Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Dear Pastor, The latter boat is waiting for us. He
begs to camp and prepare for another Breland
Dinner.
At 8 P.M. White, S., and O'Gara,
are taken into the Pastors
boat and at 9.40 we sit down to dinner in Mr.
Brelands house. Mrs. Breland a native has star-
mignon, Irish potatoes, prunes, Hack bread, cheese,
scald beefs, head cheese sausage and another dish.
Tea and snacks go along. After dinner a hot rum
fizzel is served and at 11 P.M. we go into the
largest native house to look in upon the dance.
The house is full of natives.
A sort of quadrille is a going on whilst at least eight
couples take part. Each couple faces, do a short
dog gig and then swing their partner. The men then
go to the centre and swing returning to their former position
and dance with their partner the gig. The ladies then
go to the centre swing and advance to a partner
further along. While the gig is going the men and women
clap their hands. Then a two step is danced in which
the fester joins. The floor is covered, and
the movement of the steps are harmoning with the
accordion. The Pastor joins the dance.
At 11.30 we are again in camp. We find that
one of our men has brought his two harp kettle drums