ICELAND. 38 



Amongst the thousands of hot springs whose waters trickle away into hidden 

 lakes, streamlets, or the sea, some have become famous under the name of geijsoi-s, 

 natural springs of water suddenly thrown up by the imprisoned vapours. In the 

 records of the thirteenth century occurs the first allusion to the Great Geyser, 

 which is situated in the south-west part of the island, in the middle of a plain 

 intersected by the river Hvita, and enclosed on the north side by the long ridge of 

 the Blafell. It may have then made its appearance for the first time, but has 

 never since ceased to act, at each eruption depositing a slight siliceous crust around 

 its orifice. Thus has been gradually formed a margin now no less than 40 feet 

 high, whence is visible the interior of the well full of boiling water at the periods 

 of eruption. Previous to the jet the vapours are seen to rise in clouds, then 

 dissolve, and form again. Suddenly the resistance of the upper water is overcome, 

 and the column of deep vapours, 58° above boiling point, bursts upwards, bearing 

 with it, to the height of 100 feet, a volume of water estimated at upwards of 60 tons 

 in weight. Since the days of Olafsson and Palsson the descriptions of observers 

 differ remarkably from each other. Those travellers saw a jet 360 feet high, 

 while more recent accounts speak of heights not exceeding 60 feet, so 

 that the Great Geyser would seem to be subsiding. The neighbouring geyser, 

 named by the peasants the Strokkr, or " Churn," formerly sent up jets as high as 

 the more famous spring ; now it emits its vapours regularly, but without any 

 sudden or violent eruption. The '* Little Geyser," spoken of by travellers of the 

 kst century, completely disappeared after an earthquake which occurred in 1789. 

 But a great many lesser " churns " still bubble in the plain, filled with waters of 

 divers colours — red, green, blue, or grey — which are thrown up to various heights 

 either freely or when excited by the stones or mud cast in by visitors. A great 

 underground lake is spread beneath the whole district, and it sometimes happens 

 that the unwary traveller sinks through the treacherous crust, and finds himself 

 suddenly plunged into a hot spring beneath. An island in the neighbouring lake 

 is entirely formed of siliceous incrustations deposited hj deep underground springs. 



About midway between the Geyser district and Reykjavik is found one of the 

 geological curiosities as well as the most memorable historical spot in the island. 

 This is the ]:)ingvalla, or " Assembly Plain," enclosed on the south by the largest 

 lake in Iceland. This plain, several miles broad, was formerly the bed of a 

 mighty lava stream, the remains of which are still visible. Both sides of the bed 

 rise abruptly to a height of 100 feet, here and there presenting arcades and basalt 

 columns which resemble regrular buildings. Between the walls and the remains of 

 the lava stream there yawn deep cavities formed by the central mass contracting 

 from its sides in the process of cooling down. Thus were produced the great 

 lateral fissures of Almannagjâ_, 5 miles long, and Ilrafnagja, parallel and east of 

 it, besides the various crevasses occurring here and there in the lavas of the plain. 

 Three of these fissures are so connected as almost completely to isolate a huge lava 

 block now overgrown with grass. This block, connected by a narrow isthmus 

 with the rest of the stream, is the Al]?ing, a natural stronghold chosen by the 

 ancient Icelanders as the site of their National Parliament. A hillock at the 



