at it did be truly like
a great and wondrous park, that did be made of the skill and labour of
godlike things; and truly this to show my feeling, as I lookt all-ways.
And all that part did be bred of the inward forces of the world, and did
be burned clear in this place, and upheaved in that, and made to an hot
lake in another part; and odd whiles there to go a great steam fountain,
that did whistle a lonely song forever. And anon there to be a small
wood, and again a wood; and oft the quietness of great and strange
trees, that did stand alone. And here, and in that part, a little
fire-hill, that did be surely no greater than an house, and we to pass
seven of these in but three hours. And two to glow very steadfast, and
to make no vigour of burning; but the five others did burn very strong,
and sent out a smoke and ash, and made a small desolation all about
them; and of these five, there did be one that cast stones oft and
again, so that they went upward with a strange loud noise, and fell in
this place and that, all about, so that we came downward more nigh to
the shore, that we be a good way off.

And here, as I do mind, there was a strangeness, in that there did be
many trees that had stones set in the branches; and this to be plainly
the work of the little fire-hill; and I to think it but something new
come, else surely there had been no trees within all that space that it
did throw; but yet, mayhap, I am wrong in this; for all things did seem
that they grew very easy in that Country; and indeed this to be for
surprise to me, only that I saw it with mine own eyes, as we do say.

And alway as we did go, there were signs of inward life and forces; so
that we but to stand quiet to feel that the earth did tremble gently in
many parts.

And presently there sounded for a great while a low and dull booming
sound; and this we found to be from a place amid certain great rocks
toward the mountains; for there came thence a mighty up-spouting of
boiling water, that went so high as an hundred feet, and oft to be
thrice so high, and belched a great steam; and there went up in the jet
of the water, a great rock, that was so big as an house, and did dance
and play in the might of the water, as that it had been no more than a
thing very light and easy. And when that the water fell, as it did oft,
the rock to go downward with the dull booming that we did hear.

And I minded how that I had heard the booming upon mine outward way; bu