DROPPING WELL AT KNARESBOROUGH.
This dropping well, or petrifying spring, rises at the foot of a limestone rock, at an inconsiderable distance from the bank of the river Nidd. The spring, after running about sixty feet, divides, and spreads itself over the top of the rock, whence it trickles very fast, from thirty or forty places, into a channel hollowed for the purpose, as seen in the cut, each drop producing a musical kind of tinkling, probably owing to the concavity of the rock, which, bending in a circular projection from the bottom to the top, occasions its brow to overhang about fifteen feet. This rock, which is about thirty feet in hight, forty-eight in length, and from thirty to fifty in breadth, started, in the year 1704, from the common bank, and left a chasm, from five to nine feet wide, over which the water passes by an aqueduct formed for the purpose. It is clothed with evergreen and other shrubs, which add greatly to the beauty of this very interesting scene.
DROPPING WELL AT KNARESBOROUGH.
The water is said to abound with fine particles of a nitrous earth, which it deposits, but when in a languid motion only, and leaves its incrustations on the leaves, moss, &c., which it meets with, in trickling thus slowly through the cavities of the rock. This spring is estimated to send forth twenty gallons of water in a minute. Here are to be seen pieces of moss, bird’s nests with their eggs, and a variety of other objects, some of them very curious which have been incrusted or petrified by the water.
BROSELEY SPRING.
This celebrated boiling spring, or well, at Broseley, in Shropshire, was discovered in the month of June, 1711. It was first announced by a terrible noise in the night, there having been a remarkable thunder-storm. Several persons who resided in the vicinity having been awakened in their beds by this loud and rumbling noise, arose, and proceeding to a bog under a small hill, about two hundred yards from the river Severn, perceived a surprising commotion and shaking of the earth, and a little boiling up of water through the grass. They took a spade, and digging up a portion of the earth, the water immediately flew up to a great hight, and was set on fire by a candle which was presented to it. To prevent the spring from being destroyed, an iron cistern has been placed over it, provided with a cover, and a hole in the center, through which the water may be viewed. If a lighted candle, or any burning substance, be presented to this aperture, the water instantly takes fire, and burns like spirit of wine, continuing to do so as long as the air is kept from it; but on removing the cover of the cistern, it quickly goes out. The apparent boiling and ascent of the water of this spring, are still more obviously the result of hydrogen gas, or inflammable air, than in the preceding instance of Wigan well.
HOT SPRINGS OF ST. MICHAEL.
In the eastern part of this island, (one of the Azores,) is a round, deep valley surrounded by high mountains, in which are many hot springs; but the most remarkable is that called the Caldeira, situated in the eastern part of the valley on a small eminence by the side of a river, on which is a basin about thirty feet in diameter, where the water continually boils with prodigious fury. A few yards distant from it, is a cavern in the side of a bank, in which the water boils in a dreadful manner, throwing out a thick, muddy, unctuous water, several yards from its mouth, with a hideous noise. In the middle of the river are several places where the water boils with so intense a heat, that a person can not dip his finger into it without being scalded. On its banks are several apertures, out of which the steam rises to a considerable hight, and is so hot that it can not be approached by the hand. In other parts, the spectator would be led to suppose that the bellows of a hundred forges were blowing in concert; while sulphureous streams issue out in a thousand places. The bushes even, near these spots, are covered with pure brimstone, condensed from the steam which issues from the ground. In the small caverns whence the steam issues, many of the inhabitants prepare their food.