SALT PANS OF ["HE COAST REGION. I 77 



to establish their mission station. They struck what they con- 

 sidered a large lake of fresh water more or less filled with 

 vegetation. .Abundance of fresh water for their own use and 

 for their stock induced them to settle in the spot now known as 

 Bethelsdorp. 



The Mission records shew that Port Elizabeth was at one 

 time described as " a fishing village " near Bethelsdorp, and a-; 

 old pictures of Bethelsdorp shew " three-storied buildings,'' 

 church, etc., it must ha\ e been a village of no mean size. Whether 

 these records are correct, or merely flights of imagination. I can 

 not say, but it does seem singular that the Bethelsdorp salt-pan 

 is not mentioned in Cape history until many years later, whereas 

 mention is made of trek parties obtaining supplies of salt, " after 

 crossing the Zwartkops River," from an inland Lake. 



It was not long before some disturbance took place in the 

 Lake. The nature of the disturbance I have not been able to 

 discover, but the probable explanation is that wells were dug 

 either for irrigation purposes, or to obtain fresh spring water. 

 This disturbance must have opened up the lower strata in the 

 lake, and caused the strong brine that was flowing underground 

 to rise to the surface. This would naturally very soon kill all 

 vegetation either in or around the lake, and commence to deposit 

 salt in the shallows. This speedily opened up the first salt indus- 

 try of the Cape. That it was considered an industry and an asset 

 to the village there can be no doubt, for when the missioners 

 moved northward, or abandoned the station, they left to the 

 natives each a garden plot and a village plot, and in the title-deeds 

 to the present day it particularly states that each erfholder is 

 entitled to an allotted space in the salt-pan for the purpose of 

 gathering salt for his own benefit, subject to payment of three- 

 pence per three bushels' royalty: this is collected by a board of 

 supervisors and goes toward the upkeep of the school and village 

 funds. 



The process of making and gathering salt is conducted upon 

 very primitive methods, and after many years of working no 

 serious attempt seems to have been made, or scientific knowledge 

 made definite use of to improve the conditions that exist. 



Salt-pans are about one to two square miles in surface area ; 

 some pans are what we would call open workings, salt being 

 gathered on the edge of the water as it recedes toward the centre. 

 Other pans have a portion boarded off' into sections, each section 

 being anything from 50 square yards to 20,000 square yards ; 

 this boarding prevents mud from being washed into the working 

 area by flood water. As the summer months advance and the 

 atmospheric temperature increases to, say. 85 ° Fahr., the brine 

 reaches a density of about 28 Twaddle (S.G. 1.140) evaporation 

 goes on rapidlv. Although salt has been forming previously, as 

 the density of the brine increases the whole process becomes 

 visible to the observer, and it is extremely interesting to watch. 

 Flat flakes may be seen forming on the surface of the brine; they 



