Hot and Thermal Springs. 367 



stances. Yet it does not contain so little, as Mr Pagenstecher 

 very justly remarks, as to lead us to suppose the water of the 

 Lutschine to be only tlie product of the melting of the glacier, 

 under which it takes its rise ; but from the nature of its ingre- 

 dients we should be inclined to consider it as entirely composed 

 of the water of springs, or at least, with but a small admixture 

 of glacier-water. 



The comparison of the water of the Lutschine with that of 

 the Anr, can, indeed, give no certain data, as the latter is formed 

 by the union of so many different springs and glacier-streams ; 

 yet we cannot but be astonished to see that the quantity of fixed 

 substances, contained in the water of the Aur, amounts to more 

 than double that of the Lutschine; and that the quantity of car- 

 bonate of lime in the former, is almost four times as great as m 

 the latter. It is true that the country tributary to the Aar is 

 for the most part composed of limestones ; but it is also true that 

 the springs in the lower glacier of Grindehvald, as well as the 

 glacier itself, are situated in similar rocks. Still it remains very 

 remarkable, that the Lutschine should contain so little carbo- 

 nate of lime ; and this is certain, either that the streams which 

 flow into the Aai' and do not proceed from glaciers, must be 

 very rich in carbonate of lime, for this river, after receiving in- 

 to it the Lutschine, and so many other glacier streams, probably 

 containing a proportion of carbonate of lime, equal to that of 

 the Lutschine, is yet found to be so exceedingly rich in this 

 earth ; or that the Aar must dissolve a great deal of lime, dur- 

 ing its course through the limestone mountains. The latter 

 seems to be the more probable, since the Aar, as far as Bern, is 

 supplied for the most part by waters proceeding from the gla- 

 ciers. The smaller proportion of lime in the Rhine, at Basel, 

 compared with that of the Aar, which shews that the Rhine 

 must have contained a still smaller proportion previous to its 

 union with the Aar, may perhaps be accounted for, by the whole 

 of the country tributary to the Rhine, in the canton Graiibund- 

 ten, belonging to the primitive formation, except the northern 

 part, which consists of clay-slate and lime. 



None of the numerous fresh-water springs, which rise at the 

 foot of the Mettenherg, and of the Kiger near Grindehmld, 

 have yet been analyzed. However, T am in hopes that Mr Pa- 



