PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 269 



From this Ijusy scene I returned to the course of the 

 Firehole River, and j»roceeded up it to the Middle Geysir 

 Basin, a small })lain containing only two objects of interest, 

 one being a magnificent hot spring about 150 feet in 

 diameter ; the other being the finest specimen of a gevsir 

 in the district, and probably in the world, both in respect 

 of size and of eruptive power. 



It was this geysir which greeted us so warmlv, not to 

 say hotly, as we came over the Look-out cliffs and got our 

 first view of the valley ; and it has been called in a rather 

 tame and cockney style, the "Excelsior." The life-history 

 of it is pretty well known, and can be briefly given here. 

 Dr Hayden, the director of the first scientific exploring 

 party sent out by the Government, mentions in his 

 Report, dated 1872, a large turbulent boiling spring, 

 which had recently broken out near the left bank of the 

 Firehole River and was pouring a large volume of hot water 

 over its eastern edge into the river. A sketch of it is given 

 in the Report, of which I exhibit a photograph. [Lantern 

 slide.] Nine years later, in 188 1, Mr Norris, the official 

 superintendent of the Park, was surprised to find that this 

 comparatively insignificant spring had become nearlv 

 treble its former size, by the breaking down of its margin, 

 and was constantly emitting great volumes of steam and 

 a regular river of boiling water, which rushed over its 

 edge like a waterfall into the Firehole River about twentv 

 feet below. I exhibit a photograph from Mr Norris's 

 sketch, which shows the development which had taken 

 place. [Lantern slide.] 



A few months later still, this spring seems to have set 

 up in business as a first-class geysir, eruptions attended 

 with loud rumblings and earth-tremblings taking place 

 every night, which, in the words of the official report by 

 Mr Norris, " elevated to heights of from 200 to 300 feet, 

 sufficient water to render the Firehole River (nearlv lOO 

 yards wide) a foaming torrent of steaming hot water ; 



