362 Original Letters of Dr. Franklin. 
the wind is from N. E. to S. W. yet the course of the storm 
is from the 8. W. to N. E. i. e. the air is in violent motion 
in Virginia before it moves in Connecticut, and at Connect- 
icut before it moves at Cape Sable, &c. My reasons for this 
} oma (if the like has not oveutred to you,) I will give in 
next. I thank you for the curious facts you have com- 
dreinieared to me relating tosprings. I think with you, that 
most springs arise from rains, dews, or ponds, &c. on higher 
grounds: Yet possibly some that break out near the tops of 
high hollow mountains, may proceed from the abyss, or from 
water in the caverns of the earth, rarified by its internal 
heat, and raised in vapour, till the cold region near the top 
of such mountains condense the vapour into water again, 
which comes forth in springs and runs down on the outside 
of the mountain, as it ascended from the inside. There is 
said to be a large — near the top of Teneriffe ; and that 
mountain was formerly olcano, consequently hollow 
within. Such springs, if such there be, may properly be 
called springs of disttdled water. Now I mention mountains, 
it occurs to tell you, that the = Tey oe mountains, 
a run — om York River back of these Colonies to the 
Bay of Mexico, show in many places near urttid highest parts 
of ‘oo strata of sea shells, in some places the marks © 
them are in the solid rocks. “Tis certainly a Wreck of a 
world we live on! We have specimens of these sea shell 
rocks broken off near the tops of those mountains, brought 
and deposited in our ae as fee you have 
not seen the like, Pil a a piece. Farther about 
which appeared striped from top to bottom, and told me the 
stone = rock of that mountain was divided by nature into 
pillars ;* of this I should be glad to have a particular ac- 
count from you. I think I wassomewhere near New Ha- 
ven when I saw it. You aoe some mistake when you in- 
tended to favour me with some of the new valuable grass- 
seed, (I think you called it beibdeciid) for what you gave 
me is grown up, and proves mere timothy ; so I suppose 
ese took i it out of a seri, sae or ee 
c _ ees ereen- 
o 
pilin constituting the Fast a West nipd o &c.—Ed. 
