SS H.MJFAX WATER WORKS. JOHNSTON. 



Another saiii|tle, taken t'n»ni Chain Lake-; near the ])i])('- 

 liouso. cave: — 



Inorganic matter 2. 48 grain.s to tlie gallon. 



Organic " 2.68 " " " 



Total r).12 ■' 



Tlic iiKiri^aiiic iiiattcv cim^istcd chioilv nf ahnnina and iron, 

 with silic-a (sohihlc). (••iiiniion sa.lt and a nici-c trace of lime. 

 The water l)elonged t<» the chiss (if sdft wat<M's siich as arc col 

 lected in districts where thcri- are no rocks ca])al)]e of yicldinu' 

 solnhlo snhstances. The sonrces of the ini])nrit_v taken nj) \*y 

 the water in its jiassag-e throngh Chain l.akes was discovered in 

 th(i form of a verv pecnliar de]Hisit, found in 1 pper Chain Lak-- 

 extendinii: over the, greater ]yortion of tlu- lake hottom, of a 

 thickness of over five feet in level places. It varied in con- 

 sistency from that of soft cheese to that of haker's hread, and 

 m color from whitish to dark ferrniiinous hi-own. in some places 

 nearly l>lack. It consists to a very large extent of the remains 

 of microscopic organisms belonging to the class of infnsoria. 

 The eJiemical analyses of four samples is as follows: — 



No. of 

 sample. 



Color. 



Insoluble 



in 



H. CI. 



Soluble 



in 

 H. CI. 



'l\)tal 



Inorganic 



matter. 



Organic 

 matter. 



11.32 

 9.60 

 8.72 



1 1 . 8.1 



Water. 



1 



2 

 .3 

 4 



Pale lirnwii. 

 Pale whitish. 

 Between 1 and 2. 

 Dark fur. hrown. 



8S . 40 

 HS 96 

 .38.16 

 



1 1 . H(i 



9.44 



11.04 



49.76 

 48.40 

 49.20 

 24.70 



.38.92 

 42.00 

 42.08 

 6.3.45 



Thi^s depasit has no doubt originally consisted of swamp 

 muck formed by the remains of plants, infnsoria, ete., but 

 by the long subjection to the actiou of water ])assing over it has 

 lost much of its organic matter. 



A few specimens of fresh- water sponge (Spongilla), whose 

 decay gives a \"ery olfemsive odor to water, were fouml in lJpi)er 

 Chain Lakes in 1878, and in 1883 the growth was increasing 



