28 mountains. 
Horrelxnv observes, that if you fill a botile at one of them, 
the water it coiihfuis will boil up two or three limes, at the 
same time with the watt>r in the well. ^ The inhabitant's 
boil their meat in it, by putting the meat in a vessel of coin 
water, which they place in the hot spring. 
Sir G. S. Mackenzie, whose recent travels in Iceland we 
have already cited, visited the Geysers at a season favour- 
able to his observations, the latter end of July. He found 
die cultivation of the suiTountling territory much higher 
than might have been inferred from the idea general!? 
entertained of the barren and unproductive stale ot Iceland. 
All the flat ground in that iiuarter of the island wav 
.swampy, but not so much so as T impede the progress ot 
the party, who, having passed several hot springs to the 
eastward' of Skalholt, and others rising among the loW 
hills ther had left to the right, in proceeding to the gie;k 
Geyser,' came to a farm-house, situated oii a rising grouiyi 
in the midst of the hogs. Here the people were bu.sil? 
employed in making hay, a scene which afforded a pleasing 
change from the dreaiy solitude they had quitted : liie 
whole of this extensive district, wlilch abounds in grass, 
w'otild, if drained, our traveller observes, prove a very rich 
pasture country. Fartlier on they came to several cottages at 
tlie foot of the mountain, round which they tunied, and 
came in sight of the hill, having the Geysers at one of its 
sides. This hill, in height not more than three htuidred feeri 
IS separated from tlie iiiouinaln, towards the west, by a nai' 
row slip of flat boggy ground, connected with that which 
extends over the wh'ole valley. Having crossed this bog- 
luid a small river which ran tlirough it, the party came to * 
farm-honse at the east-end of llie'hill, luid arrived _at a spa^ 
where the most wondertul and awful eftecls of subtef' 
raiieoas heat arc exhibited. 
Oil the east-side of the hill there are several banks o* 
clay, from some of which steam rises in clitl'erent places > 
and in others there are cavities, in which water boils brisklV' 
Jn a lew of these cavities, the water, being mixed -wid’ 
clay, is thick, and varies in colour ; but is dfiefly red ai'd 
grey*. Ik'low tliese banks iliero is a gentle and unifon” 
sl()i>e, composed of matter which, at .some distant peri(>'' 
has been deposited by springs which no longer exist. '1 
strata or beds tltus formed, seemed to have been brok'-'’ 
