Review of the Practical Tourist. 219 
coming of daily increasing imporiance in our own country, and which 
tourists are rarely at pains to furnish with such faithful accuracy.* 
~The following graphic description of a salt mine in Cheshire, is 
the only extract we shall make that does not bear upon the interests 
of an American manufacturer. After describing the manner of de- 
scending the shaft of the mine, and the appearance of the various 
strata of earth, the author says, “ alighting from our tub upon the 
firm dry floor of rock salt, the guide observed, that we had descended 
three hundred and thirty six feet from the surface of the ground. 
Wher our eyes had become sufficiently accustomed to the twilight 
gloom of the vast cavern, we stood motionless with surprise at the 
sight before us, gazing with wonder at the magnificent aisles extend- 
ed horizontally to great distances, between huge pillars of salt, and 
lighted by rows of lamps arranged at regular distances asunder, like 
those in the streets of a city, some appearing brilliant near at hand, 
and others faintly twinkling from remote extremities of the mine. 
The resemblance to a night scene in the street of a city was render- 
ed more striking from the rattling of the wheels soveming the et 
oa and the tramp of the horses’ feet. 
“Our conductor now began to point out aneieaniaountia 
and to describe the subterraneous works. The excavations, he sia- 
ted, are made horizontally, as level as a plain, to the extent of about 
twenty six acres, the height of the roof being eighteen feet. Ob- 
serve, he said, how perfectly smooth the roof and floor are formed, 
resembling those of an immense room. ‘Those pillars of salt are left 
at the regular distance of seventy five feet asunder, to sustain the 
great — of opener ently more than three hundred feet 
thick. 
There being no seams or fissures throughout the solid mass, no, 
water can penetrate into the salt mine. To convince usof the tight- 
ness of the roof of salt, the guide conducted us to the part of the 
mine directly beneath the canal upon which we had previously seen 
loaded canal boats floating, more than three hundred feet above our 
heads ear with all the load of waters by the pillars of salt 
nae distant parts of the mine, numerous workmen appeared by 
candlesgh engaged in icing holes in the salt, which is peat as 
-” As a very slight seanpone however, to the general accuracy fiat pervades the 
book, we may notice, that in describing the process for maine ee cotla 
Page 361, the author een to = an alkali as an ingredient. : 
