every half hour to observe how much
time was required to fill it again. After an hour I could still descend
into the outer basin; but half an hour later the inner basin was already
full, and commenced to overflow. As long as the water only filled the
inner basin it boiled violently; but the higher it rose in the outer one,
the less it boiled, and nearly ceased when the basin was filled: it only
threw little bubbles here and there.

After a lapse of two hours--it was just noon--the basin was filled nearly
to the brim; and while I stood beside it the water began again to bubble
violently, and to emit the hollow sounds. I had scarcely time to
retreat, for the pillars of water rose immediately. This time they
spouted during the noise, and were more bulky than those of the first
explosion, which might proceed from their not rising so high, and
therefore remaining more compact. Their height may have been from forty
to fifty feet. The basins this time remained nearly as full after the
eruption as before.

I had now seen two eruptions of the Geyser, and felt amply compensated
for my persevering patience and watchfulness. But I was destined to be
more fortunate, and to experience its explosions in all their variety.
The spring spouted again at seven o'clock in the evening, ascended higher
than at noon, and brought up some stones, which looked like black spots
and points in the white frothy water-column. And during the third night
it presented itself under another phase: the water rose in dreadful,
quickly-succeeding waves, without throwing rays; the basin overflowed
violently, and generated such a mass of steam as is rarely seen. The
wind accidentally blew it to the spot where I stood, and it enveloped me
so closely that I could scarcely see a few feet off. But I perceived
neither smell nor oppression, merely a slight degree of warmth.

June 28th.

As I had now seen the Geyser play so often and so beautifully, I ordered
my horses for nine o'clock this morning, to continue my journey. I made
the more haste to leave, as a Dutch prince was expected, who had lately
arrived at Reikjavik, with a large retinue, in a splendid man-of-war.

I had the luck to see another eruption before my departure at half-past
eight o'clock; and this one was nearly as beautiful as the first. This
time also the outer basin was entirely emptied, and the inner one to a
depth of