'je REMINISCENCES OF 



nearly to reach the opposite sides of the vat, and 

 each furnished with a small bucket at its end, ran 

 lengthwise through the centre of this vat. Laborers 

 would then place themselves upon this vat, and work 

 the axle with handles or cranks, so as to cause the 

 buckets to rise and fall alternately in the liquor. 

 This process was continued until the coloring mat- 

 ter was united in a body. This operation required 

 great nicety, for if the beating was not continued 

 long enough, a part of the tingeing matter remained 

 dissolved in the liquor ; if continued too long, a 

 part of that which had separated is dissolved afresh. 

 Lime was then applied, which assisted in the separa- 

 tion of the water from the indigo. The whole 

 being now suffered to rest until the blue matter had 

 settled, the clear water was drawn off by cocks in 

 the sides at different heights, and the blue part dis- 

 charged by a cock in the bottom into another vat. 

 It was then strained through cloth bags, and spread 

 out in shallow vessels called " bowls," to harden and 

 dry. When the substance had acquired sufficient 

 consistency, it was cut into cakes or lumps, each 

 weighing about one quarter of a pound. While 

 packing the indigo for market, these lumps were 

 brushed to make them as bright as possible. They 

 were generally packed in bags or boxes. 



Few planters attempted to cultivate more than 

 four acres of indigo to the hand. The great enemy 

 of the growing crop was the grasshopper, which 



