MODE OF LIVING. 289 



were cooking on shore, the remainder se- 

 parated to look for alligators' and turtles' 

 eggs, and also for the purpose of killing 

 iguanas and other small game. 



Their usual breakfast was boiled rice, with 

 a little charque or dried meat, and they 

 added to the mess whatever they might have 

 killed, which, if it was iguana and stewed in 

 the rice, was excellent. The breakfast over, 

 the voyage was prosecuted until about mid- 

 day, when the canoe was run on to a sandy 

 spot and the same sort of meal done over 

 again, but few of their meals took place 

 without having some material addition made 

 to it from the produce of my gun or rifle ; 

 such as deer, wild turkey, or now and then a 

 wild duck or two, a bird very scarce in the 

 country. 



After dinner, under-way again until sun- 

 set, when the patron again chaunts his prayers, 

 and they sing together an evening hymn to 

 the Virgin Mary. They soon after come to an 

 anchor, taking care to keep well away from 

 the shores and from under trees, on account 

 of wild beasts, and, still worse, snakes drop- 

 ping down from the branches. After eating 

 the cold remains of their dinner, they have 

 another ration of spirits served out to them 



