The second engraving, Fig. 19, on page 91, shows a vertical section through one of the gun-metal perforated pressing tubes; the interior of these was of rectangular form in cross-section, being 6 in. in height by 3 1/2 in. wide.

In the centre of each of these tubes there was a massive plunger fitting accurately. A square steel bar passed through the two plungers, and also through slots made in the sides of the tubes for that purpose, the outer ends of these bars being rounded and fitted into the ends of two massive connecting-rods, which were actuated by a pair of short throw cranks formed one on each side of the central crank of the steam-engine. This arrangement is best seen in Fig. 20, page 91, which is a plan of the cane press and engine.

From the upper surface of each of the pressing-tubes, two tall circular hoppers stood vertically, and were attached at their upper ends to a stage or floor on which the canes were delivered, and where two attendants were stationed, whose business it was to continually drop canes into these tubular hoppers. When the several parts of the apparatus were in the position shown in Fig. 19, page 91, the plunger had cut a 6-in. length off the lower ends of the canes in the left-hand hopper, and had pushed them against the compressed mass of canes occupying that end of the pressing tube, the result being that this mass was moved a little way further along, the fluid parts escaping from the numerous perforations in the tube.

While this had been going on the canes in the right-hand hopper had fallen down into the pressing tube, and the return stroke of the plunger would then cut off a 6-in. length from these canes, and force them up against the mass of canes occupying the right-hand end of the press tube, moving the mass of flattened canes a small distance forward, and discharging a portion of them from the open end of the tube. In this way every rotation of the crank cut off portions of the canes in each of the hoppers, and carried then forward, thus keeping the tubes always filled with a mass of compressed canes, which were jammed so tightly in the tubes as to offer an immense resistance to the plunger, governed by the length of the tube. The two cranks which actuated the plungers were at right angles to the crank operated on by the steam power; hence, when the engine was exerting its greatest power, the cranks actuating the plungers were passing their dead points and thus exerted an enormous force on the mass of canes, which moved forward but a very small distance at each stroke.

With the engine running at only 60 strokes per minute, each plunger cut off two 6-in. lengths from each cane in the hoppers; and as there were four hoppers with two canes in each, 4 ft. of cane were operated upon at each revolution, or at 60 strokes per minute only, some 240ft. of cane were cut and pressed per minute. It was found that the canes thus passing along the tubes were forced out of the open ends of the latter adhering together, and looking like a polished square bar of wood; the juice of the cane passing through the numerous perforations and falling into the square cistern formed beneath then by the massive bedplate, was conveyed away by a pipe to the evaporating pans.

The committee appointed to judge of the various plans submitted in competition for the gold medal offered by his Royal Highness, Prince Albert, came in force to Baxter House, and witnessed the cane press in operation. Although the committee did not openly express their views to me, I could not doubt that their convictions were entirely in my favour, a natural result of the incontrovertible facts I had placed before them. In due course I received a notice that the prize so much coveted was about to be awarded to me, an entire outsider, wholly unknown to any of the sugar-mill manufacturers of this country.

How often it has occurred to me, and how often have I expressed the opinion that, in this particular competition -- as in many other previous cases -- I had an immense advantage over many others dealing with the problem under consideration, inasmuch as I had no fixed ideas derived from long-established practice to control and bias my mind, and did not suffer from the too-general belief that whatever is, is right. Hence I could, without check or restraint, look the question steadily in the face, weigh without prejudice, or preconceived notions, all the pros and cons, and strike out fearlessly in an absolutely new direction if thought desirable. Indeed, the first bundle of canes I ever saw had not arrived from Madeira