Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/76

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gillaceous shiver, growing gradually more compact as it descends, two yards; coarse freestone, eight yards; limestone, one yard; black shiver, ap- proaching to coal, six yards; a stratum of hard coarse shistus, sand-stone with iron-stone and lime- stone intermixed, singularly composed and blended together, six yards; another stratum of black shiver, out of which the sulphurated water issues; below this the indurated argil called clunch. The black shiver for the most part is impregnated with alum, and some of it so strongly with alum and green vitriol, as to hold out a fair encouragement for the establishment of works for those articles in this neighbourhood. During six or eight weeks in the autumn, the Spa is enlivened with a great deal of company, chiefly Scots and Cumbrians, who are well lodged and boarded for 3s. 6d. per day, including every thing but liquors.

On our return from this little Spa, we made a trifling diversion in order to embrace the Roman station Amboglana, but called now Burd-Oswald; the former part of its name probably a corruption of burgh, the latter borrowed from the celebrated king and martyr of Northumberland, St. Oswald; a great favourite in these parts, to whom churches are dedicated hereabouts, and to whose consecra- tion on the 5th of August the Romioh calendar still

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