course.

We soon found that we had got into a region subject to violent volcanic
action, and were compelled to turn aside to avoid a wide space full of
ponds, the intervals between which were covered with a crust of
brimstone. I attempted to reach one of the ponds, but had not gone far
when the point of my pole went through the crust, and up bubbled a
quantity of black slime. On touching it, and finding it scalding hot, I
shouted to my companions, who were behind, not to venture on the
treacherous ground. A horror seized me, and every instant I feared that
I should break through the surface. Should that take place, what a
dreadful fate would be mine! I hastened back, stepping cautiously, as if
moving over ice too thin to bear my weight; and very thankful I was when
I once more got on hard ground.

[Illustration: A WONDERFUL REGION.]

Still further on, as we proceeded down the valley, we saw vapour rising
from numerous fissures in the hill-sides. Around these vents quantities
of sulphur had been deposited. But the most curious objects were basins
of all sizes, nearly circular, of which there were great
numbers--formed, apparently, by the lime contained in the hot springs.
Some of these springs were exhausted; others, as they gushed forth from
the mountain-side, were hot enough to boil potatoes. Beautiful as was
the appearance of the basins, we were too eager to push forward, to
examine them minutely. One was from twelve to twenty feet in diameter,
and had a beautifully scalloped border. So perfect was the shading of
the scallops, that it looked like a most delicate work of art rather
than the production of nature. From the centre spouted up water to the
height of seven or eight feet. Farther on was another boiling spring, of
far greater dimensions,--a horrible-looking caldron, the water dark and
muddy, and in ceaseless agitation.

"Here is a pot suitable for the witches' caldron in Macbeth," cried out
Manley.

He was rather ahead of me, and on overtaking him I found him standing by
the side of a circular basin whose diameter we calculated to be fully
twenty feet. The contents consisted of what greatly resembled hasty
pudding, or, as Manley said, "a huge caldron of thick mash." The whole
surface was bubbling up every instant, and giving off a thud like the
noise produced by the escape of the gas below.

Curious as these sights were, we were still more astonished by the
appearance of the side of the mountain, the ba