. Letters from high latitudes : being some account of a voyage in 1856 in the schonner yacht "Foam" to Iceland . ict of coun-try, reducing its varied surface to one vast blackened level. One of two things then occurred: either the vitrified masscontracting as it cooled,—the centre area of fifty square milesburst asunder at either side from the adjoining plateau, andsinking down to its present level, left the two parallel Gjas,or chasms, which form its lateral boundaries, to mark thelimits of the disruption ; or else, while the pith or marrow ofthe lava was still in a fluid state, its upper sur
. Letters from high latitudes : being some account of a voyage in 1856 in the schonner yacht "Foam" to Iceland . ict of coun-try, reducing its varied surface to one vast blackened level. One of two things then occurred: either the vitrified masscontracting as it cooled,—the centre area of fifty square milesburst asunder at either side from the adjoining plateau, andsinking down to its present level, left the two parallel Gjas,or chasms, which form its lateral boundaries, to mark thelimits of the disruption ; or else, while the pith or marrow ofthe lava was still in a fluid state, its upper surface becamesolid, and formed a roof beneath which the molten streamflowed on to lower levels, leaving a vast cavern into whichthe upper crust subsequently plumped down.^ The plain of Thingvalla is in a great measure clothed with birchbrushwood. * I feci it is very presumptuous in me to hazard a conjecture on asubject vifith which my want of geological knowledge renders mequite incompetent to deal; but however incorrect either of the abovesuppositions may be justly considered by the philosophers, they will. 52 LETTERS FROM HIGH LATITUDES. [VII. The enclosed section will perhaps help you a little tocomprehend what I am afraid my description will have failedto bring before you.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidlettersfromh, bookyear1879
