302 SOUTH-WEST FLORIDA. 



ascertained that they had three canoes at Old Fort 

 Centre, on Fish Eating creek. Mr. C. finally induced 

 Billy Osceola to accompany us, and we arranged to start 

 the next morning for the lake. Mr. C. returned home 

 to prepare for the journey, and we amused ourselves by 

 visiting the Indian camp. One peculiarity of the femi 

 nine Lo is a love for heads, and instead of decorating her 

 self with panniers, laces, furbelows, and false hair, she 

 goes in for glass. After some persuasion, and amid 

 peals of laughter, we induced a squaw of sweet sixteen 

 to divest herself of her neck ornaments. When the 

 operation was completed we had suspended on our arm 

 forty-six strings of large glass beads, weighing, at the 

 loAvest estimate, ten pounds. The only article of dress 

 worn by the juvenile representatives of Eve was a few 

 strings of beads. The ciress of masculine Lo w r as, to 

 use a novelist ic expression, picturesque and romantic hi 

 the extreme. Their head-dress consists of from four to 

 five small woollen shawls, costing two dollars and a half 

 apiece. To arrange this capital encumbrance, Lo folds 

 a shawl four inches wide, places the initial end on the 

 forehead, winds the folded shawl tightly around the head, 

 and tucks the outer end under the first coil. This pro 

 cedure is followed with each shawl until the horizontal 

 and ridiculous-looking structure is completed. They all 

 wear calico shirts, with gray vests ; and these garments, 

 with breech cloths, completed the dress of our new 

 acquaintances. 



Early next morning found us under way for Lake 

 Okeechobec, in company with Mr. Carlton and Billy 

 Osceola. We followed an old wagon trail leading to Old 

 Fort Centre, on Fisk Eating creek. This trail had been 

 made during the Indian wars, since which time it has 



