The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and art — John Shaqi
The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and artAbbott, John Loraine
Science
The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and art
Abbott, John Loraine
Curiosities and wonders
On the east side of the hill there are several banks of clay, from some
of which steam rises in different places; and in others there are
cavities, in which water boils briskly. In a few of these cavities, the
water being mixed with clay, is thick and varies in color; but is
chiefly red and gray. Below these banks there is a gentle and uniform
slope, composed of matter which, at some distant period, has been
deposited by springs which no longer exist. The strata or beds thus
formed, seemed to have been broken by shocks of earthquakes,
particularly near the great Geyser. Within a space not exceeding a
quarter of a mile, numerous orifices are seen in the old incrustations,
from which boiling water and steam issue, with different degrees of
force. At the northern extremity is situated the great Geyser,
sufficiently distinguishable from the others by every circumstance
connected with it. On approaching this spot, it appeared that a mount
had been formed of irregular, rough-looking depositions, upon the
ancient regular strata, the origin of which had been similar. The slope
of the latter has caused the mount to spread more on the east side; and
the recent depositions of the water may be traced till they coincide
with them. The perpendicular hight of the mount is about seven feet,
measured from the highest part of the surface of the old depositions.
From these the matter composing the mount may be readily distinguished,
on the west side, where a disruption has taken place. On the top of this
mount is a basin, which was found to extend fifty-six feet in one
direction, and forty-six in another.
At a quarter before three o’clock in the afternoon, when the party
reached the spot, they found the basin full of hot water, a little of
which was running over. Having satisfied their curiosity at that time,
they proceeded to examine some other places, whence they saw water
ascending. Above the great Geyser, at a short distance, they came to a
large irregular opening, the beauties of which, the writer observes, it
is hardly possible to describe. The water with which it was filled was
as clear as crystal, and perfectly still, although nearly at the boiling
point. Through it they saw white incrustations, forming a variety of
figures and cavities, to a great depth, and carrying the eye into a vast
and dark abyss, over which the crust supporting them formed a dome of an
inconsiderable thickness; a circumstance which though not of itself
agreeable, contributed much to the effects of this awful scene.
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