VISIT TO A SALT-DISTRICT. 117 
the salt districts of Cheshire, the most appro- 
priate spot for so doing was considered to be the 
neighbourhood of Northwich. We descended 
into one of the mines, and explored the vast 
beds of rock-salt, which are here hollowed out 
into glittering caverns, resembling enchanted 
palaces. Afterwards we repaired to some immense 
salt-works where the brine is pumped up from the 
earth and then boiled down; and here large 
reservoirs are placed for containing the brine. 
Conduits, or wooden pipes, run from one to 
another of these reservoirs; and as they are not 
made very water-tight, a number of little streams 
of the salt-water run out and fill the surrounding 
soil with salt. The bad and refuse salt is also 
thrown upon the surface; and, in fact, the whole 
district around abounds with saline matters, per- 
haps even in greater abundance than on the sea- 
shore. Now, to shew that it is not a mere acci- 
dent which confines particular plants to the sea- 
shore, but that they really live there because they 
find there the salt food they like best: all along 
the way-side in this district these very plants 
were found, which are generally the dwellers 
near the sea. It is easy to guess the reason. 
