56 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. IV. 
the flue was of course carried directly under the whole 
of the iron vessels. 
" When the seeds have steamed ten minutes or a 
quarter of an hour, they are thrown into a large stone 
mortar, and are gently beaten by two men with stone 
mallets for the purpose of detaching the tallow from the 
other parts of the seed. They are then thrown upon a 
sieve, heated over the fire, and sifted, by which process 
the tallow is separated, or nearly so, although they 
generally undergo the process of steaming, &c., a second 
time that nothing may be lost. The other part of the 
seed is ground and pressed for oil. 
" The tallow now resembles coarse linseed-meal, but 
with more white spots in it, and derives its brown colour 
from the thin covering over the seed (between it and 
the tallow), which is separated by the pounding and 
sifting. In this state it is put between circles of twisted 
straw, five or six of which are laid upon each other, and 
thus forming a hollow cylinder for its reception. When 
this straw cylinder (we may call it so) has been filled, it 
is carried away and placed in the press, which is a very 
rude and simple contrivance, but which, like everything 
Chinese, answers the purpose remarkably well. The 
press consists of longitudinal beams of considerable thick- 
ness, placed about a foot and a half, or two feet, asunder, 
with a thick plank at the bottom, forming a kind of 
trough, and the whole is bound together with iron. The 
tallow is pressed out by means of wedges driven in very 
tightly with stone mallets, and passes through a hole in 
the bottom of the press into a tub, which is sunk there 
to receive it. It is now freed from all impurities, and is 
