THE SUBTERRANEAN M.'KNACK 



boiling hot. The most remarkable hot springs of 

 France are those of Chaudes-Aigues and Vic, in 



Cantal. They aiv almost boilin.n." 



1 )o these springs make streams that are differ- 

 ent from others?*' 



"Steaming streams, in which you can plunge an 

 egg for a moment and take it out cooked." 



"Then there are no little fish or crabs," said 

 Emile. 



"Certainly not, my dear. You understand that 

 if there were any they would be cooked through and 

 through," 



"That is true." 



"The little streams of boiling water in Auvergne 

 are nothing in comparison with what are seen in Ice- 

 land, that large island situated at the extreme north 

 of Kurope and covered with snow the greater part 

 of the year. It has numbers of springs throwing up 

 hot water, called in that country geysers. The most 

 powerful, or the Great Geyser, springs from a large 

 ba>in situated on the top of a hill formed by the 

 smooth white inn u-tations deposited by the foam 

 of the water. The interior of this basin is funnel- 

 shaped and terminates in tortuous conduits penetrat- 

 ing to unknown depths. 



"llach eruption of this volcano of boiling water 

 is announced by a trembling of the earth and dull 

 noises like distant detonations of some subterranean 

 artillery. Every moment the detonations become 



stronger; tl arth trembles, and, from the bottom 



of the crater, the water rushes up in an impetuous 

 torrent and fills the basin, where, for a few mo- 



