SACCHARUM. 
molasses'which are drawn off in this practice be reboiled, 
they wili give nearly forty per cent, of sugar 5 so that the 
real loss is little more than one-sixth; but the distillery, in 
that case, will suffer for want of the molasses. On the 
whole, shipping muscovado sugar, and distilling the 
molasses, is more generally profitable than the system of 
claying. 
The Cochinchinese prepare a very excellent moist sugar, 
remarkably cheap, by a very simple process, similar to that 
of claying. The grain'ed sugar, after the gross syrup has 
drained from it, and it has become considerably solid, is 
placed in layers about an inch thick, under layers of the 
same dimensions of the herbaceous trunk of the plantain 
tree ; the watery juices, exuding from which, act like clay¬ 
ing, and leave the sugar very white and porous, like a honey¬ 
comb. This is pure enough to dissolve in water, without 
any sediment. 
The first operation in the refining of sugar, is that of 
clearing the pans; previously to which they are charged, 
by throwing about six quarts of fresh bullock’s blood (called* 
spice) into each pan, and filling it with lime-water to about 
half the height from the bottom to the part in which the 
brace is fixed ; and when these are well stirred together, the 
pan is filled to the brim with raw sugar. This mass, with a 
moderate fire, will, in about two hours, be brought to the 
verge of boiling heat; but it should not be allowed actually to 
boil; and in this time the earthy particles of the sugar, and 
other adventitious impurities, will be separated from it by 
the effect of the heat, and the cleansing quality of the spice, 
and thrown up to the surface. About two quarts of spice 
are added to each pan, within the first hour after the fires are 
lighted. The scum thus produced, which is usually from 
four to ten inches thick, is fit to be taken off, when the sur¬ 
face appears black and dry, and not greasy; and it is gently 
removed with a broad skimmer into a portable tub, and con¬ 
veyed to the scum-cistern. Having done this, the panman 
stirs together a ladleful of spice (e. gr. about a quart), and 
a quantity of lime-water (e. gr. one or two gallons, as the 
case may require); and pours this mixture into each pan. 
When the sugar is again brought to a scalding heat, it throws 
up a second scum, not so foul as the first, which is removed 
as before. He then adds a fresh quantity of spice, but less 
than the former, and repeats this operation, till the sugar 
casts up a clean milky froth, which indicates that the im¬ 
purity is wholly extracted. The liquor is also sometimes 
examined with a bright silver or metal spoon, that any 
remaining foulness may be discovered. In the making of 
double loaves, powder loaves, or very fine single loaves, it is 
usual to heighten the natural colour of the sugar by the ad¬ 
dition of a little blue. For this purpose, when the pans are 
almost clear, the quantity of about six pennyweights troy of 
the finest indigo, finely powdered and filtered through a 
piece of woollen or blanketing in a bason of fresh water, and 
well stirred together in a bason, is thrown into each pan. 
The sugar being once raised in the pan after this infusion, 
the grosser particles of the colour are taken off in the last 
scum, and the remainder is incorporated with the sugar in 
the pan. 
The panman having brought the sugar to the cleanest state, 
prepares to skip it off, or to shift it from one vessel to ano 
ther: this is done by means of a wooden gutter laid along the 
parts, and opening into the clarifying cistern. Over this cis¬ 
tern, upon large iron bars, is fixed an oblong basket, about six¬ 
teen inches deep, in which a large thick blanket is fastened; 
and through this blanket and basket the sugar liquid passes 
out of the gutter; and to the mass a quantity of syrup is 
usually added. Having measured the quantity of liquid in 
the cistern with a rod graduated by inches, the panman 
pumps brick into the pans either the sixth or ninth part of the 
whole, as he is directed by the supervisor or boiler; and the 
pans are all supplied together by means of a trough. When 
this is done, the fire is stirred up to a considerable degree of 
fierceness; and then commences a new operation, viz. 
