3:V1 I'HILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO I72g. 



on a smaller mountain below it: and yet, neither the one increases, nor the 

 other decreases in size. This mountain is chiefly composed of a sort of slate- 

 stone, called in that country black shale, and great stone. The nature of the 

 black shale is such, that though it be very hard before it is exposed to the air, 

 yet it is afterwards very easily crumbled to dust. Thus, on any storm, or 

 melting of snow, this shale is considerably wasted ; and as the large stones are 

 gradually disengaged, they must necessarily fall down. That it is only at these 

 times that the mountain wastes, is affirmed by the most intelligent of the neigh- 

 bouring inhabitants; and that this decay is not perpetual, Mr. M. can affirm of 

 his own knowledge; having not only taken a close survey of it, but also climbed 

 up the very precipice, without seeing any other shivering in the mountain than 

 what the treading of his own feet in the loose crumbled earth occasioned. 



Elden-hole is a huge perpendicular chasm of unknown depth. Mr. Cotton 

 says, that he sounded 884 yards, and yet the plummet drew. But he might 

 easily be deceived, unless his plummet was of a very great weight; for other- 

 wise the weight of a rope of that length, would be so great, as to make the 

 landing of the plummet scarcely perceivable. Be that as it may, the depth is 

 doubtless very considerable; and as we have no where in England so good an 

 opportunity of searching the bowels of the earth to so great a depth; it is ex- 

 traordinary no curious person has ever had the courage to venture down. It is 

 said indeed, that a poor fellow was hired to be let down with a rope about his 

 middle, 200 yards; and that he was drawn up again out of his senses, and died 

 a few days after. But probably if any intelligent and prudent person was to be 

 let down in a proper machine, he would not be much in danger, and his fatigue 

 would be very inconsiderable. 



The ebbing and flowing well is far from being regular, as some have pre- 

 fended. It is very seldom seen by the neighbours themselves; and Mr. M. 

 waited a good while at it to no purpose. 



Buxton-well has been esteemed a wonder, on account of two springs, one 

 warm and the other cold, rising near each other. But the wonder is now lost, 

 both being blended together. The spring which is now used for bathing, 

 appears to be 32-i- degrees of one of Mr. Hauksbee's thermometers warmer 

 than the common spring water there.* The spring water kept the spirit of wine 

 at 41, the Bath water raised it to 80^. 



Peak's-hole and Pool's- hole are two remarkable horizontal openings under 

 mountains, the one near Castleton, the other just by Buxton. They seem to 

 have owed their origin to the springs which have their current through them. 

 It is easy to imagine, that when the water had forced its way through the hori- 

 zontal fissures of the strata, and had carried the loose earth away with it, the 



* The temperature of the Buxton tliernial spring is 82 bv Fahrenheit's thermometer. 



