Suburban Geology of Richmond, Indiana. 309 



Composition of the highest part of the deposit in a tea-kettle — 

 100 grs. 



Carbonate of lime, - 94.54 



" magnesia, - - 4.82 



Insoluble matter, - - - 0.75 



100.11 

 Deduct hygrometric absorption, - 11 



100.00 

 I suppose this to be very nearly the composition of the earthy 

 matter of most of our well and spring water. But we have like- 

 wise numerous springs furnishing a tolerably strong chalybeate 

 water; this I have not yet analyzed. It imparts a yellowish stain 

 to the ground over which it flows, gives the characteristic result 

 with tincture of galls, and has a very sensible chalybeate taste. 

 These were for a long time regarded by the inhabitants as sul- 

 phurous waters, and were called "sulphur springs ;" they are now 

 sometimes resorted to by invalids from town, and their water 

 drunk as a gentle tonic. In connection with ferruginous waters, 

 I may observe that twelve or fifteen years ago I found bog iron 

 ore of apparently good quality in the vicinity of Richmond, but 

 I suspect the quantity is not very great. • 



Several years ago, I received a paper containing 186 grs. of a 

 dirty powder, with a note, saying the powder was " obtained by 

 boiling down about three gallons of well water in a brass kettle. 

 The water drank freely, purges." From this powder I procured 

 the following results. If three gallons of water produced the 

 186 grs., then one gallon of the water contains 



Sulphate of magnesia, 



Carbonate of lime, - 



Siliceous crystals, - 



Vegetable matter and loss, - 

 The crystals appeared to be pure silica, and under the micro- 

 scope were found to be acicular in shape and remarkably bril- 

 liant. The well which furnished this water, I have been in- 

 formed, has been filled up by the owner. It lay considerably 

 out of the circle I have chiefly confined myself to ; but I thought 

 it worth embracing in the present sketch for preservation. 



Besides the three kinds of water already mentioned, we find 

 a fourth variety in a few wells, which at certain seasons only, 



