Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0460
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[Page 460]
356.
Some account of Savu
Notwithstanding that this Liquor is the Common drink of both Rich & poor who in the morning & evening drink nothing else a much larger quantity is drawn off daily than is sufficient for that use of this they make a Syrop & a coarse sugar both which are far more agreable to the taste than they appear to the sight the Liquor is calld in the Language of the Island Dua or Duac the syrup & sugar by one and the same name Gula it is exactly the same same as the Jagara Sugar on the Continent of India &prepard by only boiling down the liquor in earthenware pots till it is sufficiently thick in appearance it exactly resembles Mollasses or Treacle only it is considerably thicker in taste however it much excels it having instead of the abominable twang which treacle leaves in the mouth only a little burnt taste which was very agreable to our palates The Sugar is of a reddish brown but more clear tasted than any Cane sugar I have tasted which was not refind resembling mostly brown sugar candy. The syrup seemd to be very wholesome for tho many of our people