sill JOSEPH BANKS. 33 



before the sun in such a manner that we could see 

 our shadows in the water ; when every one 

 observed, round the shadow of his own head, 

 (though not round that of the heads of others,) a 

 circle of almost the same colours which compose 

 the rainbow, and round this another bright circle. 

 This most probably proceeded from the vapours 

 exhaling from the water. Not far from this place, 

 another spring, at the foot of the neighbouring 

 ridge of rocks, spouted water to the height of one 

 or two yards each time. The opening through 

 which this water issued was not so wide as the 

 other. We imagined it possible to stop up the 

 hole entirely by throwing large stones into it, and 

 even flattered ourselves that our attempts had 

 succeeded ; but, to our astonishment, the water 

 gushed forth in a very violent manner. We 

 hastened to the pipe, and found all the stones 

 thrown aside, and the water playing freely through 

 its former channel. In these large springs the 

 water was hot in the highest degree, and tasted 

 a little of sulphur ; but, in other respects, it was 

 pure and clear. In the smaller springs of the 

 neighbourhood the water was tainted ; in some, it 

 was as muddy as that of a clay pit ; in others, as 

 white as milk ; and in some few, as red as 

 blood."* 



* Von Troil, page 256. 



