the waters would roll over them, which certainly is not the cafe. The very bottom of the fea would fuffer some change from the great quantities of ftones brought down by fo many rivers, and forced into its bed, from whence it would follow, that the observations of the founding line would no longer be of use to the mariner, who always finds the fame bottom when he heaves the lead at one time as at another.*

LETTER

* True with refpect to the British Channel, and of which I have been often an eye witness, and seen the fame kind of fand, small shells, and pebbles, brought up at the bottom of the lead as were defcribed in charts published many years ago, by which the mariner on entering the channel in a dark winter night can know in what part he is in; but this is not the general ufe of the founding line, which is thrown out occafionally, to know the depth of water, aud number of fathoms, when approaching the coaft, or amidst shoals, and in every fituation of danger. Will Mr. Bowles persuade us, contrary to ocular conviction, that great quantities of pebble are not daily thrown up upon the beach by the waves, and choak up the mouth of harbours, while others are brought down by rivers with similar inconvenience?

Defcribing the bot wells at Caldas in Catalonia, and thofe of Caldetas, near the city of Mataro.

As I had not an opportunity of visiting the hot

wells and baths of Caldas in Catalonia I was favoured with the following account of their situation and present state, by my worthy friend William Gregory, Efq; his majesty's conful at Barcelona.

"There are feveral hot wells in the neighbourhood of Barcelona, but the principal fpring is at Caldas de Monbuy, about five leagues North of Barcelona. The town takes its name from the waters, but at prefent is much decayed and dwindled into a very inconfiderable place, with a few priviledges to fupport its rank as a town, though it was once the capital of a district inhabited by a people known in the earlieft periods of the annals of Catalonia, under the denomination of Aquicaldenfes, of whom frequent mention is made during the contest between Rome and Carthage for the dominion of that part of Spain, fometimes taking part with one fide, fometimes with the other. The greatest part of a flight antient wall remains, as alfo its four gates, which are ftill kept in repair; but the caftle of the lord of the ma

nor,

nor, though of a late date in comparison with the reft, feems to have been abandoned for fome years, and is in a most ruinous condition. Caldas is fituated in a very romantic part of the country, which rifes into abrupt hills all round, and in a manner encircle it. Thefe hills, or rather mountains, are for the inoft part covered with ofive groves, which yield a confiderable quantity of oil, for the extraction of which the hot water that flows fo plentifully in the town is of infinite use. As this is at prefent in no wife recommendable, either for its elegance or accommodations, you may well imagine that the baths are not much frequented with a view of diffipation or pleasure, but numberlefs are the votaries of health that visit it from all parts of the country in fpring and autumn, and they are accommodated in the best manner that a Spanish country town can afford. Some of the apothecaries, and many of the private houses at Caldas have neat baths for those that choose to hire them; and there is an hofpital where the poor are admitted gratis. Various are the virtues that this water is faid to poffefs, and many the cures that it daily performs, in fcorbutic, fcrophulous, as well as rheumatic complaints, ftiffness in the joints proceeding from old wounds, &c. I cannot however pretend to defcribe to you any of its particular qualities, fuch as what mineral it is chiefly impregnated with,

or

with, or the cause of its extraordinary heat, or any part of its analysis, having had but little time during my refidence in that country for the investigation of things of that fort, and I never found any of the inhabitants that could give me fatisfactory account about the matter, all that I know of from my own obfervation, is that it rifes much hotter than either the spring near Aix la Chapelle, or thofe of Bath or Briftol; it is boiling hot, and the people of the town come conftantly there to boil their eggs, cabbage, and all forts of vegetables, by fimply fufpending. them under the spout of the fountain in a basket, and yet make use of no other water, when fufficiently cooled, for drinking either alone, mixed with wine, or cooled with fnow in orgeats, fher bets, &c. Some years ago there was a short treatise written on the qualities of these waters by fome well-difpofed and intelligent perfon; a few detached fheets of this work once fell into my hands, when I was at Caldas, but the whole edition has now fome how or other disappeared. The general opinion is, and I believe not without foundation, that fome invidious perfons after the decease of the author, made a point of buying up the work, and have fecreted or destroyed every page of it, except here and there a few copies that fell into the hands of ignorant people who tore them to pieces without confideration.

Another

Another hot spring flows in the village of Caldetas, which likewise takes its name from the waters, like the former, though expreffive of a lefs degree of heat in the water, as well as the inferiority of the place in refpect to the other. This village is about two miles from the city of Mataro, near the fea fide, and is alfo frequented by perfons afflicted with the above-mentioned complaints in a flight degree, for the water being only tepid, it has not the efficacy of the hot water at Caldas. Thofe of Caldetas are alfo taken as a purgative, and are not fit for any culinary purpose. You will eafily conceive that thofe watering places differ widely from what are fo called in other countries, being folely frequented by the infirm out of pura necefidad, and are therefore indifferently fupported; was the beneficial improvement of England to take place, it would in a fhort time extend the reputation of these falutary waters, and make them rival, if not out-do Spa, Aix la Chapelle, Bareges, and most of the noted places on the continent, over all which the famous baths of Caldas have fuch an undoubted fuperiority in point of climate and fituation.