THE SALT PANS OF THE COAST REGION. 



By William Godly Stockdale Stead. 



The subject of this paper is one which I have been keenly 

 interested in for many years, but, unfortunately, constant search 

 for scientific information regarding salt and salt-pans and their 

 formation in South Africa has failed to supply me with any 

 paper of importance upon this subject. 



There are many salt-pans in South Africa that are being 

 worked in a most primitive manner, and consequently produce 

 nothing but rubbish. Possibly the owners labour under the same 

 difficulties that I had to contend with for many years, and are 

 not inclined, nor have the time, to carry out experiments whereby 

 they might overcome the many obstacles that beset them and 

 hinder them from producing a better and more satisfactory 



article. 



Every assistance is given by the Government through its 

 scientific men to those who cultivate the land and raise the stock, 

 but nothing appears to have been done to assist those who possess 

 these valuable assets — salt-pans. 



We still go on from year to year importing large quantities 

 of salt, which should not be. There are sufficient pans in South 

 Africa to produce all the salt that is required, but unfortunately 

 the quality produced does not come up to a satisfactory standard ; 

 this is solely through lack of proper scientific knowledge of how 

 to produce the best. 



We have in our vicinity several salt-pans, (i) The Zwart- 

 kops, known as the Grootpan, in the district of Uitenhage, on 

 the north of the Zwartkops River. (2) The Bethelsdorp pan, 

 near the village of Bethelsdorp, where the London Missionary 

 Society established their station, and whence Dr. Livingstone 

 commenced his great trek into greater Africa. (3) The North 

 End salt-pan, now known as the Lake, having been abandoned 

 as a salt producer and converted into a pleasure lake. (4) The 

 Korsten pan : this pan is very small, surrounded by clay deposit, 

 and indifferently worked by a few natives. 



What may be considered the Premier Pan is the Zwartkops, 

 on an estate connected with the main line of railway by a branch - 

 line via Aloes. Although work was commenced many years after 

 salt had been discovered at the Bethelsdorp pan. the output has 

 reached as high as 60,000 bags (6,000 tons) in a single season. 

 The finest quality salt of great saline strength and uniform grade 

 that has ever been produced by solar evaporation in Africa was 

 produced at this pan from the commencement of operations. 



I will deal further with this pan after giving a brief history 

 of the Bethelsdorp pan, as far as I have been able to gather from 

 the older inhabitants of the village. 



Some time early in the eighteenth century the London Mis- 

 sionary Society wandered inland in search of a suitable localitv 



