bottom which was of a very loose texture and softer than mud, being a body of turf grass, (Sphagnum palustre). On returning to the lake with proper apparatus and a light, the air was found to be very pure imflammable air, taking fire instantly and producing a considerable ascending flash. Intermittent fevers do not prevail around this lake. Thunder storms are very severe at times in this neighbourhood, frequently destroying barns and houses. It has been observed in this part of the country that electrical flashes descending from the clouds have been met by streams ascending from the earth, similar to the production of water spouts as observed by Dr. Franklin. Tesink mountain is underlaid with primitive slate, while the highlands have no apparent substratum other than granite.

I cannot here omit to mention the improvement in a quantity of waste or swampy land, along the outlet of this little lake, which by draining has been converted into fine hemp ground, where considerable quantities are now raised.

SHISTUS OR SLATE.

The whole of this county north of the highlands is underlaid with primitive slate generally of a bluish colour but sometimes red, the rifts being filled with quartz. In the town of North-east I found slate and lime-stone so combined as to render it difficult to determine by the eye which to call it. The slate extends eastward into Connecticut. In many places it is seen taking a direction between S. W. and N. E. having an inclination to the eastward forming an angle of about 45°. A similar direction and disposition is observed in the granite of this island.

LIME-STONE.

Great quantities of lime-stone are found in Dutchess County, most of the hills being composed of it. On the banks of the Hudson at Barnegat it is burnt into quick-lime. There

is a great deal of the lime-stone incapable of forming quicklime, being combined with a great quantity of quartz. In some specimens I brought away, the quartz appears like small grains of sand imbedded in the lime. Some hills are of the fœtid kind of lime-stone called swine-stone. The well which supplied the house with water where I remained during my visit, was partly dug through a rock of this kind. Upon the application of tests to this water, it was found to contain lime and sulphuretted hydrogen. Neither the slate or lime-stone have as yet been found to contain any vegetable or animal impressions. We must hence infer that all the rocks in this county as far as have yet been observed, are of the primitive kind.

These primitive materials of our globe have never been much explored for metallic veins, though they have appeared very near the surface. A very rich iron ore has lately been found about eight miles north of Poughkeepsie. I visited the farm of Jacob Boukay in the town of Armenia, where ores of lead, copper, and zink have been found in a body of lime-stone in low ground on the side of a mountain. Lead appears to be most abundant, though no great quantity has yet been obtained, but search has been made to no great depth. It is frequently ploughed up in considerable masses. From the external appearance there is a probability that the ore may be found in sufficient plenty to render it an object worth making a search.

Besides these things a mineral spring was mentioned to me, but indisposition rendered it impossible for me to visit it. In walking over Isabella Landen's property at pine plains in the town of North-east, in a neglected corner of the farm, I found a spring which appeared to be a sulphuretted water. The following memoranda and experiments were made on the spot in the month of August.

The spring being cleared of the mud which had choaked it for a number of years, was found to issue in a small stream from a calcareous gravelly soil, towards the west, at the

bottom of a hill, composed of limestone, and about five paces from its strata. It is known on the farm by the name of the stinking spring; having a sulphureous smell, and thin pellicle on its surface, and depositing a black, muddy, sediment. Bubbles of air are frequently seen rising from the bottom, especially when disturbed by a stick.

nauseous taste.

The water is clear, having a slight acid and somewhat After the spring was cleared, and the water again became transparent, the sulphureous smell was not so powerful, except when agitated. On drinking a pint in the morning, upon an empty stomach, it excited a slight burning sensation in the fauces, and proved laxative.

Upon adding a solution of nitrated silver to the spring water, its transparency was disturbed by light milky clouds, which became diffused, and the mixture gradually turned black; forming a black precipitate, which settled at the bottom of the glass.

The muriate of barytes produced a heavy white opaque cloud, which immediately occupied the bottom of the glass, and nearly half the water in it; remaining twelve hours without alteration, and leaving the upper portion of the water clear.

