WATER CEMENT. 



the Saiiiia Plain. These locks arc made of lime 

 and sand stone. Both abound with marine exuviae 

 and organic remains. I never saw more substan- 

 tial erections. The water cement made use of is 

 derived from a mixture of sand and a meagre 

 jime stone found all over this country, and is said 

 to be superior to any hydraulic mortar ever used. 

 I had at Utica an account of this discovery from 

 a Dr. Bartow, one of the agents of the Canal 

 Board, a gentleman, who possesses a great fund 

 of information, which he was by no means parsi- 

 monious in imparting. I spent three hours very 

 pleasantly with the Doctor at the great Utica Ho- 

 tel. He informs me that on a chemical analysis, 

 it is proved that the component parts are not the 

 same with the Septarium, Lias, or Aberthlaw lime 

 of Great Britain — that he and Mr. White, one of 

 the Canal engineers, had originated and matured 

 the discovery, and that it had been successfully 

 tried in cisterns as well as locks, and found to 

 unite stones as firmly and solidly as if they had 

 been originally joined by the hand of nature. 



The Doctor states the constituents to be as fol- 

 lows : to wit. 



35 parts carbonic acid ; 



25 lime, 



15 silex, 



16 alumine. 



