RIO NEGRO. 101 
in 1837 and 1838 ; on them a duty of twelve and a half cents per ton 
was levied, although their sole object was to obtain fresh provisions. 
This, together with the difficult and changing bar, will always pre- 
vent their resorting to this port, 
The inducements for a merchant vessel to visit this port are few, for 
it would be difficult to dispose of even the most necessary articles, in 
consequence of the poverty of the place, and there is no possibility of 
obtaining any thing in return except salt. Of this there are several 
cargoes in stack along the banks of the river, which it is said could 
be delivered on board for twenty cents per bushel. It is obtained 
from the salt lakes, or salinas, on the Campos, and is transported to 
the river in ox carts. I regretted extremely that I had not time to 
spare to send a party to explore them, in order to have ascertained 
the extent of the staple commodity of this port. 
These salt lakes are known to be numerous throughout the 
Pampas, and within a few leagues of the town of El Carmen there 
are four, from two to three leagues in circumference, from which 
salt has been taken, besides many others of smaller dimensions. 
From the largest of these, the salt that is exported from the Rio 
Negro is mostly obtained. In dry weather it is said to form very 
rapidly, so much so that it may at times be gathered daily, and that 
it attains the thickness of two inches in twenty-four hours. How far 
this is true, I will not pretend to vouch. Still more wonderful stories 
are told of the larger lakes in the interior ; of their being ten leagues 
in circumference ; and they are described as appearing as if covered 
with a crust of dazzling whiteness, so strong that a horse and rider 
may pass over it without leaving an impression. In heavy rains 
these lakes are converted into morasses of black mud, which, as the 
water evaporates becomes encrusted with salt. The salt is beau- 
tifully white and finely crystallized, and requires no purification 
before carrying it to market. The specimens were thought to equal 
in purity those from our own springs. The general belief relative to 
these salt lakes is, that the salt is disseminated through the soil, no 
salt in a solid state having yet been found in any part of the country, 
and no satisfactory information could be obtained relative to their 
having become weaker, as the only person who w r as able to give this 
information was Mr. Adams, Avho, as I mentioned before, was absent, 
It appears that the policy of the present government of Buenos 
Ayres, has been to discourage the raising of cattle and the exportation 
of hides from this place, in order, it is said, to concentrate the trade 
vol. i. 26 
