THE MILL. 



143 



who pay attention to the safety of their negroes, 

 and whose wish it is to have every thing in 

 proper order, a bar of iron and a hammer are 

 placed close to the rollers upon the table (mezci) 

 which supports the cane. The bar is intended 

 to be violently inserted between the rollers in 

 case of accident, so as to open them, and thus 

 set at liberty the unfortunate negro. In some 

 instances I have seen lying by the side of the. 

 bar and hammer, a well-tempered hatchet, for 

 the purpose of severing the limb from the body, 

 if judged necessary. * On these unfortunate 

 occasions, the screams of the negro have the 

 effect of urging the horses which draw the mill, 

 to run with increased velocity. I am acquainted 

 with two or three individuals who now work 

 their mills with oxen ; and they gave as the 

 principal reason for this change, the decrease of 

 danger to the negroes who feed the mill ; be- 

 cause such is the slowness of these animals, that 

 an accident of the above description can scarcely 

 happen, and indeed they are stopped rather . 

 than urged to proceed by noise. Some of the 

 mills are turned by water, but many more would 

 admit of this improvement than take advantage 



* Labat says, speaking of the same dreadful kind of acci- 

 dent, " Ce qui pourroit arriver si la largeur des itablis ni les 

 en empechoit ;" he also mentions the necessity of having 

 " stir le bout de la tabic une scrpe sans bee bien affitie, pour 

 sen servir au besoin." — Nouveau Voyage, Sec. torn. iii. 

 p. 406. and 407. 



