HOT SPRINGS m ICELAND. 147 
ground under our feet, accompanied with a hollow noife, not 
unlike the diftant firing of cannon. Another fhock foon fol- 
lowed, and we obferved the water in the bafon to be much 
agitated. The Icelanders haftily laid hold of us, and forced 
us to- retreat fome yards. The water in the mean time boiled 
violently, and heaved as if fome expanfive power were labour- 
ing beneath its weight, and fome of it was thrown up a few 
feet above the bafon. Again there were two or three fhocks of 
the ground, and a repetition of the fame noife. In an inftant, 
the furrounding atmofphere was filled with volumes of fteam 
rolling over each other as they afcended, in a manner inex- 
prefibly beautiful, and through which, columns of water, 
fhivering into foam, darted in rapid fuceeffion to heights which, 
at the time, we were little qualified to eftimate. Indeed, the 
novelty and fplendour of fuch a fcene had affected our imagi- 
nations fo forcibly, that we believed the extreme height of the 
jet to be much greater than it was afterwards determined to be. 
In a fubfequent eruption, Mr Barne afcertained, by means of 
a quadrant, the greateft elevation to which the jets of water 
were thrown, to be 96 feet. 
Mucu of the water began to defcend again at different 
heights, and was again projected by other columns, which met 
it as they arofe. At laft, having filled the bafon, it rolled in 
great waves over its edge, and forming numberlefs rills, made 
its way down the fides of the mound. Much was loft in va- 
pour alfo, and ftill more fell to the ground in heavy fhowers of 
fpray. The intervals at which the feveral jets fucceeded each 
other, were too fhort for the eye to diftinguifh them. As they 
rofe out of the bafon, they reflected, by their denfity, the 
pureft and moft brilliant blue. In certain fhades, the colour 
was green like that of the fea; but in their further afcent, all 
diftin@tion of colour was loft, and the jets, broken into a 
‘9 thoufand parts, appeared white as fnow. Several of them 
were forced upwards perpendicularly; but many, receiving 
az ; a 
