240 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



same on their return. I must believe, for the honor 

 of the Americans, that this reserve is mere custom, and 

 does not proceed from any real want of affection, as I 

 have seen proofs of deep feeling amongst them, but it 

 always made a disagreeable impression on me. But still 

 worse was it to see Germans aping this fashion, as often 

 happened to be my lot. 



When quietly seated, I took a survey of the dwelling. 

 In two corners stood two large beds, covered with 

 good stout quilts of many colors ; between the beds, 

 about four feet from the ground, was a shelf hold- 

 ing a few more quilts, and the linen of the family, 

 which was not over-abundant, comprising three or four 

 articles for each person. Under this shelf were two 

 "gums," trunks of a hollow tree, about a foot in di- 

 ameter, and two and a half or three feet high, with a 

 piece of board nailed on the bottom. They are applied 

 to all sorts of purposes : I have seen them used as bee- 

 hives ; these, I subsequently found, were one for flour 

 and the other for salt. Two wooden hooks over the 

 door supported my host's long rifle, Avith its powder- 

 horn and shot-pouch. A shelf held some shoemaker's 

 tools, leather &c., Gun's Domestic Medicine, a family 

 Bible, the Life of Washington, the Life of Marion, 

 Franklin's Maxims, an almanac, and a well-worn map 

 of the United States. Various files, awls, broken 

 knives, and a bullet-mould, were stuck into the crevices 

 of the logs near the fireplace. On the left of it were 

 two short shelves, with four plates, two cups, three 

 saucers, pome tin pots, and a large coffee-pot, all as 

 bright and clean as possible. In the corner of the 

 fireplace was an iron pan with a cover, for baking 



