Origin of Springs. SI 3 



interior of the Earth has been explored, its tempera- 

 ture below 1000 feet has been found, in all latitudes, 

 to be about 5iT of Fahrenheit : a temperature, which 

 will appear wholly inconfiftent with the exiftence 

 of fuch a fire, if we attenil to the following facls. — 

 The Rivers now running have probably flowed ever 

 lince the Deluge ; and the quantity of water, v/hich 

 they now difcharge, has doubtlefs been their average 

 fupply. Vapour is found to lofe 1000° of heat, when 

 condenfed to water : and water abforbs the fame quan- 

 tity, when reconverted into vapour. According to the 

 theory, the vapour muft rife, before it is condenfed, 

 at leaft as high as the Springs which it fupplies. What 

 an incalculable quantity of heat mult then have been 

 difcharged near the furface of the Earth, in order to 

 fupply the rivers with water fince they firfl began to 

 flow. This heat muft have been conftantly accumulat- 

 ing near the furface, during fo long a period. Why, 

 then, is it no where difcovered ? 



Others have attempted to avoid thefe objeflions, by 

 calling in the aid of capillary attradton. As water is 

 known to afcend in ghifs tubes of a very fmall bore, it 

 is concluded that it may alfo afcend through duels in 

 the Earth of a fimilar fize. Hence the exiftence of fucli 

 duels, and the afcent of water through them, are tak- 

 en for granted. The Springs, which ieedi the Ama- 

 zon, are feveral thoufand miles from the Ocean ; and 

 many of them illue from two to four miles above its 

 level. He, who can believe, that the interior of the 

 Earth is thus furnifhed with an apparatus of natural ca- 

 pillary aqueducts running horizontally thoufands of 

 miles, till they meet a mountain fit to harbour a foring, 

 and then afcending perpendicularly to an orifice ; has 

 faith enough and to fpare. 



But if thefe duds actually exifted, they would not 

 explain the phenomena of Springs. — To whatever caufe 

 the rife of water in capillary tubes is owing ; whether 

 to the attraction of the ivbole interior furface of the tube ; 

 or to the attract ion of the ring of glafs contiguous to the 



