246 TRiANDBiA JDiGYNiA. . SaccJiaritm. 



" powder and put round the root of the plants, in small quantities and 

 " aftenvards covered over with earth. The canes are now left to the 

 *' fertility of the soil till they arrive at maturity, except when it proves 

 " such a dry season, that watering becomes requisite, and are cut 

 " down about the 1st of November. The first sort planted m the 

 *' foregoing manner, generally yields three crops, while the second 

 "requires fresh planting. 



" The sugar canes are now removed from the ground to the mill 

 *' for expression. The juice, being extracted, is carefully strained, 

 " mixed with a small quantity of lime water, then poured into 1 irge 

 ** warm iron pans, placed on a plat -form of brick work, witli liie 

 *' places below ; it is now boiled for a length of time, and being 

 "removed from the fire, niid allowed to cool, it is a second time 

 " strained, and being aguiu returned to the pans, the boiling is re- 

 *' peated for once, or twice, till it acquires a saccharine consistence. 

 "The sugar, still very moist, is now put into cylindrical jars, which 

 "have a small hole in e-ach of their bottoms, for the puTpose of 

 " draining ; and their tops being covered over with from half au 

 " inch to an inch of clayey moist earth, these are placed on stands, 

 " aud remain for three or four days ; when the old earthen covering 

 " is removed, and a fresh one put on. They continue in that situ- 

 *' ation for three or four days more, llie covering is then taken off, 

 " and the sugar being sufiiciently clarified is removed from the jars, 

 " and spread out ou ilat baskets, exposed to the sun till dry, when 

 " it is fit for use. 



"The mill for expressing the juice; of which I have sent a very 

 ** exact miniature model, appears so far as I recollect, 'preferable to 

 " those used in India. The machine is wrought by a buft'alo 

 " yoked to the small end of the crooked beam, while its thick end is 

 *' fastened to the long axle of one of the cylinders. The canes hav- 

 " ing undergone one expression, and being consequently in a split state, 

 " are not thrust a second time through till all the irons are greased. 

 "The cylinders are not always of the same dimensions; those I ex- 

 "amined were two cubits high, and one and two-thirds in diaBieter, 



