92 Visit to the Salt Works of Zipaquera. 
exterior in a manner to render it capable of resisting rain, or the 
water which reaches it when carried across rivers upon mules, its. 
form being well adapted to this mode of transportation ; the large 
loaves of salt are slung upon each side of the pack saddle. When 
the salt is sufficiently calcined and cooled, hundreds of poles or fag- 
gots are placed underneath the pots to receive their weight, and 
serve as subsequent fuel; the arch is then broken down, and the 
earthen ware, which adheres very closely to the salt, is cut off by a 
crowd of Indian women with chisels and mallets. ‘These women 
are allowed as their perquisite, to take away the broken pottery, to 
which some salt necessarily adheres ; they steep the earthen ware 
in water, and the saline solution is sold by them for purposes of 
cooking ; they sometimes also attempt w hat is considered a contra- 
, by boiling and granulating it in their huts; for salt is a mo- 
HOpOly of the government, which formerly rented pan the whole sup- 
ply for a certain annual income, but now pay a company a fixed 
price for manufacturing it, on account of the revenue. The springs 
and mines are therefore carefully watched to prevent private inter- 
ference. : 
When the “Salt Company” first undertook these works, there 
was much illicit working at the springs, and the agents were obliged 
to interfere with those who were employed in the contraband manu- 
facture, breaking their pots and pans, and seizing the salt; the con- 
sequence was the murder of several foreigners engaged at the works ; 
and for several years the greatest animosity prevailed between the 
parties. Some judicious alterations attaching the burthen of pro- 
tection and seizure upon the government, and not upon the Com- 
pany, and the encouragement of various industry connected with 
the legal manufacture, have at length caused a cessation of the hos- 
tile feelings. 
The Company is now allowed 24 reals, (311 cents,) for manufac- 
turing each arroba, (25 lbs.) of salt; to this amount the government 
adds a charge of 4 reals, (50 cents,) per arroba, more. It costs 
then the consumer, or trader at the works, $3 25 per one hundred 
pounds, of the calcined salt; the expense of transportation is very 
great, and therefore the consumption is, as much as a econ- 
“When the Company farmed the rents, it paid to the government 
Fy per month, nearly $230,000 annually. Last year the 
government paid the ; Company $118,000 for making four hund 
