earthenware jars. This coarse, dirty, dark-colored salt was
dissolved by the three younger Vestals in boiling water, which
water might not be obtained from the lead pipes which
connected the Atrium with the general water-supply of the
city's aqueducts, but must be drawn by the Vestals themselves
and carried by them in the earthenware jars from the famous
fountain of Jaturna, at which Castor and Pollux were fabled
to have watered their white horses after bringing to Rome
the news of the victory at Lake Regillus. The solution was
purified by repeated boilings, the impurities being gotten rid
of by successive careful decantings of the liquid from one vessel
into another, so that the sediment might be left behind as the
top part was poured off. When sufficiently boiled down the
solution was recrystallized in shallow earthenware pans.
The resulting slabs of salt were harder than the pans and
were freed from them by breaking the earthenware with
an ancient stone hammer, said to have been captured by
AEneas himself from a king of Ardea. The slabs of salt were
sawed into pieces with an iron saw, the pieces were pounded
in a mortar, the fine salt was thrown into an earthenware
bowl and dried out in a kiln. When dried a little powdered
gypsum was stirred through it to prevent it from again
becoming moist. It was then stored in a tall jar with a tight
lid, which was kept in the outer storeroom of the temple,
along with the jars of meal. Three times a year, on the
ninth of June, on the thirteenth of September and on the
fifteenth of February, with solemn prayers the Vestals
mixed the prepared salt with the prepared grits, the
resultant mixture being the sacred meal.