of the Council of Safety, 1775-76. 491

[E. Johnson to Council.]

Gentⁿ When last in Annapolic in conversation with one of
y^r Hon^ble Members M^r Ramsey, I said I was informed by
some of the inhabitants of this County near to the Clifts that
the Clifts were in places full of a saline matter that they took
to be salt Petre in a native state & I promised to examine
therein on my return.
I have been under those Clifts & find saline matter in some
parts in great abundance of a vitriolic aluminous Taste but
have made no experiments therewith yet, from the calls of my
profession hindering me, but on the clift at M'^s Hollands about
three miles below this town on the E. side of Patuxent River
we have discovered a salt Lick & the Earth very strongly
impregnated with common salt insomuch that a tub of that
Earth being put up & water run through it as they draw off
Ley from ashes or nitrous earth is so rich as to yield by boiling
1/14^th part of its quantity good clean fine salt as you may see by
the small sample I have sent you by M^r Peregrine Fitzhugh.
Various are the opinions how this is produced: D^r Ja^s Bate
says as its on the east side & exposed to the most violent heat
of the sun in the afternoon he believes it to be no more than
from the sprays of the sea's meeting this Clift & the sun
exhaling the more moist whilst the saline particles are left
behind & retained in the earth for about 4 inches deep.
I am of a contrary opinion as the water of the River is only
brackish at that place none are ever biting there or within 12

miles of it & think that the earth is impregnated with salt in
a native state which is perpetually ouseing & the sun exhales
the moist & fixes the saline particles behind, be this as it may
it is a valuable discovery & the Tenants on that land can
easily get whatever salt they may xvant & now only repine
that it was not discovered early enough to salt up fish with
which are caught there in the spring in great abundance :
The Salt Petre manufactory under my superviser ship I have
the satisfaction to inform you emproves much & tho we were
so unsuccessful in the first 8 Hhd^s of earth we drew ley from
as to get nothing when last at Annapolis other earth has in the
last three weeks given us between fifteen & eighteen pounds
pure crude nitre but expect a week or two more to have drawn
off the ley &c from all the earth I have there in a proper state
& shall then proceed to lay in my shed this earth that has been
drawn off trash Tob^o lime brickdust &c as a matrix for to
receive more ag^t the fall
I am Gen^t y^r Honor" most obed^{t
Servt E. Johnson.
Lower Marlbro June 14th 1776.}

Original.