351 



the theory of springs, and readily explain the cause of 

 failure and success in these undertakings for water. 



An individual boring for water at A, would be sure of 

 obtaining it on passing through the yellow sand, and ap- 

 proaching the impervious floor of clay; whereas at B, a 

 few yards distant, he would find none whatever, because 

 the rains which percolate the sand at this place, flow off 

 immediately on reaching the sloping surface of the clay. 

 Now should he not be satisfied with the quantity or qua- 

 lity of the water procured at A, and resume his labors 

 through the impervious floor, he would, in all probability, 

 on penetrating the imbedded sands, lose that which he 

 possessed ; but on proceeding still further into this mass, 

 he will in a short time be enabled to find it in the greatest 

 profusion ; whilst at B, he might proceed through the en- 

 tire formation, without discovering the smallest measure 

 of it. It is from this peculiarity of the structure, that the 

 borings for water on the "Pine plains" are so uncertain, 

 and of such a mysterious nature to our farmers, and which 

 renders them so liable to the imposition of swindlers. 



The waters contained in these imbedded sands are most 

 generally of a finer quality than those which have perco- 

 lated through the yellow ferruginous mass above, in con- 

 sequence of the latter abstracting large quantities of iron 

 in their passage through, which always renders them hard 

 and unpleasant to the taste. 



It would seem natural to suppose .that the larger the 

 size of the disrupting boulders drifting over the surface of 

 this plain, the nearer they would be found deposited to 

 the parent rock from whence they derived an origin ; and 

 the smaller the particles, the further they would be trans- 

 ported by the action of the moving waters. This law is 

 unquestionably correct over an extended surface of level 

 country, where the water had a comparatively quiet flow; 

 but in this particular instance, it would appear to require 

 some degree of modification, for the more numerous and 



