Some Observations on the Salt Mines of Cardona. 325 



have anv corresponding action or effect. The planetary bodies, 

 according to modern philosophers, arc too remote to act on each 

 other, or on the atmosphere around us. The varying belts of 

 Jupiter and the extended ring of Saturn may be atmospheres, 

 yet not perfectly similar to the aerial envelope surrounding our 

 earth; but every planet must be surrounded with a fluid, what- 

 ■ever its peculiar gaseous qualitv; and in and through that fluid 

 the planet, whether by mechanical or chemical attraction or re- 

 pulsion, must be conceived to rarefy, condense, or otherwise 

 operate. As the moon is capable of transmitting its influence 

 through the s-urrounding medium to the waters and to the earth 

 which compose our globe, we may infer that each planet has a 

 certain sphere of operation : and however we may suppose the 

 energy of that operation to decrease as the distances increase, 

 or whatever may be the intervening medium, we must allow 

 planetary is as capable as lunar influence, of exerting its pro- 

 'portion of agency through that medium. 



Yours respectfully, 

 Priory, Gray Friars, Norwicli, T. DrUMMOND. 



Nov.'r, 1816. 



LXIV. Some Observations on the Sail Mines of Cardona, made 

 during a Tour in Spain, in the Summer of 181-1. By 

 Thomas Stewart Traill, M.D. Member of the Geological 

 Society*. 



X HESE celebrated mines occupy the head of a small valley in 

 the immediate vicinity of Cirdona, a town in the province of 

 Catalonia. 



This valley extends abont half a mile in length, from the river 

 Cardonero to the mines, in a direction from east-south-east to 

 west-north-west. Its north western side is bounded by a very 

 steep and lofty ridge, the summit of which is crowned by the town 

 .ind castle of Cardona. The opposite boundary is somewhat less 

 elevated ; but l)oth sides are considerably higher than the upper 

 Mvrface of the fossil salt. On entering this valley, the attention 

 is arrested by liold cliffs of a greyish-white colour, which are 

 soon discovered to consist of one vast mass of bait. The sides 

 and bottom of the valley are composed of reddish-brown clay, 

 forming a thick bed, from which here and there large imbedded 

 masses of rock salt project m the manner of more ordinary 

 rocks; especially along the winding ascent which leads up to 

 the town of Cardona. The summits of the ridges which bound 



* I'roiu the Transactions of the Geologicnl Society, vol. iii. 



X 3 ' the 



