m 
RECIPROCATING SPRINGS, 
Defect of ear- 
ly theo its. 
Ebbing and 
flowing 
springs sel- 
dom occur in 
nature. 
Two narra- 
tives which 
throw light on 
The subject. 
Spring rle- 
scrioed by the 
younger Pli- 
ny. 
VIII. 
Observations on the elling and flowing Well at Giggleswick , in 
the West Riding of Yorkshire , with a Theory of reciprocating 
Fountains. By Mr. John Gough*. 
W HEN a theory happens to be formed from the compa- 
rison of a few facts only, future observations frequently 
perplex it with difficulties which are not easily surmounted. 
It is not necessary to seek for examples to corroborate the pre- 
ceding assertion ; for, in all probability, most philosophers will 
be able to establish the truth of it, by incidents which are pre- 
served in the private histories of their own speculations. In 
my opinion, however, the writers on hydraulics furnish a strik- 
ing instance of the fact in the machinery, which they commonly 
employ for the purpose of explaining the causes of recipro- 
cating fountains, or of ebbing and flowing wells, as they are 
called in vulgar language. 
Springs of this description may be reckoned amongst the 
rare productions of nature 5 the infrequency of which leads me 
to conclude, that but few thinking men have had an opportu- 
nity of observing a number of them with attention, and of com- 
paring their operations ; for it is certain, that by far the greatest 
part of the world knows nothing of the subject, except by re- 
port. This want of ocular information, in all probability, has 
obliged speculative writers to rest content with the few facts 
which are to be found in books ; and I am only acquainted with 
the following narratives which can be said to throw any light 
on the curious properties of reciprocating fountains. The first 
that I shall mention, came from the pen of the younger Pliny, 
who flourished as a statesman and a man of letters, in the time 
of Trajan. The account may be found in the concluding letter 
of the fourth book of his epistles ; and the following is an at- 
tempt to give it in my own language, as I have no translation 
of the work in my possession. 
Pliny to Licinius. 
<f I am going to present you with a description of a natural 
curiosity in the neighbourhood of my country house, in hopes 
that it will prove an interesting speculation to a person of yonr 
* Manchester Soc. Mem. II. New Series, 354. 
extra- 
