UNCLE IN ENGLAND. J39 



scarcely penetrate into the crevices of the bar- 

 ren rocks on which it grows. For several 

 months in the year, the foliage is not softened 

 by a single shower, and its branches appear 

 dead or dried ; though, when the trunk is 

 pierced, a sweet and nourishing milk flows from 

 it. This milk is most abundant at the time of 

 sunrise, and the natives are then seen hastening 

 from all quarters, with large bowls, to receive 

 it. He says it is rather thick, but sweet and 

 well tasted. 



I am making myself acquainted with all the 

 dairy operations here, so that I shall be able, if 

 ever I return to you, to teach them to our neigh- 

 bours from the milking of the cows to the 

 making of the butter. To shew that I know 

 some of them already, I must tell you that each 

 cow is milked twice over, both in the morning 

 and evening. What she first yields is called the 

 fore-milk, and is not nearly equal to the second 

 in richness, which is always strained separately, 

 and set in separate pans. From this comes all 

 the nice cream we have at breakfast and tea. 



Both are skimmed a second time ; and the 

 produce is all collected in pans. When there is 

 a sufficient quantity (that is, about every second 

 day), this cream, which has been thus collecting, 

 has become sufficiently acid, and is churned. 

 My aunt tells me that the oily particles are, by 

 the motion of the churn dash, separated from 



