THE EVERGLADES 139 



roof, usually of palmetto thatch, shelters the plat- 

 form and it is open to wind and weather on all 

 sides. In such a mansion the family resides. Their 

 houses must be rather uncomfortable during severe 

 northers although the tenants may improvise some 

 kind of curtains in periods of storm. 



The Seminoles raise some garden vegetables — 

 especially a very fine small sweet pumpkin. The 

 men hunt deer and other animals and trap otters 

 for their skins. The women make baskets, bead 

 work, and various trinkets to sell. The latter 

 wear long gowns and a cape bordered with a high- 

 ly colored fringe; a short jacket beneath does not 

 always reach to the skirt. Many strings of blue 

 or red glass beads are strung about the neck and 

 shoulders, the whole sometimes weighing twenty 

 pounds. Around the bottom of the skirt are one 

 or more belts of striking colors which look as 

 though the woman had appropriated a section of 

 the rainbow. The men wear a shirt that reaches 

 to the knees and is belted around the waist. This 

 shirt is usually decorated with what remains of the 

 rainbow. In some cases they wear a highly col- 

 ored turban and also trousers but the majority 

 go bare as to head, legs, and feet. 



