55 



Once more is the Marc subjected to treatment with 

 boiling water ; and it is at this stage that, when the 

 stones were not crushed in the first milling, that process 

 is now gone through, and the last of the oil obtained. 

 This pressing is, however, regarded as of inferior quality, 

 and is kept carefully separate from the results of num- 

 bers one and two. 



The water which has been used in the several pro- 

 cesses, and which still contains an admixture of oil, is 

 conducted into large reservoirs, generally constructed 

 underground ; and are called by the French, " Enfer," 

 a word, which if literally translated, would grate some- 

 what upon English sensibilities. Here it is left for a 

 considerable period, during which the mucilage, water, 

 and oil thoroughly separate — the former falling to the 

 bottom, while the latter rises to the top, whence it is 

 ultimately skimmed off, and applied to local uses of an 

 inferior character — such as burning in lamps. This oil, 

 taking its name from the Erench designation of the 

 reservoirs used in its extraction, has the specific designa- 

 tion of " oil of the infernal regions." 



The process of the second extraction by the aid of 

 heat is in large mills sometimes effected by an elaborate 

 arrangement for the thorough separation of the pulp 3 

 and freeing of the oil. This will be better understood 

 by reference to full page Illustration Q, with its accom- 

 panying key. 



There are yet processes for still further extraction 

 of oil to the last fraction, which it is unnecessary here 

 to describe. These may be compared to the finer pro- 

 cesses for extraction of gold from quartz, which in the 

 early days of the industry were not adopted ; and indeed 

 are still unpractised except in some of the older mines 

 where large capital is employed. My object is to 

 encourage the establishment of oil-making as a new 

 industry ; and to shew that some of the processes are 

 simple yet perfectly efficacious, and require so little 

 capital, that the application of so large a word would be 

 out of place. There are few industries which may not 



