Theffijlory of Book It. 



in like manner, if ever fo little Lye fall into the three letter 

 ones, where the juice is form'd into a Syrup, and curdles by 

 the violence of the fire, and the continual ngitation and ftir- 

 ring of it with a Ikimmer. But above all things there muft be 

 a great care taken, that there fall not any juice of Citron in- 

 to the Coppers 5 for that would abfolutely hinder the coagula- 

 tion of the Sugar. 



Many of the Inhabitants who are not able to get fo many 

 Coppers, nor furnilh themfelves with' thofe great Engines 

 whereby the Canes are fqueez'd, have little Mills made like 

 Preffes, which are wrought by two or three men, or driven 

 about by one horfe $ and with one or two Coppers they 

 purifie the juice gotten out of them, reduce it to the confi- 

 dence of Syrup, and make good Sugar without any further 

 trouble. 



The greateft fecret in the bufinefs of making good Sugar 

 confiftsin the whitening of it: Thofe who have it are very 

 loth to communicate it. From what hath been faid, it may 

 beeafily inferr'd what extraordinary advantages accrue to the 

 Inhabitants of that Ifland by means of this fweet and precious 

 Commodity, and what fatisfaftion it brings to their Corre- 

 fponderfts mother parts of the world, who have it at fo eafie 

 rates. 



This plenty of Sugar hath put the Inhabitants upon the pre- 

 ferving of abundance of excellent fruits of the growth of the 

 Ifland, as Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, and others, efpecially 

 Ginger, whereof we (hall give an account anon, and the fruit 

 call'd Ananas^ and the flowers of Oranges and Citrons. 



As concerning the preparation of Ginger, when the root is 

 come to maturity it is taken out of the ground 5 then it is 

 dry'd in places well aird, and it is often ftirr'd to prevent 

 corruption. Some make no more ado then to expofe it to 

 the Sun in order to the drying of it, but others think itre- 

 quifite to caft lime on it, the more to facilitate the drawing a- 

 way of the moifture. This root, whic.h is one of the moft 

 confiderable among Spices, is tranfported all over the world} 

 but it is moft fought after in cold Countries. 



The French do fometimes take it out of the ground be- 

 fore it is fully ripe, and preferve it whole with fuch arti- 

 fice, that it becomes red, and tranfparent as glafs. The pre- 

 (erv'd Ginger which is brought over from Brazil and the Le- 

 vant is commonly dry, full of filaments or little firings, and 

 too biting to be eaten with any delight 5 but that which is 

 prepar'd at S. Chrijtophers hath no fibres or ftrings at all, and 

 it is fo well order'd, that there remains nothing that is unplea- 

 fant to the tooth when it is eaten. 



It hath a lingular property to fortifie the breaft, when it 

 is weakned by a confluence of cold humours 3 as alfo to 



clear 



