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98 JOURNEY TO TSHORGUNA, BALAK.LAVA, AND ALONG

eight to twelve fathoms, before they can penetrate through theincumbent brittle chalky marl to the bed of clay, ort whichthey generally meet with water. The latter ftratum is abouttwenty-eight inches in thicknefs; has underneath an uncom-monly tough cruft, of a colour refembling that of the clayitfelf; and, beneath it, there is again a white cretaceous marl.Old pits, originally made in queft of fuch faponaceous clay,are ftill difcernible at the edge of this eminence; and it isprobable that the Füller's-earth, in fome parts, appeared on thefurface; as otherwife it could not poffibly have been difcoveredwithout fome extraordinary chance, or fortuitous event. TheTartars, who are ufually hired during the winter for thispurpofe, work without any fcaffold, and are expofed to greatdanger by digging at firft vertically, but afterwards in anhorizontal direction, to the depth of feveral fathoms, as far asthe nature of the mountain will permit. The upper ftrata arefecured from falling down, fimply by fupporting them withpofts; and thus the miners break out the clay by placingthemfelves fideways within the pit. The perfon who farmsthe mountain, allows the workmen two-fifths of the wholeproduce for their labour; and, when they have penetrated toa fufficient depth, and emptied one of the mines, it is againabandoned and fpeedily filled by the pieces of marl detachedin confequence of fuch excavation. Great quantities of thiselay, which is known under the name of Keffe-Kil, or earth ofKaffa, were formerly exported to Conftantinople, where it wasufed in the baths by women for walhing their hair. It is dugeut partly here, and partly at the diftance of fixteen verftsfrom Akmetfhet, near the rivulet Sabla; though it has alfo

been