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tion of the white sebaceous matter enveloping the seeds, ihey are 

 steamed in tubs having convex, open, wicker bottoms, placed over 

 cauldrons of boiling water. When thoroughly heated they are re- 

 duced to a mash in the mortar, and thence transferred to bamboo 

 sieves, kept, at a uniform temperature, over hot ashes. A single ope- 

 ration does not suffice to deprive them of all their tallow ; the steam- 

 ing and sifting is therefore repeated. The article thus procured 

 becomes a solid mass on falling through the sieve ; and to purify it, 

 it is melted, and formed into cakes for the press. These receive their 

 form from bamboo hoops, a foot in diameter and three inches deep, 

 which are laid on the ground, over a little straw. On being filled with 

 the hot liquid, the ends of the straw beneath are drawn up and spread 

 over the top, and when of sufficient consistence are placed, with their 

 rings, in the press. This apparatus, which is of the rudest descrip- 

 tion, is constructed of two large beams, placed horizontally, so as to 

 form a trough, capable of containing about fifty of the rings, with 

 their sebaceous cakes. At one end it is closed, and at the other 

 adapted for receiving wedges, which are successively driven into it, 

 by ponderous sledge-hammers, wielded by athletic men. The tallow 

 oozes, in a melted state, into a receptacle below, where it cools. It 

 is again melted, and poured into tubs smeared with mud, to prevent 

 its adhering. It is now marketable, in masses of about eighty pounds 

 each, hard, brittle, white, opaque, tasteless, and without the odour of 

 animal tallow. Under high pressure it scarcely stains bibulous pa- 

 per; melts at 140 deg. Fahr. It may be regarded as nearly pure stea- 

 rine; the slight difference is doubtless owing to the admixture of oil 

 expressed from the seed in the process just described. The seeds 

 yield about eight per cent, of tallow, which sells for about five ceut» 

 per pound. The process for pressing the oil, which is carried on at 

 the same time, remains to be noticed. It is contained in the kernel 

 of the nut, the sebaceous matter, which lies between the shell and the 

 husk, having been removed in the manner described. The kernel and 

 the husk covering it are gi'ound between two stones, which are heated, 

 to prevent clogging from the sebaceous matter still adhering. The 

 mass is then placed in a winnowing machine, precisely like those in 

 use in western countries. The chaff being separated, exposes the 

 white oleaginous kernels, which, after being steamed, are placed in a 

 mill to be mashed. This machine is formed of a circular stone groove, 

 twelve feet in diameter, three inches deep, and about as many wide, 

 into which a thick, solid, stone wheel, eight feet in diameter, tapering 

 at the edge, is made to revolve perpendicularly, by an ox harnessed 