evaporation. In this part of the process (the day’s work 
being divided into three fillings), the panman pumps into 
519 
the pan one-ninth part of the quantity in the cistern, which 
in a few seconds begins to boil, and must be continued in a 
boiling state, but not with too intense afire; and to prevent 
the sugar -from boiling up to the surface of the pan, or from 
boiling over, he casts a piece of butter or grease, about the 
size of a nutmeg, into the boiling liquor. Sugar should boil 
low in in the pan, and yet not too flat, like water; for by 
rising hollow from the bottom, the necessary evaporation is 
retarded, and the sugar is exposed to the action of the fire for 
a longer time than it ought to be. In a space of time from 
twelve to thirty minutes, the evaporation will have produced 
its effect, and the sugar acquire the requisite degree of vis¬ 
cousness. The state w’ill be indicated by various circum¬ 
stances ; as by the bubbles dragging heavily over the surface 
of the boiling mass, and by the clammy liquid falling in 
ropes from the proof-stick; but principally by that test which 
is called the proof. For this purpose the boiler draw's the 
stick out of the boiling liquid with his right hand, and 
placing his left thumb upon the sugar, draws it across the 
stick, carrying away upon the end of his thumb as much of 
the sugar as will hang upon it; he then, by means of a 
candle placed in a black box, called the proof-box, and by 
repeated trials (drawing the sugar to a thread between his 
thumb and fore-finger), determines when the evaporation is 
complete; and when this is decided, the fire is smothered, 
and nearly quenched. The hot sugar-liquor is then removed 
by means of basons out of the pans into coolers, two or 
three gallons being left in each pan to prevent the bottom 
from being scorched ; and the pans are again supplied with 
a quantity of liquor for the next evaporation. The liquor in 
the coolers is gently stirred to prevent a crust from forming 
on its surface. When the second quantity is brought to proof, 
and skipped off into the coolers, the pans are supplied with a 
similar quantity ; and while this is boiling, that part of the 
process of refining, called granulation, is pursued. For this 
purpose the sugar is disturbed in the coolers by an instru¬ 
ment called an oar, and resembling the oar of a boat: the 
violent motion thus continued for several minutes, serves to 
destroy the viscousness of the sugar, and to complete the 
granulation. Upon this operation much of the beauty and 
success of the manufacture depend ; for if the sugars are not 
stirred enough, the grain of the refined sugar will be large 
and loose, and its colour not sufficiently white; but if it be 
stirred too much, the grains will be broken, the sugar will be 
disunited in its parts, and though close and smooth, without 
lustre; and it will lose considerably of its due weight. When 
the third skipping is boiled, and the coolers sufficiently ■ 
stirred, the contents of the pans are removed to the coolers, 
as before; and thus the first stage of boiling for the day is * 
completed. The course of the other two fillings is precisely 
the same. 
The next operation in refining is conducted in that part 
of the ground-floor of a sugar-house, w'hich is denominated 
the fill-house, because all the upper floors of the house are to 
be filled from this; and this operation consists in filling the 
moulds with the three skippings contained in the coolers. 
The moulds, in the form of inverted cones, previously pre¬ 
pared by soaking and washing them, and stopping their 
apertures with wet linen rags, are placed side by side, and in 
rows two or three deep : their number is to suffice for the 
quantity of liquor in the coolers, which is estimated by the" 
number of basons which were skipped oft’ from the pans; 
and they are propped up by other moulds (commonly such 
as are broken), placed with the broad end downwards, in 
front of the outward rank, by way of abutment; these are 
called flayers. The sugar, being previously stirred in the 
coolers, in order thoroughly to mix each skipping, is ladled 
out of the coolers in succession, and not all at once, (unless 
the fillings are small, in loaves, and always in lumps), into 
basons conveniently situated ; and these are carried into the 
fill-house, where as much of the sugar is poured into each’ 
mould as will fill about one-third of its capacity ; the same 
quantity is again poured into each; and at the third time they 
are filled to the brim. 
The moulds being filled, the next operation, which is that 
of 
