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regular degree of heat. The consumption
of wood was formerly so great, that it has
denuded many of the higher mountains in
the Tarentaise, and exposed them to the
action of the atmosphere, which has occasioned
vast eboulements ; for it is found
that forests are of the greatest utility, in
preserving precipitous mountains from destruction.
The fact is now so well ascertained,
that the government, for this cause
alone, has lately paid particular attention
to the preservation of the wood. The
quantity of salt made here annually, is estimated
at 100,000 myriagrammes, or about
2,250,000lbs. avoirdupois, and about 9000
myriagrammes of sulphat of soda, or about
187,000lbs. The other alkaline matter
which adheres to the pans is sold to the
glass-makers. The government receives, on
the average, 150,000 francs for the products,
out of which it is estimated that 30,000
are expended for wood and fuel, 8000 for
materials employed in the buildings, and for
the faggots, &c., and 62,000 for the wages
and the salaries of the different officers,
leaving an annual profit of 50,000 francs.
In some of the mountains of the Tarentaise,
the gypsum is intermixed with rock-
M IN E OF R U T I L E . 235
salt en masse, and was worked by the peasants,
but the places are now closed up,
and so strictly guarded by order of the
government, that I found it difficult to procure
specimens.
These mines were formerly worked, the
salt being separated from the gypsum by
solution, and subsequently evaporated by
fire ; but the great eboulements, caused by
clearing away the wood from the sides of
the mountains, obliged the government to
abandon the mines, and undertake the manufacture
of salt at the Salines. These
mines are mentioned by the Roman historians.
There is a small village, called the Salines,
near the salt springs, from whence
there is a wooden bridge over the Doron.
Crossing this bridge, I climbed, with some
difficulty, up the rocks on the other side
the valley, to examine a mine in which
gold-coloured fibrous rutile was discovered
by Dr. Hybord of Moutiers. He obligingly
accompanied me, and we had with us assistants
and lights. The rock is a talcy argillaceous
schist ; there is also gypsum covering
this side of the valley, and the upper
strata are calcareous. The gypsum appears
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