ng among the abundant vegetation. I now tried to
recollect whereabouts they were.

"I know," exclaimed Sambo. "They be wild sugar-cane."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because I suck 'em, and dey berry sweet," he answered, grinning as only
a well-satisfied negro can grin, having, of all the human race, a mouth
specially adapted for the purpose.

"Then do you think you could find them again, Sambo?" I asked.

"Oh yes, massa! I will bring home enough to make sugar for all the
preserves Miss Marian can make."

"But when we have cut the canes, how is the sugar to be manufactured?"
I inquired.

"I do dat," he answered. "I 'long on sugar plantation in Jamaica, and
know how to make sugar as well as any nigger slave."

Sambo at once set out, and soon brought back a load of sugar-canes--a
convincing proof that they grew in the neighbourhood. We all tried
them; and for several days each member of our community was to be seen
walking about with a piece of sugar-cane in his mouth. Sambo was an
ingenious mechanic, and forthwith set to work to construct a sugar
manufactory. It was very simple, consisting of a number of our largest
clay pots for boiling the juice, and a long trough with sides, and a
board at each end, slightly inclining towards the pans. Into the trough
fitted a huge stone,--a large round boulder, to which ropes were
attached, for hauling it backwards and forwards. The canes being placed
in the trough, the heavy weight passing over them pressed out the juice,
which ran through holes in the lower end into the bowls. The fuel which
had previously been placed under the bowls was then lighted. As soon as
the juice became hot, the impure portions rose in the form of scum,
which was skimmed off. Sambo had found some lime, with which he formed
lime-water to temper the liquor. The boiling process over, the fires
were allowed to go out, and the liquor was then poured out into fresh
pans, in which it was again gently boiled. It was afterwards
transferred to a number of open wooden boxes, where it was allowed to
cool, while the molasses ran off into pans placed beneath them, the part
remaining in the boxes being in the form of crystals. Another draining
process was then gone through, when really very respectable-looking
sugar was produced.

"It would not fetch anything of a price in the market," observed my
father; "but I have no doubt that Marian will find it good enough to
preserve her fruit."