第42章 Chapter XII.(3)

　　The softest couches in the world are not to be found inthe log mansion of the slave. The one whereon I reclinedyear after year， was a plank twelve inches wide and tenfeet long. My pillow was a stick of wood. The beddingwas a coarse blanket， and not a rag or shred beside. Mossmight be used， were it not that it directly breeds a swarmof fleas.

　　The cabin is constructed of logs， without floor orwindow. The latter is altogether unnecessary， the crevicesbetween the logs admitting sufficient light. In stormyweather the rain drives through them， rendering itcomfortless and extremely disagreeable. The rude doorhangs on great wooden hinges. In one end is constructedan awkward fire-place.

　　An hour before day light the horn is blown. Then theslaves arouse， prepare their breakfast， fill a gourd withwater， in another deposit their dinner of cold bacon andcorn cake， and hurry to the field again. It is an offenceinvariably followed by a flogging， to be found at thequarters after daybreak. Then the fears and labors ofanother day begin； and until its close there is no suchthing as rest. He fears he will be caught lagging throughthe day； he fears to approach the gin-house with hisbasket-load of cotton at night； he fears， when he liesdown， that he will oversleep himself in the morning. Suchis a true， faithful， unexaggerated picture and descriptionof the slave’s daily life， during the time of cotton-picking，on the shores of Bayou Boeuf.

　　In the month of January， generally， the fourth and lastpicking is completed. Then commences the harvesting， ofcorn. This is considered a secondary crop， and receivesfar less attention than the cotton. It is planted， as alreadymentioned， in February. Corn is grown in that regionfor the purpose of fattening hogs and feeding slaves；very little， if any， being sent to market. It is the whitevariety， the ear of great size， and the stalk growing to theheight of eight， and often times ten feet. In August theleaves are stripped off， dried in the sun， bound in smallbundles， and stored away as provender for the mules andoxen. After this the slaves go through the field， turningdown the ear， for the purpose of keeping the rains frompenetrating to the grain. It is left in this condition untilafter cotton-picking is over， whether earlier or later. Thenthe ears are separated from the stalks， and deposited inthe corncrib with the husks on； otherwise， stripped ofthe husks， the weevil would destroy it. The stalks are leftstanding in the field.

　　The Carolina， or sweet potato， is also grown in thatregion to some extent. They are not fed， however， to hogsor cattle， and are considered but of small importance.

　　They are preserved by placing them upon the surface ofthe ground， with a slight covering of earth or cornstalks.

　　There is not a cellar on Bayou Boeuf. The ground is so lowit would fill with water. Potatoes are worth from two tothree “bits，” or shillings a barrel； corn， except when thereis an unusual scarcity， can be purchased at the same rate.