Scientific Intelligence. — Geology. 377 



fissures on the sides of the mountains. During the last erup- 

 tion of Mont Idienne, a volcano in the east of the Island of Java, 

 it vomited forth so great a body of water, that it inundated the 

 country, extending from the mountain to the sea, for an extent 

 of twenty leagues, and gave rise to two large rivers. The water 

 was hot, and charged with sulphuric acid, and destroyed the 

 whole vegetation of the country over which it passed. The 

 river Pusanibio, also named Rio Vinagre, in Columbia, rushes 

 from the foot of Puraci, an extinct volcano 2650 yards above 

 the level of the sea. Its waters are charged with oxide of iron, 

 sulphuric acid, and muriatic acid. Near to Beaune Cote d'Or, 

 in France, there is a spring named' Genet, which, during differ- 

 ent periods of the year, throws out torrents of water, that 

 inundate the country for several days. In the departments of 

 Doubs and Haut Soane there are many springs of the same de- 

 scription. The most remarkable is that named Frais-Puits, at 

 some distance from Vesoul. This fountain vomits forth, in in- 

 tervals of two, three, four, and five years, sometimes after rains, 

 sometimes without rains, water, in so great a quantity, as to 

 inundate the whole valley, the Prairie of Vesoul, and even the 

 lower part of the city. This aqueous eruption sometimes conti- 

 nues for three days, after which the torrent ceases to flow. The 

 opening resembles a true crater, and the water, in rushing from 

 it, is accompanied with a loud noise. Similar phenomena are 

 presented by the Fontaine-Ronde, near to Pontarher, the pits of 

 Breme, to the north of the town of Dormans, and the spring 

 situated near the bridge of Cleron. 



6. Eruptions of Gets. — M. Fournet observed, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Pontgibaud, in Auvergne, a great eruption of free 

 carbonic acid, which issues through fissures in the ancient rocks. 

 The bursting forth of the gas is attended with a pretty loud 

 noise. The temperature of the gas is so high, as to affect ma- 

 terially that of the cavities and galleries of the mines in which 

 it collects : this temperature assimilates the phenomenon to that 

 of hot springs, and proves that the gas comes from a great depth. 

 This gas, he further notices, has acted on the veins in a singular 

 manner, by dissolving the minerals that yield to its influence, 

 and leaving untouched the quartz, heavy spar, serpentine, talc, 

 galena, &c. ; even these also are sometimes in a corroded and 



JULY — SEPTEMBEE 1830. B b 



