372 THE TINCAL OF ASIA, 



go rude and guttural that other Mongols can scarcely understand them. 

 Mineral salt and tincal abound on this arid and almost wholly pastureless 

 soiL You dig holes two or three feet deep, and the salt collects therein, 

 and crystallises and purifies itself without your having any trouble in the 

 matter. The tincal is collected from small reservoirs, which become com- 

 pletely full of it. The Thibetians carry quantities of it to their own 

 country, where they sell it to the goldsmiths, who apply it to facilitate the 

 fusion of metals. We stayed two days in the land of Tsaidam, feasting upon 

 tsamba and some goats which the shepherds gave in exchange for some 

 bricks of tea. The long-tailed oxen and camels regaled themselves with 

 the nitrate and salt, which they had everywhere for the picking up." 



The mode in which tincal is forwarded from the place of production 

 shows the very primitive means of transit in those regions. Large quantities 

 of sheep are kept by the poorer inhabitants, who dispose of them to factors 

 or traders, and they bring them to a station where stocks of tincal are 

 kept. A bargain is made with the owners of this salt, and about eight or 

 ten pounds of tincal are packed upon each sheep's back ; the flock is 

 then driven across the mountains, which are so rugged and inaccessible 

 that no conveyance could pass over. 



The manner in which tincal is sent to England and disposed of 

 to the manufacturer may not be without interest to a few. It is first 

 collected, as we have seen, by the shepherds, and bartered for various 

 articles ; it is then brought through Nepaul, and nearly all finds its way to 

 Calcutta, where, if prices are moderately high, the native traders dispose 

 of it to the native merchants. The European houses in Calcutta employ 

 Banians to go round to the bazaars and see what is on offer ; and if no limits 

 are sent out by the English merchant, very high prices are frequently paid 

 for it. 



Tincal is brought to the Calcutta market principally from Thibet and 

 Nepaul, and generally shipped by English houses to Great Britain to order. 

 Bombay and Madras take off a quantity occasionally, which is shipped by 

 native merchants. As a rule, they never ship from Calcutta to England on 

 their own account. It is usually packed in double gunny-bags, containing 

 2 maunds (of 82 lb. to the maund), sometimes in empty beer-hogsheads. 

 Before packing, the tincal is bulked, and mixed with mustard (rape), oil, 

 and curd of milk, which prevents evaporation during the long sea-voyage ; 

 else it is supposed it would heat and crumble into powder. The average 

 freight to England may be quoted at about 41. per ton. Some ships object 

 to carrying it, for fear of waste by evaporation, and consequent loss in weight, 

 which would diminish the freight payable on the quantity delivered. 



The following is one of the modern processes for refining tincal : — The 

 crude salt, being placed in proper pans, is covered with cold water to a 

 height of two or three inches above its surface, and allowed to stand for 

 some hours. Becently-slacked lime is then added to the amount of one 

 part to four hundred parts of tincal ; the mixture is thoroughly stirred, 

 allowed to stand for twelve hours, again strongly agitated, and the troubled 



