The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-01-20

SNh"Se ii"m icltCI Ntiticb ~ aNSh VI 'ishS
by gen'leman furmerly Of this city, 10 It
friend here, will be read with interest by
such OF oOr readers as have not had the op-
portunity Of seeing how the thing is done:
The Geography Of this State is on sII the
maps and its surface so plain and even that
a glance comprises the whole The River
is the main artery and the bayons ore lateral
arteries exactly like the principal, differing
only in size. The river itself is above the
level Of its shores, and is prevented from
flooding the land By leyees, which vary in
size according 10 The distance from the
mouths. Thus the Levec at Fort Jackson,
80 miles below is only two or three feet high,
whereas here il is about FIVE to eight; and as
you ascend the levces increase in dimen-
siOps. This is because the channel Is deep
er, the nearer you. approach the sea, and the
numerous outlets or bsyOus afford more
easy escape for the accumulated waters OF
the Freshets. Here the extreme rise never
exceeds eight feet above the lowest water.
whereas at Cincinnati the rise and fall pas
ses through forty feet. But these are all no.
torious facts, and need not be mentioned fur
ther than TO prefix my narrative.
On Saturday last, by invitation Of and in
company with merchant named Morrison,
| embarked on the steamboat Bella Donna
bound up the coast, as the river is termed. -
The whole line was marked by sugar planta-
tions whose furnaces lighted up the shores,
for this is the crushing and boiling season.
At breakfast next morning we reached our
destination, the plantation Of DR.. Courier,
| Frenchmln by birth, educated in London, a
surgeon in the French Navy and after a wan
derng life settled down in La. as Sugar
| Planter. His wife is native or Creole,
who can understand a little English, but in
variably speaks her native French. They
have eight children, four of whom are at
school ip MississipP other four are small
and at home. We soon became acquainted
and sailed forth to see the premises.
II was Sunday, but that makes no differ
ence in the Grinding Season, for time il
precious and the labor must Of necessity be
continuous So we found in the fields tire
negroes cutting cane. The Doctor had a.
bout 400 acres of cane, onc-half Of which
had been cut and the rest was standing..-
The stocks are perfectly green, but the tops
and outer leaves were touched with frost
the whole looking more like field Of rush.
es than of corn with which it is usually COM
pared. In cutting, each negro follows one
row, reaching up with the left hand above
the cane part, the right hand brings the
back Of large heavy knife downward SO as
to strip off the leaves; then cuts offth TOP
so as TO leave the sugar cane stand bare
The leaves and tops are thrown on the
ground so as to make bed. and then the
cane is cut close to the ground aud cast eros:
I,,,ie 81; of
.groes were engaged and could cut about foul
acres u day. Carts with large bodies, mad.
SO as 10 dump like an ordinary mud cart, fol
low the cutters aud carry the cane to th'
sugar house. These carts are drawn by tw,
yoke Of oxen or three mules abreast, and iv
such will about carry the cane of the thirt
cutters provided the field is near the suga
house The grown men and women ar
cutters; smart boys and men the drivers
children attend to help load the carts and t.
carry food and water for the cutters. Th
work is hard, and generally continues 70
the months Of November and December.
The Sugar mill for grinding and boiin:
The sugar requires more minute description
A steam engine is the first item; its cost a
bout $4,000, erected ut the end Of the house
The house is long rectangular buildin,
with a shed attached. Under this shed tn
cane is dumped; children and women pick
up and throw it on the carrier; a man ar
) ranges it so that the cane lies uniform
on this carrier about four feet wide, whic
moves up about thirty feet, where the stra
turns sharp to return. The cane trmble
forward down an inclined plane where tn
rollers grasp it, and it comes out mashc
and dry, nearly as thin as pasteboard. -
Scarce Il taste of sugar remains. The juic
IN liquid, like chocolate, runs into pa
below, whence ducts lead it into vats abov
and near the boilers. When settled ia thes
watts, it is covered with an ugly dirty trotl
and the juice itself assumes greenish DIV
color In that form it is sweet and palatabl
] and so very nutritious that the negroes bt
come very fat and sleek during the rolliG
season. Thus you see the roller is simpl
in form but most eiiectual. To reduce th
Juice TO sugar, set of kettles somewhat lik
: your salt boilers is used. The number {
tour is generally adopted. The hottest fiji
is under the battery or last boiler Th
Juice first enters the first boiler when it
skinned and charged with a little brn,
thence into the second; thence the third an
lastly into the battery. A man with
paddle guards each kettle constantly wavin
| back towards the first kettle the scum. A
e old hand, sklIful inithe art, guards the ba
! terry and judges when the sugar is done ,whe
D he ladies' it out fast into large troug
I whence in a liquid state it is conducted in
j some one of the numerous coolers which yC
see have arranged. Each boiling produc,
/ of hogshead or 800 pounds; but the boi
ings are continuous, averaging thirty da
or ten hogsheads, equal to 10000 pounds
G sugar, The hot liquid cools about two day
: and then is potted, lie carried ia kind Of pU
and emptied into the large hogsheads stan'
ing on endin the Purgery. large room vii
beams About a foot part, under which al
large vats lined with cement TO hold the m'
lasses which leak from the hogshcads.-
When purgcd Of molasses, the hogsheads al
. hauled to the levee and sent to market.
DR.. Gourier's is about an average GOO
plantation. He has about 800 acres, mil
front of river, about rs negros, and this yet
4 makes 600 hogsheads Of sugar and about7O
barrels of moIasses. The sugar is worth :
4 cents about $40 hogshead, $24,oO
Molasscs at - cts gal. $3.50 q barrel 6,lO
$50, ,lC
Besides which he raises common, swee
potatoes, &C., for his family sad negroes
: lie buys his bacon, beef, every thing els
and clothing for negroes. His own slave
= make tire hogsheads and cut the necessai
wood for furnaces, about . cords T. hog
head.
Tb;s ;s n -favorsIla eaaso,, and nj thie IN