es ie 2 ea a = 
220 es Salt : Springs Fs Moutiers. 
phuretted h ydrogen ; ; it has an acidulous and slightly saline taste. 
These springs rise at the end of long passages, that have been exca- 
vated in the. rock., I broke off a piece of the rock in contact with 
the water ; it is a black imperfectly crystalline limestone, coated wi 
a thick ocherous incrustation. From the position of this rock, and ) 
its connection with those on the other side the gorge, 1 have no doubt 
_ that the spring rises from the lowest limestone in this part of the 
Alps, wl it comes in contact with dark schist, or talcous slate, ‘as 
I have served to be the case in other parts of Savoy and the Haut 
Vallais ; but the actual junction of the two rocks is not seen here. 
The temperature of the strongest spring is 99° Farenheit ; it con- 
tains 1°83 per cent. of saline matter. The second spring has the 
temperature of 95°, and contains 1°75 of saline matter. Other sour- 
ces have been discovered that contain only 1°50 of salt. I was told 
that there is a deep and nearly inaccessible chasm in the rock be- 
hind the springs, which is supposed to have some connection with 
them. Beside common salt, the water contains in small proportions, 
sulphate of lime, sulphate of soda, and sulphate and muriate of mag- 
nesia, together with oxide of iron. Much of the gypsum in this part 
~ the Tarentaise being intermixed with rock salt, we may well con- 
“ceive whence the water derives its saline impregnation ; but I am in- 
sieved to believe that the high a ieee of these ee ee ea 
in ‘erm 
Re 
a e of boiling water, which rises from immense depths, | 
and forced up by subterranean fire, like the hot springs in co 
undoubtedly volcanic. During the great earthquake that destroyed 
Lisbon in 1756, the salines at Moutiers ceased to flow for forty -eight 
hours, and when they flowed again, their quantity was increased, but 
the saline impregnation was weaker. A similar effect was ee 
at the same time at the hot springs of Toplitz, in Bohem 
It may seem extraordinary that the waters at Moutiers, which have 
only half the strength of sea-water, should repay the expence of 
evaporation 5 but te process by which it is effected is both simple 
and ingenious, and might be introduced with great advantage oP mee 
ny parts of our own coast, should the salt duty be entirely removed: ; 
The salt works at Bex, in the Pay de Vaud, are nearly similar to " 
those at Moutiers, but not on so extensive a scale ; and a very use- 
ful part of the process at Moutiers is not adopted at Bex. Having 
never seen an intelligible account of the process of evaporation «| | 
faggots, I shall endeavor to give such a description as will enab! 
igs 
