206 PROCESS OF MAKIKG 



of different sizes, are generally to be found in every 

 house in Shoa. Miriam, her son, Walderheros, and 

 myself occupied ourselves one clay peeling and 

 slicing the long stalks before we could place the 

 cut-up cane in the mortar, and then we were em- 

 ployed two days more in triturating it, during which 

 process a little water was added to take up the 

 saccharine juice, and to free it, according to my 

 idea, more readily from the cane. Two handsful of 

 the beaten mass were then placed at a time, in one 

 of my towels, which being folded up, the two extre- 

 mities were collected together, and by dint of a 

 great deal of twisting and screwing by two of us, 

 w T e managed to force out the liquid portion, leaving 

 a hard round ball of woody fibrous substance, 

 which, however, had been pounded sufficiently 

 fine to receive and retain, very visibly, the diaper 

 pattern of the cloth in which it was strained. 

 These refuse cakes were very greedily eaten by some 

 goats, and I dare say, such food would be highly 

 nutritious to animals. The expressed juice having 

 been received into my copper cooking vessels, 

 they were placed uncovered upon a low fire, 

 where they continued until more than one-half of 

 the liquid portion was driven off. The remainder 

 was then poured into some shallow T earthenware 

 dishes, which, with stones carefully placed under the 

 lower edges of the vessels, to obviate the inconve- 

 nient slope, were exposed upon the conical roof of 

 the house, to the evaporating influence of the tern- 



