SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES. 



After the eruption of it had been violent, the water sank into 

 subterraneous caverns, and left the pipe quite empty. If the erup- 

 tion had been moderate the subsidence of the water was proportiona- 

 b!y less. The first time the pipe was perfectly emptied, we sounded 

 its depth, and found the bottom very rough and irregular. The 

 pipe remains but a short time empty. After a few seconds, the water 

 rushes into it again with a bubbling noise, and during the time that it 

 is rising in the pipe, it is frequently darted suddenly into the air to 

 different heights, sometimes to two or three, sometimes sixty feet 

 above the sides of the bason. By a surprise of this kind, while we 

 were engaged measuring the diameter of the well we had nearly 

 been scalded ; and allhough we were able to withdraw ourselves 

 from the great body of water as it ascended, yet we remained ex- 

 posed to the falling spray, which fortunately was so much cooled in 

 the air as to do us no mischief. 



Of these jets we counted twenty in an hour and an half, during 

 which the waters had tilled the pipe and in part the bason. It then 

 seemed oftentimes agitated, and boiled with great violence. The 

 jets were more beautiful, and continued longer, as the quantity of 

 water in the bason increased. The resistance being greater, their 

 force was in some degree broken, and their form, more divided, 

 produced a greater display of foam and vapour. 



While the pipe was filling, we threw into it several stones of 

 considerable weight, which, whenever the water burst forth with 

 any violence, were projected much higher than itself. These stone* 

 in falling were met by other columns of water, and amidst these 

 they rose and fell repeatedly They were easily distinguished in 

 the white foam, and contributed much to the novelty and beauty 

 of this extraordinary phenomenon. 



When the bason was nearly full, these occasional eruptions were 

 generally announced by shocks of the ground, similar to those pre- 

 ceding the great eruptions. Immediately after the shocks, the 

 whole body of water heaved exceedingly ; a violent ebullition then 

 took place, and large waves spread themselves in circles from the 

 centre, through which the column forced its way. 



When the water had been quiet in the bason for some time, the 

 thermometer placed in it stood at 180 only, but immediately after 

 an eruption it rose to 200. Wa boil.'J a piece of salmon in it, 



