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Show 193 ID one hundred thousand parts of water are contained- No. 1. No. 2. Sodium sulphate 81.7 80.2 Potassium sulphate 2.3 trace. Sodium chloride 12.8 13.4 Carbonate of lime 10.7 11.0 Carbonate of iron.... trace. trace. Carbonate of magnesia trace. trace. Silica 20.5 22.4 Total 128.0 127.0 It will be noticed how closely both springs agree in their composition. Carbonate of soda, a usual compound met with in the hot springs of California, is absent, but silica is there in increased proportion. Indeed, on evaporating the water I noticed quite a jelly- like separation of the silicic acid before the residue became perfectly dry. THE THERMAL SPRINGS OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. In the canon of the Rito de la Mission Vieja, 12 miles east of the village San Juan Capistrauo, are situated six thermal springs, issuing from fissures of the Azoic rocks. The locality looks like an inviting hidden mountain summer resort. The Tertiary and Quaternary formations so conspicuous around the town of San Juan Capistrano, cease as we ascend the foot- hills of the mountains. The springs belong to an old grant, whose owner refuses permission to build a hotel at the springs, although sums of money have been offered to him. He hates monopoly, and wants free access for every one, even the poorest, to the springs. Hence any person who wants to stay here for some time has to provide himself with blankets and a cooking outfit; and many a diseased man of means learned here for the first time, how much healthier it is to sleep under a tree than in the best furnished hotels. There are sometimes twenty to thirty persons camping in the valley; some have tents, others a few branches under which to sleep. Some of the springs form pools that are used for bathing purposes. At the time of my visit I found six individuals there shut out from the rest of the world, and living upon bread and bacon. There exists one cold spring of 3 to 4 square feet surface, a temperature of 75° F., and a faint odor of sulphureted hydrogen. The hot springs form no deposit worth mentioning, have but a very faint odor, and are nearly insipid. The temperature of these six springs was found 120° to 123° F. A specimen of water of the main spring was procured for analysis. There are three other hot springs half a mile, north of the lower group, and one of them contains a trace of iron. The main spring furnished the following result. In one hundred thousand parts of water are contained parts- Sodium carbonate. 11.10 Sodium chloride 10.53 Sodium sulphate trace. Silicic acid 7.66 Lime trace. Magnesia traoe. Potaesa trace. Lithia trace. The healing properties of this water can only be ascribed to their temperature or to a sympathetic belief. HOT SPRING OF THE CABEZON VALLEY.* Some 10 miles south of White River exists Aqua caUente, a little oasis with a hot spring. This spring has 1| to 2 square feet surface, and discharges its water into a large pool, which is used by Indians as a bathing- place. The water has 100.4° F., of a weak smell of sulphureted hydrogen, and is almost tasteless. On chemical analysis, the amount of mineral matter was found indeed but very small. In one hundred thousand parts of water are contained- Sodium chloride 31.0 Sodium sulphate t trace. Sodium carbonate • 8.3 Lithia trace. * This valley, also called Ooahuilo Valley, is a long- stretched basin in Southeastern California, south from the San Bernardino Mountains. |