18 



ia Cheshire. The first was " a pease of a hill having trees 

 on hit." Tliis formed a "pitte" which in Leland's time had 

 yet "salt water, but much filth is faullen into it." This 

 was clearly but a small pit, of which no trace now remains. 

 The one at Bickley was a hole "30 yards over." The brine 

 was at some depth, as it was drawn out " with a pitcher 

 tied to a cart rope." This choked up and is not known 

 now. The third, at Weaver Hall, began by a hole of 2 

 yards in diameter and 12 feet deep at the utmost. When 

 the sides crumbled down and formed a slope, " the chasm 

 became nine yards in diameter yet not so many feet deep, 

 and full of salt water." As these holes were similar in their 

 nature to many that have fallen in of late years, since brine 

 pumping has so largely increased, and as although they are 

 not close to salt manufacturing districts, yet two were not 

 far from Nantwich, the great salt place of the middle ages, 

 and one near to Winsford and Middlewich, we may conclude 

 that salt manufacturing may have had as much to do with 

 them as simple brine springs. However, if we allow them 

 to have been the result of the brine springs naturally 

 flowing into the streams, we are only strengthened in our 

 assertion that natural springs rarely cause any subsidence 

 perceptible in a generation. In the space of about 250 

 years, from 1533 to 1780, only these three instances are 

 recorded. From 1750 downwards rock salt mines have 

 collapsed as before mentioned : but of the cause of these 

 sinkings or fallings in there has never been any doubt. 

 After 1780 there can equally be no doubt that the sinkings 

 which began to show themselves were directly connected 

 with our next cause, viz. : — 



IV. — Water existing naturally but set in motion, or its 

 motion accelerated, by artificial means, such as 

 pumps. 



Under this head we shall meet with the most remarkable 



