Briiifiier on the Region of the Mississippi, &/•€. 29 



Hot Springs. 



The hot springs of Wachitta have proved to be the most 

 efficacious thermal waters in the United States, Tlieir repu- 

 tation, particularly in one disease, has undoubtedly reached 

 the most remote corner of our country 5 it is much to be 

 regretted that visitors find no accommodations When 

 I was at these springs, there were two hundred and eighty 

 persons. A nura.ber had come more than one thousand 

 miles from home ; but they all appeared to suifer for want 

 of accomm,odation, provisions, he. for, in fact, they had 

 none of the comforts which they ought to have had. Still, 

 notwithstanding, every year about the same number of per- 

 sons come hither, and they generally return well. The heat 

 of the water is 192'^ of Fahrenheit ; there are about thirty 

 springs ; two are about forty feet above the level of the oth- 

 er springs ; the water in those is only 186 . They issue out 

 of a bed of fibrous heavy spar* which some travellers have 

 taken for a volcanic production, but I could see no trace of 

 any such agency. Some sulphur which is seen in the pores 

 of the spar, in some places mixed with a metallic substance 

 which I took to be iron, has been deposited by the water, 

 but it is not volcanic sulphur. Indeed, the country is well 

 known for more than five hundred miles aroUnd, and no 

 signs of burning volcanoes have been seen. There seems to 

 be little or no foreign matter dissolved in this water, for it 

 has no peculiarity of taste whatever, and is generally made 

 use of for tea, and indeed for all cuhnary uses; besides be- 

 ing drunk when it is cold enough. Still there are good 

 springs of water flowing down the hill, after issuing from 

 the earth not two hundred yards from the hot springs. All 

 the springs together will, with ten feet head, yield a supply 

 of water equal to eight inches square, and perhaps more. 

 They are seated between two hills, running parallel, joining 

 together in the shape of the letter U, and forming a valley, 

 which is very level. The stream of the springs flows to- 

 wards the eastern wall, where it extends for one quarter of 

 a mile, in all that extent receiving the springs, besides the 

 very high ones mentioned before ; there are a few, four or 

 .five feet above the branch ; ihe others are quite low. 



* Probably fib!'0»r=! snlp!ia(e of barytes — possibly fibrous sulpliate of Lime 

 -Ed. 



