ughed.] Then they take and
wet it again, and lay it in a heap covered over with leaves as before,
and so it grows and shoots out with Blades and Roots. In the mean time
while this is thus a growing, they prepare their Ground for sowing;
which is thus: They have a Board about four foot long, which they drag
over their Land by a yoke of Buffaloes, not flat ways, but upon the
edge of it. The use of which is, that it jumbles the Earth and Weeds
together, and also levels and makes the Grounds smooth and even,
that so the Water (for the ground is all this while under water)
may stand equal in all places. And wheresoever there is any little
hummock standing out of the Water, which they may easily see by their
eye, with the help of this Board they break and lay even. And so it
stands overflown while their Seed is growing, and become fit to sow,
which usually is eight days after they lay it in soak.

When the Seed is ready to sow, they drain out all the Water, and with
little Boards of about a foot and a half long, fastned upon long Poles,
they trim the Land over again, laying it very smooth, making small
Furrows all along, that in case Rain or other Waters should come
in, it might drain away; for more Water now would endanger rotting
the Corn. [Their manner of sowing.] And then they sow their Corn,
which they do with very exact evenness, strewing it with their hands,
just as we strew Salt upon Meat.

[How they Manure and order their young Corn.] And thus it stands
without any Water, till such time as the Corn be grown some three
or four Inches above the Ground. There were certain gaps made in the
Banks to let out the water, these are now stopped to keep it in. Which
is not only to nourish the Corn, but to kill the weeds. For they keep
their Fields as clean as a Garden without a weed. Then when the Corn
is grown about a span high, the Women come and weed it, and pull it up
where it grew too thick, and transplant it where it wants. And so it
stands overflown till the Corn be ripe, when they let out the water
again to make it dry for reaping. They never use any dung, but their
manner of plowing and soaking of their Ground serves instead thereof.

[Their manner of Reaping.] At reaping they are excellent good, just
after the English manner. The whole Town, as I said before, as they
joyn together in Tilling, so in their Harvest also; For all fall in
together in reaping one man's Field, and so to the next, until every
mans Corn be