1811. 
DESCRIPTION OF A CORN-MILL. 
113 
(Mill-Street), contained a small hand-mill, where three Hottentots 
were busily employed in grinding their corn. 
This mill was remarkable for its very simple construction : the 
essential parts of its mechanism were merely two horizontal stones, 
of two feet in diameter, and three handles. The under-stone was 
fixed, about three feet from the ground, in a circular frame or box of 
wood, elevated above it high enough to prevent the upper stone, 
when in motion, from flying off. The inner surface of each stone 
was channelled in the same manner as we observe in the mill-stones 
in England ; while the upper one was perforated by a funnel-shaped 
hole of the form of an inverted cone, into which the corn, in small 
quantities, was continually thrown by hand. In the upper surface of 
the moving stone was fixed a stout cylindric pin of iron. The 
handle was a horizontal stick about four feet long, one end of which 
was fastened by a piece of raw hide to the iron pin ; while the other 
was supported by a long rope attached to the rafters of the roof 
In the same manner, two other handles were fixed to the pin, one 
above the other, and were similarly supported by ropes suspended 
from different parts of the roof By alternately pushing forward 
and pulling back these handles, the upper stone was made to turn 
round with any desired degree of velocity, and at the same time 
discharged the flour by a spout in the side of the circular box. The 
greatest inconvenience of such a mill consists in its having no 
means for regulating the degree of fineness or coarseness of the 
meal ; but for this country, where regular millwrights are seldom 
to be found, it possesses a most important advantage, in being so 
easy of construction, that every farmer may make one for himself. 
It is, in fact, often to be met wuth in the houses of the boors, having, 
most probably, been by them originally introduced into this colony. 
As we passed along through- their little gardens, under the 
cool shade of peach-trees, the Hottentots at work touched their 
hats, and, in a good-natured, respectful manner, accosted each of us 
with " Dag, Mynheer !" meaning " Good day, Sir !" The women, 
as we walked by the door of their huts, courtesied with the same 
salutation ; while the boys and girls, half-hidden behind them, 
Q 
