When Henry Drummond was traveling in tropical Africa, he found that salt
was regarded by the natives as a rare luxury. Often he offered the
native boys the choice between a pinch of salt and a lump of sugar, and
they always chose the salt. Once he presented the head man of a village
with a spoonful of salt. The chief twisted a leaf into a little bag,
into which he poured the salt. Then he held out his hand to the children
who crowded around, and each was allowed one lick of his empty palm.
1691