Review of the Practical Tourist. 219 



coming of daily increasing importance 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. 

 When 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 traversing th6 rail 

 roads, and the tramp of the horses' feet. 



" Our conductor now began to point out the various objects visible, 

 and to describe the subterraneous works. The excavations, he sla- 

 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 weight of superincumbent earth, more than three hundred feet 

 thick. * * * i 



" There being no seams or fissures throughout the solid mass, no 

 water can penetrate into the salt mine. To convince us of 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 supported with all the load of waters by the pillars of salt 

 around us. 



" In distant parts of the mine, numerous workmen appeared by 

 candle-light engaged in drilling holes in the salt, which is nearly as 



* As a very slight exception, however, to the general accuracy that pervades the 

 book, we may notice, that in describing the process for making alum in Scotland, 

 page 361, the author forgets to add an alkali as an ingredient. 



