i 3 4 An ACCOUNT of 



or preiTure promoting an adhefion of the particles, or by fome 

 infinuation of matter (perhaps fihceous) into the pores of the 

 mafs. 



There is- another fountain in the valley not much inferior 

 in beauty to that which I have defcribed. It breaks out from 

 under one of the mounds clofe to the river. Its eruptions are, 

 I think, in fome refpects, more beautiful than thofe of the for- 

 mer. They rife nearly to the fame height, and the quantity of 

 water thrown up at one time is greater, and not fo much feat- 

 tered into fpray. The jets continue feldom longer than a mi- 

 nute, and the intervals between them are from five to fix mi- 

 nutes. They are forced to bend forwards from the well, by 

 the fhelving of the bank, or probably their height would be 

 very confiderable ; for they appear to be thrown up with great 

 force. We never dared approach near enough to look deep into 

 the well ; but we could perceive the water boiling near its fur- 

 face, from time to time, with much violence. The ground in 

 front of it, was covered with a white incruftation, of a more 

 beautiful appearance than the depofition near any other fpring 

 in this place. By a trial of it with acids, it feemed almoft 

 entirely calcareous. 



I have now defcribed to you the two moft remarkable foun- 

 tains in the valley of Rykum, the only two which throw up 

 water to a confiderable height with any regularity. There are 

 fome from whence, in the courfe of every hour or half hour, 

 beautiful jets burft out unexpectedly ; but their eruptions con- 

 tinue only a few feconds, and between them the water boils in 

 the fame manner as in the other bafons. 



Towards the upper end of the valley, there was a very cu- 

 rious hole, which attracted much of our attention. It feemed 

 to have ferved at fome former period as the well of a fountain. 

 It was of an irregular form, and from four to five feet in dia- 

 meter. It was divided into different hollows or cavities at the 

 depth of a few feet, into which we could not fee a great way, 



on 



