34 2 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



culture, the fisheries, and chemical industries, on which no 

 duty is paid. 



Marseilles is a great entrepot for the trade in marine 

 salt in France. In 1877 the deliveries were over 78,000 

 tons, of which 17400 tons were exported, 39,000 tons locally 

 consumed in the chemical and soap works, and 12,000 tons 

 employed in the fisheries. 



The following is the composition of the crude salt of 

 the south and west of France : 



Salt of the south. Salt of the west. 



Chloride of sodium ... 95*U- 87-97 



,, magnesia ... 0*23 ... i'58 



Sulphate of magnesia .. 1^30 ... 0^50 



,, lime ... ... O'9I ... I '65 



Earthy particles ... ... O'io ... O'8o 



Water ... ... ... 2-35 ... 7-50 



lOO'OO 



The annual average production of marine salt in France 

 in the ten years ending 1876 was as follows : 



Tons. 



Salt marshes of the south 230,125 



,, west 219,563 



Salines or salt-pits 203,907 



653.595 



The quantity delivered for consumption, duty paid, was 

 315,549 tons; exported abroad, 109,633 tons; delivered 

 free for various manufactures, 183,763 ; total, 608,945 tons. 

 The tax on salt in France was raised to \2\ francs the 100 

 kilogrammes by the law of the 2nd of June, 1875. 



On some of the coasts of the Channel, marine salt is 

 obtained by a process quite different from that adopted in 

 the salines. During low tide the sand of the beach is 

 collected, washed with sea water, which gives a very con- 

 centrated briny liquor, and this is evaporated to dryness 



