TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 



141 



is well deserving of notice. At the time when we arrived at it 

 the water was at a considerable height in its bason, and overflowed 

 it in every direction. Soon afterwards were heard a sub terraneous 

 rambling and gentle detonations. This was the signal for the 

 propulsion of the water,, which began instantly to rise; but 

 at the period in question it did not attain more than sixty feet. 

 The jet suddenly ceased, and began again at intervals of some 

 minutes. The violence of the spurting diminished by gradations, 

 till the bason became entirely empty. Our guide told us that ft 

 was usual to see the Geyser flow with such feebleness and irregu- 

 larity. The bason was for an instant without any water; but the 

 vapours which arose from the crater prevented us from seeing the 

 bottom. We measured its depth with a plum-!ine r and found it 

 to be seventy-two feet : while the diameter of its orifice was about 

 fifty-seven ;. and that of the bottom, or very little above it, 

 eighteen feet. The bason, by contracting, terminates like a 

 funnel: we therefore again dropped our line, in the hope that the 

 lead would find some apertures through which the water issues; 

 but no sooner had the ball touched the bottom, than a boiling 

 Jet d'eau was propelled over the rock, though fortunately it did 

 not fall upon us. Not willing to be deterred from our purpose 

 by such an interruption, we again attempted to sound the bason, 

 when another gush obliged us to make a precipitate retreat. The 

 air and manner of our guide on this occasion evidently testified 

 that he w as alarmed at what had happened; and that he thought, 

 like most of the common people, that it was not permitted to 

 man to examine such mysterious places, because the powerful 

 spirits who reside in them always punish those who attempt to 

 dive into their secrets. We frequently, but in vain, renewed our 

 attempts to sound this crater, in order to ascertain what holes 

 were at the bottom : but either our ball w r as too large, it being 

 about two-thirds of an inch in diameter ; or the apertures were 

 sinuous like those of the Hverevalle, which prevented us from 

 gaining our point. 



After the propulsions already mentioned, the Geyser remained 

 tranquil during the night, the water rose slowly, and the bason 

 v*as not full till four o'clock in the morning. We remained in 

 the vicinity, that we might not fail to observe the spouting of 

 the water; and in order to ascertain its force, threw into the 

 bason some pebbles and thermal concretions which we found 

 about it. At length the issue of the water was announced by a 

 Tumbling noise under our feet, similar to the firing of cannon at 

 a distance. Five reports of this kind succeeded each other, 

 each of which was louder than the preceding, or as if the can- 

 non was approaching towards us; we felt at the same time 

 the ground shake under us as if it was about to split or burst* 



