On Boring for Water. 
121 
The most unpleasant circumstance attendant upon this business, iis the occasional 
breakingof a rod into the bole, which sometimes creates a delay of many days, and 
an incalculable labour in drawing up the lower portion. 
When the water is obtained in such quantities and Of such quality as may be re- 
quired, the hole is dressed or finished by parsing down it the diamond chisel, Fig. 
13 ; this is to make the sides smooth previous to putting in the pipe. This chisel is 
attached to rods and to the handle, as before described, and in its descent, the 
workmen continually walk round, by which the hole is made smooth and cylindri- 
cal. In the progress of the boring, frequent veins of water are passed through ; but 
as these are small streams, arid perhaps impregnated with mineral substances, 
the operation is carried on until an aperture is made into a main spring, which will 
sometimes flow up to the surface of the earth. This must of course depend upon 
the level of its source, which, if in a neighbouring hill, will frequently cause the water 
to rise up, and produce a constant fountain. But if the altitude of the distant spring 
happens to be below the level of the surface of the ground, where the boring is effect- 
ed, it sometimes happens that a well of considerable capacity is obliged to be dug 
down to that level in order to form a reservoir, into which the water may flow, and 
from whence it must be raised by a pump ; while in the former instance, a continu- 
ed fountain may be obtained. Hence, it will always be a matter of doubt, in level 
countries, whether water can be procured which will flow near to or over the sur- 
face; if this cannot be effected, the process of boring w ill be of little or no advantage, 
except as an experiment to ascertain the fact. 
In order to keep the water pure and uncontaminated iwth mineral springs, the 
hole is cased for a considerable depth with a metallic pipe, about a quarter of an inch 
smaller than the bore. This is generally made of tin, (though sometimes of copper 
or lead,) in convenient lengths ; and as each length is let down, it is held by a shoul- 
der resting in a fork, while another length is soldered to it ; by which means a con- 
tinued pipe is carried through the pipe, as far as may be found necessary, to exclude 
land springs, and to prevent loose earth or sand from falling in and choking the 
aperture. 
in . — Miscellaneous Notices . 
1 — A r eu> Oxyde of' Iron . — M. Berthier considers the scales which fall at the 
smith’s anvil as a new oxydeof iron. They do not unite with acids simply, but are 
resolved into protoxyde and peroxyde, which then form salts. They are not con- 
stant in their composition ; but, when most so, consist of irou 100, oxygen 34.2 : 
hence they are the doutoxide. — Dub. Phil. Joutn. I. 281. 
2.— Manner of Bronzing Statues , Medals , and Ornaments^ made of Copper or 
tironze The receipts for communicating to newlvcast bronze a colour which gives 
it the appearance of old bronze, vary more or less We shall here give the me- 
thod employed by Jacob, one of the best artists of Paris. Take two gross of sal 
ammoniac, half a gross of salt of sorrel, which dissolve in a demi-setier (400 
grammes) of white vinegar : after cleaning the metal well, dip a pencil^slightly in 
the solution, and rub it continually on the same place, until the colour is dry, and 
the tint has acquired the desired intensity • That the drying may take place more 
quickly, this operation is performed by exposing the object to the sun or in a stove. 
-The bronze colour becomes deeper, in proportion to the length of time occupied 
18 brush over the same place. — Journ. des Conaiss. (Jsuel. et Pratiq. 
^ 3. — Method of discovering Potassa by the Blow-pipe Flame.- M. Harkort, of 
i'reyberg says, that, in consequence of an observation made by Kirwan, namely, 
that oxyde of nickel with potash, gave a blue glass before the blow-pipe, whilst 
soda with the same oxide produced a brown glass, he was led to examine whether 
the distinction might not be made to afford a useful test. On making the expe- 
riment with potash, he obtained an excellent result ; the blue produced is not likely 
t( > he confounded with that produced by cobalt, because it inclines to a milky ap- 
pearance. So sensible is this test, that the presence of potash was readily discovered 
the periclimie (a new variety of felspar, distinguished by Professor Breithaupt,) 
although existing ther£ in very small quantity. The experiment relative to soda 
Was not so successful, the glass acquiring only a weak brown colour.— Jahr. der 
Chem. 1827. 
