285 



with sand ; and the petroleum, which, from it's 

 transparency, and it's yellow color, resembles the 

 real naphtha, rises in jets, accompanied by air 

 bubbles. On treading down the bottom with 

 the foot, we perceive, that these little springs 

 change their place. The naphtha covers the sur- 

 face of the sea to more than a thousand feet 

 distance. If we suppose the dip of the strata 

 to be regular, the mica- slate must be but a few 

 toises below the sand. 



We have already observed, that the muriati- 

 ferous clay of Araya contains solid and friable 

 petroleum. This geological connection between 

 the muriat of soda and the bitumens is evident 

 wherever there are mines of gem salt or salt 

 springs : but a very remarkable fact is the ex- 

 istence of a fountain of naphtha in a primitive 

 formation. All those hitherto known belong to 

 secondary mountains * ; and this situation of 

 them seemed to favour the idea, that all mi- 

 neral bitumens were owing to the destruction 

 of vegetables and animals ^ , or to the burning 

 of coal. In the peninsula of Araya, the naph- 

 tha flows from the primitive rock itself; and 

 this phenomenon acquires new importance, 

 when we recollect, that the same primitive rocks 



* Pietra mala ; Fanano ; Mont-Zibio ; Amiano, where 

 are the springs that furnish the naphtha einploj ed in lighting 

 the city of Genoa $ Bakou, &c. 



t Hatchet, in the Trans, of the Lin. Socieiy, 1798, p. 129. 

 2 P 2 



