THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
207 
fo that the whole fpot, to the extent of near an acre, was 1779. 
fo hot, that we could not hand two minutes in the fame - 1 — .j 
place. The water flowing from thefe fprings is collected 
in a fmall bathing pond, and afterward forms a little rivu¬ 
let ; which, at the diflance of about an hundred and fifty 
yards, falls into the river. The bath, they told us, had 
wrought great cures in feveral diforders, fuch as rheuma- 
tifms, fwelled and contracted joints, and fcorbutic ulcers. 
In the bathing-place the thermometer flood at ioo°, or 
blood heat; but in the fpring, after being immerfed two 
minutes, it was i° above boiling fpirits. The thermometer 
in the air, at this time, was 34 0 ; in the river 40°; and in the 
‘Toion's houfe 64°. The ground where thefe fprings break 
out, is on a gentle afcent; behind which there is a green 
hill of a moderate fize. I am forry I was not fufhciently 
fkilled in botany to examine the plants, which feemed to 
thrive here with great luxuriance ; the wild garlic, indeed, 
forced itfelf on our notice, and was at this time fpringing 
up very vigoroufly. 
The next morning, we embarked on the Bolchoireka in Monday ic> 
canoes; and, having the flream with us, expected to be at 
our journey’s end the day following. The town of Bolche- 
retfk is about eighty miles from Natcheekin; and we were 
informed, that, in the fummer feafon, when the river has 
been full and rapid, from the melting of fnow on the moun¬ 
tains, the canoes had often gone down in a fingle day; but 
that, in its prefent flate, we fhould probably be much longer, 
as the ice had broken up only three days before we arrived; 
and that ours would be the firft boat that had attempted to 
pafs. This intelligence proved but too true. We found 
ourfelves greatly impeded by the fhallows ; and though the 
flream, in many places, ran with great rapidity, yet every 
I half 
