DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0156
136 kirby’s wonderful museum.
About a hundred yards from the great Geyser towards the
north, in the cleft where the disruption already mentioned had
taken place, and which had probably been formed by an
earthquake, are banks of clay, in which there are several small
basins full of boiling mud. The mud is thin, and tastes
strongly of sulphate of alumina, of which we observed many
films attached to the clay, which seems to have been forced
up from below, through fissures in the ancient incrustations.
The clay contains also iron pyrites; the decomposition of
which has given it very rich colours. Almost directly above
this place, under the rock at the top of the hill, are several
orifices, from which steam rushes, as there are some slight
appearances of sulphur. Almost the whole of this side of
the hill is composed of incrustations and clay.
The depositions of the present and former springs are vi-
sible to a great extent, about half a mile in every direction ;
and from their great thickness in many places, it is probable
that they are spread under the surface now covered with grass
and water, to a very considerable distance. About half a
mile up the rivulet, in the direction of Haukardal, where
there is a church, another hot spring appears, which deposits
silicious matter. From thence we obtained one of the most
curious specimens we collected; it almost perfectly resem-
bles opal. The situation of this spring is mentioned to shew
the probability that the extent of the matter, which may for
ages have been collecting, is very great; and its depth, from
what is seen in the cleft near the Geyser, where it is visible
to the thickness of ten or twelve feet, is probably also very
considerable.
However strongly the feelings excited by the productions
of the springs, and by the appearance of the surrounding
country, were impressed upon us, we often turned anxiously
towards the Geysers, longing for a repetition of their wonder-
ful operations. To them all our wishes and hopes were direct-
ed ; and we felt as if our eyes could never tire of beholding,
About a hundred yards from the great Geyser towards the
north, in the cleft where the disruption already mentioned had
taken place, and which had probably been formed by an
earthquake, are banks of clay, in which there are several small
basins full of boiling mud. The mud is thin, and tastes
strongly of sulphate of alumina, of which we observed many
films attached to the clay, which seems to have been forced
up from below, through fissures in the ancient incrustations.
The clay contains also iron pyrites; the decomposition of
which has given it very rich colours. Almost directly above
this place, under the rock at the top of the hill, are several
orifices, from which steam rushes, as there are some slight
appearances of sulphur. Almost the whole of this side of
the hill is composed of incrustations and clay.
The depositions of the present and former springs are vi-
sible to a great extent, about half a mile in every direction ;
and from their great thickness in many places, it is probable
that they are spread under the surface now covered with grass
and water, to a very considerable distance. About half a
mile up the rivulet, in the direction of Haukardal, where
there is a church, another hot spring appears, which deposits
silicious matter. From thence we obtained one of the most
curious specimens we collected; it almost perfectly resem-
bles opal. The situation of this spring is mentioned to shew
the probability that the extent of the matter, which may for
ages have been collecting, is very great; and its depth, from
what is seen in the cleft near the Geyser, where it is visible
to the thickness of ten or twelve feet, is probably also very
considerable.
However strongly the feelings excited by the productions
of the springs, and by the appearance of the surrounding
country, were impressed upon us, we often turned anxiously
towards the Geysers, longing for a repetition of their wonder-
ful operations. To them all our wishes and hopes were direct-
ed ; and we felt as if our eyes could never tire of beholding,