Двенадцать лет рабства

           Thesoil,intheparishesofRapidesandAvoyelles,andthroughoutthewholecountry,sofarasmyobservationextended,isofexceedingrichnessandfertility. Itisakindofmarl,ofabrownorreddishcolor. Itdoesnotrequirethoseinvigoratingcompostsnecessarytomorebarrenlands,andonthesamefieldthesamecropisgrownformanysuccessiveyears. 

           Ploughing,planting,pickingcotton,gatheringthecorn,andpullingandburningstalks,occupiesthewholeofthefourseasonsoftheyear. Drawingandcuttingwood,pressingcotton,fatteningandkillinghogs,arebutincidentallabors. 

           InthemonthofSeptemberorOctober,thehogsarerunoutoftheswampsbydogs,andconfinedinpens. Onacoldmorning,generallyaboutNewYear’sday,theyareslaughtered. Eachcarcassiscutintosixparts,andpiledoneabovetheotherinsalt,uponlargetablesinthesmoke-house. Inthisconditionitremainsafortnight,whenitishungup,andafirebuilt,andcontinuedmorethanhalfthetimeduringtheremainderoftheyear. Thisthoroughsmokingisnecessarytopreventthebaconfrombecominginfestedwithworms. Insowarmaclimateitisdifficulttopreserveit,andverymanytimesmyselfandmycompanionshavereceivedourweeklyallowanceofthreepoundsandahalf,whenitwasfullofthesedisgustingvermin. 

           Althoughtheswampsareoverrunwithcattle,theyarenevermadethesourceofprofit,toanyconsiderableextent.