s,
worked by manual labor, and, in the French islands, by buckets or
cylinders, worked by long poles; but subsequently--that is, at the
time Edwards wrote--convenient apparatus was constructed, the levers
of which were worked by a cog-wheel, kept in motion by a horse or
mule. When the fluid had been churned for fifteen or twenty minutes,
a small quantity was examined in a cup or plate, and if it appeared
curdled or coagulated, strongly impregnated lime-water was gradually
added, not only with a view to promote separation, but to prevent
decomposition. Browne remarks ("Civil and Nat. Hist. of Jamaica,"
art. "Indigo"), the planters "must carefully distinguish the
different stages of this part of the operation also, and attentively
examine the appearance and color as the work advances,--for the
grain passes gradually from a greenish to a fine purple, which is
the proper color when the liquor is sufficiently worked,--too small
a degree of agitation leaving the indigo green and coarse, while too
vigorous an action brings it to be almost black." The liquor being
then, as we shall suppose, properly worked, and granulation
established, it was left undisturbed until the flakes settled at the
bottom, when the liquor was drawn off, and the sediment (which is
the indigo) placed in little bags to drain, after which it was
carefully packed in small square boxes, and suffered to dry
gradually in the shade.

Such is the account, nearly word for word, which Edwards gives of
the mode of manufacturing indigo. I shall now quote his remarks upon
the outlay and gain upon the article _verbatim_.--"To what has been
said above of the nature of the plant suiting itself to every soil,
and producing four cuttings in the year, if we add the cheapness of
the buildings, apparatus, and labor, and the great value of the
commodity, there will seem but little cause for wonder at the
splendid accounts which are transmitted down to us concerning the
great opulence of the first indigo-planters. Allowing the produce of
an acre to be 300 lbs., and the produce no more than 4s. per pound,
the gross profit of only twenty acres will be L1,200, produced by
the labor of only sixteen negroes, and on capital in land and
buildings scarce deserving consideration." Yet, notwithstanding this
statement, the author informs us after