Brazil at the Dawn of the Eighteenth Century

Chapter VII: The Sugar Refiner

36 chapter vii y The Sugar Refiner It is the responsibility of the sugar refiner to inspect the clay brought to the drying table to be dried over the ash-pan and to see if it is of the right kind, as will be explained later. He must also keep an eye on the person kneading to ensure he is handling the clay21 in the right way, with the long stick and the mixing board. He must press the loaves into the molds and take them out. He must know when the sugar has dried and when the time has come to put on the first coating of clay. He must know how far this should cover it, and for how long it should be left before placing the second. He should also know how and when it should be moistened or washed, and how often. He should know what the indications are that the sugar has been refined properly or not, according to its different qualities and its thickness. He is also responsible for dealing with the molds of mel,22 collecting the mel, cooking it, and mixing different lots or keeping them to make rum. He must make every effort to see that the collection vats for liquid sugars are kept clean. He must also try to get rid of the bats that are a common plague in nearly all the refineries. A refiner on a plantation producing four thousand loaves of sugar gets a salary of fifty milréis. Those who have less work also receive less, in matching proportion. ...