letters from high latitudes-第14节

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　shone　cold　and　clear　against　the　sky。

Of　course　it　was　rather　tantalizing　to　pass　so　near　this　famous　burning　mountain　without　having　an　opportunity　of　ascending　it；　but　the　expedition　would　have　taken　up　too　much　time。　In　appearance　Hecla　differs　very　little　from　the　innumerable　other　volcanic　hills　with　which　the　island　is　studded。　Its　cone　consists　of　a　pyramid　of　stone　and　scoriae；　rising　to　the　height　of　about　five　thousand　feet；　and　welded　together　by　bands　of　molten　matter　which　have　issued　from　its　sides。　From　A。D。　1004　to　1766　there　have　been　twenty…three　eruptions；　occurring　at　intervals　which　have　varied　in　duration；　from　six　to　seventy…six　years。　The　one　of　1766　was　remarkably　violent。　It　commenced　on　the　5th　of　April　by　the　appearance　of　a　huge　pillar　of　black　sand　mounting　slowly　into　the　heavens；　accompanied　by　subterranean　thunders；　and　all　the　other　symptoms　which　precede　volcanic　disturbances。　Then　a　coronet　of　flame　encircled　the　crater；　masses　of　red　rock；　pumice；　and　magnetic　stones　were　flung　out　with　tremendous　violence　to　an　incredible　distance；　and　in　such　continuous　multitudes　as　to　resemble　a　swarm　of　bees　clustering　over　the　mountain。　One　boulder　of　pumice　six　feet　in　circumference　was　pitched　twenty　miies　away；　another　of　magnetic　iron　fell　at　a　distance　of　fifteen。　The　surface　of　the　earth　was　covered；　for　a　circuit　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　with　a　layer　of　sand　four　inches　deep；　the　air　was　so　darkened　by　it；　that　at　a　place　one　hundred　and　forty　miles　off；　white　paper　held　up　at　a　little　distance　could　not　be　distinguished　from　black。　The　fishermen　could　not　put　to　sea　on　account　of　the　darkness；　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　Orkney　islands　were　frightened　out　of　their　senses　by　showers　of　what　they　thought　must　be　black　snow。　On　the　9th　of　April；　the　lava　began　to　overflow；　and　ran　for　five　miles　in　a　southwesterly　direction；　whilst；　some　days　later；in　order　that　no　element　might　be　wanting　to　mingle　in　this　devil's　charivari；a　vast　column　of　water；　like　Robin　Hood's　second　arrow；　split　up　through　the　cinder　pillar　to　the　height　of　several　hundred　feet；　the　horror　of　the　spectacle　being　further　enhanced　by　an　accompaniment　of　subterranean　cannonading　and　dire　reports；　heard　at　a　distance　of　fifty　miles。

Striking　as　all　this　must　have　been；　it　sinks　into　comparative　tameness　and　insignificance；　beside　the　infinitely　more　terrible　phenomena　which　attended　the　eruption　of　another　volcano；　called　Skapta　jokul。

Of　all　countries　in　Europe；　Iceland　is　the　one　which　has　been　the　most　minutely　mapped；　not　even　excepting　the　ordnance　survey　of　Ireland。　The　Danish　Government　seem　to　have　had　a　hobby　about　it；　and　the　result　has　been　a　chart　so　beautifully　executed；　that　every　little　crevice；　each　mountain　torrent；　each　flood　of　lava；　is　laid　down　with　an　accuracy　perfectly　astonishing。　One　huge　blank；　however；　in　the　south…west　corner　of　this　map　of　Iceland；　mars　the　integrity　of　its　almost　microscopic　delineations。　To　every　other　part　of　the　island　the　engineer　has　succeeded　in　penetrating；　one　vast　space　alone　of　about　four　hundred　square　miles　has　defied　his　investigation。　Over　the　area　occupied　by　the　Skapta　Jokul；　amid　its　mountain…cradled　fields　of　snow　and　icy　ridges；　no　human　foot　has　ever　wandered。　Yet　it　is　from　the　bosom　of　this　desert　district　that　has　descended　the　most　frightful　visitation　ever　known　to　have　desolated　the　island。

This　event　occurred　in　the　year　1783。　The　preceding　winter　and　spring　had　been　unusually　mild。　Toward　the　end　of　May；　a　light　bluish　fog　began　to　float　along　the　confines　of　the　untrodden　tracts　of　Skapta；　accompanied　in　the　beginning　of　June　by　a　great　trembling　of　the　earth。　On　the　8th　of　that　month；　immense　pillars　of　smoke　collected　over　the　hill　country　towards　the　north；　and　coming　down　against　the　wind　in　a　southerly　direction；　enveloped　the　whole　district　of　Sida　in　darkness。　A　whirlwind　of　ashes　then　swept　over　the　face　of　the　country；　and　on　the　10th；　innumerable　fire　spouts　were　seen　leaping　and　flaring　amid　the　icy　hollows　of　the　mountain；　while　the　river　Skapta；　one　of　the　largest　in　the　island；　having　first　rolled　down　to　the　plain　a　vast　volume　of　fetid　waters　mixed　with　sand；　suddenly　disappeared。

