VISIT TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE. 311 



pleasant neighbors. The females are modest and retir 

 ing, and, from what we could learn, are remarkable for 

 chastity. Those we met did not appear to have an 

 appetite for intoxicating liquors, and with the exception 

 of Johnny, a half-breed (part Indian and part negro), 

 they seemed to be strictly honest. The Indians stated 

 that Jimmy was &quot; holywagus &quot; (no good), and we arrived 

 at the same conclusion. We missed a pocket knife, 

 which we had reason to believe Jimmy appropriated. 

 Descending the river, we overtook Jimmy at one of his 

 camps, and found one of our spinners attached to his 

 fishing line. He assured us that he had found it ; 

 but his statement was received cum grano salis. To 

 persons visiting Fort Thompson we can recommend Billy 

 Osceola as a good and attentive guide, and, as far as our 

 observation went, perfectly reliable. Curiosity appears 

 to be a prominent trait of these Indians, and their desire 

 to see and examine everything, at times proved annoy 

 ing. To escape their inquisitiveness we would anchor the 

 boat in mid-channel, and they would seat themselves on 

 the shore, and stoically wait for hours for us to get back 

 with the boat. 



The Indians of Florida are so advanced in civilization 

 as to shun politics, rings, and peculation, and are disposed 

 to remain honest, and untainted by the intrigues of carpet 

 baggers. They are entitled to one representative in the 

 State Legislature ; and this fact having been discovered 

 by an aspiring carpet-bagger, he visited Spotted Tail and 

 solicited his influence. Old Spotted Tail listened to his 

 eloquent pleading, and rather abruptly ended the in 

 terview by exclaiming, Indian no want politics ; go 

 to h .&quot; 



