224 CRUSOE'S ISLAND. 



the lower end, the juice is gradually expressed, and 

 the cone becomes elongated. This cone is an Indian 

 invention, in use in South America and the West 

 Indies. 



The pulp or meal is then sifted, to remove the 

 woody fiber, and heated over a wood fire, in order to 

 carry away the slightest trace of the poisonous juice, 

 which is dissipated by the heat. This was the farine, 

 or cassava meal, and of this we stored away several 

 barrels ; also from some of the grated cassava we 

 made starch, and from the juice itself a delicious 

 tapioca, but only a limited quantity. 



Even then we had not obtained all that was pos- 

 sible from this useful product, for Thomas Ned had 

 yet another surprise in store for me, when he boiled 

 down the juice to the consistency of molasses and 

 produced thereby the celebrated cassareep. This is 

 the basis of the famous pepper-pot of the West In- 

 dies, for the inspissated juice has such antiseptic prop- 

 erties that it will keep meat and vegetables fj-esh for 

 months, and into the pot in which the cassareep is 

 kept pieces of chicken and other meats are thrown, 

 from time to time, forming a savory mess greatly 

 relished by the natives. 



Thus we utilized all the virtues of our vegetable 

 production, extracting honey, as it were, from every 

 substance. The work on the cassava and arrowroot 

 mill kept us busy till near the end of the year. With 

 December was ushered in the last of the twelve 

 months to elapse since my arrival here. I had ex- 

 perienced every vicissitude of season and had under- 



