CRUZ DAS ALMAS : A BEAZILIAN VILLAGE' — PIERSON 



89 



The capacity of the kiln is 22,000 bricks (pi. 8, 

 d). The sides are of brick, without reboque^ and 

 are 16 feet long and some 20 feet high. The roof 

 is of tile and is raised somewhat above the walls to 

 aid the cii-culation of air. In the lower portion of 

 the front wall, three spaces, each about 21/2 by 2l^ 

 feet, have been left open, through which to put 

 fuel. In a side wall, a door about 6 by 3 feet has 

 been made through whicli to carry in the newly 

 formed bricks. Starting with the opening in the 

 front wall which is farthest from the door, bricks 

 are laid, side bj' side, in two long parallel rows, one 

 to each side of the opening, the entire length of the 

 building. On top of each of these two rows, bricks 

 are then laid at right angles until the first layer is 

 entirely covered. In each row, however, this sec- 

 ond layer is allowed to overlap a bit in the direction 

 of the other row so that as additional layers are 

 added, each new layer also overlapping a little the 

 one below, the two parallel rows gradually ap- 

 proach and finally come together to form a long 

 narrow tunnel which runs the entire length of 

 the building, from the opening in the front wall 

 to the back wall. Wlien a fire is started just inside 

 the opening, the heat will flow readily along this 

 tunnel and thence to the rest of the kiln. As was 

 done in the case of the second layer, the bricks in 

 each succeeding layer have been set at right angles 

 to the bricks immediately beneath. Since the 

 bricks have been roughly made, they in no case 

 fit tightly together ; and, as they dry, they shrink 

 somewhat, so that still larger spaces begin to 

 appear between the bricks and the heat is thus able 

 to pass more readily around them. Similar tunnels 

 are then laid from each of the other two openings, 

 after whicli the remaining bricks are stacked over 

 and around the three tunnels until the kiln is full. 

 The main opening is then sealed up with mud and 

 brick, and fires are started and kept burning for 48 

 hours. The fuel is wood, and approximately li/o 

 cubic meters are used per 1,000 bricks. 



The bricks are subsequently left in the kiln to 

 cool for a week to 10 days. Those on the bottom 

 nearest the fire are "better baked" and sell for a 

 higher price since "they are impervious to water 

 and can be used for wells and similar purposes." 

 At present, these bricks are being sold at 350 cru- 

 zeiros ($19) a thousand and the other bricks at 250 

 cruzeiros ($13.60) a thousand. 



DISTILLATION OF "pINGA" 



Most of the pinga consumed is imported from 

 outside the community. Two farms are equipped 

 with the necessary apparatus for its manufacture 

 in considerable quantity, but on only one farm, or 

 that on which is located the casa grande, or large 

 house referred to above,"- is pinga now being 

 made and then only periodically. There are no 

 small, private stills. 



On this farm, falling water furnishes the power 

 to crush the cane. From a nearby brook, water is 

 led off by way of a shallow ditch into a long, 

 wooden trough about 15 inches wide and 15 inches 

 deep. At the point of junction with the trough, 

 a simple means of control known as the ladrdo 

 (thief) has been set up. It consists of a wooden 

 plank about 20 inches square, set vertically in 

 wooden grooves. Wlien this plank is removed, the 

 water flows into the trough; when it is in place, 

 the water is diverted to one side, whence it eventu- 

 ally finds its way back to the brook at a point 

 farther down. When released into the wooden 

 trough, the water flows with some force about 75 

 feet to the engenho, or mill for crushing the cane. 



At this point, advantage has been taken of an 

 abrupt depression in the earth's surface to set up 

 the mill. The cane press is of iron and factory- 

 made. It consists of a cog wheel about 20 inches 

 in diameter which turns an axle that turns three 

 heavy iron cylinders, each about 20 inches long 

 and 10 inches in diameter, set up horizontally on 

 four iron legs. Over the press and the pile of 

 cane lying near it is a rude shelter which is open 

 on all sides except the rear, where a wall, made of 

 taipa has been erected. The roof is of tile, about 

 10 feet wide by 25 feet long, and slo^Des steeply 

 from back to front. 



At the side of the mill, the water falls from the 

 trough onto the cleats of a heavy wooden wheel 

 which revolves on its iron axle and turns the cog- 

 wheel mentioned above. The water wheel is about 

 12 feet in diameter and 20 inches wide, and the 

 cleats are placed every 10 inches or so around its 

 circumference. Some 15 feet before it reaches 

 the water wheel, the water passes a second ladrdo, 

 consisting of a trap door in the bed of the trough 

 which can be opened to divert any water which 

 may have escaped the control above, and thus force 



•" See DweUings and Furnishings, p. 42. 



