102 Krug von Nidda on the Mineral Springs of Iceland. 



Geyser, was the largest in this district, and was in 1789 termed, 

 by Stanley, the Roaring Fountain. Whereas, what is termed 

 the New Geyser (Strokr), which, previous to the earthquake 

 of 1789, was quite insignificant, afterwards increased so much, 

 that now, next to the Geyser, it is the most important spring. 



The accounts of travellers who have visited the springs from 

 time to time, must hence differ very essentially from one ano- 

 ther. The first mention of the Geyser is made by Saxo Gram- 

 maticus, in the preface to his History of Denmark, written in 

 the 12th century. The older notices we possess of the Gey- 

 ser, are not only extremely deficient, but also interwoven with 

 many errors and exaggerations. We cannot even free from 

 this objection the information communicated by Olafsen and 

 Pauelsen, in their Tour through Iceland, written in the last 

 century. 



Von Troil* visited the Geyser in the year 1772. He ob- 

 served, in the course of twelve hours, eleven eruptions of the 

 Great Geyser, which, however, were not of equal intensity. 

 Most of them lasted only a few seconds, and the jets of water 

 ascended to a height of thirty feet. During the last and most 

 violent eruption, which lasted four minutes, the highest jet 

 spouted to a vertical height of 92 feet, according to a measure- 

 ment made by the quadrant. 



Stanley ,f who visited the Geyser in 1789, gives the most in- 

 structive description of it, and of some of the other more import- 

 ant springs in its vicinity. He observed several eruptions of the 

 Geyser which succeeded each other in comparatively short pe- 

 riods, but which differed much in their violence and duration. 

 The greatest lasted ten to twelve minutes, and the highest jet of 

 water attained an elevation of ninety-six feet. The Strokr is, 

 for the first time, mentioned by Stanley under the name of the 

 New Geyser. He saw one of its eruptions which lasted thirty 

 minutes, and by which columns of water and steam were raised 

 to a height of 132 feet. Stanley further communicates some in- 

 teresting particulars regarding a spring denominated by him 



* Letters regarding a Voyage to Iceland in 1772, by Uno Von Troil. Up- 

 sala and Leipzig, 1779- 



f An account of the Hot Springs of Iceland. Transact, of the Royal Soc. 

 of Edinburgh. 



