Miscellanies. 



195 



about sixty-six feet and two-thirds from the shore, and Col. Robin- 

 son, attracted by this curious phenomenon, commenced boring an ar- 

 tesian well in this place, at the base of a tufaceous rock, the beds of 

 which form the neighboring shore. 



Having bored eight feet in abed of sandy clay, (argile sablonneuse) 

 andeight feet and one-third in a bed of pebbles, a column of water, 

 four inches and a half in diam.eter spouted up in a very abundant jet. 

 Three other wells were sunk and reached the water — the fourth was 

 twenty-four feet nearer the Cape and the water spouted out from the 

 depth of about fourteen feet. 



In this place the strata was first sandy clay mixed with stones 

 (pierres) eight feet, and the other, small pebbles mixed with volcanic 

 ashes, 6 feet. 



The water of the first three wells ran upon a very hard bed of lava 

 — that of the last, upon a bed of clay divided into small rounded 

 pieces, mixed with water, now fragments of lava, and volcanic ashes, 

 which is supposed to be the natural bed of the current. The water 

 istepid, limpid, of an agreeable taste, being supersaturated with carbon- 

 ic acid ; it possesses very decided medicinal properties, and has effec- 

 ted many undoubted cures, among the numorous visitors of the past 

 year. Professor Ricci analyzed sixteen livres, (seventeen pounds and 

 a quarter,) and obtained the following results. 



Nearly 0.41 per cent, of the whole weight. 



