THE GEYSERS. 
137 
strength; and, during the space of the succeeding 
half hour, the height of the spout varied, as we 
supposed, from twenty to fifty feet; the fountain 
gradually becoming more and more exhausted, 
and sometimes remaining still for a few minutes, 
after which it again feebly raised its waters to 
the height of not more than from two to ten 
feet, till, at the expiration of two hours and a 
half from the commencement of the eruption, it 
ceased to play, and the water sunk into the 
pipe to the depth of about twenty feet, and there 
continued to boil for some time. I had no hesi¬ 
tation in pronouncing this to be, what is called 
by Sir John Stanley, the new Geyser*; although 
the shape and dimensions of the crater differ 
somewhat from the description given by that 
gentleman. But, after a lapse of twenty years, 
it is not to be expected that, with two such 
powerful agents as fire and water, constantly 
operating, a spot like this should be suffered to 
remain without any alteration. The outline of 
the aperture is an irregular oval, seventeen feet 
long and nine feet in width; on only one side 
* The term Geyser, it may be here remarked, is derived 
from an Icelandic word which implies a vomiting forth, or 
boiling out in a furious manner, and at intervals. “ Nomen 
“ habet (the learned rector of Ska’holt writes to Sir Joseph 
<c Banks) a verbo islandico ad giosa evomere, ebullire; aquas 
c< enim per intervalla in altum evomit.” 
