sraAE. 



165 



be filtered as Mr, Fownes recommends, by wliicli means the 

 liquor would be more efiectiially clarified, and much, if not all, the 

 subsequent labour of skimming dispensed -vritli. The matter re- 

 maining on the filter may be employed, either as a ferment in the 

 still-house, or added to the manure heap. Much of the beneficial 

 eftect of the mucilage of the guazuma arises probably from an 

 admixture of tannin, or some otlier astringent ; for I have often 

 been struck with the peculiar whiteness of the potted sugar in 

 the curing-house, in the immediate ricinity of the Banana stalks, 

 resulting, no doubt, from their poAverful astringency ; and tannin 

 has already been foimd useful in the manufacture of sugar from 

 beet-root in France, and is no doubt equally applicable to cane- 

 sugar. 



The Hquor, when clarified in the manner described, must be con- 

 centrated, by regulated evaporation, to the degree requisite for 

 crystallisation. This ^Ir. Fownes advises to be done by steam of 

 a moderate pressure circulating in a spnal of copper-pipe laid at 

 the bottom of the evaporating vessels, which should be large and 

 shallow, and wholly unlike those in present use. Here it may 

 be rapidly boiled down till the heat rises to about 225 deg., vdth- 

 out risk of burning. When cold, it should have a density of about 

 1'38, and mark the 38th degree of Baume's hydrometer ; beyond 

 which point of inspissation it would be dangerous to go. The re- 

 maining concentration will be most safely conducted in the vacuum 

 pan, where a scarcity of water does not, as in Barbados, militate 

 against its use. 



Mr. Fo^vnes exposes the absurdity' of using shallow coolers, ex- 

 posing a large surface, and producing a rapid evaporation, for the 

 process of crystallisation. By the use of the shallow coolers for- 

 merly, and, I believe, yet to be foimd on most estates, from the 

 rapidity of the evaporation, the sugar is obtained in a mass of con- 

 fused and imperfectly-formed crystals, entangling in their inter- 

 stices a considerable quantity of molasses, which impairs the color 

 of the product, and escaping slowly, and with diilicaltr, is, to a con- 

 siderable extent, lost on the homeward voyage by drainage into the 

 hold, occasioning much positive loss to the owner, and giving the 

 bilge-water a most offensive odor. He therefore recommends the 

 use of deep vessels, and avoidance of all agitation in this part of 

 the process, so as to enable the crystallisable portion of the syrup 

 to effect a more complete separation from the uncrvstalli -aljle por- 

 tion or the molasses. By this simple method, not only sugar of 

 a finer and whiter quality wouJd be obtained, but a large per cent- 

 age of loss both of crystalHsable and imcrystallisable sugar at pre- 

 sent caused by the leakage of the hogshead into the hold, would be 

 prevented, not only to the great advantage of the planter, but to 

 the great comfort of the captain, passengers, and crevr of the ves- 

 sel freighted with it. 



It is not improbable that, by reboiling the molasses in the va- 

 cuum-pan, and employing tannin in the manner ado|)ted iji tlie 

 process for_ making sugar Irom beet-root, from one to hve per 



