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earthquake, and that it was not unlikely many of
the cavities communicating with the bottom of the
pipe had been then enlarged, and ncAv sources of
water opened into them. There seems to be no
reason why these boiling fountains, like most volcanoes,
should not lie dormant for a time, or
change the place of their eruption, just as the
pouring lava forsakes the old volcanic cones on tJie
summits, to make itself new ones on the sides, of
the mountain, supposing the proximate agent of
both to be the same.
While we were looking at the exertions of this
violent geyser, most properly so called, as the word
gys* implies to rush out with impetuosity, our
attention was attracted to another little roaring
fountain not far from us, throwing out immense
volumes of steam, but the small jets of water did
not mount higher than three or four feet : they
Avere, however, so constant andjso regular, that Ave
Avere induced to time them; and we found that
at intervals of between twenty and thirty minutes
Ave were quite sure of having a burst of steam and
Avater, each of which rarely continued above four
minutes.
The extraordinary regularity of this little fouii-
* The bishop or rector o f Skalholt told Sir Joseph Banks that
it was derived from giosa— emovere, ehullire. It is so, but the
derivation is not obvious. Th e verb is pres, gys, pret. gaus, inf.
giosa.— Dictionariolum Islandicum Georgii Hickasii, &c.
tain, so different from the Great Geyser or the larger
Strockr, would almost lead one to conclude th a t it
must have a steam apparatus of its own Avholly distinct
from any other. This “ wonderfully amusing
little fountain,” as one of our travellers has appropriately
called it, is named the Little Strockr. It
plays through a small tube incrusted Avith stone like
that at the bottom of the basin of the Great Geyser,
from Avhence its antiquity may be inferred; for it cannot
be imagined that a siliceous coating of this kind,
deposited by Avater in which silex is Avith difficulty
detected, and Avhere the rush of it is almost incessant,
could have assumed so solid a texture in a short
space of time. The Little Strockr is situated at the
head of a group of small springs, not fcAver than a
dozen, two of Avhich only threw up Avater, and these
not higher than two or three feet, something resembling'the
jets that may be seen Avhen one of
the fire-plugs in the streets of London is drawn
o u t; but all of them threw out steam constantly,
as if they had been intended as so many safety-
valves : the temperature of these in general Avas as
nearly as may be 210°.
Just under the Laugerfell hill, and from the
sides of Avhich I have supposed the Roaring Geyser
to haA'e been choked up, are a great number
of mud springs, some of a red colour, some
grey, and some broAvn, the general temperature
being about 195°, out of which A'ery little steam
r i f