ra a 
38 NOTES TAKEN. * 
to think he would be able to save enough to last him in his 
family, as hog and hominy was their only diet. 
Of cattle and horses, the old man had a large herd, in fact, 
he told me he did not know the number, but “sometime ‘de , 
boy he count ’em.” ‘The calves were all kept in an enclosure, 
and thus the cows were induced to return from pasture, when 
enough milk was taken for butter, &c., the rest allowed to the 
calves. I could not help but think what a handsome account 
one of our New England farmers would turn such a dairy to. 
An incident occurred during the branding, which affected 
me very much, and which I will now relate : 
When all the large colts had been branded, a beautiful 
milk-white filly, four years old, with a colt six weeks old, at 
her foot, was driven up. At first she made every effort to 
escape, guarding the colt at the same time, but soon the colt 
was lassoed and thrown, instantly, she stopped, and standing 
the very picture of agony, with glaring eyeballs and distended 
tittle: trembling in every limb and muscle of her frame, and 
the sweat running off her in a stream, uttering all the time a 
‘low, whining moan, presented a picture of distress, which, in 
a dumb brute, was as affecting as it was extraordinary. As, 
soon as the colt was liberated, she sprang forward, and 
caressing it with all the affection of a mother, bounded off 
into the woods, taking care to keep it in front and in sight of 
her; truly, thought I, if any thing could create a belief in 
Metempsychosis, it would be sights like this. 
~ Most of the Choctaws hold slaves, but my observations, 
