CHESHIRE. 



rock, an immrnie weight i* supplied by the brine pits, 

 not le* than 45,(KX) tons annually, being manufactured 

 at this town, or in the \icinity. The uiual depth of the 

 spring* 11 from 20 to 4O T^rds. These are situated on 

 a hill at tome durance. The briny stream is raised by a 

 team-engine, and conveyed through very long troughs 

 to the brine-pits. The process of extracting the salt is 

 accomplished by heating the liquor in iron pans, of 80 

 or SO feet square, and about 14 inches deep. When it 

 boils a light scum rises to the top, which is taken off, 

 and the liquor reduced to a lower degree of heat : the 

 steam arising is made to evaporate as quickly as possible; 

 and the salt collecting into crystals forms a crust on the 

 surface, which, sinking afterwards to the bottom of the 

 pan, is thence rcmovea once or twice in every 2t hours. 

 The revenue arising from the bait of this county is con- 

 sidered of so much consequence, that a particular board 

 is appointed for its collection and management, quite in- 

 dependent of the excise and customs. The quantity of 

 it made annually for home consumption has been stated 

 to amount to more than 16,000 tons, while the average 

 of the quantity sent to Liverpool for exportation has not 

 been less than 1 40,000 tons. See Holland's Sketch of 

 the Natural History of the Cheshire Rock-salt Dis- 

 trict in the Transactions of the Geological Society, vol. 

 i. p. 38. 



Coal, and various other valuable minerals, are found in 

 abundance in different parts of Cheshire. A small quan- 

 tity of copper ore has been found in the Pcckforton hills ; 

 and lead, copper, and cobalt ores occur at Alderley Edge, 

 in the eastern part of the county. 



Besides the staple produce of Cheshire, viz. its cheese 

 and its salt, the principal articles of its manufacture con- 

 sist of silks, cotton, and linen goods. The cotton trade 

 particularly, which has of late been extended into it from 

 Lancashire and some of the bordering counties, seems 

 now, next to the manufactures mentioned, to constitute 

 even the most considerable and flourishing branch of its 

 trade. Manufactures of leather, ribbons, thread, gloves, 

 buttons, and shoes, are carried on at Nantwich, Maccles- 

 field, Congleton, Knutsford, and some other places. A 

 considerable portion of the industry of the county has 

 been laid out also in working its mines, and in increasing 

 the value of that important description of produce. Ches- 

 ter is a great mart for Irish linens. Other commodities 

 imported there are wood, hides, tallow, feathers, butter, 

 provisions, Sec. from Ireland ; groceries from London ; 

 timber, hemp, flax, iron, and tallow, from the Baltic ; 

 kid and lamb skins from Leghorn ; fruit, oil, barilla, 

 and cork from Spain and Portugal, and from the latter 

 a large quantity of wine, which is indeed the principal 

 article of foreign import. The exports are coal, lead, 

 lead ore, calamine, copper-plates, brass, cast-iron, and 

 Taw quantities of cheese. 



It is of great consequence towards facilitating the 

 trade of this county, that it is so advantageously situated 

 by nature in respect to the means of water-carriage, and 

 it has been not less fortunate for it, that the means thus 

 placed within its reach of melioration and general benrtit 

 nave been so assiduously and so wisely improved. Most 

 of the rivers and streams which wind through this coun- 

 ty direct their currents northward, and empty themselves 

 into the Mersey or the Dee. The former of these prin- 

 cipal rivers divides Cheshire from Lancashire for a course 

 of nearly sixty miles ; for about 35 of which, from Liver- 

 pool to the mouth of the river Irwell, it is navigable for 

 vessels of considerable burthen. Deriving its source from 

 a conflux of small streams at the junction of the county 

 with Derbyshire, and flowing in a westerly direction, it 

 receive* in Hi course the waters of the Goyt, the Tame, 



the Bollin, the Irwell, and the Weaver j after its junc- 

 tion with the latter of which, it swells into a broad es- V 

 tuary, and taking a north-western course, soon unites 

 with the Irish channel. The Dee originating in the 

 mountainous district of Merionethshire, and having form- 

 ed the large lake of I'embk-.mere, passes afterward* 

 through a series of very picturesque and grand scenes, 

 till it approaches the western border of the county, to 

 which it forms a boundary from Worthenbury to Aldford. 

 It then passes on to Chester, the walls of which city it 

 nearly encircles, and flows thence to the west through 

 an artificial channel, which was formed at an immense ex- 

 pense by a body of gentlemen, called the River Dee 

 Company. This river forms also a large sandy estuary 

 between the county of Flint and the hundred of Wirrel, 

 and joins the Irish sea about 14 miles north-west of 

 Chester. The Weaver, deriving its source from Ridley 

 Pool, close to Cholmondeley Hall, passes the towns of 

 Nantwich, Minshull, Weaver, Winsford, and Northwich, 

 where it is joined by the Dane from the northern parts 

 of Staffordshire, and two or three other streams from the 

 central parts of the county. Hence it proceeds to Ware- 

 ham, Acton Bridge, and Frodsham, receiving during its 

 progress several tributary streams, and falling ultimately 

 at the last mentioned point into the swelling bason of 

 the Mersey. Between this place and Winsford it has 

 been rendered navigable by means of several locks. The 

 plan by which this was effected deserves notice, as a me- 

 morable instance of local patriotism. The gentlemen of 

 the county observing the great expense of land carriage 

 from the salt-towns, to Liverpool and other maritime 

 places, obtained, in 1720, an act of parliament for the 

 purpose of rendering the Weaver navigable, and empower- 

 ing them to raise on that account a subscription of 

 L 49,000. The subscribers were to receive 5 per cent, 

 on the principal, and 1 per cent, for the risk, and also 

 certain instalments arising from the tonnage of vessels on 

 the river, till the money advanced was reimbursed ; but 

 afterwards the whole amount of the tonnage, deducting 

 only the charges of necessary repairs and management, 

 was to go to the support of public bridges within the 

 county, and to other public useful purposes. Every 

 vessel navigating the river pays one shilling per ton, and 

 the receipt has amounted in some years to L.8000. The 

 debt has consequently been paid off for some time ; and 

 this lucrative revenue having been left free, has since been 

 applied to r.overal considerable uses both in town and 

 country. The length of the navigation is 20 miles, in 

 which course it has a fall of 45 feet 10 inches, divided 

 between 10 locks. About 120 vessels, from 20 to 100 

 tons burthen, are constantly employed here, and are 

 prii.cipally occupied in carrying rock salt downwards, 

 and talcing up coals in return. 



Besides, the Weaver navigation, the county of Cheshire 

 is intersected by portions of four canals, which afford the 

 means of a very constant and cheap intercourse of traffic 

 between the towns of Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, 

 the north of England, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and 

 other cuuntits. For forming the Chester canal, after 

 a previous unsuccessful application, an act of parliament 

 was obtained in 1772, with this singular restriction, that 

 the iii tended canal should not unite or communicate with 

 the Stafford-hire canal at Middlewich. It commences at 

 the river Dee, on the north side of Chester, and passing 

 Christlctoii, Waverton, Hargrave, and the north of Bees- 

 ton caatle, proceeds thence to Nantwich. The branch 

 of the Duke of Bridgewatcr's, canal, which runs through 

 about 20 miles of this county, enters it to the cast of 

 Ashton, leaving it ajjain at Runcorn Gap, where it flows 

 into the Mmey. The act for forming this navigation 



