lyz Dcfcrlptton of {he Salt Mints of ' Wuliijka, in Polar: J. 



horfes' dung,- and, in my opinion, mull greatly contribute 

 towards tlrofe aerial explofions of which I have fpoken. 



\\ e next proceeded to a neighbouring gallery, where^ 



after two hours' refpeclful admiration, we were filled with a 



tiriient of. uent and furprife which ft is injppfiible 



lor me to defcr/ibe. Through the enormous mals of fait, 



winch prcients to' the eye no interruption in its faliue tex- 



1 at the depth of 450 feet, flows a ftream of pure 



freih and tranlparent water, which is received in large wooden. 



yeflels, where tlie workmen and horfes of thefe fubterranean 



regions quench their third. As it was impoffible that this 



fpring could filter through the fait, Nature, which buries her 



mafterpieces in the bowels of the deeped mountains, has 



placed in this monftrous mafs of fait a ftratum of clay fuffi- 



cientlv thick to allow this ftream of water, deftined to refreth 



the workmen, to pafs through it in fuch a manner as to be 



tested from the action of the fait, of which a very fmall 



would injure its falubrity. To vifit a place where 



■.ems to have fcattered her gifts with profufion, and 



to hayc concentrated her mo ft valuable fecrets, mult be highly 



We now fet out to quit the mines, and in our way found 



feveral other altars recently cut out from the fait, and in 



:ry neat manner* which difplayed confiderable taite. 



Having fbb.ii reached the bottom of one of the pits, we placed 



elves', as before, on feats made of rope, and arrived in 



the village of Wielitfka. By an eftimation, made 



v years ago, of the iize of thefe mines, it appears 



that they extend from eait to weft 6000 German feet, from 



: 3000, and to the depth of more than 800. 



The working of thefe mines, which gives bread to more- 



than 400 families, enriches the village, and fupplies the 



neighbouring countries with fait, produces more than 



168, coo (juii]taTs per annum, and brings to the emperor a 



net pi ive millions of florins. 



Such are the molt intcreilin^ eircumftances which I ob- 

 served at the famous mines of Wielitfka, of which fo many 

 fabulous deferiptions have been given, and againfl which 

 to be on their guard : it is even aftonifhing that 

 where the. mind can fcarcely feize the grandeur of what 

 Nature prcfents, the imagination fhould flill be fo lively as to 

 fee there " peetple who never behold the light of the fun, 

 who inhabit fubterranean villages, who govern themfelves 

 according to their own laws," See. 



During mv day at Cracow, I formed a defign of vifiting 

 alfo the fah mines or mountains of fait at Bochnia, five leagues 



itU- 



