friends. The water in the basin was greatly agitated, and flowed over, but there was not any jet. The same occurred at half past two. At five minutes past four on Saturday morning, an alarm was given by one of the company. As our traveller lay next the door of the tent, he instantly drew aside the canvass, when at the distance of little more than fifty yards, a most extraordinary and magnificent appearance presented itself. From a place they had not before noticed, they saw water thrown up, and steam issuing with a tremenduous noise. There was little water; but the force with which the steam escaped, produced a white column of spray and vapour, at least sixty feet high. They enjoyed this astonishing and beautiful sight until seven o'clock, when it gradually disappeared.

The remaining part of the morning was occupied in examining the environs of the Geysers; and at every step they received some new gratification. Following the channel which had been formed by the water escaping from the great basin during the eruptions, they found several beautiful and delicate petrifactions. The leaves of birch and willow were seen converted into white stone, and in the most perfect state of preservation, every minute fibre being entire. Grass and rushes were in the same state, and also masses of peat. Several of these rare and elegant specimens were brought safely to Great Britain. On the outside of the mount of the Geyser, the depositions, owing to the splashing of the water, are rough and have been justly compared to the heads of cauliflowers. They are of a yellowish brown colour, and are arranged around the mount, somewhat like a circular flight of steps. The inside of the basin is comparatively smooth; and the matter forming it is more compact and dense than the exterior crust; when polished it is not devoid of beauty, being of a grey colour, mottled with black and white spots and streaks. The white incrustation formed by the water of the beautiful cavity before described, had taken a very curious form at the water's edge, very much resembling the capital of a Gothic column.

THE SULPHUR MOUNTAIN.

THIS Icelandic mountain, distant about three miles from the village of Krisuvik, presents a phenomenon very different from the one above described, that of a CAULDRON OF BOILING MUD. We extract the following particulars of this singular curiosity from the relation given by Sir G. Mackenzie in his travels in Iceland.

At the foot of the mountain is a small bank, composed chiefly of white clay and sulphur, from every part of which steam issues. Having ascended this bank, a ridge presents itself, immediately beneath which is a deep hollow, whence a profusion of vapour arises, with a confused noise of boiling and splashing, accompanied by steam escaping from narrow crevices in the rock. This hollow being, as well as the whole side of the mountain opposite, covered with sulphur and clay, it was very hazardous to walk over a soft and steaming surface of such a description. The vapour concealing the party from each other occasioned much uneasiness; and there was some hazard of the crust of sulphur breaking, or of the clay sinking beneath their feet. They were thus several times in danger of being scalded, as indeed, happened to one of the party, Mr. Bright, who accidentally plunged one of his legs into the hot clay. When the thermometer was immersed in it, to the depth of a few inches, it generally rose to within a few degrees of the boiling point. By stepping cautiously, and avoiding every little hole from which steam issued, they soon ascertained how far they might venture. Their good fortune, however, Sir George observes, ought not to tempt any person to examine this wonderful place, without being provided with two boards, with which every part of the banks may be traversed in perfect safety. At the bottom of the hollow, above described, they found the cauldron of mud, which boiled with the utmost vehemence. They approached within a few yards of it, the wind favouring them in viewing every part of this singular scene. The mud was in constant agitation, and often thrown up to the height of six or eight feet. Near this spot was an irregular space filled with water, boiling briskly. At the foot of the

hill, in a hollow formed by a bank of clay and sulphur, steam rushed with great force and noise from among the loose fragments of rock.

In ascending the mountain, our travellers met with a spring of cold water, which was little to be expected in such a place. At a greater elevation, they came to a ridge, composed entirely of sulphur and clay, joining two summits of the mountain. The smooth crust of sulphur was beautifully chrystallized; and beneath it was a quantity of loose granular sulphur, which appeared to be collecting and chrystalizing, as it was sublimed along with the steam. On removing the sulphureous crust, steam issued, and annoyed the party so much, that they could not examine this place to any depth.

Beneath the ridge, on the farther side of this great bed of sulphur, an abundance of vapour escaped with a loud noise. Having crossed to the side of the mountain opposite, they walked to what is called the principal spring. This was a task of much apparent danger, as the side of the mountain to the extent of about half a mile, was covered with loose clay, into which the feet of our travellers sunk at every step. In many places there was a thin crust, beneath which the clay was wet, and extremely hot. Good fortune attended them; and without any serious inconvenience, they reached the object they had in view. A dense column of steam, mixed with a small portion of water, forced its way impetuously through a crevice in a rock, at the head of a narrow valley, or break in the mountain.— The violence with which it rushed out was so great, that the noise, thus occasioned, might often be heard at the distance of several miles. During night while the party lay in their tent at Krisuvik, they more than once listened to it with mingled awe and astonishment. Behind the column of vapour was a dark-coloured rock, which added to the sublimity of the effect.

