nearly impracticable. The water, however,
which has issued from the south-eastern
point of the lava is by far the greatest impediment
to travellers, and will probably
in time become seriously dangerous, should
it continue to increase in the same degree
as it has done of late. We found it still
smoking, though it could not be called
hot: and observed where, having taken its
course over deep morasses, it had in many
places forced its way into the soil, forming
holes in which horses might fall and be
much injured, especially as the ground between
these cavities is full of little hillocks
and rugged places. All persons wishing to
proceed from Alptaver or Medalland to Si-
den, must cross this stream, which already
extends itself for a considerable length towards
the sea with a moderate current.
Its source is supposed to be one of the
brooks that have been stopped up (probably
Fedgaqvisl), which, after being confined
by the lava for a time, has at length
found a passage through it.
There is the greatest reason to apprehend
lest the body of water here confined should
hereafter swell to a size too large to be
restrained within its present limits, and,
uniting with the Skaptaa itself, should at
some future time rush forward with destruction
commensurate to their violence.
The Landbrotet, I should hope, will always
be secure against these inundations; but,
on the other hand, the Medalland is exposed
to the greatest hazard, since, immediately
to the north of it, large quantities of
water have been dammed up by the lava,
and these at the time of my visit were evidently
increasing, and the several pools
were uniting one with another. When we
were at the farm of Stadarholt, in Medalland,
in the morning of the 28th of July,
we heard a loud noise and splashing, which
arose from the falling of water within the
lava. Taking it for granted, therefore,
that the Skaptaa itself, together with the
other confine^ waters, must in the course
of time fore# a passage through the lava, it
follows that they must either overflow Medalland,
to the great injury of that district,
or must precipitate themselves into the
Kuda creek, which will consequently be
rendered impassable for people on horse?-