Gray Sulphur Springs of Virginia, 101 



on the borders of Munroe and Giles counties. They are nine miles 

 from the Red Sulphur, and twenty miles from the Salt Sulphur, 

 springs. The surrounding country, is much broken by hills and ral- 

 lies, while at a distance of only two miles, rises the lofty and contin- 

 uous range of Peters mountains. Between three and four miles 

 from the spring, New River breaks through the chain, giving rise to 

 several striking views, as well as the most instructive geological sec- 

 tions. 



The springs have not been opened for visitors until very recently, 

 though the water had for a long time attracted the attention of the 

 inhabitants of the vicinity. On excavating the rock from which the 

 water issued, about three feet, it was discovered that the supply 

 was derived from a vertical seam, which was bored into, to the depth 

 of five feet. The rock is excessively hard, yielding with the utmost 

 difficulty to the mattock ; and is commonly called in that region a 

 slate rock. A wooden box is inserted into the excavation, to serve 

 as a reservoir for the water. The medical qualities of this spring, 

 have gained for it the name of the Anti-dyspeptic Spring. 



The water is in general extremely clear, with a temperature of 

 about 67°. Aerial globules line the sides of the wooden box, and 

 occasionally large bubbles of gas ascend from the bottom through the 

 water, and break at its surface. 



" There Is one thing" says my informant " remarkable in the ap- 

 pearance of this water, when the weather is cold ; at least I have nev- 

 er noticed it during summer, and only after the cool w^eather ; but 

 my attention was not drawn to it early enough to ascertain positive- 

 ly whether it invariably followed cold nights, though I am inclined 

 to think it does. It is this. Early in the morning, before it has 

 been disturbed, a bluish gray precipitate is seen floating in distinct 

 veins throughout the water, resembling more nearly blue smoke, 

 floating in the atmosphere after a shower, than any thing else to 

 which I can compare it. On being disturbed, the whole of the wa- 

 ter becomes clouded." He adds that when the water becomes thus 

 troubled, " the smell of sulphuretted hydrogen, entirely disappears 

 from the water near the surface ; but water taken from the bottom, 

 where it issues from the rock, and which 1 procured by having the 

 receptacle bailed out possesses it as strong as ever. I have to ob- 

 serve also that the precipitate which causes this cloudiness appears to 

 be redissolved, as no deposit is found on the rock, when the water 

 becomes clear again, although it may have remained troubled for ma- 

 ny days. 



