524 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1748. 



Mr. Lowndes's salt does not seem owing to the alum, with which it is mixed, 

 but chiefly to the gentle heat used in its preparation. 



The Dutch, who have long shown the greatest skill and dexterity in the art of 

 boiling salt, make use of another addition, which they esteem the greatest secret 

 of their art. This is whey, kept several years till it is extremely acid ; now first 

 revealed by our author to the British salt boilers, but long held in great esteem 

 by the Dutch, for the good effects it has on their salt ; which it renders stronger, 

 more durable, and fitter to preserve herrings, and other provisions. 



Bay-salt, as well as white salt, is of different kinds, and possessed of different 

 qualities : with the different kinds of these, provisions must be cured, according 

 to the uses for which they are designed. The Dutch indeed use no salt for curing 

 provisions, besides their own refined salt. With it they can preserve flesh and 

 fish of all kinds as well as with the strongest bay salt ; and chuse to be at the 

 expence of refining bay salt, rather than to defile their provisions with the dirt 

 and other impurities, with which it commonly abounds. 



Salt, esteemed the best for curing provisions, and for preserving them the 

 longest time, is that which is the strongest and the purest. This may be known 

 by the following characteristics ; viz. it is usually concreted into large grains or 

 crystals, which are firm and hard, and in respect to those of other kinds of com- 

 mon salt, the most solid and ponderous ; it is not disposed to grow moist in a 

 moderately dry air, to which it has been exposed a considerable time ; its colour 

 is white, and somewhat diaphanous ; it has no smell ; its taste is truly muriatic, 

 and more sharp and pungent than that of other kinds of common salt. It has 

 also several other distinguishing properties mentioned by our author. The salts 

 which approach nearest to this degree of perfection, are the best kinds of bay- 

 salt, and the strong Dutch refined salt ; but most of the salt now made for sale 

 is very far from answering to these characteristics. 



Having related the various methods of preparing salt that now are in use, as 

 far as they are come to our author's knowledge, it appears that this art is not 

 brought to such perfection in the British dominions, as in several other coun- • 

 tries, the salt there prepared being unfit for preserving many kinds of provisions. 

 It remains now to show, that this want of a strong salt of British manufacture 

 proceeds not from any defect in nature, but of art ; and that if proper skill and 

 industry be used in the British dominions, and due encouragement given there 

 by the legislature. Such improvements may be made in this art, that not only 

 Great Britain, but Ireland also, and the British colonies in America, may be 

 supplied with salt of their own manufacture, proper for curing all kinds of pro- 

 visions, in quantity sufficient for all their occasions, in quality equal, if not su- 

 perior, to any foreign salt now made, and at a moderate price. These are truths 

 which the author hopes will appear evident from the facts and reasonings contained 

 under the following positions : 



