained eruptions have been from Hecla, Aotlugja, Skaptar Vokul, and (in 1874-5) from the mountains to the south-east of Myratu Lake. The eruption of Skaptar in 1783 is the greatest anywhere on record in respect of the quantity of lava and ashes ejected. Earthquakes are not unfrequent. The greatest mountain group is the Vatna or Klofa Yokul, on the south coast, a mass of snow and ice covering many hundred square miles, and sending down prodigious glaciers which almost reach the sea. From one of these a torrent issues, little more than a hundred yards long, and a mile and a half broad. The line of perpetual snow ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. The loftiest summits of this great mountain mass have never been ascended, but the highest point is believed to be the Orefa Yolcal, 6,405 feet. The other considerable peaks in different parts of the island are Herdubreidr (an extinct volcano), 5,290 feet, Eyjafjalla Yokul, 5,579 feet, Snafels Yokul, 5,965 feet, and Hecla, 5,095 feet.]

SECTIO SEPTIMA.

[Sidenote: Frisius. Munst.] Montis Hecla flamma nec stuppam lucernarum luminibus aptissimam adurit, neque aqua extinguitur: Eoque impetu, quo apud nos machinis bellicis, globi eijciuntur, illinc lapides magni in aera emittuntur, ex frigoris & ignis & sulphuris commixtione. Is locus a quibusdam putatur carcer sordidarum animarum. Item Zieglerus. Is locos est carcer sordidarum animarum.

Nec stuppam adurit.) Vnde habeant Scriptores, non satis conijcitur. Hac enim nostris hominibus prorsus ignota, nec hic vnquam, nisi prodidissent illi, audita fuissent. Nemo enim est apud nos tam temeraria curiositatis, vt huius rei periculum, ardente monte, facere ansit, vel quod scire licuit, vnquam ausis fuerit. Quod tamen Munsterus asserit. Qui, inquit, naturam tanti incendij contemplari cupiunt, & ob id ad montem propius accedunt, eos vna aliqua vorago viuos absorbet &c. Qua res, vt dixi, nostra genti est ignota prorsus. Exstat tamen liber veteri Noruagorum lingua scriptus, in quo terrarum, aquarum, ignis, aeris, &c. miracula aliquot confusa reperias, pauca vera, plurima vana & falsa. Vnde facile apparet, a Sophis quibusdam, si dijs placet, in Papatu olim esse conscriptum: [Sidenote: Speculum Regale.] Speculum Regale nomen dederunt, propter vanissima mendacia, quibus totus, sed plarumque sub religionis & pietatis pratextu (quo difficilius est fucum agnoscere) scatet speculum minime regale, sed Anile & Irregulare. In hoc speculo figmenta quadam de Hecla incendio, his qua nunc tractamus non multum dissimilia, habentur, nullo experimento magis quam hac stabilita, ideoque explodenda.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 144 of 243
Words from 75555 to 76056 of 127955