354 A Treatise on 
provided with a fharp Knife to cut the Roots, a 
broad Iron-Spattle to fcrape off the Juice, and a 
Cup fixed to his Thigh to receive it. They have 
all likewife two Baikets hung over their Shoulders* 
to carry the Juice when they have gathered it. We 
muff obferve, by the Way, that each Company di- 
vides the Roots, which grow in the Trad; of Ground 
allotted to it, into two Claffes, upon which they are 
employed every other Day alternately •, for when the 
Juice has been drawn off, the Root requires the 
Space of a Day to recover a frefh Stock, and as long 
a Time that the Quantity which has iffued from it 
may be duly infpiffated. 
Being now arrived at the Place where they pro- 
pofe to begin, they each without Delay apply them- 
lelves to a Root. They remove the Cover, and a 
Portion of the Earth which would otherwife be an 
Impediment to them. Then they cut off the Top 
of the Root tranfverfly, fo that the Trunk repre- 
fents a Difk with a plane Surface, whereupon the 
exuding Liquor may fettle, without Danger of flow- 
ing over. Afterwards they defend the wounded 
Root from the Sun in the fame Manner as before, 
only with this Caution, that the Bundles may not 
touch upon the Difk they bend them into the Form 
of an Arch. And thus in Order they treat all the 
Roots of the firfl: Clafs. 
The next Day they proceed to the Roots of the 
fecond Clafs, and treat them as the former. The 
third Day, returning to the firfl Clafs, and with- 
drawing the Covers, they fcrape off the Juice with 
their Spattles, and put it into the Cups which hang 
to their Thighs. Then removing fo much of the 
Earth as may ferve to allow them free Accefs to the 
Root, they pare a very thin circular Slice from the 
Surface of the Difk, fcarce as thick as an Oat-Straw ; 
for it is fuflicient if the dry external Surface, whereby 
the 
