påffing the fame materials through the pores of cal careous earths and stones: as we fee calcareous dropstones generating every day by the percolation of water through lime-ftone, and new marble forming in the quarries from which the old has been taken out; and it might be asked, whether it is more difficult for nature to shoot the calcareous juice into the form of a fhell, than other juices into the forms of cryftals, plants, animals, according to the construction of the veffels through which they pafs? There is a wonder fomewhere. Is it greatest on this branch of dilemma ;. on that which fuppofes the exiftence of a power, of which we have no evidence in any other case ; or on the firft, which requires us to believe the creation of a body of water and its fubfequent annihilation? The establishment of the inftance, cited by M. de Voltaire, of the growth of fhells unattached to animal bodies, would have been that of his theory. But he has not eftablished it. He has not even left it on ground fo refpectable as to have rendered it an object of enqui ry to the literati of his own country. Abandoning this fact, therefore, the three hypothefes are equally unfatisfactory; and we must be contented to acknowledge, that this great phenomenon is as yet unfolved. Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.

There is great abundance (more especially when you approach the mountains) of ftone, white, blue,

brown,

brown, &c. fit for the chiffel, good mill-ftone, fuch alfo as ftands the fire, and flate-ftone. We are told of flint, fit for gun-flints, on the Meherin in Brunswick, on the Miffifippi between the mouth of the Ohio and Kaskaskia, and on others of the western waters. Ifinglafs or mica is in feveral places; loadstone alfo; and an Afbeftos of a ligneous texture is fometimes to be met with.

Marle abounds generally. A clay, of which, like the Sturbridge in England, bricks are made, which will refift long and violent action of fire, has been found on Tuckahoe creek of James River, and no doubt will be found in other places. Chalk is faid to be in Botetourt and Bedford. In the latter county is fome earth believed to be gypfeous. Ochres are found in various parts.

In the lime-stone country are many caves, the earthly floors of which are impregnated with nitre. On Rich creek, a branch of the great Kanhaway, about 60 miles below the lead mines, is a very large one, about 20 yards wide, and entering a hill a quarter of half a mile. The vault is of rock, from 9 to 15 or 20 feet above the floor. A Mr. Lynch, who gives me this account, undertook to extract the nitre. Befides a coat of the falt which had formed on the vault and floor, he found the earth highly impregnated to the depth of seven feet in fome places, and generally of three, every bushel yielding on an on an average three pounds of nitre. Mr. Lynch having made about 1000lb. of

the

the falt from it, configned it to fome others, who have fince made 10,000fb. They have done this by pursuing the cave into the hill, never trying a second time the earth they have once exhaufted, to see how far or soon it receives another impregnation. At least fifty of these caves are worked on the Greenbriar. There are many of them known on Cumberland river.

The country weftward of the Alleghaney abounds with fprings of common falt. The most remarkable we have heard of are at Bullet's lick, the Big bones, the Blue licks, and on the North fork of Holfton. The area of Bullet's lick, is of many acres. Digging the earth to the depth of three feet, the water begins to boil up, and the deeper you go, and the drier the weather, the stronger is the brine.

A thousand gallons of water, yield from a bushel to a bushel and a half of falt, which is about 80fb. of water to lb. of falt; but of fea-water 25lb. yield 1lb. of falt. So that fea-water is more than three times as ftrong as that of thefe fprings. A falt fpring has been lately discovered at the Turkey foot on Yohogany, by which river it is overflowed, except at very low water. Its merit is not yet known. Dunning's lick is also as yet untried, but it is fuppofed to be the best on this fide of the Ohio. The falt fprings on the margin of the Onondago lake are faid to give a faline tafte to the waters of the lake.

There are feveral medicinal fprings, fome of which are indubitably efficacious, while others feem to owe

their

their reputation as much to fancy and change of air and regimen, as to their real virtues. None of them having undergone a chemical analyfis in fkilful hands, nor been so far the fubject of obfervations as to have produced a reduction into claffes of the diforders which they relieve, it is in my power to give little

more than an enumeration of them.

The most efficacious of these are two fprings in Augufta, near the first fources of James River, where it is called Jackson's River. They rife near the foot of the ridge of mountains generally called the Warm fpring mountains, but in the maps Jackfon's mountains. The one is diftinguished by the name of the Warm fpring, and the other of the Hot fpring. The Warm fpring iffues with a very bold stream, fufficient. to work a grift mill, and to keep the waters of its bafon, which is 30 feet in diameter, at the vital warmth, viz. 96°. of Farenheit's thermometer. The matter with which these waters is allied is very volatile; its smell indicates it to be fulphureous, as alfo does the circumstance of its turning filver black. They relieve

rheumatifms. Other complaints also of very different natures have been removed or leffened by them. rains here four or five days in every week.

The Hot Spring is about fix miles from the Warm, is much fmaller, and has been fo hot as to have boiled an egg. Some believe its degree of heat to be lef fened. It raises the mercury in Farenheit's thermometer to 112 degrees, which is fever heat. It fome

tincs relieves where the Warm fpring fails. A foun tain of common water, iffuing within a few inches of its margin, gives it a fingular appearance. Compar ing the temperature of thefe with that of the Hot fprings of Kamfchatka, of which Krachininnikow gives an account, the difference is very great, the latter raising the mercury to 200°. which is within 12°. of boiling water. These springs are very much reforted to in fpite of a total want of accommodation for the fick. Their waters are ftrongest in the hottest months, which occafions their being vifited in July and Auguft principally.

The fweet fprings are in the county of Botetourt, at the eastern foot of the Alleghaney, about 42 miles from the Warm fprings. They are still lefs known. Having been found to relieve cafes in which the others had been ineffectually tried, it is probable their composition is different. They are different alfo in their temperature, being as cold as common water : which is not mentioned, however, as a proof of a diftinct impregnation. This is among the first fources of James River.

On Patowmac River, in Berkely county, above the North mountain, are medicinal fprings, much more frequented than those of Augufta. Their powers, however, are lefs, the waters weakly mineralized, and fcarcely warm. They are more vifited, becaufe fituated in a fertile, plentiful, and populous country, better provided with accommodations, always fafe

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