Then we had to put the resin in the hold. The barrels in which it was contained were like ordinary flour barrels, the resin having been run into them from a kettle, as a solid mass, quite heavy, so it would sink in water.
For the loading we again used the horse-power derrick on the wharf. And here is an incident of which I never saw the like again.
The horse used was a shiny black, and well kept, and the driver, if he is to be called that, was also shiny black. But, instead of driving the horse, he sang to it. He sat on a barrel, a little distance from the horse, and sang to it from morning till evening. The horse must first go forward, to lift the barrel on board, then back up to let it down in the hold, then forward again till the hooks could be put over the raising and fastened to another barrel, then further forward to life that barrel on board ship, and so on the whole day long. The darkey sang the commands. The horse understood them perfectly, and worked so well that no machine could have done it better. And that negro could sing remarkably well, and keep it up all day; and when evening came he would go over and unhitch the horse, stroke it on shoulder and neck, and they would go home together. The name of the horse was 'Bill', and the negro sang his name hundreds of times during the day, and sang what the horse was to do.