Two　days　afterwards　a　stream　of　lava；　issuing　from　sources　to　which　no　one　has　ever　been　able　to　penetrate；　came　sliding　down　the　bed　of　the　dried…up　river；　and　in　a　little　time；though　the　channel　was　six　hundred　feet　deep　and　two　hundred　broad；the　glowing　deluge　overflowed　its　banks；　crossed　the　low　country　of　Medalland；　ripping　the　turf　up　before　it　like　a　table…cloth；　and　poured　into　a　great　lake　whose　affrighted　waters　flew　hissing　and　screaming　into　the　air　at　the　approach　of　the　fiery　intruder。　Within　a　few　more　days　the　basin　of　the　lake　itself　was　completely　filled；　and　having　separated　into　two　streams；　the　unexhausted　torrent　again　recommenced　its　march；　in　one　direction　overflowing　soiree　ancient　lava　fields；in　the　other；　re…entering　the　channel　of　the　Skapta；　and　leaping　down　the　lofty　cataract　of　Stapafoss。　　But　this　was　not　all；　while　one　lava　flood　had　chosen　the　Skapta　for　its　bed；　another；　descending　in　a　different　direction；　was　working　like　ruin　within　and　on　either　side　the　banks　of　the　Hverfisfliot；　rushing　into　the　plain；　by　all　accounts；　with　even　greater　fury　and　velocity。　Whether　the　two　issued　from　the　same　crater　it　is　impossible　to　say；　as　the　sources　of　both　were　far　away　within　the　heart　of　the　unapproachable　desert；　and　even　the　extent　of　the　lava　flow　can　only　be　measured　from　the　spot　where　it　entered　the　inhabited　districts。　The　stream　which　flowed　down　Skapta　is　calculated　to　be　about　fifty　miles　in　length　by　twelve　or　fifteen　at　its　greatest　breadth；　that　which　rolled　down　the　Hverfisfliot；　at　forty　miles　in　length　by　seven　in　breadth。　　Where　it　was　imprisoned；　between　the　high　banks　of　Skapta；　the　lava　is　five　or　six　hundred　feet　thick；　but　as　soon　as　it　spread　out　into　the　plain　its　depth　never　exceeded　one　hundred　feet。　The　eruption　of　sand；　ashes；　pumice；　and　lava；　continued　till　the　end　of　August；　when　the　Plutonic　drama　concluded　with　a　violent　earthquake。

For　a　whole　year　a　canopy　of　cinder…laden　cloud　hung　over　the　island。　Sand　and　ashes　irretrievably　overwhelmed　thousands　of　acres　of　fertile　pasturage。　The　Faroe　islands；　the　Shetlands；　and　the　Orkneys　were　deluged　with　volcanic　dust；　which　perceptibly　contaminated　even　the　pure　skies　of　England　and　Holland。　Mephitic　vapours　tainted　the　atmosphere　of　the　entire　island；even　the　grass；　which　no　cinder　rain　had　stifled；　completely　withered　up；　the　fish　perished　in　the　poisoned　sea。　A　murrain　broke　out　among　the　cattle；　and　a　disease　resembling　scurvy　attacked　the　inhabitants　themselves。　Stephenson　has　calculated　that　9；000　men；　28；000　horses；　11；000　cattle；　190；000　sheep；　died　from　the　effects　of　this　one　eruption。　The　most　moderate　calculation　puts　the　number　of　human　deaths　at　upwards　of　1；300；　and　of　cattle；　etc。　at　about　156；000。

The　whole　of　this　century　had　proved　most　fatal　to　the　unfortunate　people　of　Iceland。　At　its　commencement　smallpox　destroyed　more　than　16；000　persons；　nearly　20；000　more　perished　by　a　famine　consequent　on　a　succession　of　inclement　seasons；　while　from　time　to　time　the　southern　coasts　were　considerably　depopulated　by　the　incursions　of　English　and　even　Algerine　pirates。

The　rest　of　our　day's　journey　lay　through　a　country　less　interesting　than　the　district　we　had　traversed　before　luncheon。　　For　the　most　part　we　kept　on　along　the　foot　of　the　hills；　stopping　now　and　then　for　a　drink　of　milk　at　the　occasional　farms　perched　upon　their　slopes。　Sometimes　turning　up　a　green　and　even　bushy　glen；　（there　are　no　trees　in　Iceland；　the　nearest　approach　to　anything　of　the　kind　being　a　low　dwarf　birch；　hardly　worthy　of　being　called　a　shrub；）　we　would　cut　across　the　shoulder　of　some　projecting　spur；　and　obtain　a　wider　prospect　of　the　level　land　upon　our　right；　or　else　keeping　more　down　in　the　flat；　we　had　to　flounder　for　half　an　hour　up　to　the　horses'　shoulders　in　an　Irish　bog。　　After　about　five　hours　of　this　work　we　reached　the　banks　of　a　broad　and　rather　singular　river；　called　the　Bruara。　　Halfway　across　it　was　perfectly　fordable；　but　exactly　in　the　middle　was　a　deep　cleft；　into　which　the　waters　from　either　side　spilt　themselves；　and　then　in　a　collected　volume　roared　over　a　precipice　a　little　lower　down。　Across　this　cleft　some　wooden　planks　were　thrown；　giving　the　traveller　an　opportunity　of　boasting　that　he　had　crossed　a　river　on　a　bridge　which　itself　was　under　water。　By　this　time　we　had　all　begun　to　be　very　tired；　and　very　hungry；it　was　11　o'clock　P。M。　　We　had　been　twelve　or　thirteen　hours　on　horseback；　not　to　mention　occasional　half…hours　of　pretty　severe　walking　after　the　ptarmigan　and　plover。　Many　were　the　questions　we　addressed　to　Sigurdr　on　the　distance　yet　remaining；　and　many　the　conjectures　we　hazarded　as　to　whether　the　cook　would　have　arrived　in　time　to　get　dinner　ready　for　us。　　At　last；　after　another　two　hours'　weary　jogging；　we　descried；　straight　in　front；　a　low　steep　brown　rugged　hill；　standing　entirely　detached　from　the　range　at　the　foot　of　which　we　had　been　riding；　and　in　a　few　minutes　more；　wheeling　round　its　outer　end；　we