cious appearance of giving way be observed in any part, the support is immediately increased. No timber grows in the neighbourhood of the mine; this article occasions a great expense. To diminish this expense, the administration of the mines endeavoured to substitute pillars of brick and mortar; but those failed in no great length of time, while the timber has lasted for ages. During the whole time that the mine of Wieliczka has been worked, no considerable obstacle has interrupted the operations. The draining water is carried by wooden troughs placed throughout the mine to a reservoir; whence it is drawn up in buckets made of the skins of oxen, and discharged. In dripping from the tops of some of the galleries, it has produced stalactites of surprising magnitude and beauty. The miners remark with astonishment, that this water dissolves not an atom of salt, thrown into it, whether in a lump, or in powder, as one of their streams of fresh water does. No doubt but it is already saturated; and indeed, before the scarcity of wood was so great as it is at present, this water was evaporated to procure the salt it contained. The house of Austria was too jealous of its property in these mines to suffer their extent to be known, or any plans of them to be taken. It is, however, suspected that they connect with those of Bochnia, distant about five miles eastward, where salt of the same kind is cured: and it was formerly the custom in the mines of Wieliczka to dig salt in the direction of Bochnia; and in the mines of Bochnia to dig in the direction of Wieliczka. pro The manner of obtaining the salt is thus: the master miner marks the dimensions of a block of salt; usually eight feet in length, four in depth, and two feet in thickness. The miners then make a number of holes on one side, three inches deep, and about six inches asunder; they next make a kind of groove half an inch deep, connecting these holes, and place iron quoins in each of the holes, which they strike gently with mallets. As these quoins penetrate deeper into the rock, the echo of the blows they receive resounds throughout the mine, and has a pleasing effect on the ear; when the block is ready to part, a crack appears following the course of the holes; a workman then thrusts in a wooden pole, and working it about, the block is heard to break off from its native bed. The greatest pleasure given by the miners to visiters is, to break off these masses whole! Each man procures four blocks daily. Chrystals of salt are found, occasionally, sometimes in small layers. These are carried to the secretary's office, where four clerks are constantly employed: and where, as in the chapels first described, all the furniture, tables, book-case, seats, &c. are of salt. These chrystals are formed into various devices, as crucifixes, chairs, coffee cups, cannons mounted, watches, saltcellars, &c. which are usually bought by visiters at no great price. This mine has been worked to the depth of 65 or 70 fathom. It is thought the salt does not lie deeper. Some other salt mines are deeper. That of Torbax in Transylvania is 56 fathoms: Vizakna is 66 fathoms: Kolos 46: Izek 47: an old mine of Deks is 72: that at Ishler, on being bored, gave salt at 64 stadels (260 feet) below the lowest story then worked. Near the salt mines belonging to the emperour, in Upper Austria, are seventeen lakes of fresh water, forming together a considerable space; they swarm with fishes of the best kinds. Traces of similar waters are found near other mines. Friedwalzki reports [Mineralogia Daciæ, p. 169] that a great salt lake, near Parai in Transylvania, having broken its natural banks, poured its waters into the river Kutuloë, where it destroyed the fish, and deprived the stream of all its good qualities. MEMOIR OF THE ECCENTRICK SIR JOHN DINELY, BART. SIR John Dinely, Bart. whose death has been heretofore announced, was a character so truly eccentrick, that we cannot convey a more striking idea of him, than by quoting a writer well acquainted with the circumstances of his life previous to his late demise. "A number of persons," he observes, forming their judgment from various circumstances, which they have heard of this truly eccentrick character, have imagined that this gentleman's title to the distinction of knighthood, is no better founded than those of the late sir Jeffery Dunstan, or sir J. Harper; but this is a mistake of the grossest kind, as we shall show in the course of this sketch. Sir John Dinely is actually of a very ancient and honourable family, the particulars of which we reserve till we have recorded the more remarkable history of his later years. Sir John having run through his portion of the family entailments, for nearly twenty years past, at least as far as reports and advertisements in the papers will vouch, has been a most chivalrous knight among the ladies. He has not only been incessantly advertising for a wife since the period just mentioned; but even within the last five years, since he was made one of the poor knights of Windsor, he has never ceased soliciting the hand of some favourite fair, blessed with fortune as well as beauty. Report says, that sir John once obtained a wife, in consequence of one of his newspaper notices; but of the events attached to this acquisition, we shall be silent