. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across these mines is about two hundred millions of pounds, orone hundred thousand tons. The deposit is known to extend a long dis-tance, and the Government might, if it wished, increase the production toany desired amount. But it does not consider it judicious to do so, and iscontent to keejJ the figures about where they have been since the begin-ning of the century. The salt supplies a considerable area of country;a large amount, usually of the
. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across these mines is about two hundred millions of pounds, orone hundred thousand tons. The deposit is known to extend a long dis-tance, and the Government might, if it wished, increase the production toany desired amount. But it does not consider it judicious to do so, and iscontent to keejJ the figures about where they have been since the begin-ning of the century. The salt supplies a considerable area of country;a large amount, usually of the lower grades, is sent into Russia, and thefiner qualities are shipped to various parts of the Austrian Empire. We asked if the workmen lived in the mines, as was currently re-ported, and were told they did not. They would not be allowed to do SALT-MINEES AT WORK. 31 SO, even if tliej wished it, said our guide. By the rules of the directionthe men are divided into gangs, working eight hours each, and all are re-quired to go to the surface when not on duty. In ancient times it wasdoubtless the case that men lived here with their families. At one time. AN UNDERGROUND CHAPEL. the mines were worked by prisoners, who did not see daylight for monthstogether, but nothing of the kind has occurred for more than a cen-tury at least. Several times in our walk we came upon little groups of men work-ing in the galleries; and certainly they were not to be envied. Some-times they were cutting with picks against perpendicular walls, and atothers they were lying flat on their backs, digging away at the roof not 32 THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. more than a foot or two above their heads. The shaggy lamj^-bearers—generally old men unable to perform heavy work—stood close at hand,and the glare of the light falling upon the flashing crystals of salt thatflew in the air, and covered the half-naked bodies of the perspiring work-men, made a picture which I cannot adequately describe. I d
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