oF THE FALLS or NIAGARA, &c, 19 
luble in water, and that its earth can be precipitated bya 
mild fixed alkali: a2dly, the 3d experiment thews 
evidently that its earth is of the calcareous kind, as ap- 
pears by the ftyptic tafte and changeable coloured film, 
agreeing exactly with common lime water. It feems pro- 
bable that the vehemence of the fire had in part expelled 
the acid, leaving a portion of the mafs in the fate of 
quicklime. itis well known that moft waters are ‘more 
or lefs impregnated with a felenitic matter. It is faid that 
agitation difpofes water to depofite a part of its earth. 
It is alfo agreed that water becomes more pure by being 
freed from its earthy parts. 
Thefe three confiderations, together with the refult of 
the above experiment, inclined me much to favour an 
opinion which univerfally prevails in this part of the 
world, viz. That the water is purified by coming down 
the Falls. They alfo fuggefted a thought to me, that this 
purification might depend upon the latter depofiting part 
of its earth in confequence of the violent agitation it had 
received in pafling over rapids upwards ofa mile in length, 
and then tumbling down the falls. Such a fuppofition 
received great fupport from the fubftance called the Spray 
being only found at the bottom of the Falls, which feem- 
ed to fhow that a depofition did actually take place. This 
theory was very plaufible, and gave me, at firft, much plea- 
{ure in contemplating it: neverthelefs fucceeding obfer- 
vations and more ftri€t enquiries have led me to entertain 
many doubts upon the fubjet.———That the water is much 
better at Niagara, which is about thirteen or fourteen miles 
below the Falls, than it is at Fort-Schlofler, which is about 
a mile and a half above them is an unqueftionable fact: 
neverthelefs, I do not think that this can with ftri@ juftice 
be alone attributed to the depofition of the earthy parts. 
There are feveral low marfhy grounds, which empty them- 
felves by {mall creeks into the river immediately above the 
C2 Falls ; 