"It is quite beyond my power," observes Sir George Mackenzie, "to offer such a description of this extraordinary place, as would convey adequate ideas of its wonders, or of its terrors. The sensations of a person, even of firm nerves, standing on a support which feebly sustains him, over an abyss where, literally, fire and brimstone are in dreadful and incessant action; having before his eyes trê-.

mendous proofs of what is going on beneath him; enveloped in thick vapours; his ears stunned with thundering noises; must be experienced before they can be understood."

MONT BLANC,

IN SWITZERLAND, WITH THE GLACIERS.
[See Plate, No. 16.]

When mid the lifeless summits proud

Of Alpine cliffs, where to the geled sky
Snows piled on snows in wint'ry torpor lie,

The rays divine of vernal Phœbus play;

Th' awakened heaps, in streamlets from on high,
Roused into action, lively leap away,

Glad warbling through the vales, in their new being gay.

THOMPSON.

THIS mountain, so named on account of its white aspect, belongs to the great central chain of the Alps. It is truly gigantic, and is the most elevated mountain in Europe, rising no less than 15,872 feet, somewhat more than three miles, above the level of the sea, and 14,624 feet above the lake of Geneva, in its vicinity. It is encompassed by those wonderful collections of snow and ice, called "GLACIERS," two of the principal of which, are called Mont Dolent and Triolet. The highest part of Mont Blanc, named the Dromedary, is in the shape of a compressed hemisphere. From that point it sinks gradually, and presents a kind of concave surface of snow, in the midst of which is a small pyramid of ice. It then rises into a second hemisphere, which is named the Middle Dome; and thence descends into another concave surface, terminating in a point, which among other names bestowed on it by the Savoyards, is styled "Dome de Goute," and may be regarded as the inferior dome.

The first successful attempt to reach the summit of Mont Blanc was made in August 1786, by Doctor Paccard, a physician of Chamouni. He was led to make the attempt by a guide, named Balma, who in searching for crystals, had discovered the only practicable route by which so arduous an undertaking could be accomplished. The ascent occupied fifteen hours, and the descent five, under circumstances of the greatest difficulty, the sight of the Doctor, and that of his guide, Balma, being so affected by the snow

and wind, as to render them almost blind, at the same time that the face of each was excoriated, and the lips exceedingly swelled.

On the first of August of the following year, 1787, the celebrated and indefatigable naturalist, M. de Saussure, set out on his successful expedition, accompanied by a servant and eighteen guides, who carried a tent and mattresses, together with the necessary accommodations and various instruments of experimental philosophy. The first night they passed under the tent, on the summit of the mountain of La Cote, 4986 feet above "the Priory," a large village in the vale of Chamouni, the journey thither being exempt from trouble or danger, as the ascent is always over turf, or on the solid rock; but above this place it is wholly over ice or snows.

Early next morning they traversed the Glacier of La Cote, to gain the foot of a small chain of rocks, inclosed in the snows of Mont Blanc. The glacier is both difficult and dangerous, being intersected by wide, deep, irregular chasms, which frequently can be passed only by three bridges of snow, which are suspended over the abyss. After reaching the ridge of rocks, the tract winds along a hollow, or valley, filled with snow, which extends north and south to the foot of the highest summit, and is divided at intervals by enormous crevices. These shew the snow to be disposed in horizontal beds, each of which answers to a year, and notwithstanding the width of the fissures, the depth can in no part be measured. At four in the afternoon, the party reached the second of the three great platforms of snow they had to traverse, and here they encamped at the height of 9312 feet above the Priory, or 12,768 feet, nearly two miles and a half above the level of the sea.

From the centre of this platform, enclosed between the farthest summit of Mont Blanc on the south, its high steps, or terraces, on the east, and the Dome de Goute on the west, nothing but snow appears. It is quite pure, of a dazzling whiteness, and on the high summits presents a singular contrast with the sky, which in these elevated regions is almost black. Here no living being is to be seen; no appearance of vegetation; it is the abode of cold and silence. "When," observes M. de Saussere, "I represent to myself Dr. Paccard and James Balma first