346 DESCRIPTION OF SAVU CHAP. XV 
sugar is reddish brown, but more clear tasted than any un- 
refined cane-sugar, resembling mostly brown sugar candy. 
The syrup seemed to be very wholesome, for though many 
of our people ate enormous quantities of it, it hurt 
nobody. 
Firewood is very scarce here; to remedy, therefore, that 
inconvenience as much as possible, they make use of a con- 
trivance which is not unknown in Europe, though seldom 
practised but in camps. It is a burrow or pipe dug in the 
ground as long as convenient, generally about two yards, and 
open at each end; the one opening of this, into which they 
put the fire, is large; the other, which serves only to cause a 
draught, is much smaller. Immediately over this pipe circular 
holes are dug which reach quite down into it: in these the 
earthen pots are set (about three to such a fire); they are 
large in the middle and taper towards the bottom, by which 
means the fire acts upon a large part of their surface. It is 
really marvellous to see with how small a quantity of fire 
they will keep these pots boiling, each of which contains 
eight or ten gallons; a palm leaf or a dry stalk now and 
then is sufficient ; indeed, it seemed in that part of the island, 
at least, where we were, that the palms alone supplied 
sufficient fuel, not only for boiling the sugar, but for dressing 
all their victuals, besides those which are cooked by this con- 
trivance. How many parts of England are there where this 
contrivance would be of material assistance to not only the 
poor, but the better sort of people, who daily complain of the 
dearness of fuel, a charge which this contrivance alone would 
doubtless diminish by at least one-third. But it is well known 
how averse the good people of England, especially of that 
class that may be supposed to be not above want, are to 
adopt any new custom which savours of parsimony. I have 
been told that this very method was proposed in the Gentle- 
man’s Magazine many years ago, but have not the book on 
board. Frézier, in his voyage to the South Sea, describes a 
contrivance of the Peruvian Indians upon the same principles, 
plate 31, p. 273, but his drawing and plan are difficult to 
understand, if not actually very faulty, and his description is 
