SA WAIIAN G TJIDE B OK. 89 



much hissing and a throbbing internal roaring, as of im- 

 prisoned gases. Now it seemed furious, demoniacal, as 

 if no power on earth could bind it, then playful and 

 sportive, then for a second languid, but only because it 

 was accumulating fresh force. On our arrival eleven 

 fire fountains were playing joyously round the lakes, 

 and sometimes the six of the nearer lake ran together 

 in the centre to go wallowing down in one vortex, from 

 which they reappeared bulging upwards, till they form- 

 ed a huge cone 30 feet high, which plunged downwards 

 in a whirlpool only to reappear in exactly the previous 

 number of fountains in different parts of the lake, high 

 leaping, raging, flinging themselves upward. Some- 

 times the whole lake, abandoning its usual centripetal 

 motion, as if impelled southwards, took the form of 

 mighty waves, and surging heavily against the partial 

 barrier with a sound like the Pacific surf, lashed, tore, 

 covered it, and threw itself over it in clots of living fire. 

 It was all confusion, commotion, force, terror, glory, 

 majesty, mystery, and even beauty. And the color ! 

 " Eye hath not seen " it ! Molten metal has not that 

 crimson gleam, nor blood that living light ! Had I not 

 seen this, I should never have known that such a color 

 was possible. 



" The crust perpetually wrinkled, folded over, and 

 cracked, and great pieces were drawn downwards to be 

 again thrown up on the crests of waves. The eleven 

 fountains of gory fire played the greater part of the 

 time, dancing round the lake with a strength of joyous- 

 ness which was absolute beauty. Indeed after the first 

 half hour of terror had gone by, the beauty of these jets 

 made a profound impression upon me, and the sight of 

 8* 



