Двенадцать лет рабства

           Eachoneisalsopresentedwithalargebasketthatwillholdabouttwobarrels. Thisistoputthecottoninwhenthesackisfilled. Thebasketsarecarriedtothefieldandplacedatthebeginningoftherows. 

           Whenanewhand,oneunaccustomedtothebusiness,issentforthefirsttimeintothefield,heiswhippedupsmartly,andmadeforthatdaytopickasfastashecanpossibly. Atnightitisweighed,sothathiscapabilityincottonpickingisknown. Hemustbringinthesameweighteachnightfollowing. Ifitfallsshort,itisconsideredevidencethathehasbeenlaggard,andagreaterorlessnumberoflashesisthepenalty. 

           Anordinaryday’sworkistwohundredpounds. Aslavewhoisaccustomedtopicking,ispunished,ifheorshebringsinalessquantitythanthat. Thereisagreatdifferenceamongthemasregardsthiskindoflabor. Someofthemseemtohaveanaturalknack,orquickness,whichenablesthemtopickwithgreatcelerity,andwithbothhands,whileothers,withwhateverpracticeorindustry,areutterlyunabletocomeuptotheordinarystandard. Suchhandsaretakenfromthecottonfieldandemployedinotherbusiness. Patsey,ofwhomIshallhavemoretosay,wasknownasthemostremarkablecottonpickeronBayouBœuf. Shepickedwithbothhandsandwithsuchsurprisingrapidity,thatfivehundredpoundsadaywasnotunusualforher. 

           Eachoneistasked,therefore,accordingtohispickingabilities,none,however,tocomeshortoftwohundredweight.