Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/178

 this mixture they put about 2. quarts into a Pann that holds about 360. quarts of Brine; this bloudy brine, at the first boyling of the Pann, brings up at scumm, which they are careful to take off with a Skimmer, made with a woodden handle thrust through a long square of Wainscot-board, twice as bigg as a good square trencher: this they call a Loot. Here they continue their fire as quick as they can, till halfe the Brine be wasted, and this they call Boyling upon the fresh. But when 'tis halfe boyled away, they fill their Panns again with new Brine out of the Ship, (so they call a great Cistern by their Panns sides, into which their Brine runs through the Woodden Gutters from the Pump, that stands in the Pitts) then they put into the Pann, 2. quarts of the Mixture following: They take a quart of Whites of Eggs, beat them thoroughly with as much Brine, till they are well broken; then mix them with 20. Gallons of brine, as before was done with the Bloud; and thus that which they call the Whites is made. As soon as this is in, they boyle sharply, till the second Scum arise; then they scum it off as before, and boyle very gently till it Corne; to procure which, when part of the Brine is wasted, they put into each Pann of the Content aforesaid about a quarter of a pint of the best and strongest Ale they can gett: this makes a momentany Ebullition, which is soon over, and then they abate their fires, yet not so but that they keep it boyling all over, though gently; for the Workmen say, that if they boyle fast here, (which they call Boyling on the Leach, because they usually all this time lade in their Leach-brine, which is such Brine, as runs from their salt, when 'tis taken up before it hardens) if I say, they boyle fast here it wasts their Salt. After all their Leach-Brine is in, they boyle gently till a kind of Scum come on it like a thin Jce; which is the first appearance of the Salt: then that sinks, and the Brine every where gathers into Cornes at the bottom to it, which they gently rake together with their Loots: I say, gently; for much stirring breakes the Corne. So they continue, till there is but very little brine left in the Pann; then with their Loots they take it up the Brine dropping from it and throw it into their Barrows, which are Cases made with flat cleft wickers, in the shape almost of a Sugar-loaf, the bottom upper-most. When the Barrow is full, they let it stand so for an hour and an halfe in the Trough,