200 



UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



first of all scraped together into small mounds about a foot high. 

 It is then loosely scattered over the surface, apparently to let it 

 dry in the sun, and all obvious impurities are removed. Two 

 earthen vessels are required, one large, the other small. A few 

 stones are arranged so as to support the larger vessel, and the 

 smaller vessel is then placed underneath it. The larger acts as a 

 percolator, the smaller as a receiver. There is a hole in the 

 bottom of the percolator, blocked with tiny pebbles in such a 

 manner, that the fluid can only pass through in drops. The 

 scraped-up soil is now placed in the percolator and slightly over- 

 saturated with water, and the mass is stirred about with the 

 hands. The slight excess of water trickles past the pebbles 



and drips in- 

 to the lower 

 vessel, carry- 

 ing with it a 

 certain pro- 

 portion of the 

 salt which it 

 has dissolved 

 out. From 

 time to time, 

 knowing by 

 e xp erience 

 when to do 

 so, the wo- 

 man scoops 



f "^^^ ..'., . -./^^^^ ""^ ^^'^ ^°'l 



' " " ' which has 



yielded up its 



share of salt, 



and throws it 



on the adjoining refuse-heap which in course of time becomes a 



regular wall of earth. As a rule, each woman attends to but one 



set of earthen vessels. When the day's work is done, the saline 



water, earthen vessels, and scoop are carried home in a narrow 



wooden trough which no doubt has come into use to prevent 



the loss of any of the precious saline fluid, should it happen to 



splash out on the way home. This saline water is boiled down 



at home and yields up its salt. 



It is obvious that the process of manufacture is so crude. 



THE SALT-INDUSTRY AT KIBERO. 



