1819.) Scientific Intelligence, 313 
bubbled up from several parts of its surface. For the sake of 
ascertaining the cause of these phenomena, I walked im, and 
discovered its greatest depth to be about three feet. Its bottom 
was formed of rock, broken into masses of different shapes. On 
searching immediately under the place where the agitation of the 
water was most violent, I found a small funnel shaped aperture, 
the lower part of which was not more than an inch in diameter. 
Through this sulphuretted hydrogen gas rushed up in such quan- 
tity and with so much force, that I could with great difficulty 
keep my hand close to its orifice.” 
“ On examining the sensible properties of the water on the 
spot, I found it to be of a dirty white colour, containing a consi- 
derable portion of earthy matter in suspension. The smell was 
that of Harrowgate water. The soil on the margin and at the 
bottom of these pools is soft, and of a yellowish-grey colour on 
the surface; but a few inches beneath, it becomes of a rocky 
hardness and red. At the distance, however, of two or three 
feet from the pools, the surface itself is equally hard, but of a 
blue colour, and bearing evident marks of having been at some 
distant period the seat of agitated water. A loud bubbling 
noise is distinctly heard on placing the ear close to any part of 
the barren spot in which they are situated. The natives believe 
that the water possesses medicinal properties, and that it is 
especially efficacious in cutaneous diseases.”—(P. 40.) 
VIII. Chinese Stone Yu. 
Many of my readers are aware that there is a stone of a 
greenish white colour, and considerable hardness, to which the 
Chinese give the name of Yu, and which they prize more than 
any other stone. It is said to occur in the form of nodules in the 
bottom of ravines and in the beds of torrents, and in larger 
masses in the mountains themselves, especially in Yunan, one 
of the most northern provinces of the empire. It has been long 
known in this country under the name of Chinese jade or 
nephrite ; but Prof. Jameson, in the last edition of his Minera- 
logy, vol. i. p. 505, assures us, that it is prehnite. The following. 
are the characters of this mineral as given by Mr. Clarke Abel, 
in his Narrative, &c. p. 134. 
“ Its colour is greenish white, passing into greyish green and 
dark grass green. Internally, it is scarcely glimmering. Its 
fracture is splintery; splinters white. Itis semi-transparent and 
cloudy. It scratches glass strongly; and is not scratched by, 
er scratches, rock crystal. Before the blow-pipe it is infusible 
without addition. 
; Sp. gr. 
1. Whitish green, marbled with dark OreeN....00..- 3'3dO 
Mevame green Varicty . .. 2... xnoe es oo cons alae .. 3190 
3. Whitish green variety, same as No.1.......... 3°400 
4. Light-coloured greenish white varicty.......... 2°858 
“The specimens, of which the specific gravities are as above, 
