30 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 



part of the city, were some swamps and salt 

 marshes, the first to be mentioned was at the 

 lower end of Broad Street, the second at old Fly 

 Market, now the lower end of Maiden Lane ;* the 

 third, the swamp of Ferry and Jacob Streets — of 

 this swamp something may be said. There was 



in this city, in 1824, a Mr , who fancied and 



persuaded himself and others, that good and 

 wholesome water in great plenty, might be had 

 by tapping the earth in this place ; so at it they 

 went, and a great deal of time and money was 

 spent in endeavouring to accomplish this object, 

 but it so happened, they did not know (being 

 neither Geologists nor Philosophers) that all our 

 fresh water comes from the clouds, the rain falls 

 on the earth and is absorbed, seeks its level, 

 leeches through the earth and carries (if any in its 

 way) all the salt, filth, and stuff it is capable of 

 dissolving. As the tanners and curriers of the 

 neighbourhood were very anxious to have good 

 soft water, they employed this man to bore. He 

 began his operation in Jacob Street, passed through 



* At the corner of Maiden Lane and Gold Street, in digging to lay a 

 foundation, the bottom of some old tan-vats were exposed, with the tan 

 in them in a good state of preservation ; the ground on the top, had evi- 

 dently been made, as the bottom exhibited all the features of an ancient 

 swamp or salt marsh. 



