



150 



THE STILL-HOUSE. 



to give it a fair trial. Some plantations sell a 

 great portion of their sugar and rum upon the 

 spot, and several of the lesser ones grind all 

 their canes for the purpose of making melasses, 

 which they distil themselves, or sell to the distil- 

 lers of small capital, who are very numerous j 

 therefore to the owners of these plantations in 

 particular, the opinion of the people of the coun- 

 try is of considerable moment. 



The planters of Brazil invariably follow the 

 system of claying their sugars, but the process 

 is too generally known to require any account of 

 it in this place. 



THE STILL-HOUSE. 



The Brazil planters are more backward in the 

 management of their still-houses than in any 

 other department of their business. The stills 

 are earthen jars with small necks, and likewise 

 small at the bottom, widening upwards consi- 

 derably, but again straightening on approaching 

 the neck. The foundation of a circular oven is 

 formed, and two of these iars are nlaced within 

 it, one on each side of it, in a slanting position, 

 with the bottom within the oven and the neck 

 on the outside, and being thus secured the walls 

 of the oven are built up against them, and the 

 top is closed in. These stills have round caps, 

 carapugas, which fit on to the mouths of the jars, 

 arid are rendered perfectly tight by a coat of 



