APPENDIX. 375 



wheat is then coarsely gi-ound and run through an immense revolv- 

 ing sieve to separate the starch from the bran and flinty portions. 

 It is then successively passed through a series of six hand-sieves, 

 each a little finer than that preceding, for the purpose of separating 

 the flinty portion from the bran. This apparently simple process 

 requires considerable skill and a certain knack, which it takes 

 time to acquire. The motion which is given to the sieves by the 

 sifters is half rotary and half up and down, with an indescribable 

 side motion, which I can only characterize as " boomerang," for it 

 throws the mass which is being sifted in an opposite direction to 

 that taken by the sieve. Every few minutes each sifter pauses 

 and skims off the bran which has worked to the top and centre 

 of the sieve, and after these various manipulations there remains 

 a clean, flinty farina, known as semolma. This is then mixed 

 with warm water into a stiff dough, and this dough is thoroughly 

 kneaded by means of a long prism-like, hard-wood lever, so 

 adjusted that the spring of the timber may be utilized in alter- 

 nately raising and depressing it upon the mass of dough, which 

 is thus pressed and kneaded into the required consistency. It is 

 rather amusing to see two or three men sitting on the end of 

 this lever and bobbing up and down, so as to throw their weight 

 at one instant on the lever, bringing it down into the dough 

 and then allowing it to spring up again, in order that it may be 

 brought down in a new place. After this kneading lever has been 

 passed over a mass of dough the latter resembles a huge cake of 

 chocolate, or rather a cake of maple-sugar, which has been run 

 into the mold known as " chocolate style." After it has been thus 

 mixed and kneaded for about one hour, the dough is put into presses 

 with perforated bottoms, and pressure being applied, it comes out 

 through these holes in the shape known to us as macaroni. At 

 this stage of the process it is, of course, soft and flexible, and in 

 order to keep the various little strings of dough from sticking to- 

 gether, it is constantly fanned by a boy, in order that the current 

 of air thus made may slightly dry the outside of the strings and pre- 

 vent them from sticking together. It is then cut off and hung on 

 racks or frames made of bamboo, to dry. As it hangs on the 

 frames the different pieces are of unequal length, and a boy passes 

 rapidly over them, wringing off the longer ends so as to make them 



