The
bright syrup was now again poured into the boiler, the fire
re-lighted, and the syrup was kept boiling, to evaporate the water
and condense the syrup down to the point at which it would
crystallize. It required many hours' boiling to effect this, any
scum which rose to the surface being carefully taken off with a
skimmer. At last it was found that the syrup on the skimmer began
to crystallize, and Mr. Hardy pronounced it to be fit to draw off
into the large washing tubs to crystallize. A fresh batch of canes
was now crushed, and so the process was repeated until all the
canes were cut. It took a fortnight altogether, but only five days
of this were actually occupied in cutting and crushing the canes.
As the sugar crystallized it was taken out-a dark, pulpy-looking
mass, at which the young Hardys looked very doubtfully-and was
placed in a large sugar hogshead, which had been procured for the
purpose. In the bottom of this eight large holes were bored, and
these were stopped up with pieces of plantain stalk. Through the
porous substance of these stalks the molasses or treacle slowly
drained off. As the wet sugar was placed in the cask, layers of
slices of plantain stems were laid upon it, as the spongy substance
draws the dark coloring matter out from the sugar.
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