VOL. IV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 383 



Our country people draw the salt every other day, and they draw out of those 

 beds marked h h h, every time more than a hundred [XDunds weight of salt. 

 In the hottest part of the summer salt is made even during night. The instru- 

 ments used to draw the salt have many small holes to let the water pass, and 

 to retain nothing but the salt. 



According to the quality of the earth or ground of the marish, the salt is 

 made more or less white. The reddish earth makes the salt more gray ; the 

 bluish, more white; besides, if you let a little more water run in than you 

 ought, the salt becomes more white ; but then it yields not so much. Ge- 

 nerally all the marishes require a fat earth, neither spungy nor sandy. 



And as to the whiteness of salt in particular, there are three things to be 

 considered : First, that the earth of the marish be proper. Secondly, that the 

 salt be made with good store of water. Thirdly, that the salt-man, who draws 

 it, be dexterous. In this isle of Rhe some draw very dark salt, and others as 

 white as snow ; and so it is in Saintonge. Chiefly care is to be taken, that the 

 earth at the bottom of the beds mingle not with the salt. The salt we use at 

 our tables is perfectly white ; the reason of which is this, that four or five 

 hours before the salt is to be drawn, we draw the cream, or that salt which is 

 formed on the top of the water. The grains of it are smaller than of the 

 other. Generally the salt of Saintonge is somewhat whiter than ours. I do 

 not well know the size of the grains of the sea salt made by fire ; but ours is of 

 the size of a pepper-grain, and of a cubical shape. 



The marishes are preserved from one year to another by overflowing them, 

 so that the water be near a foot high above the marishes. There are marishes 

 that are only separated from the sea by a ditch of 20 or 30 feet broad ; others 

 are further distant, receiving the water by channels that are made according to 

 the situation of the marishes. To preserve this ditch it is strengthened with 

 stones from the foot to the top, as streets are paved. 



Concerning the Eruptions of Mount ^tna, An. I669. Communicated 

 hy some English Merchants ^ residing in Sicily. N" 51, p. 1028. 



For the space of 1 8 days before this fire broke out, there was a very thick 

 dark sky in those parts, with thunder and lightning, and frequent concussions 

 of the earth, which the people make terrible reports of, though I never saw nor 

 heard of any buildings cast down thereby, save a small town or village, called 

 Nicolosi, about half a mile distant from the New Mouth, and some such other 

 slight buildings among those towns that were after overrun by the fire. Be- 

 sides, it was observed that the old top or mouth of JEtna. did, for two or three 



