of Overflowing Wells. 169 



under the borer in obedience to the universal principle of ex- 

 pansion *• 



In his Recuell Indmtr'iee Maniifacturier, M. Moleon has 

 inserted an article on the Essay published at New Brunswick 

 by Dickson, which had been communicated to him by one of 

 his London correspondents. This correspondent says, that, 

 without profoundly examining the question, he ventures to as- 

 sert, that, in his opinion, the waters which spring from a depth 

 of 400 or 500 feet (of which there are examples in England, in 

 parts at a great distance from any hills of a similar height), are 

 not the product of. infiltrations from above, which feed small 

 springs and wells, but that these wonderful and inexhaustible 

 jets are projected by great subterranean arteries, which are 

 acted upon by great reservoirs of air which the earth contains, 

 and which are often met with in boring. The author of this 

 article rests his opinion, 1st, on the disengagement of hydrogen 

 gas which took place during a boring in America -f-; 2dly, on 

 the vacuities which are often met with in forming wells; and, 



• On this subject, M. Azais, after observing that in the globe, taken as a 

 whole, each of the three modes of transpiration always preserving the same 

 measure, there always emanate from it the same quantities of subtile fluid, 

 gases and water ; whence it follows, that, wherever the aqueous transpiration 

 is precipitatefl, by the aid of a bored well or a bleeding, a local intensity is 

 given to it, by which there is drawn off a more or less extensive mass of the 

 aqueous transpiration, which, in ordinary cases, makes its way slowly, with 

 difficulty, and under a very divided form by the pores of the envelope. 

 Thus there is substituted a small, but rapid and continued torrent, for a 

 vague and confused fumigation, occupying much more time and space. Now, 

 it is extremely probable that this fumigation through the pores of the enve. 

 lope is the principal food of plants. The large trees especially, the magnifi- 

 cent forests, which no external drought can wither, have, without doubt, the 

 mouths of their roots open towards the aqueous transpiration, which ascends 

 towards them from the interior {>f the earth. This vital source of vegetation 

 would be cut off, or at least greatly diminislied, were too many vertical foun- 

 tains opened in their neighbourhood, and in the ground which bears them 



Unpublished Memoir on Artesian Wells, by M. Azais. 



■\ This boring was made at the bottom of a dry well in the brewery of 



Messrs Bord and Collok, at Albany. This well was in depth 30 feet. 



The sound passed through gravel and clay, 11 



Black sLate, 41 



Carry over,... 82 



