[ *3 ] 
he lefs liable to a decompofition in its paffage. From 
the bafon the water frequently overflows, and runs 
trickling along a trench into a fmail brook ; when- 
ever it flops, it leaves the clay ground tinged of a 
rufty ochry color, and the water flagnating is co- 
vered with a thick pellicle variegated of many colors. 
In frofly weather, 1 have often found flaladlites hang- 
ing round the edges of the bafon, which, upon ex- 
amination, were formed by the felenites impregnated 
with the vitriol of iron, changing their white ap- 
pearance to a rufly yellow-colored cruft covering the 
flaladiites. 
The water taken up out of the bafon, is generally 
clear and tranfparent, unlefs after heavy rains, when 
it appears thick and of a muddy yellow ; or when 
the bafon has not been cleaned feme time, lumps 
of a black gelatinous fubftance, like the fsdiments 
in ink bottles, are taken out from the bottom of 
the bafon. 
By dipping carefully a glafs into the bafon in a dry 
feafon and fair weather, the water is quite clear, 
full of bubbles fparkling up, fome of which flick 
to the fldes of the glafs. By the hydroftatical bal- 
lance, its weight differs from diftilled rain water, 
weighed at the well, as 1006 .JL is to ioooj 
when carried to Huntingdon, as 1010, to 1000; 
and brought to London, it has about the fame weight. 
The Somerfham water, drank at the fpring, is 
cool, pungent, and of an auflere, fharp, affringenf, 
ferruginous tafte, fomewhat inky, but not in the 
leaft difagrceable j when carried to any diftance, it 
lofes a little of its p'ungency, by its fuflering a de- 
compofition ; but carefully bottled under water, and 
then 
