NORTH AMERICA, 229 
we entered the grand fountain, the expand ve cir- 
cular bafon, the fource of which arifes from under 
the bafes of the high woodland hills, nearly half en- 
circling it. The ebullition is aftonifhing, and conti- 
nual, though its greateft force of fury intermits, re- 
gularly, for the fpace of thirty feconds of time : the 
Waters appear of a lucid fea green colour, in fome 
meafure owing to the reflection of the leaves above : 
the ebullition is perpendicular upwards, from a vaft 
ragged orifice through a bed of rocks, a great 
depth below the common furface of the bafon, throw- 
ing up fmall particles or pieces of white fhells, 
which fubfide with the waters at the moment of 
intermiffion, gently fettling down round about the 
orifice, forming a vaft funnel. At thofe moments, 
when the waters rufh upwards, the furface of the 
bafon immediately over the orifice is greatly fwollen 
or raifed a considerable height ; and then it is 
impoflible to keep the boat or any other floating 
veffel over the fountain ; but the ebullition quickly 
fubfides ; yet, before the furface becomes quite even, 
the fountain vomits up the waters again, and fo on 
perpetually. The bafon is generally circular, about 
fifty yards over ; and the perpetual fcream from it 
into the river is twelve or fifteen yards wide, and 
ten or twelve feet in depth ; the bafon and ftream 
continually peopled with prodigious numbers and 
variety of fifh and other animals ; as the alligator, 
and the manate * or fea cow, in the winter feafon. 
Part of a fkeleton of one, which the Indians had killed 
laft winter, lay upon the banks of the fpring : the 
grinding teeth were about an inch in diameter ; the 
ribs eighteen inches in length, and two inches and an 
half in thicknefs, bending with a gentle curve. This 
|)one is efteemed equal to ivory. The fie Hi of this 
& Trichecus manatus. Sea cow, 
0.3 
creature 
