Viewing page 185 of 362

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

THE SLAVE'S LABORS. 171
The rude door hangs on great wooden hinges. In one end is constructed an awkward fire-place.
An hour before day light the horn is blown, Then the slaves arouse, prepare their breakfast, fill a gourd with water, in another deposit their dinner of cold bacon and corn cake, and hurry to the field again. It is an offence invariably followed by flogging, to be found at the quarters after daybreak. Then the fears and labors of another day begin; and until its close there is no such thing as rest. He fears he will be caught lagging through the day; he fears to approach the gin-house with his basket-load of cotton at night; he fears, when he lies down that he will oversleep himself in the morning. Such is a true, faithful, unexaggerated picture and description on the slave's daily life during the time of cotton-picking, on the shores of Bayou Bœuf.
In the month of January, generally, the fourth and last picking is completed. Then commences the harvesting of corn. This is considered a secondary crop, and receives far less attention than the cotton. It is planted, as already mentioned, in February. Corn is grown in that region for the purpose of fattening hogs and feeding slaves; very little, if any, being sent to the market. It is the white variety, the ear of great size, and the stalk growing to the height of eight and often times ten feet. In August the leaves are stripped off, dried in the sun, bound in small bundles and stored away as provender for the mules and oxen. After this the slaves go through the field, turning