98 Mr. Horner on tie Brine Sprh/gs at Droitwicb, 



" four Inches in diameter, through which the brine rises and fills 

 *' the pit." 



I was informed by an old man who assisted in sinking Walker's 

 pit, that thev sunk through soil, gravel, red marly clay, blue and 

 white stone, hard rode, and talc, and that they came to the brine 

 at the depth of 50 yards from the surface ; that for the first 15 yards 

 they cut out a shaft, about 8 feet square, this they coated with clay, 

 and afterwards lined with planks, to prevent the springs of fresh 

 water, which are found at that depth, from mixing v/ith the brine.* 

 At this depth of 15 yards they found the hard rock, and they then 

 bored a hole of about 4 inches in diameter through this hard rock 

 until they came to the brine, which they found at the depth of S5 

 yards farther ; when they came to the brine, the borer suddenly fell 

 22 inches, thus indicating the depth of it. As soon as the rock 

 was penetrated, the brine rushed rapidly through the hole, the 

 mouth of which the workmen were obliged to stop, until they got 

 out of the pit. When the plug was withdrawn, the brine quickly 

 rose to the surface and overflowed, 



§ 6. Although the information contained in the preceding state- 

 ments is not very precise, yet they convey a general idea of the na- 

 ture of the rocks sunk through, and it is very probable that they are 

 similar to those exposed at Doder Hill, immediately contiguous to 

 the pits, and which I have already described. We learn, however, 

 with tolerable certainty, that these springs are impregnated from a 

 body of rock salt ; and we obtain an additional testimony in support 

 of the observation, that rock salt is invariably accompanied by gyp- 

 sum. From the rapidity with which the brine rises to the surface, 



* In diflforent places in the town of DroUwich, the water in the wells is brackish, 

 while 'in others, that are sunk to the same depth, it is quite fresh. 



