Syd PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1707. 



the sun it smelled much like burning sulphur. After this they found a quick- 

 sand of a darker colour than the first earth, mixed with several little stones, 

 and the smell still stronger than before. Two feet further, under the quick- 

 sand, a hard rock appeared, out of which water gushed with some violence. 

 They dug two wells, at about 7 feet distance from each other; one about 8 or 

 9 feet deep from its surface, and 12 from the surface of the ground about it, 

 and reached the rock; the other is not so deep by 2 feet, and only touches the 

 sand. This last is somewhat stronger of the sulphur, but the other is stronger 

 of the mineral spirit and ferruginous particles. 



Two drachms of the second layer of earth, found in digging, being put into 4 

 oz. of spirit of vinegar, there presently arose a considerable ebullition, and soon 

 after the spirit was tinged with a yellow brownish colour, which suffered no 

 alteration from the infusion of logwood, nor with galls ; but with oil of tartar 

 per deliquium it turned greenish, and with the infusion of lignum nephriticum, 

 of a pale red. 



The water taken up at the spring is exceedingly clear, but becomes some- 

 what whitish in a quarter of an hour, and in half an hour the spirit is lost, 

 and the mineral hangs first on the sides of the glass, and then falls gradually 

 to the bottom. It will not keep quite so well as the Spa or 'J'unbridge water. 

 Its taste is strong and austere; the smell ferruginous and strong, somewhat sul- 

 phureous; people say it smells like gunpowder. It will make the root of the 

 tongue of the drinkers look blackish. Linen washed in it turns yellow. It will 

 not lather with soap. Glasses dipped in the water become yellow, which no 

 scowering can take off, and they are apt to fly. In frosty and cold weather, it 

 is so warm as to melt ice and snow; in other seasons it is cold, though not so, 

 cold as some spring waters are. 



The weight of this water varies much, according to the seasons and weather. 

 In May 1704, it weighed 3 grains lighter than common water, in the quantity 

 of a lb. In the spring of 1705, it was equal in weight to common water; and 

 was still heavier in the August following, because of the exceedingly dry weather, 

 of that summer. But in general about Midsummer, if the weati)er be no ways 

 extraordinary, it is pretty near to common water in weight. 



A single grain weight of good galls will instantly turn a pint and a half of 

 this water of a very deep red. Syrup of violets turns it to a grass green. With 

 the infusion of Brasil it gives a deep lively blue: with that of lignum nephri- 

 ticum, first a light green, then a light yellow, with a blue crown: with the in- 

 fusion of logwood, a bluish black: with that of fustic wood, a dusky yellow: 

 with the flowers of pomegranates, a fair violet : with tea-leaves, a fine pur- 

 plish blue : with good Nantes brandy, an elegant sky- colour. It turns a solu- 



