1 
EETKEEEEATIHG FUEKACES. 
255 
Caita de OtaJiiti, recognised at a distance by a fresher 
green, has the advantage of furnishing, on the same extent 
of soil, one-fonrth more juice, and a stem more woody, 
thicker, and consequently richer in combustible matter. 
Tile refiners (inaestros de azucar), pretend that the vezou 
(guarapo) of the Cana de Otahiti is more easily worked, 
and yields more crystallized sugar by adding less lime or 
potass to the vezou. The South Sea sugar-cane furnishes, no 
doubt, after live or six years’ cultii’ation, tlie thinnest 
stubble, but the knots remain more distant I'roin each other 
than in the Caiia crcolia or de la tierra. The apprehension 
at first entertained of tlie former degenerating by degrees 
into ordinary sugar-cane is happily not realized. The sugar- 
cane is planted in the island of Cuba in the rainy season, 
from July to October; and the harvest is gathered from 
Tebruary to May. 
In proportion as by too rapid clearing the island has become 
’inwooded, the sugar-houses have begun to want fuel. A 
little stalk (sugar-cane destitute of its juice) used to be 
employed to quicken the fire beneath the old cauldrons 
(tachos) ; but it is only since the introduction of rever- 
herating furnaces by the emigrants of Saint Domingo, that 
the attempt has been made to dispense altogetlier with 
^Tood, and burn only refuse sugar-cane. In the old con- 
struction of furnaces and cauldrons, a tarea of wood, of one 
hundred and sixty cubic feet, is burnt to produce five arrobas 
of sugar, or, for a hundred kilogrammes of raw sugar, 278 
cubic feet of the wood of the lemon and orange trees are 
I’equired. In the reverberating furnaces ot Saint Domingo, 
u cart of refuse-cane of 495 cubic feet produced 640 pounds 
uf coarse sugar, which make 158 cubic feet of refuse-cane 
for 100 kilogrammes of sugar. I attempted, during my 
^tay at Quines, and especially at Rio Rlanco, with the Count 
de Mopex, several new constructions, with the view of 
diminishing the expense of fuel, surrounding the focus with 
substances which do not powerfully conduct the heat, and 
thus diminish the sufferings of the slaves who keep up the fire. 
Along residence iirthe salt-producing districts of Europe, and 
the labours of practical Jialurgg, to which I have been devoted 
^mce mv earlv vouth, suggested to me the idea ot those con- 
structions, which have been imitated with some success. Cuver- 
