142 CULTIVATION OF INDIGO. 



The water being drawn off from the upper vat, the 

 steeped plant is then beaten up by six men entering into 

 it, and beating with their hands until the coloring matter 

 which is contained in it begins to show itself in small 

 atoms. The men then get out, and the indigo or fecula 

 subsides, and soon after the water is drawn off. There 

 are two vents in the lower vat ; the upper vent is for 

 drawing off the water, the lower one for drawing off the 

 indigo, and a quantity of the water which could not be 

 well drained off, without disturbing the fecula. The 

 fecula is then put into a small vat, either of wood or 

 masonry, and allowed to rest some time, and then more 

 of the water is drained off. It is then taken to be boiled 

 in a boiler generally from six to ten feet square, and four 

 or five deep, and all froth carefully skimmed off. It 

 takes five or six hours to boil it. The boiler is made of 

 copper or iron, as the party may fancy. 



When boiled, it is let out from a vent in the bottom of 

 the boiler into a vat, where the fecula soon subsides, and 

 more of the water is then drawn off. It is then filled 

 into square cases, pierced with small gimlet holes at 

 about two inches apart ; in the wooden square is placed 

 a cloth fitting to the square ; and then the boiled indigo, 

 still retaining a good deal of water, and consequently of 

 a thin consistency, is filled into the square ; a lid is then 

 placed on the top of the square, which fits into it, and all 

 is placed under the press ; and as the lid is pressed down 

 into the square, it forces the water through the cloth, 

 and through the holes in the side of the frame ; then, 

 when all the moisture that can be pressed out is done so, 

 the sides of the square or box are taken off, and the 

 indigo left on what had been the bottom. The whole is 



