SALT PANS OF THE COAST REGION. i/9 



the Zwartkops pan has not been as good as during the previous 

 years, whether through the unfavourable seasons or a falling off 

 of the hrine supply 1 am unable to say. 



To many people it appears strange that the process of salt 

 making is carried on under about three inches of water. In many 

 pans the salt leaf is allowed to become absolutely free from sur- 

 face brine before the salt is gathered, but this could only be 

 classed as " picked up " salt ; it is of the coarsest and dirtiest 

 grade. 



Having given briefly the process of making and gathering 

 salt, I will give a few particulars of what has come to my notice 

 during the time I have had salt pans under my observation. Salt 

 pans are not as some people imagine small basins in some out-of- 

 the-way-spot, but large lakes from one to two square miles in 

 extent. They are often supposed to be inland lakes of sea water 

 that have been left far behind by the receding waters of the 

 ocean, this sea water during the course of years having evaporated 

 and deposited salt crystals, which in turn have impregnated clay, 

 sand and mud, and that now it requires only a rainfall on these 

 lakes for this water in time to become brine, in turn re-evaporat ■ 

 ing and depositing its product on the surface of sand and mud, 

 or that by capillary attraction the brine from these underground 

 crystals is brought to the surface. 



Another belief is, that just as the salt water of the ocean 

 became salt by the rivers that flowed into it, gathering the salts 

 of the earth, so inland lakes, too, become salt-pans. If this theory 

 were correct, the clay, sand, or mud, would soon become ex- 

 hausted of its saline substances and the constant withdrawal of 

 salt from the surface of the lake would cause organic growth 

 again to become predominant. Instead of which the more a 

 salt-pan is worked, and the workable area kept free from sand or 

 mud the greater is the output of salt. 



During the summer months the umvorked surface area of 

 the pan becomes encrusted with salt from the brine that is not 

 used for salt beds, so that after a rainfall this surface salt is 

 dissolved and thus increases the density of the brine. The 

 driving backward and forward of the surface water by prevailing 

 winds materially assists the salt worker, who opens the sluice 

 gates and allows the brine to flow into the working area bv its 

 own gravitation. If this brine flow is insufficient, he resorts to 

 pumps and makes use of the wells. Well-brine makes better and 

 purer salt, as it contains less impurities. At the same time the 

 worker prefers the surface brine, as it is much warmer and does 

 not dissolve the blad when allowed to flow thereon. Well-brine 

 is cold and has to be let into warming beds before it is allowed 

 to flow on to the spruits. The surface brine sometimes reaches 

 a density of 45 Twaddle (1.225). The conclusion that I have 

 come to regarding the origin of these salt-pans rests on the 

 following facts : — 



(1) The lake was previously a fresh water lake, until brine 

 was brought to the surface by a disturbance. 



