32 AZORES. 



matter deposited by the hot water. No doubt the present hot 

 springs are the dwindled remains of former fully developed 

 geysers. The principal spring consists of a basin about 12 feet 

 in diameter, full up to within about 2 feet of the brim of a 

 bluish water, which in the centre is in constant and most 

 violent ebullition, the water being thrown up a foot in height 

 as it boils forth. A constant column of steam rises from the 

 basin. Near by is a sort of fissure, from which issue at short 

 irregular intervals jets or splashes of boiling water mingled 

 with steam and sulphuretted hydrogen in abundance. 'I'his 

 spring makes a gurgling, churning sort of noise ; the large 

 basin, a sort of roar. 



In the sides of the fissure grow, in the area splashed by 

 the hot water, some green lowly organized algas {Botryococcus), 

 which form a thick crust upon the rock surface. Similar 

 growth of lowly organized plants in the water of hot springs 

 have been observed in various parts of the world.* At a 

 couple of feet distance from this hot spring rushes up a 

 perfectly cold iron spring with a considerable stream of water. 



All around are small openings, from which sulphuretted 

 hydrogen and other gases issue with a fizzing noise, and coat 

 the openings with bright yellow crystals of sulphur. The 

 ground around is hot, too hot in many places for the hand to 

 rest upon, and it is somewhat dangerous to approach the pools 

 of hot water at all closely, since the hard crust on the surface 

 may give way and one may be let fall into the boiling mud. 



Just above these hot springs is a beautiful mountain stream, 

 which forms little cascades as it tumbles down to the lake 

 valley from the fern-clad moor above. 



At the town of Furnas is an inn kept for families who come 

 in the season to drink the waters and bathe. There is a free 

 bath house built by the Government, with marble baths and 

 hot and cold mineral water laid on to each. The whereabouts 

 of the springs near the town are marked by clouds of steam. 

 The springs are scattered over a larger area than at the lake 

 springs, and the grey geyser formation is piled into irregular 

 hillocks around them, instead of presenting a nearly flat 

 surface as at the other springs. Here the principal spring is 

 like that at the lake, but the amount of hot steam rushing up 

 is much greater, and the noise is almost deafening. The 

 water is thrown up about two or three feet in a constant hot 

 fountain. Close by are sulphur springs with hot water issuing 



* For further account of the vegetable growths in the hot spring of 

 Furnas, see Linn. Journ. Bot., Vol. XIV., p. 321. Also papers on the 

 same by Mr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer and Mr. W. Archer, ibid., pp. 326- 

 328. 



