§ XXXVI.
A new island arising In Conclusion I have to
from th e sea. add* that for a whole month
previous to the volcanic eruption in the
district of West Skaptefield, in 1783, a great
fire was seen arising from the sea off the
south-west coast of Iceland, and this was
rendered visible to mariners, at the distance
of six or eight Danish miles, by the vast
body of smoke that proceeded from it. The
sea around for twenty or thirty Danish miles
was filled with pumice-stones to such a degree
that they were no small obstruction to
the progress of shipping. Of these pumice-
stones, which were driven upon the southern
coast in great quantity 'and in different
places, I myself have found several here
and there at Akranes, in the district of Bor-
gefiord, and principally at Inderholme. But
this is not all; for, by the force of the subterraneous
fire, a new island has arisen from
the sea, which was seen throwing out a vast
quantity of fire by some mariners on their
passing this coast early in the month of May,
1783. By the nearest estimate they could
make, this island lay in about 630 20" of
/ *
north latitude, and in about 354° 20" of
longitude, at the distance of seven or eight
Danish miles south-west by the true compass
from the outermost of the Fugle-skiers
off Reikanes. Masters of vessels, who have
sailed very close to this island, do not agree
in their reports concerning its extent, some
of them having calculated it at one mile in
circumference, whereas others have described
it as being only one-third of a mile or very
little more. The island * is stated to consist
of high rocks, in the rifts of which in
two or three different places was burning
a strong fire, which at intervals, as it burst
forth, threw up a considerable quantity of
pumice-stones.
At about one and one-third Danish miles
by the compass from this place a sunken
rock was also discovered, over which the
* By later accounts we learn that this island was in
the course of a twelvemonth reduced to a sunken rock,
extremely dangerous to navigators. It is mentioned
at p. 8 of this Journal. H.
f As I have not in any other work met with information
respecting this sunken rock, it seems to me not