20 The Natron Lake of Loonar. [no. 1, new series, 



which I am but partially informed; these will chiefly embrace 1st, 

 the present quantity available for the market : 2nd, constancy of 

 the supply : 3rd, local demands for the salts, which can only be 

 known to those residing near the lake : 4th, means of transit, 

 should a demand exist or arise elsewhere : 5th, the small probabili- 

 ty of bringing any natural carbonate from a distance to compete iri 

 Europe, with the carbonate of soda made from common salt by 

 Leblanc's process : 6th, the want of any extensive Indian manu- 

 factories of glass or soap, for which in Europe alkaline carbonates 

 are principally employed. 



The foregoing observations apply more or less strongly to all the 

 samples containing carbonate of soda. The sample No. 2, which 

 is essentially a pure rock salt, deserves more consideration, as it 

 might, supposing it to exist in quantity, be turned to account as a 

 source of revenue ; there being always, from the large consumption 

 and high price of the article, a ready market for good common salt 

 in India. Sample No. 7 is worth a trial for building purposes, 

 provided that the common salt present could be eliminated by 

 washing. 



The purification of the salts Nos. 1, 3 and 4 is easily effected by 

 simple solution in hot soft drinking water, decanting or syphoning 

 off the supernatant clear fluid to separate insoluble impurities, and 

 evaporating in cast iron or sheet iron pans by means of furnace 

 heat. As to whether the purification would prove profitable or not 

 will depend on the expense incurred for fuel and cooly hire, and 

 the price of the evaporating pan?, together with that of the purified 

 article ; the latter is a main point to be considered, and cannot be 

 seen before hand. 



Ko. 2 requires little or no purification. 



No. 5 might be purified in the same manner as Nos. 1, 3 and 4. 

 There will exist in solution, a mixture of common salt and carbo- 

 nate of soda, the former averaging about 25 per cent. ; by concen- 

 tration of the solution, (which should also be effected in iron pans), 

 the common salt, from its less solubility compared with the carbo- 

 nate of soda, and its equal solubility in both hot and cold water, 



