90 Visit to the Salt Works of Zipaquera. 



two distinct strata, each several feet in thickness, which He above it, 

 inclining at an angle of about 45°, there is a dark colored, unctuous 

 hard cla}'', among which there are found pyrites, called by the na- 

 tives marmajos, some of which are compact and unique ; others, in 

 smaller crystals, spread out upon the hard earth, form a congeries 

 of small sparkling bodies, which have a very brilliant appearance 

 when cleansed ; these are sometimes wrought into ornaments — they 

 look like diamonds by candle light ; other specimens resembling gold 

 are occasionally ground into powder, and used as sand upon writings. 



Very near to the salt rock appears a deposit of fine limestone, 

 called yeso, made use of about the altars of the churches, like stucco 

 work, and for white washing. Sulphur is also indicated about the 

 mine ; the salt is said to contain a considerable quantity of it. 



The masses of salt are dug from the rock by means of crow bars, 

 and in its impure native state, is bought by the people of certain dis- 

 tricts of the country, who thus prefer it ; while others will purchase 

 it only after being purified and hardened by calcination, although 

 the price for both kinds is now the same. The consumption of 

 grained salt, made in pans or calderos, is very trifling ; the salt un- 

 dergoes this process of crystallization before it is calcined ; and it 

 was supposed that the ability and desire on the part of the Company 

 to supply grained salt at a lower price would increase the consump- 

 tion of it, especially in the vicinity of the works. But " ancient cus- 

 tom" has still more influence with these people than any arguments 

 of special or political economy ; and arrangements which are well 

 appreciated elsewhere, have often no sort of influence upon their 

 minds, in comparison with former prepossessions. Some years ago 

 the price of the rough natural rock salt, in the state in which it was 

 dug from the mountain, was suddenly reduced, the expense of cutting 

 it out being trifling compared with that of the process for calcination. 

 As one portion of the population gave it the preference, it was pre- 

 sumed the consumption of it might be augmented in other districts ; 

 but the people who had formerly purchased this kind in preference, 

 could not understand the sudden decrease in its value, and were pre- 

 judiced to believe that the salt was " rotten," as they said, or that 

 there was some peculiar cause not apparent to them, and therefore 

 suspected why the reduction took place ; so that the Company found 

 it better to keep the price at the former rate — there was then no 

 diminution in the consumption. The abstract reasonings of political 

 economy, it appears, must have reference always to the condition 



