JVoiice of a Fountain of Peirohunh 101 



gen, from or through the naptha, and the exterior portion of the 

 metal returns, slowly, to the condition of alkali — more rapidly, if 

 the stopper is not tight. 



The petroleum remaining from the distillation, is thick like pitch j 

 if the distillation has been pushed far, the residuum will flow only 

 languidly in the retort, and in cold weather it becomes a soft solid, 

 resembling much the maltha or mineral pitch. 



The famous lake of mahha and petroleum, in the island of Trini- 

 dad, is well known : I have specimens from that place, in all the con- 

 ditions between fluid petroleum and firm pitch. It is unnecessary to 

 repeat, that the English use it on their ships of war, as a substitute 

 for tar and pitch, and that the bituminous mass in the natural lake, 

 (which covers several square miles,) is sufliciendy tenacious to sup- 

 port a man, during the colder part of the year, but at the opposite 

 season is too soft to sustain any considerable weight. 



In alluding to the probable connexion, with bituminous coal, of the 

 oil spring named at the head of this notice, I did not mean to imply 

 that petroleum and other bituminous substances necessarily prove, that 

 there is coal beneath; for it has been ascertained that bitumen exists, 

 in a limited degree, in many minerals, as appears from some of the 

 phenomena of volcanos, and was proved experimentally by the late 

 Hon. George Knox, in an extensive series of researches, published in 

 the Philosophical Transactions of London. As regards the probability 

 of finding coal, the opinion should be thus modified ; if the country 

 on whose waters, or in whose rocks, petroleum or other varieties of 

 bitumen appear, is such an one as, in its geological structure, is con- 

 sistent with the usual associations of coal, then the existence of bitu- 

 men, especially if it be abundant, and more especially if the rocks 

 themselves are impregnated with it, affords a strong presumption in 

 favor of the existence of coal beneath. Such is the fact in this part 

 of the state of New York. The shale at Geneseo is highly bitu- 

 minous and burns readily, with abundant flame. I cannot answer 

 for the rocks in the immediate vicinity of the Oil Spring, as they are 

 not in view. The people have dug a few feet for coal at the distance 

 of a few yards from the spring ; the excavation is too shallow to de- 

 cide any thing, except that the petroleum rose in this place also, as 

 at the spring, thus proving, that the bituminous impregnation is not 

 peculiar to that spot. 



If these remarks should excite any interest in the minds of landed 

 proprietors in that vicinity, I would venture to suggest to them, that 



