iti reply to Mr. R. C. Taylor. 195 



from the super-position and juxta-position of strata; it is in- 

 deed of such importance in my estimation, that I should not 

 fear to rest the fate of my theory upon it, even if it stood alone 

 and unsupported by that mass of collateral evidence by whch 

 it is attended. Mr. Taylor seems willing to insinuate that these 

 works were of little consequence ; for he has inserted a note 

 stating that the value of one of them was estimated at seven 

 pence. In the magnificent rent-rolls of the presentday this would 

 indeed be a contemptible figure ; but our ideas will soon be cor- 

 rected if we compare it with the income derived from other 

 species of property at that period, and consider also the change 

 which has taken place, both in the positive denomination and 

 relative value of money. Domesday Book affords numerous 

 instances, in which the annual value of the best land in Nor- 

 folk appears to have been then one pennij per acre. In what- 

 ever form this was reckoned, the worth of a salina must be 

 computed by the same standard ; and it will then be found to 

 have been equal to that of seven acres of land. The same will 

 be the result if we try it by the change in the currency. Hume 

 calculated sixty years ago, that any sum at the Conquest must 

 be conceived " as if it were multiplied more than a hundred- 

 fold above a sum of the same denomination " in his days*. 

 Since that time a further change has taken place, and the price 

 of land especially has been more than doubled ; so that we may 

 fairly reckon the relative proportions to be as 1 to 240, or 

 that seven pefice in the year 1086 were equivalent to seven 

 pounds now. Hence then it appears, that computing this to 

 have been the average value of a salina, the works of this de- 

 scription round the ajstuary of the Yare (amounting in numr 

 ber to J 36) must have produced to the owners of the land an 

 annual rental equal to 952 pounds of our present moneyf . 



The value of these establishments has, however, but little 

 connection with the question. We know that they existed, and 

 that this would not have been the case if they had not been 

 useful and profitable : it is also clear, that their use and pro- 

 fit must have been dependent upon the access of the salt tidesj 



• History of England, vol. i. p. 228. 



f Mr. Ellis ill his General Introduction to the Domesday Book, prefixed 

 to the indices, (printed by order of the Record Commissioners,) says at page 

 xl. " 2H5 salinae in Sussex averaged at 2s. S^rf. At Stollant in Dorsetshire 

 32 salt-pans yielded only 40.s. In Devonshire at Flueta 1 1 salinx yielded 

 but 11 pence per annum. At Ermentone in the latter county, however, 

 we have a salina yielding 13 pounds 10*. ad pensii & arsura." This last 

 sum, " of standard weight and fineness," was so enormous for those days, 

 tiiat I must acknowledge on consulting the original passage, it appears to 

 ine to refer to the produce of the whole pro[)crty, of which the salina was 

 only a part. 



2 C 2 sup- 



