, 1872-10-23

upon the 18th June and proceeded with
out delay to the town of Point-a-Pitre
where the largest Central Factory, or
Oslne, IN the French Islands is situated,
the "%Companie Sucriere E. Souqu6s &
Gle" commonly called "L'Usine D'Ar-
boussier." This Factory stands in the
Suburbs of the fine seaport of Point. a-Pitre,
Is constructed upon the grandest scale, and
IS replete with all the improvements in
Machinery and. the manufacture of Sugar
devised by modern science.
The Cost was 9216,OOO, and the Usine,
when a 3rd Mill now being put up is availa-
BILE, will be equal to an %out-turn in the first
SIX months of the year, of from s to 1O,-
900 Tons of Sugar.
It commenced operations OH the 5th
April 1869 but did not get regularly to
work until the 25th.
The first season was completed with part
of the Copper Machinery not fitted up, and
at no time was the Usine supplied with suf-
tcient canes to keep its Mill going The
supply of canes is derived from both divi-
sions Of Guadeloupe, the Volcanic and Cal
careous. From the former they are con-
veyed in large lighters towed by steam
tugs; from the latter by the tramway Sc
veral miles in length. The canes are carried
by the Planter to his nearest point, on the
railway, or shore, and thence by the Usine
to the destination where they are weighed
by a sworn Agent in the presence, if re-
CURED, of a representative of the Estate.
The Planter receives s53 pct. of the
weight of his canes of g" Come quatrieme''
equal to No. 10 Clutch Standard" the
price being regulated by the market at
Point-a-Pitre at the time the canes are de-
livered.
The Process of Sugar Manufacture at this
Usine is as follows
The canes are brought by the Planter to
a siding of the main Tramway on his Es-
tate. The Wagon generally carries 2
Tons of canes, and one mule on q good
level ordinary Tramway can draw easily
two Wagons. The Wagon, when
brought to the Mill itself, conveys the
canes to the rollers. The megass being
elevated by power to a platform over the
Boilers. The Juice on leaving the mill
bed falls through 3 s|trainers into a Tank
which hos Q double bottom heated by
steam. 1t is treated here with a little BIZ
sulphite of Lime, and is then run into a
Montejus. This Montejus by steam sends
the juice up to the CHARTERS where it is
heated in the ordinary way and tempered
with lime properly. From this it is pass
ed to the Charcoal Filters through which it
gravitates, and then passes by gutter into
a Receiver. From this it is passed to a
Montejus and is thrown up by steam into
a eistern over the Triple Etfet. From this
cistern it gravitates into the Triple Efet
passing from the first to the second and
from the second to the third Boiler as the
attendant wishes, When it leaves the
3rd Boiler it is generally speaking $50
"Beaume" and it is Immediately passed
over new returned Charcoal. It gravi-
tates through this and falls into another
receiver from which the Vacuum Pan takes
it mp and boils it to Sugar. The first
quality sugar is generally crystallized in
the pan, and is then dropped into sugar
boxes which stand 7 #. from the ground;
under these boxes a little charging vessel
runs on a railway that is hung from the
bottom of the said boxes, and this vessel
conveys the sugar over the centrifugals
where it is cured. The Molasses from this
being boiled up, when found in good con-
difion with tho cur,D of 4bo fo1lo-;D- L.