Salt-works are found in the island of Corfu, which have always been an object of the greatest importance to the Venetian government to whom they belonged. Their produce was consumed as well in the Venetian states of the main-land as in Austrian Lombardy, and the latter government gave, in exchange for these supplies of salt, men condemned to hard labour, whom the republic of Venice employed in its gallies and arsenals. When the Ionian Islands became independent, these salt-works fell into a state of decay from which they have never been raised, and indeed the merchants of the country are both too ignorant and unenterprising to undertake any such object of speculation.
For the space of several years these salt-works have been rented, at the low rate of 900 Venetian sequins per year, by a company, to whom even the attempt has been ruinous. This company, not possessing adequate funds to carry on the operations, has only been able to make sufficient salt for the consumption of the country, and a small quantity furnished to Albania, which country is itself provided with salt-works.
It would be easy to point out the very considerable advantages to be derived by placing the above salt-works in a state of activity, in a certain vent could only be secured; which would be extremely possible by treating in a direct manner with the administration of Austro-Lombardy, that is, with the contractors of Milan, Mantua, Brescia, Verona, &c. under a condition to supply them annually with 14,000 muids, or measures, of salt, which might be conveyed to Venice on the terms hereafter pointed out. The trifling sum of 14,000 talari would suffice to commence this enterprise, and even to carry the salt-works to that degree of perfection of which they are susceptible; and from such an undertaking great profits would follow.
