GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEREITOEIES. 



107 



30 feet and behold a fairy-like palace, adorned with more brilliant 

 colors and decorations than any structure made by human hands. 

 South of the Thud 

 Geyser, as laid 

 down on the chart, 

 there is one large 

 basin, 150 feet in 

 diameter, with a 

 crater within the 

 rim 25 feet in di- 

 ameter. From this 

 inner orifice the 

 entire mass of wa- 

 ter is thrown up 

 30 to 60 feet, fall- 

 ing back into it, in 

 detached glob- 

 ules, like silver. 

 There is a rim 

 around the inner 

 crater 3 feet high. 

 The vast column 

 of water as it 

 shoots up, spreads 

 out in falling back, 

 like a natural foun- 

 tain, so that it 

 overflowsthe inner 

 rim for a radius of 

 10 feet. (Fig. 38.) 

 A short distance 

 south of the Foun- 

 tain Geyser is one 

 of the most re- 

 markable mud- 

 pots in the Fire- 

 Hole Vallev. (Fig. 

 39.) The diameter 

 within the rim is 

 40 by 60 feet, and 

 forms a vast mor- 

 tar-bed of the fin- 

 est material. The 

 surface is covered 

 with large puJBfs, 

 and as each one 

 bursts the mud 

 spirts ux)ward sev- 

 eral feet with a 

 suppressed thud. 

 The mud is an im- 

 palpable, siliceous 

 clay, fine enough, 

 it would seem, for 

 the manufacture of the choicest ware. The colors are of every shade, 

 from the purest white to a bright, rich x)ink. The surface is covered 



