The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-03-27
III is sell u q II !3WW S .
Cuba-Manufacturing sugar.


estate known rs the Flower of Cuba," and
says:
THIS estate contains five thousand acres
Of productive lands. We rode for hours
through immense fields of sugar cane,
Twelve to eighteen feet high. These fields
sre divided by beautiful avenues of royal
palm and mango trees. Many Of the trees
ARE sixty 10 ci gh,y fee, high, in the distance
looking like marble columns. They com
mence cutting the cane in December, and
the top is used rs food for cattle. In Lou
fsiana the cane has To hr renewed annually
here, once in ten or fifteen years. 1t is
hauled in carts drawn hy oxen to the sugar
mill, which is usually located in the centre
of the farm. The cane is passed between
two large iron rollers, and the june is press
ed out, flowing through tron:shs into tanks,
to be purified. II is next pumped into cis,
terms and boiled to syrup. On this estate
they make both caycd and Muscova,o su-
gars. The former is made in tin moulds,
in the shape OF funnel, holding fifty
pounds. These vessels are filled with green
sugar; on the top is placed a layer Of clay
two inches thick, aud they are left three
weeks to drip and dry. The clay is tl,e,,
removed, and y"u have loaf of sugar,
which is divided into three qualities. The
top being the whilcSt, it is packed in boxes
of four hundred pounds each, and is known
III the commercial world as Havana box
sugar.
The best quality of Muscovalo sugar is
made 10y the centrifugal process. The raw
material is poured into machine, wI,irl. is
turned l'y steam will, great rapidi,y. In Il
few minutes you have a well grained dry
sugar, which. packed in logshca,ls, IS the
quality shipped t" tile United States, while
the c!aycd article goes mainly to Europe.
Lime, blood, and animal bones are used in
the manufacture Of sugar. The crushed
cane is dried anl Serves as fuel to heat the
Kettle i'll which III" sugar is boilrl-wood
being scarce article in this part Of the
Island. Formerly the grinding. WAS done
by OK power, but recently the American c,,-
gine has been introduced. The bn!.liuys
and machinery on this estate cost three
hundred thousand dollars. They work eight
hundred fla.ls and about one thousand
oxen, for live months in the Year. The mill
runs night and day-Sun'lay aud Monday
Three hundred acres arc planted H. vcg,.ta.
bcs, fruit. etc. for the negroes. They will
make this Year twelve thousand boxes aud
two thousand hl,lS sugar, besides several
thousand hhdS. mola>scs. The products Of
this farm would he worth in the Charleston
market. one million dollars! The good
people of the Palmetto State have to pay n
duty of thirty dolturs per hogshead, to pro-
tect the Louisiana sugar planters, before
they arc permitted to swcctcn their coffee
with Cuban sugar
The family were invited to dinner party
at St. Helene, and said they would he
pleased to have me accompany them, assu-
ring me Of welcome. There | had an
opportunity of seeing and hearing much Of
The manners and customs of the Cuban Ia
dies. found them intelligent and cduca-
ted, and as they spoke English, was so
much pleased with my visit that spent
several days at ST. Helene. We discussed
Cuban manners freely and unreservedly. II
was pleased to be corrected where had
formed erroneous opinions. When intro
duced to a Creole lady, you think her flat
and unin:erestlng. 1t is the fashion to ap-
pear as Indifferent as possiLIe-she, how.
ever, soon becomes animated. and then look
out Tor those bcwitching eyes and that soft
sweet voice. The education of the females
Is too much neglected, and then they are
much restricted in their intercourse with
tile world. A very Intelligent gentleman
told me that the men did not wish to have
their wives know as much as they did. !
told him i'll our country ignorant wives were
the n'othrts Of dull, stupid boys.
In the lower classes, the men and women
are both ignorant and indocnt. They have
no ambition to improve their conlition,
morally or pl'ysic:lIy-gencrally living in
miserable hu's The glory Of the men is
to attend cock and bu!! fights, gamble, and
roll nine pins, and the women smoke and
idlctheir time. Not u book or newspaper
is to be seen in their houses. and they have
no knowledge of the world beyond the pre-
scribed limits of the Island. The luxuriant
flowers which cover their thatcl,cd cottages
afi6rd no pleasure to the occupants. 1t is
waste of beauty and fragrance on uncul-
tivated tastes. The higher classes will no
more associate with them than with their
servants.
You find among the educated Cubans
burning hatred of the Spanish yoke, and
they are ready to throw it off, whenever