AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
155 
burthened with flesh, and that a Greyhound too fat should 
have two doses of physic, allowing an interval of six daj^s, 
and to be moderately blooded between the doses; his food 
afterwards to be dry boiled meat, occasionally changed 
to fine oatmeal, reduced to a proper consistency with 
boiled milk. If with this preparative food, he be allowed 
to run two or three courses a week, and be regularly rub- 
bed with a hair cloth all over until the flesh upon his loins 
becomes elastic and hard, so far as preparation goes, he is 
complete. Yet it is admitted that all this nicety, all this 
systematic training and preparation, have frequently been 
thrown away, and the same dog that has failed in running, 
when thus artificially prepared, has showed itself far 
superior in its performances, when no course of training 
has been previously adopted. 
One thing, however, the writer will venture to state, 
that the Greyhound should, if possible, always be suffered 
to go at large. Nothing so much promotes health and 
activity as a state of perfect freedom. 
[Sportsman’ s Cyclopedia. 
NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 
By Jacob Green, M. D. 
In a deep valley on the bank of a small creek, about 
two miles from the village of Canonsburg, in Washing- 
ton County, Pennsylvania, there is a spring of salt water, 
from which a quantity of inflammable air is constantly 
escaping. 
Twelve years since a well was excavated in this place 
about 200 feet deep, by the ordinary process of boring for 
water, for the purpose of manufacturing salt, as the brine 
springs in this neighbourhood appeared very promising. 
A considerable quantity of salt was here manufactured, 
but as the brine began to grow gradually weaker, it was 
thought that by tubing the well, to keep out the fresh water 
which oozed through the sides, and by boring it deeper, 
that the strength of the brine would greatly increase. This 
plan was therefore put into execution; the well was tubed 
with copper, and excavated 200 feet more; so that its 
whole depth was nearly 400 feet. 
When these operations were almost completed, there 
was a sudden and violent rush of inflammable gas from the 
sides of the well, about 100 feet below the surface; which 
not only produced a collapse or flattening of the copper 
tubes, but projected the water, and large volumes of the 
gas, between 40 and 50 feet above the surface of the 
ground, in the form of a magnificent fountain. In the 
night, when a torch was applied to this jet of water and 
air, it was ignited, and then exhibited a most sublime and 
magnificent spectacle. Its blaze illuminated the whole 
valley, and the trees on the summits of the surrounding 
hills were silvered with the light. This vast column of 
water by day and of fire by night, continued pouring and 
blazing to the attitude of about 20 feet, for a number of 
weeks. 
When the tube, which extended a few feet above the sur- 
face, and by which the jet was produced, was removed, 
so that the gas passed freely through a large body of water 
in the curb of the well, the whole presented the appear- 
ance of violent ebullition. It seemed as if an intense fire 
beneath this natural chaldron kept the water perpetually 
boiling in the most furious manner, not unlike the Guisers 
in Iceland. The noise occasioned by the escape of the gas 
could be heard at the distance of many yards, so that 
strangers on their approach, were often not a little terrified 
at the sound, and imagined that the earth trembled be- 
neath their feet. 
The quantity of inflammable gas in this vicinity was so 
abundant, that small tubes of elder or tin thrust into the 
ground near the creek, so as to form little jet pipes, the 
gas escaping from them could be kindled; and it would then 
burn for a long time with the steady light of a lamp. 
The water of the creek and the fire of the ignited gas 
were for some time used by the ingenious persons in the 
neighbourhood for washing and boiling their clothes. A 
kettle of water, suspended on cross sticks, over a hole dug 
in the ground, from which the burning A^apour issued, 
were the economical substitute for the implements and 
fire of the kitchen hearth. 
The above account is the substance of what I heard re- 
specting the “ Burning Salt-well, ” which induced me 
to visit it in 1827, some years after its first irruption. 
I found it situated as just described, in a deep valley near 
the road-side. The apparent ebullition of the Avater, and 
the consequent escape of the gas, was still very considera- 
ble. A bole in the ground, about four feet square and 
deep, cased Avith timber, forms the curb of the well. The 
bottom is covered with water to a small depth, and near 
the middle boils and sparkles from the escape of the gas, 
which issues from the deep narrow cavity beneath. The 
Avater is muddy, and pretty strongly impregnated with 
salt. It is, hoAAmver, not sufficiently saturated to make the 
extraction of the salt from it, by the ordinary process of 
boiling, a lucrative operation. I now attempted to kindle 
the gas near the surface of the ground, but being unable 
to do this, I sprung into the curb of the Avell, and Avhile 
lighting a chloric match, the gas took fire all round me, 
producing a slight explosion, AA’hich of course extinguish- 
