XXX11 PREFACE TO THE 



Remarks on the EAST INDIA and other CANES imported 

 into the French Charaibean islands, and lately intro- 

 duced into the island of Antigua, by Sir JOHN LAFO- 

 REY, Bart. 



" One sort was brought from the island of Bourbon, re- 

 ported by the French to be the growth of the coast of Mala- 

 bar, 



" Another sort from the island of Otaheue. 



" Another sort from Batavia. 



" The two former are much alike, both in their appearance 

 and growth, but that of Otaheite is said to make the finest 

 sugar. They are much larger than those of our islands, the 

 joints of some measuring eight or nine inches long, and six in 

 circumference. 



" Their colour, and that of their leaves also, differs from 

 ours, being of a pale green; their leaves broader, their points 

 falling towards the ground as they grow out, instead of being 

 erect like those of our islands. Their juice also, when ex- 

 pressed, differs from that of our canes ; being of a very pale, 

 instead of a deep green colour. I caused one of the largest of 

 these canes to be cut, at what I deemed its full growth, and 

 likewise one of the largest of the island canes that could be 

 found upon each of three other plantations. When they were 

 properly trimmed for grinding, I had them weighed : the Ma- 

 labar canes weighed upwards of seven pounds; neither of the 

 other three exceeded four pounds and a quarter. 



" They are ripe enough to grind at the age of ten months; 

 a few cut for a trial by my manager, above twelve months old, 

 were judged to have lost part of their juices, by standing too 

 long. 



" They appear to stand the dry weather better than ours; I 

 observed, that after a drought of a long continuance, when 

 the leaves of our own canes began to turn brown at their 

 points, these continued their colour throughout. 



