366 ON THE SALT SPRINGS OF WORCESTERSHIRE. 



to do SO within the limits of tlie present article ; but I may 

 just remark that in Cheshire, wliere it must be familiar to most 

 persons, that rich mines of salt exist, this mineral is found, as in 

 Worcestershire, associated witli Red Marl. There the solid beds 

 of salt are worked, and are of immense thickness. The upper 

 bed in that county, which is about forty-two yards below the 

 surface, is at least twenty-six yards thick, and is separated from 

 a lower bed by a stratum of argillaceous stone, ten yards thick. 

 The lower bed of salt has been sunk into forty yards. But these 

 salt formations become insignificant, when compared with some 

 of those on the continent. Count Laborde tells us, that at 

 Cardona, in Spain, there is a salt mountain that has not been 

 worked, which is six hundred and sixty-three feet in height, and 

 twelve hundred and twenty-three feet in breadth at its base. 

 ** Nothing," says he, " can compare with the magnificence of the 

 spectacle which the mountain of Cardona exhibits at sunrise. 

 Besides the beautiful forms that it j)resents, it appears to rise 

 above the river like a mountain of precious gems, displaying the 

 various colours produced by the refraction of the solar rays 

 through a prism." 



The salt mines of Hungary and Poland are the most extensive 

 repositories of rock-salt in Europe; and the details connected 

 with them are so curious, that it would be desirable to give some 

 description of them ; but this passing notice may serve to call 

 attention to the geological formation of rock-salt in those countries, 

 which does not very greatly differ from its connexion with the 

 Red Marl in this country. It is gratifying to us, as a commercial 

 people, to be informed that a greater quantity of salt is exported 

 from this kingdom than from all other nations ; and that not- 

 withstanding Poland contains the most extensive salt-mines, the 

 advantages this country possesses in facility of transport enable 

 us to supply a large portion of that country with salt. If it 

 were not placed beyond doubt, by official returns, it would 

 appear incredible that upwards of four hundred thousand tons of 

 salt are exported from Liverpool annually, the whole of which is 

 furnished by the mines of Cheshire. 



In regard to the original formation of the beds or strata of 

 rock-salt, in this and other countries, different theories, opinions, 

 and conjectures have been formed and proposed ; but it is one of 

 those geological questions, which are extremely embarrassing in 

 their nature, and very difficult in their solution. It is worthy of 

 remark that wherever rock-salt is met with, sulphate of lime or 

 gypsum seems to be very generally discovered, in mixture with 

 the earthy strata above it. In most parts of the world where 

 these gypseous strata are found, marine shells are mixed with 

 them; but this has not been discovered to be the case either in 

 Cheshire or in this county. 



Many persons have been induced to consider the beds of rock- 

 salt in Cheshire and in this county as so many deposits of salt 



