The Island Taperica, which is pretty large, hath a fertile Soil for the production of Tobacco, and Grass to fatten Cattel: The Inhabitants boyl much Train-Oyl of the Whales, which come ashore there in considerable numbers.
Twelve Leagues Southward from St. Salvador appears the Village Cacocheira, formerly belonging to a rich Portuguese, who took great pains in reforming the salvage People Guaymures to a civil Life; but seeing he profited but little, he caus’d great Companies of them to be remov’d to Taperica, that they might do less mischief, where the unusual and unwholsom Air kill’d them all in a short time.
The Lordship Bahia hath abundance of Sugar-Mills, which are either turn’d by the Water, or drawn by Oxen.
The manner of Planting Sugar-Canes.
The Worm Guirapeacopa.
The manner of making Sugar in the Sugar-Mills.
The Sugar-Canes, by the Brasilians call’d Viba or Tacomaree, grow better in a clayie and fat Soil, over which the Rivers flowing leave their Mud, than on High-lands, Hills, or Mountains; they are Planted after this manner: They first plough their Fields, weed them, and make Holes at an exact distance one from the other, into which they plant their Canes in such a manner, that the tops touch one another. The Holes before mention’d require more Earth to fill them in Summer than in Winter, that the violent Heat of the Sun may not dry up the Root, and that the Rain may the freelier come at them to moisten them, for the more moisture they have, the better they grow; they attain to their full ripeness in ten, or at most in twelve Moneths; February and March being the two last Winter Moneths, are accounted the best to Plant in, because the Earth softned by Rains, suffers the Root to shoot forth the better. The ripe Canes being cut off, are left in the Field till the following Year; during which time new Canes growing, are often ground in the Mill with the old ones; but if they stand two years, then the sweet Liquor dries up, and the Cane withers. The young Plants carefully planted in good Ground may last forty, nay fifty years; but in a barren Soil they set new every five years. Sometimes in great Droughts and extraordinary hot Seasons, the Canes are scorcht to nothing, which being burnt in the Winter, the Ashes serve to Dung the Ground; and so in like manner when the Water, overflowing the Fields, drowns the young Plants. In moist Grounds the black-wing’d Worm, call’d Guirapeacopa, (by the Portuguese nam’d Pao de Galeuba) gnaws the Roots in such a manner, that the Canes die; and sometimes it happens also that the Weeds choak the young Plants; wherefore the Ground is to be weeded four times a year, till such time as the Canes are strong enough to bear against the Weeds: they cut off the ripe Canes at the lowermost Joynt, and, all the Leaves being first pull’d off, tie them up in Bundles, and bring them to the Mills, which consist of three great Iron Bars, between which the Canes are squeez’d. The Water-Mills are turn’d by the force of the Water, which in great Gutters led from high Mountains falls with exceeding force into Pools made for that purpose; after which manner, though they wind the Canes much faster, yet they get not so much Sugar as when they grind them in the Mills turn’d by Cattel: The places through which the Juice runs must be cleans’d twice in twenty four hours; the Canes put in behind between the first Bar, are turn’d into the second, and thence into the third, which successively squeezes out all the remaining Juice: The Canes thus press’d, serve for Fewel to burn; but they constantly keep such a great Fire both Night and Day, that besides those press’d Canes, they burn forty Fathom of Wood in twenty four hours, insomuch that whole Woods are consum’d in a short time: The Liquor, nam’d Caldo, runs along woodden Gutters into great Kettles, in which it is boyl’d, but if it happen to be over-boyl’d they put Water amongst it, whereby it becomes excellent Food for Horses; then they put the Liquor into a second Kettle, where it is boyl’d afresh, and also scumm’d; and for the better cleansing of it, Lime-Juyce and other things are put amongst it; then they strein it through Clothes, and give the Dross which remains in the same to the Slaves, which work for half a year together Night and Day like Horses. The Dross mix’d with Water makes also good Wine. Out of the great Kettles, by the Portuguese call’d Caldero de Mellar, the Caldo runs into the lesser nam’d Tachas, where it is boyl’d a third time, and continually stirr’d till it comes to be thick like a Syrrup, and at last to the consistence of Sugar: It may be accounted amongst the Mysteries of Nature, that while the Sugar boyls in the Tachas, which are the little Kettles, they must drop Oyl amongst the Liquor, which if they should do whilest it is in the great Kettel, the Liquor would not turn to the consistence of Sugar; as on the contrary, if they should put their Lye into the little Kettles as they do into the great, the Liquor would be quite spoil’d. In their Boyling-houses stand several hundreds of Earthen Pots one by another on Planks full of Holes; which Pots they cover with moist clay, and after fourteen days knocking it out of the Pots, they separate the brown Sugar from the white, both which are laid to dry in the Sun, and put into Chests.
