SALT SPRINOS. 211 



tity they wanted direct into the boiling- 

 house, by the labour of only one or two 

 men; whereas at least fifty are now em- 

 ployed. 



The system at present pursued is attend- 

 ed with great expense, and loss of salt. To 

 make five hundred arrohas, or twelve thou- 

 sand five hundred pounds of salt, they use 

 one hundred and fifty earthen pots; which 

 are filled with the water of the springs, and 

 then placed in contiguous rows, in beds 

 built on arches on purpose to receive them ; 

 the fire is lighted underneath. The value 

 of each pot is about nine-pence, which has 

 to be destroyed to get the salt out. One 

 thousand cargoes of wood, worth one hun- 

 dred and forty dollars, are required for the 

 fire ; and at the close of the operation, they 

 have to destroy the beds, which are built 

 to contain the pots : each operation of eva- 

 poration takes five days and nights, 

 p 2 



