274 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



undoubtedly due to the large amount of silica which the 

 water holds in solution, and which is deposited as soon as 

 any cooling and evaporation takes place. Indeed, in cases 

 where there is great frequency of eruption and the volume 

 of water emitted is considerable, the throat of the geysir 

 is liable to become choked up by its own deposit ; and 

 several of the geysirs have actually committed suicide in 

 this way. [Lantern slides.] 



I must pass over a number of really magnificent geysirs 

 in the Upper Basin, which have now, I believe, become 

 the delight of dilettante tourists, and have received various 

 trivial and ta.steless names, — "Beehive," — "Giantess" — 

 "Grand," — "Saw-mill," — "Punch-bowl," &c. The Ameri- 

 cans are undoubtedly excellent at inventing things^ but 

 not names : the names which they have scattered over 

 their beautiful country are enough to disgust any respect- 

 able traveller from the oflFensive vulgarity and utter want 

 of taste shown in their selection. 



I must not, however, omit to describe, in conclusion, 

 one other fine specimen of a geysir which is interesting as 

 being actually the first of all the wonderful group of 

 Yellowstone Geysirs discovered by the exploring party 

 sent out in 187 1 by the United States Government, and 

 led by Dr F. V. Hayden, who has since done so much in 

 his Reports to elucidate the physical geology of the 

 district. 



I cannot do better than quote a portion of the descrip- 

 tion of this discovery from the official Report, premising 

 that the party entered the Firehole Valley near its upper 

 end, and not from below, as I did. 



" Hurrying down the Firehole River, thinking that the 

 wonders of the Yellowstone country had been left 

 behind, and anxious only to reach the settlements of the 

 Madison Valley, we were startled and astonished to see 

 at no great distance an immense volume of clear, spark- 

 ling water projected into the air to the height of one 



