Mr. Horner on the Brine Springs at Droitwich, 99 



It is evident that the source of these springs must be situated in much 

 higher ground than that in which the pits are sunk. 



§ 7. There are several pits on both sides of the river, but chiefly 

 on the south side. The greater number of them, however, are not 

 used, and the whole of the present extensive works are supplied 

 from four pits.* Indeed, the quantity of brine that is used bears 

 but a small proportion to that which is allowed to run to waste ; 

 for, except when the reservoirs are filling, the brine is constantly 

 flowing into the adjoining canal, through a channel cut for the pur- 

 pose, near the mouth of the pits. 



§ 8. The four pits that are worked at this time are distinguished 

 by the names of Walker's Pit, Walwyn's Pit, Romney's Pit, and 

 Stuckey's Pit. From each of these I obtained a bottle of the brine, 

 for the purpose of submitting it to chemical examination. I also 

 procured a bottle of the brine from Farley's Pit, on the north bank 

 of the river, but which is not now worked. 



I shall now lay before the Society the details of the process I 

 adopted in this analysis. 



Analysis, . 



§ 9. The brine from all the pits is perfectly limpid, and when 

 held in a tumbler is colourless ; a greater body of it, however, has a 

 pale greenish hue, similar to that of sea-water. It has remained 

 equally clear at the end of a year and a half in a bottle closely corked^ 



* Through the kindness of Thomas Farley, Esq. the principal proprietor of these 

 works, I liave learned, that the quantity of salt, annually made at Droitwich, is about 

 16,000 tons. — The principal part of this is consumed in England, and pays a duty of 

 about ■35320,000. — The present market price of the salt is £^\ per ton, ^30 of which 

 ts duty. 



N 2 



