﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  133 
  

  

  on 
  his 
  knee, 
  and 
  his 
  foot 
  against 
  the 
  post, 
  connected 
  the 
  

   other 
  end 
  with 
  the 
  carret, 
  turning 
  it 
  with 
  his 
  hands 
  

   whilst 
  the 
  necessary 
  tension 
  was 
  maintained 
  upon 
  the 
  

   rope, 
  wrapped 
  it 
  securely 
  and 
  evenly 
  from 
  end 
  to 
  end. 
  

  

  In 
  those 
  days, 
  when 
  the 
  roads 
  were 
  indifferent, 
  and 
  

   wagons 
  and 
  carts 
  were 
  few, 
  the 
  tobacco 
  hogsheads 
  were 
  

   frequently 
  geared 
  to 
  a 
  horse 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  rude 
  

   temporary 
  shafts, 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  heading, 
  and 
  in 
  

   this 
  manner 
  rolled 
  to 
  the 
  shipping 
  point, 
  or 
  to 
  market 
  

   at 
  Natchez; 
  much 
  being 
  transported 
  in 
  this 
  wa}^ 
  from 
  

   the 
  settlements 
  on 
  Cole's 
  Creek, 
  and 
  from 
  greater 
  dis- 
  

   tances. 
  

  

  To 
  convey 
  the 
  tobacco 
  to 
  market 
  in 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  it 
  

   was 
  usual 
  for 
  several 
  planters 
  to 
  unite 
  and 
  build 
  a 
  flat- 
  

   boat, 
  with 
  which 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  would 
  accompany 
  

   the 
  joint 
  adventure, 
  deliver 
  the 
  tobacco 
  at 
  the 
  pub- 
  

   lic 
  warehouse, 
  and, 
  if 
  it 
  passed 
  inspection, 
  receive 
  the 
  

   proceeds, 
  and 
  return 
  home 
  by 
  land, 
  generally 
  on 
  foot; 
  

   the 
  payment 
  being 
  made 
  in 
  a 
  written 
  acknowledgment, 
  

   or 
  hon, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  called, 
  which 
  entitled 
  the 
  holder 
  to 
  re- 
  

   ceive 
  the 
  amount 
  from 
  the 
  governor 
  or 
  commandant 
  at 
  

   Natchez, 
  thus 
  obviating 
  the 
  labor 
  and 
  risk 
  of 
  packing 
  

   the 
  specie 
  several 
  hundred 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  monopoly 
  of 
  the 
  tobacco 
  trade 
  was 
  retained 
  by 
  

   the 
  King 
  of 
  Spain, 
  and 
  the 
  price 
  paid 
  for 
  all 
  that 
  passed 
  

   inspection 
  at 
  his 
  warehouses 
  was 
  uniform. 
  

  

  The 
  price 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  liberal, 
  and 
  yielded 
  a 
  fair 
  

   return 
  for 
  its 
  production, 
  whilst 
  the 
  stability 
  and 
  cer- 
  

   tainty 
  of 
  a 
  market 
  encouraged 
  an 
  increased 
  cultivation 
  ; 
  

   the 
  country 
  began 
  to 
  prosper, 
  and 
  the 
  planters 
  were 
  en- 
  

   abled 
  to 
  make 
  purchases 
  of 
  slaves, 
  the 
  current 
  price 
  of 
  

   which 
  averaged 
  about 
  three 
  hundred 
  and 
  fifty 
  dollars. 
  

  

  There 
  was 
  no 
  classification 
  in 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  the 
  tobacco. 
  

   If 
  the 
  article 
  passed 
  inspection, 
  it 
  was 
  taken, 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  