The Salt Industry in Cheshire. 183 
triple boilers and vacuum evaporation ; but in France fuel is dear, 
and salt is also at the high prices maintained by heavy protective 
duties on foreign salts. It has been calculated that altogether in 
Cheshire there are one and a half million square feet of ground 
covered by pans alone, or considerably over 34 acres. 
This is about all I can say of the brine works, but I have yet 
to describe the mine. I do not know whether there is anyone 
who really enjoys the process of descending a mine; if so, I 
should be glad to be able to enter into that person’s feelings. For 
my own part, I must say that, to stand in a small bucket in pitch 
darkness and be let down 160 yards under the earth by a hole so 
narrow that you expect your arms to be left behind if you move 
them from your sides, is anything but an agreeable sensation. 
This, however, is a small matter, and quite worth enduring for the 
sake of seeing the mine. The top part of the shaft—z.e., the part 
through the marlstone layer—has to be boarded round to prevent 
stones and earth falling in. If a miner should stand under the 
shaft and even a very small stone fall on his head, it would kill 
him from the rapidity of its fall towards the bottom. The men 
are forbidden to stand under the shaft, and, while actually going 
up and down, are protected by a canopy fixed over the bucket. 
I was formerly under the impression that all salt mines are 
beautiful places, with natural caves, arches, and pillars of pure 
white. But I was labouring under a great delusion, for such 
mines do not exist in England. Some, indeed, are not rock salt 
at all, but are formed by the dropping down of natural brine 
which deposits stalactites. The English rock salt mine is not 
particularly beautiful, unless lighted up enough to make the walls 
reflect. It is one vast chamber, the walls, roof and floor of which 
are solid rock salt, just like those specimens upon the table, only 
that in such large quantities, it looks like a dirty discoloured mass. 
It varies as you see from pink to a dull brownish colour, the latter 
being the most common. The colour is due to iron, which is 
present in the form of peroxide and also a little persulphate. 
Here and there, though not very often, are found perfectly pure 
colourless pieces, which show the cubical form of the crystal of 
salt. Every 25 yards huge square pillars are left standing, 12 yards in 
width, in order to support the roof. In the old mines of the top 
stratum, no pillars, or only very small ones, were left, and that is 
why the land is falling in to them. 
The only light is that given by very small tallow candles ; each 
miner carrying one and sticking it with a lump of clay on the 
ground or on a ledge of salt in the wall when he is working. In 
one mine they burn from four to five tons of candles in a year. 
In spite of the great number burning at once it seemed to me 
extremely dark, and though I carried one myself I very often 
