UNUSUSAL WANT OF PROPER RESERVE. 129 
The last gulp of water had disappeared down the 
funnel. We were standing at the bottom of the now 
empty basin, gazing into each other’s faces with joyous 
astonishment, when suddenly we perceived a horseman 
come franticly galloping round the base of the neigh¬ 
bouring hill towards us. The state of the case was only 
too evident. He had seen the masses of vapour rising 
round the fountain, and guessing “ what was up” had 
strained every nerve to arrive in time. As there was no 
mutual friend present to introduce us to each other,— 
of course under ordinary circumstances I should have 
wrapped myself in that reserve which is the birthright of 
every Briton, and pretended never even to have noticed 
his arrival; but the sight we had just seen had quite 
upset my nerves,—and I confess, with shame, that I so 
far compromised myself, as to inaugurate a conversation 
with the stranger. In extenuation of my conduct, I 
the water at the bottom of the well of the Great Geysir is found to 
be of constantly increasing temperature up to the moment of an 
eruption, when on one occasion it was as high as 261 ° Fahrenheit. 
Professor Bunsen’s idea is, that on reaching some unknown point 
above that temperature, ebullition takes place, vapour is suddenly 
generated in enormous quantity, and an eruption of the superior 
column of water is the consequence. 
K 
