APPENDIX. 413 



branches. A salt district is perhaps the most uninviting of local- 

 ities, for, in addition to the blighting effect which the smoke has 

 upon the verdure, all the houses have a dilapidated, tumble-down 

 appearance, caused by the sinking of the earth where the salt 

 beneath has dissolved, and has been pumped up in the shape of 

 brine. Quite a number of ponds and small lakes have been formed 

 in Cheshire from the earth sinking, and the depression thus formed 

 gradually filling up with surface-drainage. These ponds and lakes 

 are here known as " flashes." I was now in the Winsford upper 

 section of the Cheshire Salt district, covering an extent of perhaps 

 two and one-half square miles, and near me were the works of 

 Yerdins, Deakin, Falk, Evans, the Amalgamated Company, and 

 a host of others. From here to the lower end of the salt district, 

 known as Northwich, it is four or five miles, and the Northwich 

 district comprises an area of perhaps two square miles. Between 

 these two sub-districts are several little villages or hamlets. In 

 the Northwich district there are situated a large number of 

 works, among which are those of the British Company, "Worth- 

 ington, Ashton, and Higgin, besides a number of salt mines. Be- 

 fore proceeding to describe the usual process of salt-making, per- 

 haps I ought to State what a salt mine is. In both "VVinsford and 

 Northwieh there are found two layers or strata of solid salt-rock, 

 and it is supposed that these extend under a great part of the county 

 of Cheshire. The first, or upper stratum, is found at a depth 

 of one hundred and eighty to two hundred feet below the surface, 

 and is about ninety feet thick. Then comes a layer of rock, three 

 hundred and fifty to four himdred feet, when the second, or lower 

 stratum of salt-rock is reached ; this is about twice the thickness of 

 the upper stratum, and of better quality, being cleaner and freer 

 from impurities. The quality of the salt-rock in the same stratum 

 also varies much, and, as a rule, the best is found at the bottom of 

 the stratum. In opening a salt mine, a shaft is sunk until rock-salt 

 of a satisfactory quality is reached, and then it is worked the same 

 as a coal mine. But to give an idea of what " down in a salt mine " 

 is, I must describe my experience. Stepping into a bucket speci- 

 ally prepared for visitors, the signal was given, the engine reversed, 

 and we were lowered, or rather dropped, at a rate which gave me 

 a rather uncomfortable, "aU-gone" feeling in the region of my 



