The furniture of these consists of a sort of couch, with buffalo skins for mattress and wolf skins for sheets and coverlet, a chest for a seat, a punch-bowl of water on a broken chair for a washstand, and a torn bit of rag for towel; while a barrel covered with a white cloth serves as a centre-table, and is besprinkled with antique books.

Among those in his chamber our naturalist discovers one which appears to be a catechism of human knowledge containing, among other entertaining and instructive information as an answer to the question, "What is a shark ?" the highly satisfactory reply that it is "An animal having eighty-eight teeth." The wants of the Colony were few, the peasantry simple and industrious, and their lot in life did not seem to them hard.

The earth yielded bountifully, and in time of temporary disaster fishing and hunting stood them in good stead.

When they hunt, they go accompanied by Indians, who live on the outskirts of the Colony.

Further and further they have been compelled to go, until at our visit no buffalo could be found within a hundred miles at nearest.
The hunt is just over as we reach the Settlement, and every day carts come in laden with the buffalo meat, hides, and pemmican.