DEVELOPMENT OP COLONIAL RESOURCES IN AUSTRALIA. 243 



kooks attached, passing over sheaves, and driven by steam. The boilers 

 sure large steam-tight double cylinders, and capable of holding upwards 

 of fifty bullocks at a time. When filled with meat, the orifice in the 

 top of the boiler is closed, and the steam is let on at a pressure of 15 lbs. 

 to the inch. In about seven hours, the whole mass of meat and bone is 

 reduced to a pulp. The steam is then condensed and the tallow floats 

 on the surface. On a tap being turned, it flows into the refining pans ; 

 and when the refining is completed, by turning another tap, it runs into 

 large, shallow coolers. These are only about three inches deep, but very 

 wide and long, in order that as great a surface as possible may be 

 exposed to the air. When sufficiently cool, by turning other tap§, it is 

 run into casks alongside, and these are run by means of a tramway on 

 to the weighing machine, and thence to the rail for conveyance to 

 Sydney. The mass of pulp to which both bone and flesh has by the 

 steaming process been reduced, is then removed from the boilers by 

 means of an opening near the bottom, fitted with a steam-tight door. It 

 falls into a powerful press, also running on the tramways, and the strong 

 pressure being applied, a large quantity of highly concentrated eoup is 

 extracted ; the flesh and bone, having by the pressure been made into 

 enormous solid cakes, the trolly -press is then run into the piggery, and 

 the greaves given to the pigs. The concentrated gravy or soup is then 

 placed in a peculiarly constructed boiler, and reduced by evaporation to 

 such a consistency that when cold it becomes solid, previously to which, 

 however, it is run into bladders. It is, when cold, semi-transparent, of 

 a rich reddish-brown colour, and sweet to the smell and taste, almost 

 like confectionery. The first shipment from Sydney of this concentrated 

 soup, which is in great demand in England, was made in June last by 

 the mail steamer. An average bullock will yield about 20 lbs. weight 

 of this portable soup. Mr. Atkinson was, we believe, the first person in 

 New South Wales to turn this substance to profitable account. 



It will be seen by the above, that all the operations are carried on 

 with a very small amount of labour. The tallow, gelatine, and other 

 substances, are scarcely touched by the hand of man, from the time the 

 beast is killed until its remains are on the way to market and the pig 

 yards. The above account applies to cattle which are wholly boiled 

 down. The best portions of the best beasts, however, instead of being 

 carried on the tramway to the boilers, are run off to the salting-house. 

 The process there need not be described, further than that every particle 

 of bone is extracted previous to the meat being salted. The leaner por- 

 tions, not suitable for the casks, are cut into strips, and made (by a pro- 

 cess which we are not at present at liberty to describe, as it will probably 

 be made the subject of a patent) into what is known as charqui, or tasejo, 

 an Indian name for dried or jerked beef. When prepared, it is placed in 

 bags, and smnewhat resembles dried apples in appearance, only that the 

 scraps or strips are longer. Each bullock will yield on an average about 

 100 lbs. of charqui, and the market for it is understood to be practically, 

 unlimited. 



