A greater number of vessels, Mr. Dequesne thinks, would be advantageous, as cold instead of hot water could then be employed.  He thinks a similar plan might be introduced in the West Indies with great advantage, and that by employing the proper means to prevent fermentation the sun’s heat would be quite sufficient to dry the cane slices.

Mr. Dubranfaut and Mr. Rouseau’s processes are patented in England.  The terms for the use of the former would, I was told, be made so moderate, as to offer no obstruction to its being used in the colonies.  What Mr. Rouseau’s terms are I could not learn.

There are now 288 works making beet root sugar in France, and over 30 in Belgium.  The same manufacture is rapidly spreading in Germany and Russia, and is now being introduced in Italy.  Whilst at Valenciennes, I learned that two English gentlemen had just preceded me in visiting the works in that neighbourhood, mentioning that they had in view introducing the beet root sugar manufacture in Ireland.

The sugar crop of France was last year over 60,000,000 of kilogrammes (60,000 tons).  For two years Belgium has been exporting to the Mediterranean.  One maker told me that he had last year exported a considerable part of his crop.  It would therefore appear, that even beet root sugar can compete in other than the producing country with the sugar of the tropics—­a most significant hint that, unless the cane can be made to yield more and better sugar than is now generally got from it, there is some risk of its being ultimately beaten by the beet root, the cultivation of which is now carried on with so much profit that new works are springing up every year, in almost every country of the continent.

In going through the French works, I made inquiries as to how far the procede Melsens had been adopted, and was everywhere told it was a total failure.  I, however, determined to see Mr. Melsens and judge for myself how far it might be applicable to the cane, even if a failure with regard to the beet root.  I, therefore, went on to Brussels, enclosed my letters of introduction and card, and received in return a note, appointing to meet me next morning.  I found him one of the best and most obliging of men.  He immediately offered to go over some experiments on beet root juice with me at his laboratory, where I accordingly spent the greater part of two days with him, and went over a variety of experiments; and from what I saw and assisted in doing, I feel strongly inclined to think that, notwithstanding the French commission at Martinique report otherwise, some modification of Mr. Melsens’ process may be most advantageously employed in making cane sugar if not as a defecator, at least to prevent fermentation, and, probably, also as a decolorising agent.

Mr. Melsens showed me letters he had received from Java from a person with whom he