DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0138
116 THE SALT MINES OF POLAND.
This is wholly scooped out of one vast bed of salt, which is
all a hard rock, as bright and glittering as crystal, and the
whole space before him is formed of lofty arched vaults,
supported by columns of salt, and roofed and flooded with
the same, so that the columns, and indeed the whole fabric,
seem composed of the purest crystal. They have many
public lights in this place, continually burning, for the ge-
neral use; and the blaze of those reflected from every part
of the mine, gives a more glittering prospect than any
thing above ground can possibly exhibit. Were this the
whole beauty of the spot, it were sufficient to attract our
wonder; but this is only a small part. The salt (though
generally clear and bright as crystal,) is in some places
tinged with all the colours of precious stones, as blue,
yellow7, purple and green; there are numerous columns
wholly composed of these kinds, and they look like masses
of rubies, emeralds, amethysts, and sapphires, darting a
yadiance which the eye can hardly bear, and which has
given many people occasion to compare it to the supposed
magnificence of Heaven.—Besides the variety of forms ip
those vaults, tables, arches, and columns, which are
framed as they dig out the salt for the purpose of keeping
up the roof, there is a vast variety of others, grotesque apd
finely figured, the work of nature; and these are generally
of the purest and brightest salt. The roofs of the arches
pre in many places full of salt, hanging pendent from the
fop in the form of icicles, and having all the hues and co-
lours of the rainbow; the walks are covered with various
congelations of the same kind, apd the very floors, whep
pot too much trodden and battered, are covered with glo-
bules of the same sort of beautiful materials. In various
parts of this spacious plain, stand the huts of the miners and
families, some single, and others in clusters like villages.
?Jhey have very little communication with the w'orld above
ground, and many hundreds of people pre born and live all
This is wholly scooped out of one vast bed of salt, which is
all a hard rock, as bright and glittering as crystal, and the
whole space before him is formed of lofty arched vaults,
supported by columns of salt, and roofed and flooded with
the same, so that the columns, and indeed the whole fabric,
seem composed of the purest crystal. They have many
public lights in this place, continually burning, for the ge-
neral use; and the blaze of those reflected from every part
of the mine, gives a more glittering prospect than any
thing above ground can possibly exhibit. Were this the
whole beauty of the spot, it were sufficient to attract our
wonder; but this is only a small part. The salt (though
generally clear and bright as crystal,) is in some places
tinged with all the colours of precious stones, as blue,
yellow7, purple and green; there are numerous columns
wholly composed of these kinds, and they look like masses
of rubies, emeralds, amethysts, and sapphires, darting a
yadiance which the eye can hardly bear, and which has
given many people occasion to compare it to the supposed
magnificence of Heaven.—Besides the variety of forms ip
those vaults, tables, arches, and columns, which are
framed as they dig out the salt for the purpose of keeping
up the roof, there is a vast variety of others, grotesque apd
finely figured, the work of nature; and these are generally
of the purest and brightest salt. The roofs of the arches
pre in many places full of salt, hanging pendent from the
fop in the form of icicles, and having all the hues and co-
lours of the rainbow; the walks are covered with various
congelations of the same kind, apd the very floors, whep
pot too much trodden and battered, are covered with glo-
bules of the same sort of beautiful materials. In various
parts of this spacious plain, stand the huts of the miners and
families, some single, and others in clusters like villages.
?Jhey have very little communication with the w'orld above
ground, and many hundreds of people pre born and live all