90 Visit to the Salt Works of Zipaquera. 
two distinct strata, each several feet in thickness, which lie above it, 
inclining at an angle of about 45°, there is a dark colored, unctuous 
hard clay, among which there are found pyrites, called by the na- 
tives marmajos, some of which are compact and unique ; others, in 
smaller crystals, spread out upon the hard earth, form a congeries 
of small sparkling bodies, which have a very brilliant appearance 
when cleansed ; these are sometimes wrought into ornaments—they 
look like diamonds by candle light; other specimens resembling gold 
are occasionally ground into powder, and used as sand upon writings. 
Very near to the salt rock appears a deposit of fine limestone, 
called yeso, made use of about the altars of the churches, like stucco 
work, and for white washing. Sulphur is also indicated about the 
mine ; the salt is said to contain a considerable quantity of it. 
The masses of salt are dug from the rock by means of crow bars, 
and in its impure native state, is bought by the people of certain dis- 
tricts of the country, who thus prefer it; while others will purchase 
it only after being purified and hardened by calcination, although 
the price for both kinds is now the same. The consumption of 
grained salt, made in pans or calderos, is very trifling; the salt un- 
dergoes this process of crystallization before it is calcined ; and it 
was supposed that the ability and desire on the part of the Company 
to supply grained salt at a lower price would increase the consump- 
tion of it, especially in the vicinity of the works. But “ ancient cus- 
tom” has still more influence with these people than any arguments 
of special or political economy ; and arrangements which are well 
appreciated elsewhere, have often no sort of influence upon their 
minds, in comparison with former prepossessions. Some years ago 
the price of the rough natural rock salt, in the state in which it was 
dug from the mountain, was suddenly reduced, the expense of cutting 
it out being trifling compared with that of the process for calcination. 
As one portion of the population gave it the preference, it was pre- 
sumed the consumption of it might be augmented in other districts ; 
but the people who had formerly purchased this kind in preference, 
could not understand the sudden decrease in its value, and were pre- 
judiced to believe that the salt was “rotten,” as they said, or that 
there was some peculiar cause not apparent to them, and therefore 
suspected why the reduction took place ; so that the Company found 
it better to keep the price at the former rate—there was then no 
in the consumption. The abstract reasonings of political 
economy, it appears, must have reference always to the condition 
