BEVIEUX, a village of Swisserland, celebrated for the salt springs in an adjacent mountain. A gal lery, about six feet high and four broad, is cut into the mountain, through a black rock veined with gypsum. The springs rise in a solid rock, and the richest of them yield's 28 per cent. of salt, while the poorest gives only A, per cent. Only a few cubes of rock salt have been found in the mountain, though it abounds with saline particles. Several sulphureous springs, containing a little salt, and flaming by the application of a lighted 'candle, occur near the salt springs. Rocks of white gypsum, with a mixture of bluish clay, are also found in their neighbourhood, as in the salt mines of Northwich in Cheshire. " After travelling in this subterraneous passage," says Mr 4 Coxe, near three quartersuf a mile, I observed a great wheel of 35 feet diameter, which raises the brine from the depth of about 70 feet. From this place is a 'shaft 300 feet high, which is cut through the moun tain to the surface, for the purpose of introducing 'fresh air. I noticed, too, reservoirs hollowed in the solid rock for holding the brine ; one was IGO feet square, and 9 in depth. Since my first expedition to these pits in 177G, the workmen had pierced the rock 25 feet deeper, and cut a gallery 100 feet in length.
They had also begun to form a third reservoir, to contain 5500 cubic feet, which was nearly half finish ed. The brine deposited in these reservoirs, is con veyed by means of 2000 pipes, about a league to Bevieux, where the salt is extracted. The brine pits near Aigle contain only from 2 to per cent., and yield annually about a third as much as those of Be vieux, or about 5000 quintals. The salt is much whiter and heavier than that of Bevieux, and quently bears a higher price. These, which are the only salt-works in Switzerland, scarcely yield a net yearly profit of more than R3000, and furnish only one-twelfth of the annual consumption of the cantons. The remainder is procured chiefly from France, which by treaty provides the Swiss States with this com modity at a moderate price. Indeed, so high is the tax upon salt in that kingdom, that even the French salt is sold two-thirds cheaper in Switzerland than in -many parts of France. The ordinary price of com mon salt throughout the canton, is three halfpence per pound." See Coxe's Travels in Switzerland, vol. ii. p. 101. Letter xliii. Bevieux is three miles south of AIGLE. .(tV) tt