Ebbing and Flowing Well. = 873 
difficulties; which a superficial inspection of 
the table will discover to the reader. 
The theory, which I shall now propose for the 
explanation of irregular reciprocating springs, 
was suggested by an accidental observation; 
which occurred to Mr. Swainston, whom I 
have mentioned above. This Gentleman, who 
is a manufacturer of Morocco-leather, has a 
contrivance in his works, for the purpose of 
fillin@ a boiler of a particular construction 
with water. This apparatus consists of a tub, 
which is elevated considerably above the 
boiler. The water is conveyed from a pump 
along a trough into this vessel; from which it 
runs immediately into the upper extremity of 
an inverted siphon, which is cemented into a 
hole in the bottom. This compound tube 
consists of three branches or legs; the first 
descends perpendicularly beneath the tub, 
and is the longest of the three; the second 
ascends again and carries the water, which 
‘comes into it from the first, to a convenient 
height above the brim of the boiler; the third 
is a descending leg, which performs the office 
of a nozle, that is, it discharges the water 
from this crooked canal into the boiler. Mr. 
Swainston observed by accident, that when 
the workmen were filling the vessel last men- 
tioned, the water reciprocated in the tub, the 
