URUGUAY. , 625 



taken to the opposite side of the galpou, and Ihere all the mrat was cut from t^e 

 bones and hung np on the rails provided for that purpose, together with that cut oif 

 the ribs, &o., still warm and quivering with life. The skull and horns were taken in 

 a different direction. This operation takes from eighttonineminuteson an average, 

 but on occasions has, been done in five, and the skinner waits his next turn, which 

 comes every fifteen minutes. As the truck is run out, the alternative truck is run into 

 the paddock and the beam shot back for another victim. 



The shed contains about 25 oxen at a time, so t|iat about 100 are killed, skinned, 

 and cut up in an hour, and in the height of the killing season as many as 1,200 are 

 thus disposed of per diem, or from 100,000 to 150,000 a season. Each skinner gets 6 

 pence per head, but if in skinning he makes a hole in the skin he loses his payment. 

 In the height of the season he disposes of about 33 in a day. 



* # * « » # i. 



After 150 were disposed of, in an hour and a half, the remainder were left till after 

 breakfast, and the place was cleaned up in a marvelously short time, making it diffi- 

 cnlt to believe that such a scene of blood had been taking place so recently. » » * 

 When it has cooled, the meat is cleared of fat and is stewed in large oblong caldrons, 

 in which the water is kept somewhat below boiling point, as it is a peculiarity of the 

 extract that it contains no matter which is not soluble in cold as distinguished from 

 boiling water. The thin soap so obtained is then strained off and carefully skimmed, 

 which removes any trace of grease that may have remained in the meat. It is then 

 passed through a series of elaborate evaporators, out of each of which i t comes thicker 

 until it reaches a consistency rather wore solid than treacle. As much as 90,000 gal- 

 lons of water a day is sometimes thus evaporated. It is now ready for use and is 

 packed in large cube tins holding about 110 pounds of the extract ; each of these tins 

 contains on an average the substance of 15 animals, and is worth about £50. 



Tin shops, carpenter shops, engineers' rooms, &c., on a complete scale 

 are attached to the factory. There are also churches, schools, and 

 houses for the operatives. 



I will simply add that a higher price is asked here for the extract 

 than in the United States, and that, strange to say, what is termed the 

 " English Extract" is cheaper than either the CJruguayan or American. 

 The solution of this, I am advised, is found in the fact that the Uru- 

 guayan is unadulterated, and the English and American, after being 

 shipped from here, is returned adulterated, or rather weakened, so as 

 to undersell the former. Whether this be so or not I cannot say, but 

 I do know that the English brand is cheaper in this market than the 

 ' •> Uruguayan, or, at least, that I paid higher for the latter. 



) 



FROZEN-MEAT TRADE. 



The, principal wealth of the Plate countries consists in herds and 

 flocks, and so rich are they in these that every possible attention and 

 effort have been given to solve the vexed problem, " What shall we do 

 with our surplus beef and mutton ?" 



Experience has taugjit the farmers that the shipping of live stock 

 will not pay ; the voyage being too long, say from 20 to 30 days by 

 steamer to France, England, Germany, and Italy, and as a consequence 

 the freights, including the feed, are very high. 



For some time jerked beef answered for the purpose, but by degrees 

 the frozen-meat trade has been resorted to and made successful. 



In the Argentine Confederation alone there are said to be now 

 100,000,000 sheep, besides immense herds of cattle, and, as the pastures 

 are apparently inexhaustible, the increase of such immense herds and 

 flocks must be prodigious and beyond all conceivable use for a popula- 

 tion of only 3,000,000. 



In Uruguay, likewise, with a population of about 700,000, there are 

 said to be now (1886) over 8,000,000 cattle and 20,000,000 sheep. 



It will theresfore bo easily seen that this frozen-meat trade, if ulti- 

 mately successful, will assume gigantic dimensions. The question has 

 H. Ex. 51 40 



