138 SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES, 



sides of the pipe ; then subsiding a little, it bursts into the air with 

 inconceivable violence. The column of water remains entire, until! 

 it reaches its extreme height, where it is shivered into the finest par- 

 ticles. Its direction was perpendicular, and greatest elevation 132 

 feet. Like the eruption of the old Gey zer, this consisted of several 

 jets, succeeding each other with great rapidity. Whatever we threw 

 into the well was hurled into the air with such swiftness that the eve 

 could scarcely discern it*, and the division of the water at the ex- 

 tremity of the column was so minute, that the showers of spray 

 which fell were cold. Towards the end of an eruption, when more 

 steam than water rushed from the pipe, I ventured to hold my hand 

 near the edge of the column, in the way of some divided particles of 

 water, and found them tepid only. You may probably think this a 

 rash experiment, and certainly it was so. But we had made our 

 observations on the uniform direction of the column, and confided 

 our safety in it. Once or twice, however, we had reason to think 

 ourselves more fortunate in escaping, than prudent iu avoiding, the 

 danger which attended a too near approach to these eruptions of 

 boiling water. During ten or iiftcen minutes, the water continued 

 to be thrown upwards with undimmished impetuosity. At the end 

 of that period, the quantity became less, and at length, ceasing en. 

 tirely, steam alone ascended. In one instance, the eruption con- 

 tinued thirty minutes. It seldom however exceeded twenty minutes, 

 and sometimes was completed in fifteen minutes. The force with 

 which the steam rises abates as the water sinks in the pipe, and when 

 this is exhausted, that soon disappears. 



I have now given you such a description of these celebrated foun- 

 tains as was in my power. I hope that it will afford you some 

 satisfaction, and I could wish that it might serve as an inducement 

 to some curious inquirer into the history of nature to visit them, 

 who shall have all the knowledge requisite for making such observa- 

 tions us are vet to be desired concerning them. I cannot flalier 

 myself, that the description I have attempted of their eruptions 

 will impress you with a just idea of their beauty. Sources of com- 

 parison are wanting, by which the portraiture of such extraordinary 



* Mr. Bain P measured the height (o which a stone was thrown up by one f 

 these jets, and, found it 129 feet. Some .others ro : e considerably higher, 



