Cap. V. The Caribby-Iilands. 



When the Sugar-Canes are ripe, they are cut fomewhat 

 neer the ground, above the fir ft knot which is without any 

 juice 5 and having cut off the tops, and taken away certain 

 little, long, and very thin leaves, which encompafs them, they 

 are made up into bundles, and carry'd to the Mills to be there 

 prefs : d and fqueez'd between two rollers, turning one upon 

 the other. 



The juice which is lqueez'd out of them falls into a great 

 Cittern, whence it is convey'd through long pipes or channels 

 into the veffels appointed for the boiling of it. In great Su- 

 gar-works there are at leaft fix Coppers, whereof three very 

 large ones are of copper, about the bredth and depth of thofe 

 us'd by Dyers, and are to clarifie the juice, which is to be 

 boil'd with a gentle fire, putting in ever and anon a fmall 

 quantity of a certain very ftrong Lye, made of water and alli- 

 es, commonly call'd Temper^ which makes all the filth to boil 

 up, which as it appears is taken off with a great brafs fkim- 

 mer. When the juice is well purify'd in thefe three Coppers, 

 into which it had been convey'd alternately one after another, 

 it is ftrain'd through a cloth, and afterwards pour'd into three 

 other Coppers of fome other mettal, which are very thick, 

 broad enough, and about a foot and a half deep. In thefe 

 Coppers the Sugar receives its laft boiling 5 for then there is a 

 more violent fire made, and it is continually ftirr'd, and when 

 it bubbles up fo as that it may be fear'd it fhould boil over the 

 Coppers, it is allay 'd by the cafting in of a little fallet-oil 5 

 and as it begins to grow thick, itjs pour'd into the laft of thofe 

 Coppers, from whence, as it^dchnes to a confiftency, it is dif- 

 pos'd into veffels of wood or earth, and fo carry'd into the 

 Curing-houfe, where it is whiten'd with a kind of fat earth 

 mixt with water, which is fpred upon it } then they open 

 the little hole in the bottom of every veffel or pot, that all 

 the filth or dregs that is about the Sugar may fall into ano- 

 ther channel, which conveys it into a veflel prepar'd for 

 that purpofe. 



The fir ft Ikimmings which had been taken off the great 

 Coppers is laid afide only for Cattle, but the other ferves 

 well enough to make a certain drink for the Servants and 

 Slaves. The juice which is drawn from the Gane will conti- 

 nue good but one day, infomuch that if within that time it be 

 not boil'd, it grows fharp and turns to vinegar. There muft 

 alfo be a very great care taken, that the Refervatory into 

 which the fqueezed juice falls, and the pipes or channels 

 whereby it is thence convey'd into other places, be often 

 wafh'd 5 for if they contract ever fo little fharpnefs, the juice 

 cannot be redue'd to Sugar : The whole work would alfo 

 mifcarry, if any butter or oil chance to be caft into any of the 

 three greater Coppers, which are to be wafh'd with Lye or 



Cc 1 in 



