Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/91

 but the Hills lye in no order; they are generally rocky and steepe from South-west and by West, to North and by North: th, whole Tract of the Country, within 5. and 7. miles, abounds with Coal-mines, more or less. But there are no other consider able Mines, that I can hear of, nearer then Mendip, which is 10. miles hence, excepting some of Lead at Berry in Glocester-shire, which lyes up on the North of this place, about 4. or 5. miles distant.

2. The Hills for the most part afford a Free-stone; and on the North-west of Lansdown (which hath that situation to the Town, and is just above it) the Stones, digg'd there, are a sort of hard stone, commonly call'd a Lyas, blue and white, polishable.

3. The Town and Baths are of very great Antiquity. Besides what I find in very ancient Chronicles to that purpose, one of our great Antiquaries (Mr. P.) asserts, that these Baths were 800. years before Christ. Which if so, would give occasion to inquire, how confident with it that Hypothesis, concerning the Cause of the Heat of these Waters, would be, which makes it to be the Fermentation of Minerals in fieri; and, whether it be likely, that the Minerals, through which these waters pass, should be in that state of imperfection so many hundred years, and that the whole dispos'd matter in those places should not be perfectly concreted in so great a Tract of time. You doubtless know the other conjecture, which supposeth the cause of this heat to be, That two streames having run through and imbibed certain sorts of different Minerals, meet at last, after they have been deeply impregnated, and mingle their liquors, from which commixture arises a great fermentation, that causes heat; like as we see it is in Vitriol and Tartar, which though separately they are not hot, yet when mingled beget an intense heat and ebullition between them. This seems to me a probable cause of the lastingness of the heat of these waters. But it is not my business to offer Hypotheses; therefore craving pardon for this digression, I proceed in my Account.

4. It is affirm'd here, that the Town for the most part is built upon a Quag-mire, though the places all about it are very firm ground. Some workmen, that have been employ'd in digging, Rh