On the Origin of Springs and Fountains. 337 



deep places and wells, receive their supply of water from the con- 

 densation of the vapor exhaled under the surface, and no farther 

 from rains, than just to allow of the interposition of strata, sufficient 

 to form an impediment to the escape of the vapor through the moist 

 surface of the ground. It may also be observed that the heaviest 

 rains seldom penetrate more than a few inches into the earth, especial- 

 ly on the sides of hills, where springs are the most numerous ; and that 

 therefore the rains cannot supply them with water. 



The force of capillary attraction may be thought to be the cause 

 of the supply of water in high lands ; but if that is the case, it would 

 follow that wells or springs from the interior would not be affected 

 by droughts, the reverse of which is by sad experience yearly dem- 

 onstrated in different parts of the country. In the foregoing exam- 

 ples, to prove the reality of the subterranean exhalation and con- 

 densation of vapor, it is evident that hydrostatic principles have no 

 application ; but if capillary attraction has the power usually attrib- 

 uted to it, of raising water through the pores of the earth, many ap- 

 pearances would be expected that do not exist. Small islands and 

 banks of rivers would be saturated with water, and the earth would 

 be much more equally supplied in all its parts, than it now is. 

 The second object is, to show how the vapor exhalations are actu- 

 ally collected, to give a supply of water for springs ; which is ex- 

 plained, from the structure of the crust of the earth, as it is found in 

 strata of rocks and various kinds of earths, some of which are porous, 

 and others, like the rocks, impenetrable to the rising vapor. The 

 mountains and hills have their regular formation of inclined strata, 

 which appear to be generally a continuation of those in the low coun- 

 tries adjoining them. These impenetrable strata are sufficient to op- 

 pose the escape of the vapor, and convert it into water, which falls 

 into cavities, or saturates the confined strata of porous earth under- 

 neath, where it may exist under a pressure, according to the differ- 

 ence of level of the highest part of the stratum, and the parts below. 

 This accounts for the fact, that when a stratum of rock is penetrated, 

 the water sometimes rises in wells, to some feet above the rock. The 

 strata in hilly lands are irregular, and often so broken as to form nu- 

 merous cavities, opening outwards, in which water is collected as 

 above, and is discharged in springs. The interior of the hills may 

 also have extensive cavities, and strata of porous earth, into which 

 die greatest part of the water collected may pass, and form connex- 

 ions with distant places in low lands ^ thus affording a fountain head 



Vol. XVIL— No. 2. 16 



