1804 1 for a useful purpose ; when the water by seeking December J new channels has entirely forsaken its former situation, the green matter which acquires sometimes a thickness of half an inch, is speedily converted into a rich vegitable earth & becomes the food of plants, the calcareous surface itself decomposes and forms the richest black mold intimately mixed with a considerable proportion of silex (formed as I have supposed from the coagulum) plants and trees of every kind now vegetate luxuriantly upon this soil; many however thrive upon the rock, where very little earth is to be seen, particularly the cedar which seems to grow from between the clefts of the hard rock. The grape vine also seems to prosper in this unpromising situation. I proceeded to examine the piece of ground (above-mentioned) upon which the snow would not lie: I found it covered in a great measure with herbage, which was in part turned brownish by the season, altho' there was on a part of it a very small fine grass which was green, a calcareous Crust appeared in some places at the surface but in general there was a depth of 5 or 6 inches & in some places a foot of the richest black mold, the surface was manifestly warm to the touch; the Therm? in the air was then at 44? when placed 4 inches under the surface & covered with earth, it rose rapidly to 68? and when placed at 8 inches or upon the calcareous rock and covered up it rose to 80? this result was very uniform over the whole J1804 surface which was about a quarter of an acre: LDece in searching we found a spring about 15 inches under the surface which raised the ThermE to 130? Under the black mold was found a brown mixture of lime and silex very loose and divisible, which appeared to be advancing in its progress of decomposition towards the formation of black mold, under the brownish mass it gradually became whiter and harder and at the depth of six to 12 inches was nearly hard calcareous stone sparkling with silex : it was evident from every thing we saw around that the water had passed over this place & formed a flat superficies of siliceous limestone, and that its position nearly level had facilitated the accumulation of earth in proportion as the decomposition advanced: Similar spots of earth were found higher up. The hill resembling little Savannahs near which were always found hot springs, which had once flowed over the Savannahs; it seems probable that the hot water of the springs, at an early period had all issued from its grand recervoir in the hill at a much higher elevation than at present, the Calcareous crust may be traced up in most situations on the west side of the hill looking down upon the Creek & valley to a certain heigth,perhaps 100 feet perpend: from that division the hill above rises precipitously & is studded all over with hard siliceous stones;
1804 \ below the descent is more gradual, the soil calDcccmbcr j careous black earth, the rock itself very often at the surface, & frequently there is a precipice on the margin of the Creek or a very precipitous descent along the calcarious new formed rock. The ThermV at 3h p.m. was at 440 and at 8h p.m. 38? Doctor Hunter continues indisposed.
Monday 24th Therm" before Sun rise 32? Wind moderate from N.W. Some prospect this morning of a favorable change, the moon is visible, and the Sun yet behind the hill, announces his approach with a bright blase: prepare for observation — took the suns triple contact, hoping to obtain correspondent observations in the afternoon to regulate the watch. The moon was already eclipsed by the Pine tree tops on the western hill before the sun was risen high enough in the East to enable us to take their distance; We were therefore obliged to wait with patience and ordered all the intervening trees to be cut down to facilitate future observation: at noon obtained a good altitude of the Sun but soon afterwards it became cloudy, so that we got no corresponding altitudes for the regulation of the watch.
The Doctor found himself a little better, we agreed to walk up the hot spring hill to make new observations on this natural curiosity: we
now now found it easy to trace out the separation be- f 1804 tween the primitive hill & that which has been \Decei accumulated upon its west side by precipitation from ye waters of the hot Springs; this last is entirely confined to the west side of the hill washed at its base by the waters of the Creek, no hot spring being visible in any other part of its circumference; by actual measurement along the base of the hill, the influence of the Springs is found to extend 70 perches in a direction a little to the eastward of North; along the whole of this space the Springs have deposited stoney matter, which is probably principally Calcareous, but there is also evidence of Silex and Iron. All the Springs deposit red calx of Iron in their passage to the Creek; the existence of Silex does not appear to me to be so fully decided; there is certainly sparkling chrystals mingled with the lime, particularly remarkable in the calcarious matter partially decomposed, but having observed by the aid of the microscope that the whole of the calcarious rock exhibits nothing but a mass of congregated sparry matter, it is not improbable that those shining chrystals may be chrystalised lime; the Doctor is now employed upon an analysis which will, no doubt, decide the point; from some specimens I shall carry home with me, I shall hope to investigate the matter more at leisure. The accumulation of calcarious matter is much more considerable at the
\ north end of the hill than towards the south;
J the first may be above one hundred feet perpendicular, but sloping much more gradually than the primitive hill above, until it approaches the creek, where not unfrequently it terminates in a precipice of from 6 to 20 feet: the difference between the appearance of the primitive and secondary hill is so striking, that the most superficial observer cannot avoid taking notice of it: the first is regularly very steep studded with rock and stone of the hardest flint and other siliceous compounds all extremely hard, a superficies of two or 3 inches of good mold covers a body of red clay above described: below on the secondary hill, which carries evident marks of recent formation, no flint or siliceous stone is to be seen; the Calcareous rock has concealed all from view, & is itself frequently covered by much fine rich black earth; it would seem that this compound which is precipitated by the hot waters, encloses in its own bosom the seeds of its destruction, for it is remarkable that when the waters have ceased to flow over any portion of the rock, a superficial decomposition will there speedily take place; tho' I am inclined to suspect that heat communicated from the interior of the hill below contributes much to this operation of nature, because it is observable, that insulated masses of the rock remain without change.
