A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



is removed, prismatic crystals immediately form. Look now ! 

 the contents of the copper are just beginning to boil, and are 

 covered with a blackish scum, which is carefully skimmed off ; 

 for, in three or four days, when it has fermented, it will produce, 

 by means of distillation, the ardent spirit which I'Encuerado is 

 so fond of. The cloud of steam which is rising above the copper 

 shows that the juice is evaporating ; in a few minutes more it 

 will be converted into syrup, and will ultimately form crystals. 

 Come and see the result of the last operation." 



We entered a large gallery, in which a number of moulds — 

 made of baked earth and shaped like reversed sugar-loaves — were 

 ranged in lines under the beams, like bottles in a bottle-rack. 

 Into these, which had been previously moistened, some labourers 

 were pouring the boiling syrup. A little further on we were 

 shown what had been boiled the day before, and was crystallis- 

 ing, assisted in the process by an Indian, who stirred it slowly. 

 From a trough, open at the lower end, a thick liquid was flowing, 

 called " molasses," or treacle, which is used for making rum, gin- 

 gerbread, and for other purposes. The lowest part of the sugar- 

 loaf seemed, also, to be yellow and sticky. 



Passing through a dark passage, Lucien noticed two half-naked 

 labourers, who were moistening clay and converting it into a kind 

 of dough. 



"What a nasty mess!" he cried, with a self-satisfied tone. 

 " What would mamma say, if she was here % It was only the 

 other day she gave my brother and sister a good scolding." 



" What was it for ? " I asked. 



"For mixing up mud to build a town and reservoir in the 

 long passage in our house." 



" What part did you take in it ? " 



" Oh, I was architect ; but I was scolded as much as the 

 others." 



" That I can readily believe," replied Sumichrast, who could 

 hardly keep his gravity ; " but come, let us follow these labourers, 

 and you will soon see that they are not mixing up this mud for 

 mere pleasure." 



To his great surprise, our little traveller saw them filling up, 



