46 Clayed Sugar. [Book VTli. 



this, they employ lime-water, as the faccharine acid is 

 feparated by its means from every other combination* 

 The lime powerfully atrracYing the acid whtn united 

 with it, forms an infoluble fait, which either falls to 

 the bottom or mixes with the fcum. Many perfons 

 have fuppofed that a portion of the lime remains mixed 

 with the fugar ; but Bergman allures us, that if the 

 purification is properly conducted, the nature of the 

 ingredients, the circumftances of the operation, and 

 finally the moft accurate analyfis, abundantly mew, that 

 there is not the fmalleft trace of lime remaining. 

 Good fugar difiblves totally in diftilled water, which 

 could not pofiibly be the cafe if there was prefent any 

 lime, either in a feparate flate or united with the fac- 

 charine acid. 



There is another fort of fugar, which is much tifed, 

 and which in England paries by the name of Lisbon 

 fugar, but which in the Weft Indies is called clayed 

 fugar; the procefs for making it is as follows: A 

 quantity of fugar from the cooler is put into conical 

 pots or pans, with the point downwards, having a hole 

 about half an inch in diameter at bottom, for the me- 

 lafTes to drain through, but which is at firft flopped 

 with a plug. As foon as the fugar in thefe pots is 

 cool, and becomes a fixed body, which is known by the 

 middle of the top falling in, the plug is taken out, and 

 the pet placed over a large jar, intended to receive the 

 fyrup which flows through. In this ftate it is left as 

 long as the melaffes continues to drop, when a ftratum 

 of moiftened clay is fpread on the fugar. The water 

 gradually draining from the clay, dilutes the melaffes, 

 in confequence of which more of it comes -away from 

 the fugar, which becomes whiter and finer. A fecond 

 covering of clay is put on when the firft is dry, and 

 water is again fuffered to filter through, after which 



the 



