rl^o Phyfical and Mifcellaneous 



The Salt of Of thc likc Quallty and Flavour is the Salt of the Lake of 

 r/..sh.bka.. j^^^j^^^ (called like wife BahirahTharaoune,) and of other leffer 

 Plains of the fame Nature. Thefe are ufually called S'lhkah or 

 Shibkah [e^^-' s-^-^-] i.e. Saltijh Tlats of Ground ; being com- 

 monly overflowed in Winter, ( at which Time they appear 

 like fo many extenfive Lakes) but are dry all Summer, (when 

 they may be taken for the hke Number of Bowling Greens 

 prepared for the Turf) Some of thefe Shihkas have a hard 

 and folid Bottom, without the leaft Mixture of gritty Mould, 

 retaining the Salt that lyeth chriftalized upon Them after 

 Rain. But others are of a more owzy abforbent Nature, feldom 

 preferving any faline Incruftations upon the Surface. The 

 chief Suhftrai Mm of the Sbibkab El Low-deah is like a telTel- 

 lated Pavement, made up of various little Cubes of common 

 Salt; but in thofe Shihkas, that are of afoft and owzyCom- 

 pofition, as near Warran and Katrwan, I could never obferve 

 any Salt that was concreted, though the Earth of them all is 

 very pungent to the Tongue, and, by a proper Solution, would 

 yield, no doubt, a copious Portion of It. 

 The Method I have feen fome large Pieces of Sal Ge?n brought from the 

 sdfpetrt^ Country of the Bent Mezzah ; but Salt Tetre called {Mailah 

 [c^=-] ha'i^) Lhe Salt by the^rahs, is never, that I know, found in 

 Subilance or concreted, being always extracted by Art. For 

 which Purpofe, They erect feveral Troughs of Brick or Stone, 

 with wooden Grates for their Bottoms ; and after having co- 

 vered the Infides all over with Mats ofTalmeta or Spartum, 

 They fill them with Salt Petre Earth ; fprinkling It every fix 

 or eight Hours, for five or fix Days together, with Water. 

 The Water, by foaking through the Earth, engageth all the ni- 

 trous Particles lodged in It's Way, and, draining afterwards 

 through the Mats, falls into fmall Cavities, made on Purpofe 

 below to receive It. When they have by this Means obtained 

 a fufficient Quantity of Brine, they pour It into Caldrons, 

 boyl it up and refine it. There are feveral Works of this Kind 

 in Tlem-fa?!, Bifcara and Kairwan, befides others that are 

 carried on privately among the Kahyles and ^rahs. The prin- 

 Thew Gun- cipal Ufc that is made of Salt Petre thus prepared, is in the 

 powder. Compofition of Ba-route\ (as thefe People call Gunpowder:) 

 the Sulphur being moftly from Europe, and the Allies of the 

 [Burwak'] Kings Spear, being rather chofen than Charcoal. 



Thev 



