96 THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE. 
master to overlook them. But, it may be said, if these 
negroes boil so well, why employ a sugar master at so 
much expense every year? The fact is, there is no 
dependence to be placed on the negro, for just at the most 
critical point when the sugar ought to be “struck” into 
the cooler it is very probable, if left to themselves, they 
would lie down and go to sleep, not from fatigue, but 
laziness, or thoughtlessness, and yet they take consider- 
able interest in their owner’s concerns. 
At the commencement of crop, when the first strike 
is nearly finished, all the interest of the sugar-house cen- 
ters in the lazy, rich, golden fluid in the teach, which has 
ceased to froth or bubble, and from which the steam is 
now escaping in short puffs. The old negro, who has 
probably boiled at that train for twenty years, and knows 
exactly how the juice of the estate works, after taking a 
little of the syrup between his finger and thumb, and 
watching what string it made, informs the sugar master 
that the sugar is ready to strike into the coolers. He, 
who probably has never boiled on the estate before, and 
has yet to learn how its juice must be treated, has wisely 
left the matter in the hands of the negro. However, it 
will not do to let Sambo suppose that he knows more 
than his master. So the sugar master, who knows that 
half a minute will not make much difference, delays the 
strike for that time, pulls out his watch, if he has one, 
looking very wise, and at length consents to let Pancho 
or Pedro adjust the gutter, from the kettle to the cooler 
ten feet distant, and discharge the pan. ‘The fireman is 
bawled to to stop the fire, and the sugar is bailed into the 
gutter to be conducted to the cooler. 
