120 HARVESTING AND TRANSPORTING 



factory, would provide a more expeditious and probably 

 a more economical method for transporting cocoa beans 

 to the fermenting-house than the employment of animal- 

 drawn vehicles. 



On several of the large cocoa estates in San Thome 

 the cocoa beans are conveyed to the fermenting-house in 

 small wagons which run on light Decauville railways. 

 The fermenting-house usually is situated at the lowest 

 part of the estate, and the rails are so arranged that 

 the wagons descend by gravitation. Each wagon is 

 supplied with a substantial brake at each end by which 

 the speed may be regulated down steep inclines. The 

 writer travelled by this means on one of these wagons 

 over 40 kilometres (25 miles) of these rails on the " Rio 

 do Ouro " estate in San Thome. The rails are placed 

 65 cm. (26 in.) apart. The total length of Decauville 

 rails, on the " Rio do Ouro " estate, which ramify the 

 plantations in all directions, is 102 kilometres (63 miles). 



In addition to these a more substantial line of rails, 

 85 cm. (34 in.) wide runs, from the curing-houses to the 

 landing stage, on which the cured cocoa is transported 

 in wagons drawn by a small locomotive. This line is 

 10 kilometres (6J miles) in length. 



A mule is sufficient to draw the empty wagons from 

 the fermenting-house to the different parts of the plant- 

 ations where the fruit is being harvested. At con- 

 venient distances small sheds are placed alongside the 

 rails. The floor of these sheds slopes towards the rails, 

 and is arranged so that a wooden trough connects it with 

 the top of a wagon drawn up alongside. As the cocoa 

 beans are extracted from the fruit-shells they are placed 

 in baskets. When a basket is filled it is taken to the 

 nearest shed and emptied therein. When the shed is 

 full a wagon is sent for and the beans are shovelled into 

 the wagon through a trap-door opening, situated in the 

 front of the shed on a level with the floor. Plate 8 

 shows an empty wagon drawn up in front of one of 

 these sheds. 



To facilitate the removal of the beans from the wagons 

 to the vessels in which they are to be fermented, the 

 rails usually run alongside the vessels. Plate 9 shows a 

 row of fermenting-cases at the " Rio do Ouro " estate, 

 San Thome. Part of the roof of these is movable, and 



