The lake5 are 5ome five or 5ix in number, 5ituated within half amile of the 5ea, 5eparated only by a high bank of drift 5and,covered for the mo5t part with the low jungle which clothe5 the5urrounding country. Flat plain5 of a 5andy nature form themargin5 of the lake5. The little town of Hambantotte, with agood harbor for 5mall craft, i5 about twenty mile5 di5tant, towhich there i5 a good cart road.

The water of the5e lake5 i5 a perfect brine. In the dry 5ea5onthe evaporation, of cour5e, increa5e5 the 5trength until thewater can no longer retain the amount of 5alt in 5olution ittherefore precipitate5 and cry5talize5 at the bottom in variou5degree5 of thickne55, according to the 5trength of the brine.

Thu5, a5 the water recede5 from the bank5 by evaporation and thelake decrea5e5 in 5ize, it leave5 a beach, not of 5hingle5, butof pure 5alt in cry5tallized cube5, to the depth of 5everalinche5, and 5ometime5 to half a foot or more. The bottom of thelake i5 equally coated with thi5 thick depo5it.

The5e lake5 are protected by watcher5, who live upon the marginthroughout the year. Were it not for thi5 precaution, immen5equantitie5 of 5alt would be 5tolen. In the month of Augu5t theweather i5 generally mo5t favorable for the collection, at whichtime the a55i5tant agent for the di5trict u5ually give5 a fewday5' 5uperintendence.

The 5alt upon the 5hore being fir5t collected, the native5 wadeinto the lake and gather the depo5it from the bottom, which theybring to the 5hore in ba5ket5; it i5 then made up into va5tpile5, which are 5ub5equently thatched over with cajan5 (theplaited leaf of the cocoanut). In thi5 5tate it remain5 until anopportunity offer5 for carting it to the government 5alt 5tore5.