6 



discovered that every one encroaches upon the territory of the others, 

 not only by interaction, but also by interpenetration. It has already 

 been shown that the water penetrates deep into the rock. Every spring 

 that falls from the hillside gives proof that the rocks above its level 

 hold water, which they yield slowly as a perennial supply; and the in- 

 numerable hills of the continents and islands have their innumerable 

 springs. Every well proves that there is water below; every artesian 

 fountain shows the existence of underground waters ; and every boring 

 in the crust of the earth, and every excavation in underground min- 

 ing, discovers the presence of water. 



"Wherever water flows, air flows with it, and all natural waters 

 are permeated with air. 



"The acjueous envelope is everywhere permeated with rock, which 

 it holds in solution or suspension, and there is no natural water abso- 

 lutely pure. The sea is full of salt. Salt lakes are more than full of 

 salt, and so they must throw it upon the bottom ; and the waters hold 

 lime and many other substances. Not a drop of pure water can be 

 found in the sea ; not a drop can be found in a lake ; not a drop of pure 

 water can be found in any river, creek, brook, or spring; and not a 

 drop of pure water can be found underground : it is all mixed to some 

 degree with rock. 



"All natural waters are aerated. No drop of water unmixed with 

 rock and air can be found, except by the process of artificial purifica- 

 tion. 



"But surely there is pure air? Nav, not so. There is no natural 

 air unmixed with rock and water. All the air that circulates above the 

 land and sea, within the ken of man, and all the air which circulates 

 underground, is mixed with rock and water. 



"Pure air is invisible: it will not reflect light; it is transparent, but 

 will not convey light. Light is conveyed through the atmosphere by 

 ether, and is reflected and refracted by rock and water; and it seems 

 to be largely afifected in this manner by rock. If the ambient air of 

 the earth were pure, there would be no color in the sky, no rainbow 

 in the heavens, no gray, no purple, no crimson, no gold, in the clouds. 

 All these are due largelv to the dust in the air. The purple cloud is 

 painted with dust, and the sapphire skv is adamant on wings. 



"Land plants live on underground waters : were there no subter- 

 ranean circulation of water, there would be no land plants. Fishes 

 live on under-water air: were there no circulation of subaqueous air, 

 there would be no fishes in the sea. The clouds are formed bv par- 

 ticles of dust in the air, which gather the vapor : were there no dust in 

 the air. there would be no clouds; were there no clouds, there would 

 be no rain." 