here. "Since sir John's residence at Windsor, as one of the poor knights, he has no settled residence in town; but when he receives his quarterage or fees, we are informed he posts away to London, and makes his appearance at some publick place, un der the flattering idea that some lady of fortune may fall in love, either with his person or his title. And hence, in advertising for a wife, the principal object which he professes to have in view, is to be enabled with that fortune to prosecute his suit for the recovery of his vast estates. Whether sir John has any legal pretensions; or why he was not able to keep quiet possession of those estates, is not apparent from any account he has given. "Sir John, as we are told, was for a number of years past, such a scrupulous martyr to Platonick gallantry, that to show the ladies that he lived quite alone, disengaged and unconnected, he even chose to dispense with the attendance of a servant maid. Accordingly, in pursuance of that disposition, since he has been a poor knight, he is still as solitary as before, being entirely without companion or domestick. Partly through this partial seclusion when at home, sir John is uncommonly loquacious when abroad. His conversation also, is overcharged with egotisms, and such a mixture of repartee and evasion, as to excite doubts in the minds of superficial observers, as to the reality of his character or abilities. With respect to his exteriour, it is really laughable to observe him when he is known to be going to some publick place to exhibit his person. He is then decked out in his second hand finery, viz. a velvet embroidered waistcoat, satin breeches, silk stockings, and a full bottomed wig. On these occasions, not a little inflated with family pride, he seems to imagine himself as great as any lordling: but on the day following, he may be seen slowly pacing from the chandler's shop near his country retreat, with a penny loaf in one pocket; a morsel of butter, a quartern of sugar, a three farthing candle in the other. Sir John is still in the habit of receiving epistles in answer to his advertisements, and several whimsical interviews, and ludicrous adventures have occurred in consequence. He has more than once paid his devoirs to one of his own sex dressed as a fine lady. At other times, when he has expected to see his fair enamorato at a window, he has been rudely saluted with the contents of the jordan. But none of these things have been able to allay the fervour of his passion, as may be seen by perusing the Reading Mercury, only of a few weeks past, where his recent advertisements for a wife appear dictated with the same warmth, and under the very same extravagant ideas which distinguished sir John, at a period when the hey day of his blood must have beaten considerably higher than at pre sent. "Sir John, we are told, once practised physick, but in many respects, the medice, curate ipsum could never be retorted with more propriety, than upon him. Books of the medicinal art, however, are still purchased by sir John, when he attends sales, &c. It is still a habit with him to attend twice or thrice a year at Vauxhall and the theatres, according to appointment, by advertisement in the most fashionable daily papers. At Vauxhall, he parades the most conspicuous parts, and at the theatre, he is to be found in the front row of the pit; and when ever it is know that he is to be there, the house, especially by the females, is sure to be well attended. When in town, sir John always makes it a point to attend the different auctions to which he is particularly attached; but if he buys a catalogue, he is always sure to make a purchase to the value of a shilling to cover the expense. Lord Fitzwilliam, it is said, is among the number of sir John's benefactors, as he makes him an allowance of ten pounds per annum. Of late, sir John has added a piece of stay-tape to his wig, which at taches on the other side, passing under his chin. From this circumstance, some persons might infer that he is rather chop-fallen; an inference by no means fair, if we still consider the gay complexion of his advertisements and addresses to the ladies. "We have before spoken of the dignity of sir John's descent. The following particulars are well attested. The family of Dinely continued to flourish in great repute, in the county of Worcester, till the present century, when it expired at Charlton, in the person of sir Edward Dinely, knt. sometime justice of the peace and deputy lieutenant for this county; who by Frances his wife, daughter of Lewis Watson, lord Rockingham, left an only surviving daughter, Eleanor, his heir; who was married to Edward Goodyere, of Burghope, in Herefordshire, esq. which Edward was created a baronet, 5th December 1707, sixth of Anne, and was member in several parliaments for the borough of Evesham, and sometime knight of the shire for the county of Hereford. He died at a great age, 29th March 1739, and was succeeded by sir John Dinely Goodyere, Bart. his eldest son; which sir John Dinely Goodyere, of Charlton, Bart. assumed the name of Dinely, in respect of the large estate he inherits from his mother. He was the last of the family who enjoyed it, for having lived upon bad terms with his younger brother, Samuel Dinely Goodyere, captain of the Ruby man of