78 The Winning of the West 



horned cattle, sometimes as many as five hundred 

 head, 19 besides hogs and poultry; and some of them, 

 in addition, had negro slaves. But the tillage of 

 the land was accomplished by communal labor; and, 

 indeed, the government, as well as the system of 

 life, was in many respects a singular compound of 

 communism and extreme individualism. The fields 

 of rice, corn, tobacco, beans, and potatoes were 

 sometimes rudely fenced in with split hickory poles, 

 and were sometimes left unfenced, with huts or 

 high scaffolds, where watchers kept guard. They 

 were planted when the wild fruit was so ripe as to 

 draw off the birds, and while ripening the swine were 

 kept penned up and the horses were tethered with 

 tough bark ropes. Pumpkins, melons, marsh-mal- 

 lows, and sun-flowers were often grown between 

 the rows of corn. The planting was done on a given 

 day, the whole town being summoned; no man was 

 expected or was allowed to go out hunting. The 

 under-headman supervised the work. 20 



For food they used all these vegetables, as well 

 as beef and pork, and venison stewed in bear's oil; 

 they had hominy and corncakes, and a cool drink 

 made from honey and water, 21 besides another made 

 from fermented corn, which tasted much like cider. 22 

 They sifted their flour in wicker-work sieves, and 

 baked bread in kettles or on broad, thin stones. 

 Moreover, they gathered the wild fruits, strawber- 

 ries, grapes, and plums, in their season, and out 



19 Hawkins, 30. 20 Hawkins, 39; Adair, 408. 



21 Bartram, 184. " Milfort, 212. 



