79 
CHAP. VIII. 
General Characteristic—Mode of Living — Furniture— 
Musical Instruments — Dancing—Social Habits — Di¬ 
versions—Hunting Buffaloes, Wild Boars, and Alli¬ 
gators — Fishing—Treatment of Run-away Slaves— 
Riches — Astronomy — Language — Ombihsses—Mode of 
Reckoning. 
The characteristic feature in the history of this 
extraordinary people, whether we consider them in 
their personal, relative, or domestic habits, is simpli¬ 
city. The examples of their forefathers appear to 
constitute, with them, a sanction of every thing re¬ 
lating to their mode of action and living; and though 
innovations have crept into some of the provinces, in 
consequence of their intercourse with the French, it 
has been rather by constraint than willingly. And 
even these, instead of imparting their character to 
the people to the full extent, have been made to 
assume a portion of the general feature we have 
just referred to. 
Their manner of living we have before spoken of; 
the usual hour of dinner is ten o’clock in the morn¬ 
ing, and that of supper four in the afternoon. Al¬ 
though we have described them as very abstemious, we 
by no means wish to convey the idea, that they are des- 
