The Hawaiian gazette., 1877-01-24

still undecided whether the process better than that
followed in the best colonial mills 1t will probably
be best to follow out the whole in detail.
Animal charcoal is in general use, bat as rule
the filters are much Sun aer than those used YEN
gare, or the other cane sugar renneres previously
visited. The altering at these factories is believe,
more mechanical than chemical In several cases the
boneblaek looked like small dark-colored pebbles,
and quite rounded from frequent use am look
ing forward with than usual interest to visit
during the winter and the crushing in order
to how this system affects decolerization of the
liquor In arranging these factories there does
not appear to be any hesitation about raising the
liquor by means of pumps Of the mont-jus kind.
ade careful inspection and enquiry touching this
point knowing we'll that many other cOnyenences in
the IN anagement of colonial mills have been made TO
give way that the liquor may flow by gravtaton
from point to point in the various stages of mauufae
ture. Here gravtation does not appear to be im-
portAnt consideration 10 arranging factory. The
liquors and syrups just forced to any desired ee
walton and the experience OF these people is worth
something in such matters.
The triple effect is in general use. although not in
general favor, for evaporating the liquor This ar
rangement is much the same as that used in beet
sugar factories, Of which two in California II
is the also, believe that used in the French
beet-root factories. Each tripse-efect consists Of
ttGse pans of the form Of huge, oblong, egg-cnd
boilers. Each Of these is vacuum pan in the ordi-
nary meaning Of the The liquor 10 the first
place is boiled BY means of exhaust steam from the
engines the second by the vapOr drawn from the
frst the third by vapor from the second. In each
the condensed mois from the heating coil is
discharged into water tanks. When discharged from
the last pan the syrup is usually of 25' Beaume.
In theory the triple pan vacuum arrangement is
supposed to be the cheapest known; theory says
there is waste of heat in this process. But in
practice / disposed to believe there is consider
able loss OF time and in this business time is money,
literally. The appliances are also cumbersome and
expensive, although iron is the usual material in
building these pans There is also n defect. mas
much the syrup while in the pan cannot be clean
sed by skimming. When discharged frem the pans it
is passed through second series of charcoal filters
In other factories the liquor is made to pass through
the charcoal filters that have been previously used for
syrups. 1t then flows into receiver subsider
from which it is taken into the final vacuum pans.
OF these there three in the larger factories which
turn out from 20 to 80 tons Of sugar per day-the
| day in Gaudeloupe is as long the men
| The average first sugars made here much
| darker in color and much moster than expected
| to find. But L informed that much higher
| grades are made for export.
Ordinary centrfugals, driven by overhead gear
| ing, are in | saw no improvement in them.
| Packing is in hogsheads.
| Guadeioupe is altogether but a small island, or
rather pair of islands but it is closely populated and
the farming is really good. As in the other islands
visited, the common large Ribbon canes, and pur-
Pile cane that take to be Treboe, in general eu-
tiv.tion. also saw Ito keep to Queensland names)
| TIE Caledonian green cane, and also the Mala-
bar; but the varities cultivated few in number,
and there great interest manifested amongst the
planters when informed Of the varieties of
cane grown in Australia (which many of my good
natured friends cannot, fsIr, help believing is one
of the United Statesl. But they are not emigrating
! people.
Small plantations, farms, the rule in Guade-
| loupe The soil is Of various kinds, caleereous and
volcanic predominating 1t is rich and the rainfall
having been regular during the coming to a
close, had fair opportunity to see the weight Of
cane raised per acre. and should say that in Guade
loupe land travelled tho large portion of both
! dvisions) they will send to mill about 20 tons of
| cane per This is not SO heavy might be
looked for but then, in Guadeloupe the returns
mean an even crop all the island. The farming
! is wonderfully even. The canefeds show u delight
fu repetition Of similar quality Of SOIL and manuring
and working, wherever go. The whole Of the
cultivated lands abound in Shells to which the
prising of crops is, doubt largely attri
butable
From Guadeloupe to St. Pierre. Martinique, we
had n nagging, chopping passage st. Pierre is
beautiful little place. reminding one to some extent
! of Sydney, or of Woolloonooloo, minus magnificent
| Sydney harbor, however. But the houses, and the
streets also. rise behind the other in portions
Of Sydney. the whole representing a beautiful picture
as we approached the land at nightfa. As at
! Gaudeloupe, gardens and pretty villas abound in all
] directions. Away up in the mountain cliffs beyond
The city could see the lights glimmer out the
| fine tropical summer sank behind the hills, and
we came unuer tue less stormy sneter OF the mead
lands.
Few visitors go to these islands during the summer
season, at which time the weather is hot and sutrT,
both in the day and night Fierce storms also sweep
down upon these beautiful places, and earthquakes
! are by uncommon. St. Thomas has, on
more than one occasion, been seriously shaken-al-
most out of existence But il is about the most stir
ring place in the West Indies notwithstanding. Peo-
| pie get used to earthquakes, it would seem.
Pretty is St. Pierre, with its fountains, continuous
oh FIJI
est kind Of hotels French is the language spoken)
But after the sugar plantations and the famed
central factories to which we had been travelling
for weeks they in another part Of the island.
| Next day Sunday; but Monday morning, bright
and early found aboard little cOasting steamer,
ed route for Port de France. The distance is not
great. landing made at midday, and ere
evening had been through the Oldest central facto-
ry in existence, as applied to sugar, and also
through some two three other factories. Thanks
to the attention of H. NJ sular officers, and the
jolly aHiabty of these everagreeable French West
Indians, there was no difficulty whatever in gaining
every desired information. The factories close
together too and every facility exists for moving
about on land and water. The mills not work
ing, all that could be done during the two days
stay in Martinique was to what could be seen Of
the machinery tmostly French and Belgian) the sys-
TEN of cultivation, varieties OF cane grown, mode OF
| selling between grower and manufacturing, DC.
In the islands, and also amongst planters from va
rous parts of the West indies there very conac-
ting reports regarding the results of the system. And
it takes some time to unrave the causes that exist
for this difference Of opinion. One point is undena-
ble and its force is visible in Martinique and in Lou
sana, where the system has been most energeticaly
tested. In both these places, different though they
are in many other respects the sugar-producing bust
most prosperous, and those connected with il
are most hopeful where the growing Of cane and the
manufacture Of sugar are most efectualy separated.
Wherever have been, in the United States and
the West Indies with very few exceptions, the sugar
business is depressed. From Guiana there very
discouraging reports. We have seen how it is in
Cuba. Jamaica is said to be in very low state
but there marked exceptions to this deplorable
state of affairs in the French West India islsnds
The farmers there undoubtedly prosperous they
frugal, happy people, and the factories pay fair
interest, am assured, on the money Invested. The
prosperous factories those WORKED purely
companies, and in which the growers hold con-
siderable Of the capital stock.
(To coSTISUED.)