S54 Accottnt of tlie Sali-Mines in Upper Poland. [July Tf, 
_ 4According to the Polish historians and the name of Wodna-Gora serves 28% 
fevgraphers, the salt-mines of Bocknia ‘canal to carry off ihe waters which iter 
Were discovered in 1251. This discovery through the different strata above; for 
18 atuibuted to St. Kunigonda, an Hui- throughout» the whole extent of these 
gailan princess, the wite of tie duke famous mines, there is not a single spring 
Boleslas V. but attended with many of water. In the shaft or entrance 
fabulous circumstances; notwithstanding “ealied Lesano, king Augustus TET. caused 
which, it is easy to conclude, that she 4 winding stair-case to be made of four 
brought alony with her some tiungarian hundred and seventy steps, which cost 
muners, ‘They were not regularlyworked, ‘forty thousand Polish florins in comple- 
Cr weli known, ull 14425 but at present tng. It is by the shafts or entrances 
the salt-mines of Bochuia are far inferior of the Danielowitz, that travellers de- 
to those of Wieliczka. The produce of scend by means of ropes. On their ar- 
both, under the Polish government, rival at the first mine, théy are struck 
amounted to about»ten millions of with the grandeur, elegance, and regu- 
florins (Polish,) and the expenses Of Jarity, of the columns and vaulted reals: 
working, &c. to about nine-tenths of that jy many of those excavations are severah 
gum. Alter the restrictions which were little chavels and altars, cut out of the 
taken off, and the encouragement given ruck, that is to say, the sait; and adorned 
by the Austrian government, it is stated with a crucifix, or the image of some 
that the produce of the mines amounted saint, before whom a lamp is continually 
to two niullions of florins of Vienna, burning. The -chapel of St. Anthony 
clear of all deductions. is thirty feet high; there are several very 
The mine of Bochnia, according to “spacious apartments in it; some of them 
Monsieur Schober, 
cousisted of a long serve as store-houses for barrels of salt 
subterraneous sort of gallery or passage, ready packed; some for the forage of the 
about seven hundred and fifty feet wide horses, and others as stables tor those 
from north to. seuth; about ten thousand animals, about twenty or thirty, accord- 
feet long, in a line from east to west; and ing to the demand for the article. In 
its greatest depth from one hundred to some spots where water has been, the 
twelve hundred. feet. The mine first sides and bottom ate covered with crys- 
appears in crystal spars, and the salt is ‘tallized pieces of salt, hanging over each 
found everywhere in veins, It is ra- other in clusters of thousands; many of 
ther finer than that of Wieliczka, these pieces weigh half a pound and 
especially where they quarry deeper, more, and form a brilliant spectacle 
It is cut into moder 
order to be put into barrels. Pieces of but much less so than many ancietit en- 
broken biack wood are often found thtsiastic travellers have described Ite 
amongst the sale... Within the whole ex- In the chapel of St. Kunegenda, there 
tent of the mine there is so little mois- j3 a statue of king Augustus LIL entirely 
ture, that dust abounds in great quan- of salt, ina os 
tities, Alabaster too is found in the The air is particularly wholesome, al- 
mine, | though it is chiefly composed of a nitrous 
The salt-mines of Wicliczka are di-_ gas, which rises towards the roofs of the 
vided imto three parts: that of St. passages, where it sometimes is set on 
John, the Old, and New Field. The fire by the approach of torches ; it’ burns 
town of Wielicaka is.not only under- slowly, with a clear reddish flame: the 
mined, but the mines extend on each 
side to a distance equal to its size; that persons employed in the mines, is ge- 
is, frum east to west six thousand feet; neraliy about seven hundred, No une 
. from south to north, about two thousand; passes his life in them, although’ travel- 
and in the deepest part of the valley Jers have asserted the contrary. Ac. 
about eight hundred, accerdmg to Bu-  cidents but rarely happen: at ceéYtain 
sching ; butto Hansen, and Zollneralone, distances, large pillars of salt are left 
one thousand one hundred dachter from standing to support the weight of the 
east to west; and one hundred and solid roof. In the year 1745, however, 
twenty-three /achter in depth. There a considerable. part fell ins Owing to 
are ten pits orshatis; but that known by neglect, the mines took fire in 1644, and 
dane 
from the original one pullished in four, ume. 
sheets, by Martin Germany a Dutchman. 
1643, in huge unformed masses, from which 
ate-sized pieces, in where many torches are held near them ; 
mivers call it saletra, The number of 
1696, and continued to burn fora long 
‘picees . 
In the two first strata, the salt is found ~ 
