234 FLORIDA.

the woods, and made into soup. (This last is a species of
large land-turtle ten to twenty inches across its back-shell,
living in deep holes which it burrows in the ground. They
are very plentiful, and their cavernous-looking retreats are
everywhere seen here. They are incorrectly called "go-
phers" by the negroes and natives.) They also frequently
make up batches of corn or wheat-flour cake, to be eaten
with molasses. Pork, however, is their chief article of
food; they ate it three times a day, and averaged about
five pounds each in seven days.
 Meals over, the fun began. Musical instruments, con-
sisting mainly of banjoes, fiddles, and guitars, began thrum-
ming everywhere; soon a jig would strike up, all the feet


(such feet!) would
long some dancer wo
shuffle, perhaps two or
until they dropped fr
ing, especially after su
frequently quite fine.
joined in one of their


)e
u
t


gin beating time, an
Id bound forward an
hree others joining in,


om sheer exhaustion.


In

C


elsewhere-it is very
camp would join in the
tance off through the
ful and often solemnly
 As a class, the gent
laborers; they work h
efficiently, always perf(
making least trouble tc
uine African is an exce
ferent with "them yell
dainty, more quarrels
watches and revolvers
trifle different from tl


d before very
d commence a
and keep it up
And the sing-


set, was always a noticeable feature,
When two or three voices start-
ountless melodies, like nothing heard
attractive. Generally all hands in
chorus ; and when heard a little dis-
pine-woods, it was strangely beauti-
sweet.
line, pure blacks are always the best
ardest, most willingly, honestly, and
rming the most labor in a day, and
the foremen and officers. The gen-
llent, worthy worker. But it is dif-
er fellers." These are always more
,me; they are the class that carry
,always shirk, always do things a
ie way ordered, always quarrel with


their foremen about their time, about their rations, about
their pay, and about everything. They are up to all manner