167 



were not only more abundant, but they were found upon the 

 solder of the pipes which serve as exit-plugs, at all heights 

 from the bottom. The water, it may be proper to mention, 

 is kept at the same height, almost filling each cistern, by a 

 ball-cock. One peculiarity of the case is that a leaden bath, 

 close to the original spring, is kept filled with the same water, 

 and this bath has remained without injury or repair for, it is 

 said, sixty years. From the spring a portion of the water is 

 forced by its own action on a ram, for about a quarter of a 

 mile, to a covered stone tank in the park. 



In this portion of its course it is conveyed through a leaden 

 pipe. The tank being covered, excludes the supposition of 

 decaying vegetable matter, which has been suggested. From 

 the tank to the mansion, probably about the same distance as 

 from the spring to the tank, it passes through a pipe of cast 

 iron. I ascertained by a minute analysis that the composi- 

 tion of the saline ingredients of the water was exactly the 

 same in the three situations, the spring, the tank, and the 

 cistern. It yielded as follows, in the imperial gallon : 



Sulphate of Lime 3 grains. 



Muriate of Lime 3;^ „ 



Sulphate of Soda „ 



Carbonate of Soda 8J „ 



Total 16 grains. 



The water from the spring yielded no trace whatever of 

 lead in solution, that from the tank an exceeding minute 

 trace, that from the cistern was more decided. 



The water in passing through the iron pipe, brings with it 

 a quantity of iron rust, which when thus carried into the 

 cistern, though easily moved, collects in certain parts accord- 

 ing to the eddies in the water, and I think I traced a connec- 

 tion between such collections of rust and the efflorescence and 

 attendant corrosion of the lead. Taking all the circumstances 