war, and threatening to disenherit him in favour of his sister's son, John Foote, of Truro, in Cornwall, esq. it so alarmed and disgusted the said Samuel Goodyere, that he came to the bloody resolution of murdering his brother, which he executed on the 17th of January, 1741. "But, to return to sir John, who has no ideas of slaughter, excepting that of ladies' hearts; it is probable he will still persist in discharging the shafts of Cupid, as long as he continues to breathe. His application to the ladies of Great Britain, it should be observed, are addressed both to young and old. Those who object to his age, he treats as envious revilers; and as to their saying that he is upwards of 59 years of age, referring to his portrait, or his person, he challenges them to believe it if they can. "Sir John Dinely lives at Windsor, in one of the habitations appropriated to reduced gentlemen of his description; and in one of the many advertisements imputed to him, he is supposed to expect that the numerous candidates for his hand would present themselves individually, or in a body before his residence. His fortune (if he could recover it) he estimates at 300,000l. The wo-begone widow, whose weeds, he conceives, are insupportable, he invites to his arms, to be relieved of her burden; as well as the blooming miss of sixteen, to whom he supposes the restrictions of a boarding school are quite intolerable; and these he has addressed in printed documents that bear his own warrant and signature; and in which he enumerates, like a judicious dealer, the sums the ladies must possess, who are candidates for his hand. "Here it is remarkable, that the younger they are, the less property is required; while with age and widowhood, the demands of sir John increases in due proportion; and though he modestly asserts, that few ladies will be eligible with less than a thousand a year, he is persuaded that these sums are mere trifles compared with his high birth and noble descent, for the proof of which, he is fond of referring every inquirer to Nash's History of Worcestershire. To conclude, that our readers may not suppose that we are trifling with their credulity, in the delineation of this extraordinary character, and as our limits will not admit of more, we shall content ourselves with reprinting two only, of sir John's fruitless advertisements for a wife; though, notwithstanding the reluctance of the ladies, we are well warranted in saying of this knight: Take him for all in all, They ne'er may look upon his like again. "For a Wife. "As the prospect of my marriage has much increased lately, I am determined to take the best means to discover the lady most liberal in her esteem, by giving her fourteen days more to make her quickest steps towards matrimony, from the date of this paper until eleven o'clock the next morning; and as the contest evidently will be superb, honourable, sacred, and lawfully affectionate, pray do not let false delicacy interrupt you in this divine race for my eternal love, and an infant baronet. For 'tis evident I'm sufficiently young enough for you. "An eminent attorney here is lately returned from a view of my very superb gates before my capital house, built in the form of the queen's house. I have ordered him or the next eminent attorney here, who can satisfy you of my possession in my estate, and every desirable particular concerning it, to make you the most liberal settlement you can desire, to the vast extent of 300,000%. Where is your dutiful parents, brothers, or sisters, that has handed you to my open arms? Venus, indeed, with her bow and quiver did clasp me in her arms at the late masquerade; but give me the charming Venus who is liberal enough to name the time and place for our marriage, as I am so much at your ladyship's command. "JOHN DINELY. Windsor Castle, June 9th, 1801. "For your rank above half the kingdom fly, What's two hundred pounds with an amo• rous eye? I'm famed for looks of good nature and sense: Detect then all envy's impertinence. agree, By sending your qualified line to me, An advertisement from the Reading Mercury, May 24, 1802. "Miss in her Teens! Let not this sacred offer escape your eye. I now call all qualified ladies, marriageable, to chocolate at my house every day at your own hour. With tears in my eyes, I must tell you that sound reason commands me to give you but one month's notice before I part with my chance of an infant baronet for ever; for you may readily hear that three widows and old maids, all aged above fifty, near my door, are now pulling caps for me. Pray, my young charmers, give me a fair hearing. Do not let your avaricious guardians fright you with a false account of a forfeiture; but let the great Sewel and Rivet's opinions convince you in legal possession of these estates, to the contrary, and that I am now and with the spirit of an heroine command my three hundred thousand pounds, and rank above half the ladies in our imperial kingdom. By your ladyship's direction of a favourable line to me, sir John Dinely, baronet, at my house in Windsor Castle, your attorney will satisfy you, that if I live but a month, eleven thousand a year will be your ladyships for ever." Poor sir John, we have only to add, did not succeed with any of these inexorable fair ones, but died, as he had lived, a unique. |