HUER. 



the ridgfes of rocks in the vicinity ; after 

 this great effort the water became compa- 

 ratively quiet. 



The impelling power within the earth 

 is very great at Geyser, and is sufficient- 

 ly so to prevent stones from sinking that 

 are thrown into the aperture ; on the con- 

 trary, the force of the water carries them 

 up with it to a considerable height. We 

 shail conclude our account of tiiese Ice- 

 landic springs in the words of the Doctor. 

 "When the basin was full of water, we 

 placed ourselves before the sun in such a 

 manner, that we could see our shadows 

 in the water ; every one observed round 

 the shadow of his own head, though not 

 round the heads of others, a circle ot al- 

 most the same colours which compose the 

 rainbow, and round this another bright 

 circle: this most probably proceeded 

 from the vapours exnaling from the wa- 

 ter. I remember to have seen something 

 similar to it when travelling in the sum- 

 mer, particularly in the meadows. Not 

 far from this place, another spring, at 

 the foot of the neighbouring ridge of 

 rocks, spouted water to the height of one 

 or two yards each time." The gentle- 

 men present thought it possible to close 

 the mouth of this huer with stones, and 

 made the experiment, but the water re- 

 moved the whole from the aperture, and 

 threw them in a circle round it, after- 

 wards gushing forth with its original free- 

 dom. 



The waters of these large springs were 

 violently heated, and seemed slightly im- 

 pregnated with sulphur, though perfect- 

 ly clear and pure in other respects; some 

 others, less considerable, near them, were 

 thick and turgid, as if mixed with clay. 

 A third class presented the fluid as white 

 as milk, and a few force their way through 

 the earth, heated to a red glow. Near 

 most of the springs are baths, frequented 

 I by the natives, some of which are dry, 

 and for sweating. The vapour is collect- 

 ed into those through fissures in the earth, 

 an<l the thermometer rose from 57 to 93 

 <>:\ introducing it into the open hut used 

 tor this purpose. 



As it is not our present intention to no- 

 lice those heated springs which are im- 

 pregnated with mineral substances, we 

 shall refer to MIXKHAL WATEUS for an acr 

 count of them. The Island of Ceylon 

 tarnishes an instance of hot springs, under 

 the class of the huers of Iceland, except 

 that no volcanic cause exists sufficiently 

 near them to force the water out of the 

 earth \vuh violence. At Cannia, about six 

 miles north-west of Trincomallee, are six 

 ,w e lls, built of stone and mortar, in square 



and circular forms, generally about four 

 feet deep, and less than two in circum^ 

 ference, which are inclosed by a stone 

 wall six feet high, and contain the supe- 

 rior springs, though there are others in 

 the neighbourhood in their natural state. 

 In each the water is refreshing and plea- 

 sant to the taste, and air is continually ri- 

 sing to the surface in bubbles, accompa- 

 nied by steam. The natives of the island, 

 and of the adjacent coast of India, delight 

 to bathe in this water, and seating them- 

 selves by the sides of the wells, they lade 

 the warm fluid in earthern or brazen ves- 

 sels, and pour it over their heads for hours 

 together. Either imagination, or the in- 

 herent qualities of the water, produce 

 benefit to those who use it in cases of 

 strains, bruises, or rheumatisms; or pos- 

 sibly the warm bath may accomplish the 

 cure, as it appears from the following ana- 

 lysis, made by Thomas Christie, Esq. 

 surgeon of the 80th regiment, that there 

 are very few proofs of the incorporation 

 of mineral substances with the water, 

 which was inserted in the Madras Ga- 

 zette, 1799, and subsequently in Mr. 

 Cordiner's description of Ceylon, whence 

 the above account of the springs was de- 

 rived. "The hot-wells of Cannia are ot 

 different degrees of heat; they, howe- 

 ver, evidently communicate, for the wa- 

 ter in all of them is at an equal distance 

 from the surface of the ground, and a bo- 

 dy immersed in one raises the height of 

 the water in the others. As the water 

 also from the six wells exhibit the same 

 chemical phenomena, there can be little 

 doubt that they all proceed from the same 

 spring. On examining the heat of the 

 different wells with great attention, it was 

 found that they varied from 98 to 106A 

 of Fahrenheit's thermometer, nearly in 

 proportion to their different depths. Bub- 

 bles of air are seen to rise from the bot- 

 tom of the wells, and it was therefore 

 conceived that the water might be acidu- 

 lous, and impregnated with fixed air. It 

 was found, however, that the water did 

 not sparkle in a glass more than common 

 water, nor did it turn a vegetable colour 

 red ; and on filling a large case bottle with 

 the water, and tying an empty wet blad- 

 der to the mouth of it, it was found, af- 

 ter shaking a long time, that no air was 

 disengaged. It would therefore appeal- 

 that the water is not impregnated with 

 any uncommon quantity of air; but that 

 the bubbles are merely common air dis- 

 engaged from the water by the heat. A s 

 the air, however, might be collected 

 with a proper apparatus, its quality may 

 be easily ascertained. The water has no 



