84 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



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 holding 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 diameter, 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 beehives ; 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, with his 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 logs near the fireplace. On the left of 

 it were two short shelves, with four plates, two cups, 

 three saucers, some 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 

 bread, and two saucepans, one broken. Several joints 



