Chap. II. KUTA BAGA CULTUKIl. 109 



threw earth over tlie whole to a thickness of about 

 a foot, taking care to point the covering at top, in 

 order to keep out wet. 



107. Thus was a small part of the piece put 

 up. The 14th of December was a Sunday, a day 

 that I can find no Gospel precept for devoting to 

 the throwing away of the fruit of one's labours, 

 and a day which 1 never will so devote again. 

 However, I ought to have been earlier. On the 

 Monday it rained. On the Monday night came a 

 sharp North-Wester with its usual companion, at 

 this season, that is to say, a sharp frost. Resolved 

 to finish this piece on that day, I borrov/ed hands 

 from my neight)ours, who are always ready to 

 assist one another. We had about two acres and 

 a half to do ; and it was necessary to employ one 

 half of the hands to go before the pullers and loosen 

 the turnips with a spade in the frosty ground. 

 About ten o'clock, I saw, that we should not finish ^ 

 and there was every sign of a hard frost at night. 

 In order, therefore, to expedite the work, I called 

 in the aid of those efficient fellow labourers, a pair 

 of oxen, which, with a good, strong plough, going 

 up on one side of each row of turnips, took away 

 the earth close to the bulbs, left them bare on one 

 side, and thus made it extremely easy to pull them 

 up. We wanted spades no longer ; all our hands 

 were employed taking up the turnips ; and our 

 job, instead of being half done that day, was com- 

 pleted by about two o'clock. Well and justly did 

 Moses order, that the ox should not be muzzled 

 v/hile be was treading out the corn ; for, surely, 

 no animals are so useful, so docile, so gentle as 

 these, while they require at our hands so little care 

 and labour in return ! 



108. Now, it will be observed, that the turnips 

 here spoken of, were put up when the ground and 

 the turnips were frozen. Yet they have kept per- 

 fectly sound and good ; and I am preparing to 



10 



