HOT SPRINGS in ICELAND. 135 
on account of their dire@tion. A quantity of {team iffued from 
thefe.receffes, which prevented us from examining them very 
clofely. We were ftunned while ftanding near this cavern, and 
_ in fome meafure alarmed, by an amazing loud and continued 
noife which came from the bottom. It was as loud as the blaft 
of air forced into the furnace from the four great cylinders at 
- the Carron iron-works. 
WE could difcover no water in any of the cavities ; but we 
found near the place many beautiful petrifactions of leaves and 
moffes. They were formed with extreme delicacy, but were: 
brittle, and would not bear much handling; their fubftance 
feemed chiefly argillaceous. 
' We perceived fmoke iffuing from the ground in many places. 
in the higher parts of the valley, much further than we extend- 
ed our walks.. I am forry to. fay we left many things in this 
wonderful country unexamined ; but we were checked in our 
journey by many circumftances, which allowed us neither the 
leifure nor the opportunity for exploring every part of it as we 
could have wifhed. The fubftances depofited near the different 
fprings feemed to me, in general, a mixture of calcareous and’ 
argillaceous earths; but near one fpring, not far from our 
tents, there feemed to be a flight depofition of filiceous matter. 
To the eye it refembled calcedony ; but with its tranfparency, 
it had not the fame hardnefs, and, if prefled, would break to. 
| _ pieces. The water you have analyfed came from this {pring, 
and we were obliged to take fome care in filling the bottles ; for 
though gradually heated, they would break when the water was. 
poured into them, if it had not been previoufly expofed to the: 
air for fome minutes in an open veflel. . 
Tue water of this {pring boiled, as in moft of the others, in 
7: a cauldron four or five feet broad. -I do not recolle@& to have 
_ feen any of it. ever thrown up above a foot, and fome meat we. 
drefled in it tafted very ftrongly of fulphur. 
Mr 
