18G8.] HATCn SALTFEEOUS DErOSlT IN ST. POMINGO. 335 



the Pennine and Pendle ranges, and witness the enormous landslips 

 which have taken place in the districts of the Millstone-grit*, or 

 the masses of rock and shingle brought down by the rivers when in 

 flood, without being struck with the actual and possible effects of 

 rain- and river-action ; but when we come to compare these with 

 the more ancient levellings of the surface between geologic epochs, 

 the formation of successive planes of marine denudation, such as 

 that of the Pennine chain as it was originally, and of the region 

 of South Lancashire and Cheshire as it is now, I cannot but 

 feel satisfied that the results of sea-action have been vastly more 

 important than those of frost, rain, and rivers in sculpturing the 

 surface of this part of England during successive geologic epochs. 



4. On a SALiFERors Deposit in St. Domingo. 

 By D. Hatch, Esq. 



[Communicated by Sii- E. I. Murcbison, Bart., K.C.B., F.E.S., F.G.S., &c.] 



(Abstract.) 



The salt-mountain is situated about 15 miles from the fine harbour 

 of Benahona, and about halfway from there to the great salt lake 

 Emiquilla. It is 7 or 8 miles long, about 600 feet in the highest 

 part, and varies from 1| to 2 miles in width. The people of that 

 vicinity and the interior have drawn their supplies from these 

 mines for ages, all from the upper surface. There is a coating of 

 earth on the top, varying from 10 to 30 feet. As they have no means 

 of disposing of the earth, they work but a short time in one place, 

 for fear of the falling earth. They have, therefore, made holes 

 down to the salt, but a short distance apart, nearly the entire 

 length of the mountain. As they remove the earth from the upper 

 surface, they frequently find masses of large crystals, some of them 

 8 or 10 inches square ; but the great body of it is like conglome- 

 rate of West-India salt, and nearly of the same purity. 



In the salt-mountain there are ledges of pure and almost trans- 

 parent Gypsum, some nearly white. 



* These are specially striking in the district of the Peak, Kinder Scout and 

 Derwent Edge. 



