The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
The 27. we rested, and the 28. we hired horses to ride from Arnacho to
Sulina, which is a good mile. The salt pit is very neere two miles in
compasse, very plaine and leuell, into the which they let runne at the time
of raine a quantitie of water comming from the mountaines, which water is
let in vntil the pit be full to a certaine marke, which when it is full,
the rest is conueyed by a trench into the sea. The water is let runne in
about October, or sooner or later, as the time of the yeere doth afforde.
There they let it remaine vntill the ende of Iuly or the middest of August,
out of which pits at that time, in stead of water that they let in they
gather very faire white salt, without any further art or labour, for it is
only done by the great heate of the sunne. This the Venetians haue, and doe
maintaine to the vse of S. Marke, and the Venetian ships that come to this
Island are bound to cast out their ballast, and to lade with salt for
Venice. Also there may none in all the Iland buy salt but of these men, who
maintaine these pits for S. Marke. This place is watched by night with 6.
horsemen to the end it be not stolne by night. Also vnder the Venetians
dominions no towne may spende any salt, but they must buy it of Saint
Marke, neither may any man buy any salt at one towne to carie to another,
but euery one must buy his salt in the towne where he dwelleth. Neither may
any man in Venice buy more salt then he spendeth in the city, for if he be
knowen to carte but one ounce out of the due and be accused, hee looseth an
eare. The most part of all the salt they haue in Venice commeth from these
Salines, and they have it so plentifull, that they are not able, neuer a
yeere to gather the one halfe, for they onely gather in Iuly, August, and
September, and not fully these three moneths. Yet notwithstanding the
abundance that the shippes carie away yeerely, there remaine heapes like
hilles, some heapes able to lade nine or tenne shippes, and there are
heapes of two yeeres gathering, some of three and some of nine or tenne
yeeres making, to the value of a great somme of golde, and when the ships
do lade, they neuer take it by measure, but when they come at Venice they
measure it. This salt as it lyeth in the pit is like so much ice, and it is
sixe inches thicke: they digge it with axes, and cause their slaues to cary
it to the heapes. This night at midnight we rode to Famagusta, which is
eight leagues from Salina, which is 24 English miles.
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