88 Mr. R. Bakewell on the Mode of manufacturing Salt 



long channels it is made to pass into smaller ones by the side, 

 from which it trickles through a multitude of small holes, like 

 a very gentle shower, upon the faggots, where it is divided 

 into an infinite number of drops, falling from one point to 

 another. Being thus exposed to the contact of the air, it 

 gains one degree of strength in falling, and, by the action of 

 the pumps, it is raised again, and falls in other showers, till 

 it has acquired the strength required for passing to the eva- 

 porating house, No. 3. 



The process is conducted with less nicety in Nos. 1 and 2 

 than in the others, and, as I mentioned before, the houses are 

 not covered. The pumps moved by the machine in the cen- 

 tre of the building, are distributed at equal distances on each 

 side of the Maison d'Epines. The water is not always let to 

 trickle down on both sides of the thorns, but only on that ex- 

 posed to the wind. The two buildings, Nos. 1 and 2, are 

 placed at different angles, to catch the different currents of 

 wind that rush down the valley- No. 3 is constructed on the 

 same principles as Nos. 1 and 2 ; it receives the water from 

 them both ; it is 370 yards long, and is covered, to preserve 

 the salt water from the rain. There are twelve pumps on 

 each side in this building, and more care is taken to distribute 

 the water equally; here it is concentrated to the strength of 

 twelve per cent., and deposits most of its remaining sulphate 

 of lime, in incrustations on the twigs. 



The water being now reduced to about one-seventh of the 

 original quantity, and raised to the strength of twelve degrees, 

 is passed along channels to the Maison d'Epines, No. 4*. This 

 is only seventy yards in length : here it is further concentrated 

 by a similar process, till it nearly reaches the point of satura- 

 tion, but this depends on the season. In dry weather, it is 

 raised to twenty-two degrees ; but in rainy, moist weather, to 

 eighteen degrees only. In summer-time the whole process of 

 evaporation, in passing through the different houses, is about 

 one month ; in wet seasons it is longer. The stream of water 

 that sets in motion the hydraulic machines for raising the 

 saline water to the top of the buildings, is brought by a small 

 aqueduct from the river Doron. When once in motion, the 

 process goes on and requires little further attention, or manual 

 labour, till it is completed. When the water is nearly satu- 

 rated, it passes to a large building, where are the pans for 

 boiling, and the salt is crystallized in the usual method. That 

 the reader may form an idea of the quantity of water evapo- 

 rated before it comes to the pans, I will state the reduction at 

 each of the evaporating houses : 



8000 



