r boy, not quite twelve years old,
shouldered a heavy "Kentucky" rifle, left our camp, and followed in his
father's long footsteps for a day's hunt. After tramping all day, at
sunset he reappeared in the camp, carrying slung across his shoulders,
in addition to rifle and accouterments, a deer weighing perhaps fifty
pounds, a weight he had borne for miles. The same boy, in one day, went
with some older friends to his permanent home, 20 miles away, and
returned. There are, as I have said, exceptions to this rule of unusual
physical size and strength, but these are few; so few that, disregarding
them, we may pronounce the Seminole men handsome and exceptionally
powerful.

Physique of the Women.

The women to a large extent share the qualities of the men. Some are
proportionally tall and handsome, though, curiously enough, many,
perhaps a majority, are rather under than over the average height of
women. As a rule, they exhibit great bodily vigor. Large or small, they
possess regular and agreeable features, shapely and well developed
bodies, and they show themselves capable of long continued and severe
physical exertion. Indeed, the only Indian women I have seen with
attractive features and forms are among the Seminole. I would even
venture to select from among these Indians three persons whom I could,
without much fear of contradiction, present as types respectively of a
handsome, a pretty, and a comely woman. Among American Indians, I am
confident that the Seminole women are of the first rank.

Clothing.

But how is this people clothed? While the clothing of the Seminole is
simple and scanty, it is ample for his needs and suitable to the life he
leads. The materials of which the clothing is made are now chiefly
fabrics manufactured by the white man: calico, cotton cloth, ginghams,
and sometimes flannels. They also use some materials prepared by
themselves, as deer and other skins. Of ready made articles for wear
found in the white trader's store, they buy small woolen shawls,
brilliantly colored cotton handkerchiefs, now and then light woolen
blankets, and sometimes, lately, though very seldom, shoes.

[Illustration: Fig. 61. Seminole costume.]

Costume of the Men.

The costume of the Seminole warrior at home consists of a shirt, a
neckerchief, a turban, a breech cloth, and, very rarely, moccasins.
On but one Indian in camp did I see more than this; on many, less. The
shirt is made of some figured or striped c