184 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



like himself, ' live oakers.' Supper was placed on a large 

 table, and on being desired to join the party, I willingly as- 

 sented, doing my best to diminish the contents of the tin pans 

 and dishes set before the company by the active and agreeable 

 housewife. We then talked of the country, its climate and 

 productions, until a late hour, when we laid ourselves down on 

 bear-skins, and reposed till daybreak. 



" I longed to accompany these hardy woodcutters to the hum- 

 mock, where they were engaged in preparing live oak timber for 

 a man-of-war. Provided with axes and guns, we left the house 

 to the care of the wife and children, and proceeded for several 

 miles through a pine barren, such as I have attempted to 

 describe. One tine old turkey was shot, and when we arrived 

 at the shanty, put up near the hummock, we found another 

 party of woodcutters waiting our arrival before eating their 

 breakfast, already prepared by a negro man, to whom the 

 turkey was consigned, to be roasted for part of that day's dinner. 

 Our repast was an excellent one, and vied with a Kentucky 

 breakfast. Beef, fish, potatoes, and other vegetables, were 

 served up with coffee in tin cups, and plenty of biscuit. Every 

 man seemed hungry and happy, and the conversation assumed 

 the most humorous character. The sun now rose above the 

 ti-ees, and aU excepting the cook proceeded to the hummock, 

 on which I had been gazing with great delight, as it promised 

 rare sport. My host, I found, was the chief of the party ; and 

 although he had an axe, he made no other use of it than for 

 stripping here and there pieces of bark from certain trees, which 

 he considered of doubtful soundness. He was not only well 

 versed in his profession, but generally intelligent, and from 

 him I received the following account, which I noted at the time. 



"The men employed in cutting the live oak, after having 

 discovered a good hummock, build shanties of small logs, to 

 retire to at night and feed in by day. Their provisions consist 

 of beef, pork, potatoes, biscuit, rice, flour, and fish, together with 

 excellent whiskey. They are mostly hale, strong, and active 

 men, from the eastern parts of the Union, and receive excellent 

 wages, according to their different abilities. Their labours are 

 only of a few months' duration. Such hummocks as are found 

 near navigable streams are first chosen, and when it is abso- 



