Remarks 071 th-j Mineral Springs at the Koogha. 23 



On the south-east side of (he hill, near its summit, a most 

 extraordinary appearance presents iiself': a beautiful stream 

 of limpid water, gushing from the side of a romantic rock in- 

 crusted with stalactites, covered with a natural ceiling, and 

 falling into a semicircular basin in a natural cascade. The 

 roof, which projects beyond the spring, is composed of richly 

 variegated pudding-stone with a polished surface disclosing a. 

 fine variety of tints, and an intricate diversity of structure. 

 To obtain access to the fountain, it is necessary to step into 

 the basin or reservoir for receiving the water, and bend under 

 the shelving part of the rock. A rude semicircle with breaks 

 in its segments, is formed by a continuation of the same rock, 

 possessing the same beautiful polish, with abrupt projecting 

 points. The spring is thus protected by encircling arms, and 

 forms itself into a crystal rivulet, which pursues its course 

 along the luxuriant declivity adorned by a variety of plants 

 and shrubs. A stratum of iron-stone extends on each side 

 along the little stream, at some distance from it, and between 

 these strata are observed masses of different sizes, composed 

 of quartz imbedded iu iron and sand stone. The water frorr 

 this spring is of a chalybeate taste; is not changed by veget* 

 ble blue infusion, but turns of a dark purple on adding infuvo » 

 of galls. Nitrous acid has no effect on it. The sides and 

 base of the hill, and the adjacent country for several miles 

 round, are thickly strewed with pieces of cellular iron stone, 

 which, perhaps, were projected from the crater of a volcano 

 which may have once existed in this place. 



M. Condamine says, " Whenever I see on an elevated plain- 

 a circular basin surrounded with calcined rocks, I am not de- 

 ceived by the verdure of the adjacent fields, I can discover 

 beneath the snow itself the traces of an extinguished fire. If 

 there is a breach in the circle, I usually find out by following 

 the declivity of the ground, the traces of a rivulet or the bed 

 of a torrent. If the circumference of the basin has no break, 

 the rain and spring waters which are collected there, generally 

 form a lake in the very mouth of the volcano." This passage 

 from Condamine almost literally applies to the ground i have 

 been describing. 



Should this have been a Tolcanic mountain, and appearance s 

 are strongly in favor of that hypothesis, perhaps we have little 

 reason to expect great variety of mineral substances in its 

 neighbourhood. To illustrate an undetermined point in 

 Mineralogy, is, however, an object of importance, and boring 

 and mining, if judiciously conducted, might bring to light sub* 

 stances of profit and utility. » 



The quantity of sulphate of iron which could be procured, 