Oxalic acid in crystals, when dropped in the water, produced beautiful white streaks, arising to the surface, and rendering the whole fluid white, which in twenty-four hours deposited a white precipitate.

Lime-water produced a milky turbidness, till the quantity being equal to that of the spring-water, the mixture began to grow clear, and white flakes to settle, which in twenty-four hours formed a white precipitate. The sulphureous smell was immediately destroyed on adding the lime-water. The air of the spring collected in a glass vessel, extinguished a burning candle.

Several fish caught in a neighbouring brook, when put into the spring, appeared to gasp for breath; and frequently rose to the surface for air. The one most injured in catch

ing, turned on his back in a few minutes, and was again taken out and revived in brook-water. When again put into the spring, it soon turned on its back; it was again revived, but with greater difficulty, and longer time, and died when returned to the spring. A second one lived six hours, but its vigour was impaired, and it could be taken with the hand at any time while living; when dead, its gills had lost all their redness. Another, and the largest, was alive twenty-four hours, and was thence missing.

Indisposition at the time, prevented further experiments on these waters, from which we are led to conclude the presence of carbonic acid gas, sulphuretted hydrogen, lime, and sulphuric acid.

The well, mentioned above, was on the hill beneath which the spring issued. In digging, to increase the supply of water, the calcareous rock was struck about five feet beneath the surface, but no increased flow was obtained.

V. Chemical examination of HEAVY SPAR from New-Jersey, by MR. GEORGE CHILTon.

ON

Na branch of the Delaware about four miles from the village of Newton in Sussex county, a stone was found, which was ground, by the farmers of that neighbourhood, and strewed on their lands, from an idea they entertained of its being a species of Gypsum. Their account of the experiment states that although it seemed to be of some service, it did not possess any remarkable fertilizing quality.

Hearing of this, I obtained a specimen, which from its appearance and great weight, I did not hesitate to pronounce Sulphate of Barytes. From this specimen I prepared the nitrate, muriate and Hydro-sulphuret of barytes, and extracted the pure earth.

Finding it of importance in the preparation of tests and

re-agents, I procured a considerable quantity of it, and at length visited the spot where it was found. It forms a vein in grey limestone extending from N. E. to N. W. and making an angle with the horizon of about 40°. From the place where the vein is opened to the distance of 200 yards, detached masses are found lying on the surface, which when broken up present a spheroidal nucleus of 5 or 6 inches diameter, around which the spar had confusedly aggregated. In some instances this nucleus was calcedony, in others quartz, grey lime-stone, &c.

The colour of this fossil is white, with various shades of yellow, and appears to be the lamellar species of heavy spar, having the foliated structure with a threefold cleavage, easily frangible, splitting into rhomboidal fragments.

The crystallized specimens, are in rectangular bevilled tables united into radial groups which cross each other at various angles of obliquity.

The specimen selected for examination was of the massive kind of a pure white; translucent with a pearly lustre. Spec. gr. 4.417. Before the blow-pipe, in small fragments it decrepitates, but the powder fuses, difficultly, without addition.

1. 200 grains reduced to a fine powder mixed with twice their weight of carbonate of potass and five of water were boiled to dryness in a silver basin. Water was added and the boiling to dryness repeated. Water was again added and the whole thrown on a filter. The residue dried in a heat of 212° weighed 176 grains. These were dissolved by muriatic acid, with effervescence, excepting 33 grains.

2. These 33 grains were mixed with thrice their weight of carbonate of potass, with water, and repeatedly boiled to dryness. After solution, filtration and drying, the residue weighed 8 grains.

3. These 8 grains were exposed with thrice their weight of carbonate of potass in a heat nearly red, for half an hour. After the addition of water, filtration &c. the residue weighed 6 grains, after being digested in muriatic acid, an insoluble VOL. I.

C