168 F. V. Hayden— Hot Springs and Geysers 
numerous columns of steam revealed to us where the most im- 
portant groups were located. It will be seen on the chart that 
all these groups, and nearly all the springs, occur along the val- 
leys of the streams, and for the most part very near their banks, 
On the east side of the valley are scattered groups of springs, 
the aggregated waters of which form quite large streams. By 
1e hundred feet. Some of them have nearly circular rims, 
with funnel-shaped orifices, and are filled with water up to the 
very margin, which is so transparent that we could look down 
into the clear depths for five to forty feet and see the smallest 
tubercle upon the surface. The funnel-shaped orifice or basin 
usually extends down until it closes up to a very narrow B® 
sure, and then extends on below to an unknown depth. 
In the Lower Geyser Basin, although there are many groups 
of most interesting springs, none of them can rank as geysers of 
the first class. Over an area of about three miles in width and 
five in length, the surface seems to be literally riddled with the 
umns of water from two to six feet in diameter to the a of 
15 to 80 feet. One geyser, with quite a small orifice, p < 
: a 
for itself a cistern, which for beauty and elaborateness woul 
compare well with those of the springs on Gardiner’s river. 
We called it the architectural fountain. 
mulation made by this spring descends for several hundred feet 
m innumerable semi-circular steps varying from one-fourth of 
an inch to two inches in height, and is exquisitely beautiful 1D 
all its details. When in active operation a column of water 1 
_ thrown 30 to 60 feet high, when the waters spread over & radius 
