Mr D. Buchanan on Fresh water Jbund in the. Sea: 369 



have been dug up in sinking the foundations. We have in 

 Northumberland a hmestone abounding in Terebratula and Ano- 

 mia, the local name of which is the Cockle-shell limestone. 



In a moss much resembling this, at Kirby Ravenswath, in the 

 same neighbourhood, now draining, I found the same shells be- 

 low the peat, which is about four feet thick, resting on a sandy 

 clay. Formerly it has evidently been covered with water, form- 

 ing the principal defence of Kirby Ravenswath Castle, which it 

 partly surrounds. 



Notice of Fresh Water found in the Sea at a great distance 

 from the land. By D. Buchanan, Esq. (In a Letter to 

 Professor Jameson.) 



X HAVE received your letter of the 15th, in which you request 

 me to give you an account of my voyage to Chitagong, during 

 which the singular circumstance of our finding fresh water so 

 far from land occurred. Not having thought much of this at 

 the time, I fear I may have forgotten some of the circumstances 

 attending it, but all that I do recollect shall be communicated 

 to you. In the beginning of September 1824, 1 embarked with 

 the other officers of our regiment, in a country ship (having 

 most of the officers of his Majesty's 54th Regiment on board), 

 for Chittagong. We sailed out of the Madras Roads with a 

 fair wind, which continued for four days ; but, on the fifth, we 

 were becalmed, and continued so for fourteen days, having had 

 only once or twice a very slight breeze, which never lasted 

 longer than a few hours. It was towards the end of this calm 

 that I observed a very strange appearance on the surface of the 

 glassy ocean. It seemed to be furrowed in several directions, 

 and much agitated in these furrows, so that, when the ship was 

 drifted into these parts, she was driven about in all directions. 

 On the night of the 14th, a breeze sprang up. Owing to our 

 unexpectedly tedious passage, we ran short of provisions, parti- 

 cularly of water. You may suppose what was our joy and as- 

 tonishment the next morning, in taking up the water alongside 

 to wash decks, ]to find that it was fresh, and much more palata- 

 ble than that which remained in our casks, which were imme- 



