CEYLON BRANCH— KOYAL ASTATIC SOCIETY. 108 



Again, the beneficial effect of the constant south-west wind 

 is almost entirely thrown away in consequence of the paths 

 and dams between the pans being raised to an unnecessary height. 

 It is also to be remarked that the beds are formed, either, in 

 a black silt or mud, or else, as at Sinne-Natchecally in a nearly 

 pure sand; either of these substances is very easily disturbed 

 and rendered uneven, which calls for renewed levelling and 

 drying ; were artificial beds of some more solid impervious 

 substance formed, there would be less leakage of water and less 

 labour would be requisite, even firmly bee ten clay might prove 

 useful, but has never been tried by the natives, and this owing 

 to a belief that in such pans the water would evaporate very 

 much more slowly ; to me this appears to prove that at pre- 

 sent there is very considerable waste by filtration into 

 the soil. 



Again, owing to a feeling of petty parsimony the salt when 

 jpkeed, in heaps is in the majority of cases left quite unpro- 

 tected and thus becomes not only coated but also mixed with 

 sand and other impurities, the kottoos are also by no means so 

 impervious as would be desirable 



Again, the salt is in every instance removed from the pans to 

 the heaps, from these to the kottoos, and from these to the 

 stores in small baskets by labourers, a very simple system of 

 wooden tram ways, would here prove economical. 



Again, the method adopted in receiving over the salt is 

 so very tedious that mary months elapse before it can be 

 stored, during which time it is exposed to much risk and se- 

 rious deterioration. 



Lastly, it may be observed that the many valuable salts con-* 

 tained in the ley after the deposit has been formed, are either 

 quite lost or are obtained intermingled with the wished for pro- 

 duct, which is consequently found to be exceedingly liable to 

 deliquescence ; but probably the extraction of these would prove 

 too complicated a process to be conducted by natives. 



