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114 



THE MILL.' 



of it. Most of the mills are worked by horses. 

 There are no windmills in Pernainbuco or in 

 the other provinces which I visited. * The 

 expence which is incurred in making dams, and 

 in other alterations, is doubtless considerable, 

 and few persons can afford to lay out the money 

 which these works require ; but the conve- 

 niences of working by means of water are 

 various ; the number of animals required upon 

 a plantation is reduced to less than one half; less 

 pasture-land is necessary, and fewer persons need 

 to be employed. The animals likewise which are 

 thus rendered superfluous, are those which are 

 the most cost, the most liable to disease, and 

 the most difficult to feed. Great care and 

 attention is requisite in preserving the horses, 

 or rather the mares, (for these are mostly em- 

 ployed in this description of work), in a con- 

 dition to go through with the crop ; and quan- 

 tities of cane are cut up and given to them, as 

 well as molasses. Oxen are usually employed 

 in drawing the carts, and it is seldom thought 

 necessary to afford any expensive food to these 



* The author of the Nouveau Voyage, Sfc. says, the Por- 

 tuguese, when they first established themselves in Brazil, and 

 indeed even at the present time, (1696,) in some places make 

 use of mills for grinding the sugar-cane similar to those of 

 Normandy, "pour b riser les pommes a /aire le cidrc, et dont 

 on se sert aux pais ou il y a des oliviers, pour (eraser les 

 dives." — Tom. iii. p. 428. 



I never heard of any description of mill being employed at 

 the^prcsent day, excepting that which is in general use. 



