THE ADVENTURES OF 



with a dark-coloured liquid, the empty part of the moulds, from 

 which the molasses had drained away. 



" They are spoiling the sugar-loaves," he cried. 



" Quite the contrary ; they are going to whiten it. The water 

 that is contained in the clay will filter gradually through the 

 sugar, and will drive before it the molasses that is left round the 

 crystals ; and this operation several times repeated will produce 

 that spongy kind of sugar which is well known to retain a flavour 

 of the cane, rather disliked by Europeans accustomed to the finer 

 products of their refineries." 



The only department we now had to visit was the " drying- 

 room," where the sugar-loaves are piled up to dry, and wait for a 

 purchaser. 



In our way thither we nearly fell into an immense reservoir, 

 level with the surface of the ground, and full of molasses ; the 

 scum floating on the top so exactly resembled the rough and 

 sticky floor of the sugar-mill that it was easy to make a mistake. 

 Grringalet was unfortunate enough to be the cause of our avoiding 

 this accident. Restless, like all his kind, he ran smelling about 

 in every direction, just as if he was trying to find some lost 

 object : forcing his way between our legs, to get in front of us, 

 he suddenly disappeared in the thick liquid. I pulled him out 

 directly ; but as soon as he was on his feet, he rolled over and 

 over on the ground, so that when he stood up, his coat was brist- 

 ling with pieces of straw and wood ; in fact, he scarcely looked 

 like a dog at all. I called him towards the pond outside, but 

 the poor brute was quite blind and confused, and did not seem 

 to hear. As a matter of course, all the labourers raised shouts 

 of laughter ; but poor Lucien, fancying that his dog was going 

 to die, followed him in despair. Gringalet, no doubt wishing to 

 comfort his young master, leapt upon him and covered him with 

 caresses, and of course with sacharine matter, in which he so 

 lately had a bath. As it was too late for any other course, I 

 made up my mind to laugh, like every one else. Whilst 

 I'Encuerado was washing the dog, our hostess cleaned the boy's 

 clothes, soon after which we resumed our journey. 



Don Antonio, like a real Mexican, pitied us for having to travel 



