Journal of a tour through the United States and in Canada made during the years 1837-38 / by Charles Daubeny.

  • Daubeny, Charles, 1795-1867.
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Journal of a tour through the United States and in Canada made during the years 1837-38 / by Charles Daubeny. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    other, not to speak of minor depressions and elevations. In one of these bottoms, nearly midway between the two springs, I had an opportunity of observing the stratification of the rock, which was a blue limestone, destitute of organic remains, and dipping at a high angle towards the west. The same remark applies to the strata of shale, sandstone and limestone, which are found on the hill beyond the Warm Springs; for here too we observe a westernly dip, and a degree of inclination in the beds so great as to approach to verticality. The Warm Springs themselves (for there are two issuing from the ground very near to each other) possess a temperature of 96° Fahr., and copiously evolve gas, which, according to my analysis, consists, of carbonic acid 6 per cent., oxygen 4, and nitrogen 96. The water is not abundant enough to supply se- parate baths for the two sexes, but it is used at one period of the day by men, and at another by women. ‘The place itself is a pretty sequestered spot in the midst of mountains, and con- tains an hotel, which seemed well kept, and afforded me the best fare I had met with in Virginia—a State, it must be confessed, not over famous for the goodness of its inns. On Saturday, the 23d, the manager of the bath was obliging enough to drive me out with him, to see a cascade called the Falling Spring, situated about twelve miles to the south. The way to it was along a most terribly jolting road, with numerous short ascents and descents, lying, as usual, through an almost continuous wood, in one of the breaks of which was the most beautiful bed of kalmias in full blossom, spreading over a field of many acres, which I have ever seen. ‘The Falling Spring, as it is called, is a cascade, which, as it descends a precipice nearly 100 feet in height, must have a fine effect when there is plenty of water, but at the time we visited it there was so little, that it afforded to those persons, who found a shower bath grateful in the sultry weather we were experiencing, no more water than was necessary for that purpose. The rock is of sand- stone, presenting an abrupt perpendicular escarpment ; but the surface, over which the water of the cascade flows after its descent, is thickly incrusted with tuff. There were but few plants, except CG‘nothera fruticosa, Gillenia trifoliata, (extremely common everywhere), Sedum ternatum, an Orchis, probably a Neottia, and Triosteum perfoliatum. The rocks are principally calcareous, lying in nearly vertical strata. Sunday, June 24th.—Strolled about in the neighbourhood of the Hot Spring, as far as a sulphur spring, two and ahalf miles distant, the temperature of which was 62°. The stratification ed