The
The Cedar, the Wax-Myrtle and the Cassina J1804 Yapon, all beautiful evergreens attach themselves lDecei particularly to the calcareous region, & seem to grow and thrive in the clefts of the solid rock: at small intervals along the line of separation between the primitive and secondary hill, we discover many sources of hot water; some flowing with some degree of freedom, & others in a manner stagnated and shut in by the accumulations of Stoney Concretion extracted by their own operation from the bowels of the hill. Any spring enjoying a freedom of position proceeds with great regularity in depositing its solid contents; the border or rim of its bason forms an elevated ridge, from whence proceeds a glacis all around; when the waters have flowed for some time over one part of the brim, this becomes more elevated & the water can no longer escape on that side, but is compelled to seek a passage where the resistance is least, thus it proceeds with the greatest regularity forming in miniature a Crater resembling in shape the conical summit of a volcano; the hill being steep above, the progress of petrifaction is stopped on that side, & the waters continue to flow and spread abroad, encrusting the whole face of the hill below. I am persuaded that the accumulations and extent of the calcareous matter would have been vastly greater, perhaps the whole valley might have been filled up with it, did not
the
1804 1 the continual running of the creek water put December J a stQp to -lts progression on that side: the last formed calcareous border of the circular bason, (covered by the green feculum) is soft and easily divided, a little under it is more compact, and at the depth of six inches, it is generally hard white stone; if the bottom of the bason is stirred up, a quantity of red calx of iron arises and escapes over the summit of the crater.
It is surprising to see plants, shrubs and trees with their roots absolutely in the hot water; this circumstance being observed by some of the visitants of the hot springs has induced some of them to try experiments by sticking branches of trees into the run of hot water; we found some branches of the wax-Myrtle thrust into the bottom of a spring-run, the water being at temperature 1300 of Farheneit's thermometer, the foliage & fruit of the branch were not only sound and healthy, but at the very surface of the water fresh roots were actually sprouting from the branch; the whole being pulled up for examination, it was found that the part which had penetrated into the hot mud was decayed: this phenomenon is so new & singular, that few persons will at first be disposed to believe, judging that deception or want of accuracy has led us into error; it is however in the power of every curious person who will give himself the necessary trouble to try the experiments himself; in
the the meantime Doctor Hunter and his son are J1804 evidences of the truth of the above statement. \Dece — A luxuriant vegetation clothes the decomposed surface of the calcareous region, the black rich mold being of a good depth in some few places (6 or more inches) & in others shallower, and the rock in other situations is nearly unchanged, giving nourishment however to a mass of very short moss, which is gradually forming a soil different in appearance from that which is generated from the decomposed lime. The primitive part of the hill is greatly inferior in fertility to the secondary or recent portion, but it is far from being sterile: grape vines abound in both, particularly in the calcareous soil.
It may be proper to pause for a moment and enquire what may be the cause of the perpetual fire which keeps up without change the high temperature of so many springs flowing from this hill at considerable distances from each other. Upon looking around us, no data present themselves sufficient for the solution of the problem; nothing of a volcanic nature is to be seen in this country, neither have we been able to learn that in any part of the hills or'mountains connected with this river, there is any evidence in favor of such a supposition. An immense bed of blackish blue schistus appears to form the basis of the hot-spring hill and of all those in its neighbourhood. The bottom or bed of the
creek