‘als, and, being arranged in compact 
order, were easily carried on their 
backs, ‘The women were made to 
bear the burden; while the men 
took no share of the load. One 
man, who had three wives, very 
neatly packed upon their backs the 
whole of what he had to carry 
away ; then taking up a long staff, 
he marched on before with lordly 
_ step, the’ wives following him in 
silent train, one after another. We 
walked gently behind a party of 
about forty as far as the creek, and 
there saw some of them embark in 
their canoes, and paddle up the 
river, while the others took a nar- 
_ row path leading into the depths of 
_ the forest ; and presently the whole 
body of them were out of sight, 
leaving not a trace of their visit 
behind. 
They come down, occasionally, 
in parties, and enter into an engage- 
ment to cut wood for a certain 
compensation; but no dependence 
can be placed upon them for a single 
day, for they sometimes pack up all 
belonging to them, and return sud- 
_ denly and unexpectedly into the 
woods; from whence they come not 
again for several months, perhaps not 
_ atall. They are naturally indolent, 
and being tenacious of freedom, they 
become impatient of the restraint im- 
__- posed by daily labour ; wherefore, 
i they hastily east it off, and fly back 
_ tothe woods to range in their native 
j liberty, which knows no bounds, 
_ Mor control, From possessing a 
‘ degree of expertness in the felling 
{ 
. 
; 
of timber, they might be highly use- 
ful in forwarding the cultivation of 
the colony, but they have no sense 
of industry, nor do they seem to 
: acquire the least disposition to emu- 
Jate the colonists in any of their 
pursuits :-.content with-finding food 
CHARACTERS. 
857 
and pepper in the woods, they have 
no ambition to become planters, 
Cotton is not necessary to protect 
their naked skins; nor are their 
appetites so refined as to require 
gither coffee or sugar. 
At the fort we have also had 2 
visit from an Indian family, who 
came to us in the true style of native 
accommodation—exhibiting the full 
equipage of the family canoe, and 
forming a scene of high interest and 
novelty. Before the canoe reached 
the fort, we observed the long black 
hair and naked skins of the man, his 
two wives, and several children, 
who were all stowed about the ves- 
sel with the strictest attention to 
equipoise—trimming it most exactly. 
‘The canoe was large, and, in addi- 
tion to the family, was loaded. with 
cedar and other kinds of wood, for 
sale or barter. On the top of the 
cargo appeared a ferocious-looking 
animal, setting up his bristles like 
the quills of the porcupine. It wasa 
species of wild-hog caught in the 
forest, and hence called a bush-hog. 
A small monkey was likewise skip- 
ping about the canoe. At one side 
sat two very fine parrots, and on 
the other was perched a large and 
most beautiful mackaw, exhibiting 
all the rich splendour of his gay 
plumage. On the canoe arriving at 
the landing-place, the bow and 
arrows, the clay cooking-vessel, 
calabashes, hammocks, and crab- 
baskets, were all brought into view, 
and we gazed on the whole, as forme. 
ing a very complete. and striking 
specimen of original equipage and 
accommodation, The whole family, 
—the household apparatus—the 
bow and arrows—the canoe and 
paddles—the hammocks—in short 
all the furniture and implements for 
cooking, for sleeping, for shooting, 
fishing, 
