Some time back Sinclair de la Behottiere sent us much information about the
importance of salt to the early economies and societies.
I responded with the information that the comic strip "Prince Valiant"
currently had a story line about this. Last Sunday the writer showed us a
picture of a huge contraption composed of two about 20 ft. wooden wheeles
with an axel between them. Around the axel was wound a rope that descended
into the earth where salt was. The explanation was that "sometimes it took
six men climbing the wheels like stairs to make them turn. From deep below
they brought up brine--water thicker with salt than even the ocean. Into
the evaporation pans it would go, boiling the water until only salty solds
remained. The Romans once had salt works like this all over Britain and
exported the salt to the north" The Romans left England around 411.
It was also Sinclair that reminded us so eloquently each year how much the
people of Normandy still remembered the sacrifices of the Canadians and
Americans. During this last winter he and his farms suffered much from the
terrible storms in France. He struggled himself to save his sheep from
drowning. I hope the people that were so abusive are ashamed of themselves
for treating their cousin in such a manner after what he has been through
this year!!
Laurel
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