SALT. 



179 



in a broken and decayed state, evidences are not wanting that 

 in former times the town was of some importance. The remains 

 of a large wall and gates, the ruins of temples and bridges, and 

 the long streets', now bordered by poor hovels, all go to prove 

 this. 



Around all the salt-mines and brine-wells of Yunnan, a large 

 population generally exists, which is entirely dependent for a 

 living on the salt industry. (This is especially noticeable since 

 in most other parts the number of people in a particular area is, 

 as a rule, limited entirely by the amount of land available for 

 cultivation and by the supply of water for irrigation.) Should 

 the mines or wells become exhausted, as they have done at An- 

 ning Chou, then a migration of the population is bound to take 

 place with more or less disastrous results to the locality. 



Considered with respect to the output of salt for the whole 

 province, the brine wells of An-ning Chou are of no particular 

 importance and the following description is given to illustrate 

 the persistence with which even small deposits are worked by 

 the Chinese, and their ingenuity in overcoming natural difficulties. 

 Duclos has already given a brief account of the wells. (Du., 

 pp. 290-291). 



Around An-ning Chou there is a considerable development of 

 massive red sandstones and other rocks which are much the same 

 as those found about the saliferous localities of the Ting-yuan 

 Hsien district. Towards the east and south-east of An-ning Chou, 

 Permo-Carboniferous limestones underlie these red beds. 



The brine-wells and salt-works are within the city near the 

 north wall and close by the yamen of the local magistrate. 



Three wells were being worked in March 1908, at the time of 

 my visit. Owing to their greater depth some modification of 

 the ordinary windlass is necessary, and it was found that instead 

 of the form described from the Ting-yuan Hsien neighbourhood, 

 worked by four men, a double handle is attached to the axle and is 

 operated by eight, usually four men and four women. Attached 

 to the axle are the ordinary double untanned leather carriers, 

 so arranged that while one is ascending with a load the other is 

 descending to be fdled. 



The brine is very weak, and before being boiled down is con- 

 centrated by the following methods. It is led away in long open 

 channels to shallow pools, which expose as much of the liquid 



