(97^) 
but the Hills lye in no order 5 they are generally rocky and ftecpe 
from South-weft and by Weft, to North and by North.- th, 
whole Trad ofthe Country, within 5. and 7. miles , abounds 
with Coal- mines , more or lefs. But there are no other confi- 
derable Mines , that I can hear of , nearer then ii/rW//^ , which 
is 10. miles hence, excepting fome of Lead at Berry in Gh^ 
tefler-fhire^ which lyes up on the North of this place , about 4* 
or 5.milesdiftant. 
2. The Hills for the moft part afford a Free ftone^ andpn 
the North-'weftof Lanfdown^vfhxch hath that fituation to the 
Town, and isjuft above it) the Stones, digg'd there, are a 
fort of hard ftone, commonly call'da Ljas ^ blue and white, 
poliftiable. 
The Town and Baths are of very great Antiquity. Be- 
fides what I find in very ancient Chronicles to that purpofe, 
one of our great Antiquaries ( Mr. P. )afrerts , that thefe Baths 
were 800. years before Chrift» Which iffo, would giveoc- 
cafionto inquire, howconfiftcnc Wnhkthzi Hjfotheps ^ con- 
cerning the Caufeof the Heat of thefe Waters, would be, which 
makes it to be the Fermentation of Minerals in fieri 5 and^ whe- 
ther it be likely^ that the Minerals, through which thefe wa- 
ters pafs 5 fliouldbein that ftateof imperfe^ion fo many hun- 
dred years, and that the whole difpos'd matter in thofe places 
ihould not be perfe<aly concreted in fo great a Tradl of time. 
You doubtlefs know the other conjecture , vthich fuppofeth the 
caufe of this heat to be , That two ftreames having run through 
and imbibed certain forts of different Minerals, meet at laft, 
after they have been deeply impregnated, and mingle their li- 
quors , from which commixture arifes a great fcrmentation,th3i: 
caufesheat> like as we fee it is in Fif rid zud Tart4r, which 
though feparately they are not hot , yet when mingled beget an 
intenfe heat and ebullition between them. This feems to me 
a probable caufe of the laftingnefs of the heat of thefe waters. 
But it is not my bufinefs to ofier Hjfothefes 5 therefore cra- 
ving pardon for this digreflion.^ I proceed in my Account. 
4 It is affirm'd here, that the Town for the moft part is hnilt 
upon a Qgag-mire , though the places all about it are very firm 
ground^ Some workmen ^ that have been eraploy'd in digging, 
have 
