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182 Whirlwinds produced by the burning of a Cane-Brake. 
brake, which probably started before the cane covered the land; 
but almost all other vegetation is excluded. In.clearing such 
land only a few simple tools are employed,—as a carpenter’s adze, 
or an axe, or a heavy kind of hoe called a ‘“ cane hoe,’’—and a 
single blow is sufficient to divide the stalk. Thé laborer grasps 
the cane with one hand, and, as he cuts it, throws it behind him 
and passeson. In this way, an acre of land is soon cleared. To 
prepare it for the plough it is only necessary to fire the cane; as 
the roots are, for the most part, near the surface, they are con- 
sumed at the same time, and the land is then ready for immediate 
tillage. From the ease with which it is cleared and from the fer- 
tility of the soil, (which may be accurately determined by the size 
of the canes, ) cane land is preferred above all others in the region. 
_ The canes lie for a month or six weeks to dry, and then are 
gathered into heaps and set on fire in several places at once. As 
soon as the burning begins, the air that is confined in the hollow 
thunder cloud. Instead of the light colors of ordinary smoke, @ 
deep dull black characterized the whirlwinds, and the dense vol- 
umes of smoke which enveloped the whole scene. On the edge 
of the fire, the smoke was equally black, but somewhat less dense- 
his was true also of some of the whirlwinds, particularly those 
of the form represented by No. 2, while most of the other forms 
were revolving masses of dense black smo 
