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feveral Places, where it is gathered 

 for the making Sode, which is a Soit 

 ofPot-afh ufed in the making of 

 Soap. It is alio cultivated in the 

 South of Francs, in Salt - marines, 

 for the fame Purpofe. This Plant 

 feldom grows large, unlefs it is cul- 

 tivated, which greatly improves its 

 Size; fo that it o'tcn grows from 

 two to three Feet high, and divides 

 into many Rranches ; whereas in the 

 natural Places of its Growth it is 

 feldom above a Foot high. The 

 Spaniards alfo cultivate feveral of the- 

 Species here mentioned, in order to 

 make Sode thereof; the beft of which 

 is brought Uo\\\Alicunt andCartha- 

 gtna, where the Inhabitants cultivate 

 the eighth Sort of Kali for this Pur- 

 pofe ; which, as I have been in- 

 formed, is that which makes the belt 

 Sort of Pot-am, called Banllia. 

 The Salt of thefe Ames is clear and 

 white ; fo is ufed in making of the 

 fineit Glafs, and the hardcft Soap. 



They alio in the fame Country 

 cultivate another Plant of a different 

 Genus, for the fame Purpofe, which 

 is a Species of Ficoides, and has 

 been already ment cried under that 

 Article. 1 he Seeds of the latter I 

 have feveral times received from 

 thence, by the Title of Barillia, as 

 I have alio from Egypt, with XhzJra- 

 bic Title of Kali: but this is by 

 fome very curious Perfons affirmed 

 to make a Pot-am of lefs Value, than 

 that of the former ; fo that there is 

 room to doubt wh;ch of the two it 

 is, that the Spaniards prefer. 



Tre Inhabitants of thofe warmer 

 Countries, who cultivate thefe Plants, 

 fow their Seeds early in the Spr:ng, 

 on low marfhy Ground, near the 

 Sea, or on Salt - ponds, where the 

 Plants foon come up, and in about 

 three Months will be 'fit to cut fcr 

 Ufe ; when they mow it down, and 

 thy it after the manner of Hay. 



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When it is well dried, they dig 

 Holes or Pits, in the Nature of 

 Lime-kilns ; then they fet Fire to a 

 Eundleof the Herb, which they throw 

 into the Pi: ; and after that they 

 throw three or four more Bundles 

 into the Pit, which they fuffer to be 

 well lighted; then they fill the Pit 

 with the dried Herb, and flop the 

 Top of it up, leaving it to confume 

 for fome time, to be reduced to 

 Allies. When they open the Pit, 

 they find the Salt incorporated into a 

 folid Rock, which they are obliged 

 to break, and raife up as Stones out 

 of a Quarry. 



This is the beft Sort of Pot am, 

 and is brought from Alicant •> and 

 may be diltinguifhed from the others, 

 by being dry and clean, and of a 

 bluilh Grey, both without and with- 

 in ; and, when broken, has no of- 

 fenfive Smell. 



The fecond Sort in Goodnefs 13 

 brought from Carthagcna : this h?3 

 not the fame bluilh Colour as the" 

 former, but is more crulled, and is 

 generally brought over in larger 

 Bales. 



There are feveral other Sorts of 

 Pot am, which are made in England 

 from different Plants : but thefe are 

 of little Value, compared with the 

 former; fo are little elleemed. Thefe 

 may be known by their dark 

 Colour, fetid Scent, and alfo by their 

 Moiiture. 



The other Sorts of Kali here men- 

 tioned grow in the South of Trance t 

 Spain, Italy, and the Levant : moi* 

 cf them are Inhabitants of the Sea- 

 cpafts ; but fome have been found 

 growing upon fandy Grounds at a 

 great Dillance from the Sea. Thefe 

 are frequently preferved in fome 

 Botanic Gardens for the fake of 

 Variety ; but they are too tender :o 

 perfect their Seeds in England, uir- 

 lefs Uie Seafon proves very warm. 



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