56 = British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
they were conveyed, in succession, to the bottom of the mine in 
a basket lowered by means of a windlass, four descending to- 
gether, and then conducted through the various parts of the ex- 
cavation. ‘There are two beds of the rock-salt, the lower one 
being exclusively worked, owing to its superior quality. The 
floor of the mine is 336 feet below the surface, and the portion 
of the saline mass removed is about 40 feet in height and extends 
over an area of 30 statute acres. A great number of successive 
strata of clay, more or less indurated, occur between the upper 
stratum of salt and the surface, and the two saline deposits are 
separated by analogous formations, the portions of those next the 
salt being intersected with little veins of the Sal gem, exhibiting 
a beautiful scarlet color, no doubt due to the presence of a 
quantity of sesqui-chloride of iron. After having traversed the 
whole of the excavation, which was lit up in a most magnificent 
manner—several thousand candles having been employed for the 
purpose—the visitors were regaled within this subterranean palace 
with a very elegant déjeuné. We have seldom seen a company 
sit down i in higher spirits, or to a better entertainment ; and it is 
party from Liverpool, and also through the mine, was given, it 
was drunk with the utmost enthusiasm. The entertainment 
being concluded, some fireworks were exhibited, which lighting 
up the excavation with various shades of colors, produced effects 
which it is no exaggeration to describe as at once grand and ter- 
rific. ‘God save the Queen,” and, at the suggestion of Mr. Por- 
ter, a psalm, having been sung immediately beneath the shaft, the 
whole party ascended, and returning by the same method of con- 
veyance, reached the railroad station in Lime Street at five o’clock. 
While the party was below, Dr. Crook took occasion to make some 
geological remarks applicable to saliferous deposits, and drew at- 
tention to a peculiar appearance in several parts of the roof of 
the mine, from which he concluded that the salt originally soli- 
dified in globular masses, the crystallization proceeding from a 
centre. ‘The temperature of the mine, which we should conjec- 
ture to be about 48°, was understood to be very equable through- 
out the whole Mote -ooni not a particle of moisture was any 
where to be seen. | 
Sa teeta x 
ene epee. 2 202 
