First, a piece of ground was cleared of grass,
and was leveled for the reception of the bricks when made; then
some planks were knocked together so as to form a rough table. Two
brick molds were made, these being larger than those used in
England. A piece of ground was chosen near. The turf was taken off,
the soil was dug up, and the peons drove the bullocks round and
round upon it, trampling it into a thick mud, some water being
thrown in when necessary.
As it was sufficiently trampled Terence carried it in a trough and
emptied it on to the table close by, where Hans and Seth fashioned
it in the molds, turning the bricks out on to a plank a foot wide
and six feet long. When this was full the boys took each an end and
carried it off to the prepared ground, where they carefully removed
the bricks with two little slabs of wood, and placed them on the
ground to dry, returning with the empty plank to find, another one
filled for them. It was hard work for all, and from eleven until
three the heat was too great to allow them to work at it; but they
began with daylight, and taking a nap during the heat of the day,
were ready to work on again as long as it was light.
The bricks were, of course, to be dried by the sun, as fuel was too
scarce for them to think of burning them; but this was of little
consequence, especially as they were to be used indoors, the heat
of the sun being quite sufficient to make very fair bricks without
the use of fire.
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