1848.] 
RICE-MILLS. 
29 
without any preparation. It had been done two years ; 
the instrument had been in constant use, and the joint 
was now perfectly good and sound throughout its whole 
length. As the milk hardens by exposure to air, it be- 
comes a very tough, slightly elastic substance, much re- 
sembling gutta-percha ; but, not having the property of 
being softened by hot water, is not likely to become 
so extensively useful as that article. 
After leaving the wood-yard, we next visited the rice- 
mills, and inspected the process by which the rice is freed 
from its husk. There are several operations to effect this. 
The grain first passes between two mill- stones, not cut 
as for grinding fiour, but worked flat, and by them the 
outer husk is rubbed off. It is then conveyed between 
two boards of similar size and shape to the stones, set all 
over with stiff iron wires about three-eighths of an inch 
long, so close together that a grain of rice can just be 
pushed in between them. The two surfaces very nearly 
touch one another, so that the rice is forced through the 
spaces of the wires, which rub off the rest of the husk 
and polish the grain. A quantity however is broken by 
this operation, so it is next shaken through sifters of 
different degrees of fineness, which separate the dust from 
the broken rice. The whole rice is then fanned, to blow 
off the remaining dust, and finally passes between rub- 
bers covered with sheep -skin with the wool on, which 
clean it thoroughly, and render it fit for the market. 
The Para rice is remarkably fine, being equal in quality 
to that of Carolina, but, owing to the carelessness with 
which it is cultivated, it seldom shows so good a sample. 
No care is taken in choosing seed or in preparing the 
