1800.] i Faëis and Remarks. 17

at Aranjuez in, Spain, which I left about the beginning of June, 1796,/

The earth in the mountains there is ſo ſtrongly impregnated with ſaline and nitrous matter, thattwhen a heavy ſhower runs off the bills a trace of the ſtream is left on their fides, down to the edge of the level lands, like a hoary froſt; and the water drunk there is, on this account, brought from Ocana upon afſles, about the diſtance of two leagues.

The king is cutting a ſubterraneous paſſage through the moun- tains, about half a mile towards an artificial lake, called La Mar, in the direRion towards Ocana;z in order that the water may be brought this way to ſupply the fountains in bis gardens.- Poſli- bly he may deſign to continue this work to Ocana for the pur=- poſe of ſaving ſo much labour; as is beſtowed in procuring po- table water from that place.

I freguently entered this ſubterraneous tunnel as far as the workmen had penetrated; perhaps, between two and three hun- dred yards under the hill.

The earth which is dug out of this paſſage, turns nearly æz toto, to the appearance of ſlacked lime after it has been ſome time expoſed to the air; as the pure ſaline or nitrous ſubſtance does alſo, ſo far as I have tried it.

As I entered the mine, the foul air which met me, partook much of a ſulphureous ſmell; and a kind of black and greyiſh mixed ſoftiſh rock, through which we paſſed, ſeems to be greatly impregnated with ſulphur.

Through this rock, the nitre finds its way to the paſſage, which they are digging; and chryſtallizes ſo much like ice and icicles upon the ſides(for‘it does not ſeem to ſhoot into nitrous ſpears, in the a of chryſtallization) that I think, if it were but let alone a very few years, it wouid fill the cavity which‘the workmen have made with ſolid nitre, oc ſimilar faline.

So far as I can judge, the whole mountains at this place, ap=- pear to be'impregnated with this kind of matter. The paſſage is about eight feet high, by five or ſix in wid, and the im- preſſion of the foot lcaves'a trace ſimilar to that upon a mill< floor, which has been well beſprinkled with meal; even fome diſtance out of the mouth or entrance of the tunnel,

I perceive, when the ſeveral ſubſtances are bottled and tight corked, that which ariſes from the bowels of the earth aſſumes an appearance the moſt like ice. And that from the ſpring (where the whole bulk chryſtallizes in the form of a cone or ſugar loaf, in the open air, until it forms a baſe of three or four feet in diameter round the ebullition of the ſpring, like trodden ice, through the trampling of viſitors, and of people, who dig the ſalines for the purpoſe of vending them for medicinal uſes) is more ſubje& to pulverize-

OM,& AG, MAG D