1. WE set out for the scene of this famous Indian game; and, after wandering about for some time, we found the spot in the bosom of the forest, at the distance of a mile or two from the road. It consisted of an open space about two hundred yards in length by twenty yards wide, from which the trees had been

cleared away, though the grass was left untouched, nor was the surface even levelled. At each end of this area two green boughs were thrust into the ground, six feet apart from each other, as a sort of wicket. The object of the game, it afterwards appeared, was to drive the ball between these boughs; and whichever party succeeded in accomplishing this, counted

one.

2. By one o'clock the surrounding space was thickly speckled over with Creek women, accompanied by numerous squads of copper-coloured little Creekies; but still the real parties in the contest were nowhere to be seen. From time to time, indeed, we had sufficient indications of their being somewhere in the neighbourhood, from the loud shrieks or yells raised by a great number of voices in chorus, which issued from the forest, but not a man was yet visible. We walked in the direction of these cries, and came up to forty or fifty naked savages lying flat on the grass; further on, we came to various parties at their toilet. Some of these dandies of the woods were employed in painting one eye black, the other yellow. Several youths were thrusting long black feathers into their turbans, or cloths which they had wound round their heads. Others were fitting their naked bodies with tails, to resemble tigers and lions, having already daubed and streaked themselves all over from head to foot with a variety of colours, intended to set off the coppery tinge of their own red skins-anxious that art might co-operate as far as possible with nature in making them look as much like wild beasts as possible.

3. At last, a far louder cry than we had yet heard

burst from the woods in the opposite direction. Upon looking up, we saw the Indians of the other party advancing to the ball play-ground in a most tumultuous manner, shrieking, yelling, hallooing, brandishing their sticks, leaping, jumping, and exhibiting all conceivable antics. At this stage of the game, I was forcibly reminded of the pictures in Cook's Voyages, where multitudes of the South Sea Islanders are represented as rushing forward to attack the boats. There were fifty of the inhabitants of one village pitted against fifty of another; and the players, being selected from the strongest, nimblest, and most spirited of the whole tribe, the party offered some of the finest specimens of the human form I ever beheld.

4. The first party, on rushing out of the woods in the manner I have described, danced in the same noisy and tumultuous fashion round the two green boughs at their end of the ground. After this first explosion, they advanced more leisurely to the middle of the cleared space, where they squatted down in a thick cluster till their adversaries made their appearance. The same ceremonies were observed by the second party, after which they settled down likewise on the grass in a body. The two groups remained eyeing one another for a long time, occasionally uttering yells of defiance.

5. At a signal from one of the chiefs, the two parties suddenly sprung to their feet, and stood brandishing their sticks over their heads. Every player held one of these implements in each hand. They were formed of light, tough wood, I think willow, about two feet long, and as thick as my thumb. At the end farthest from the hand, the sticks were

split and formed into an oval, three inches long by two wide, across which opening, or loop, were stretched two thongs made of hide. By means of these bats, the ball was struck to a great distance whenever any of the players succeeded in hitting it fairly. This, however, was not very often the case, for reasons which will be stated immediately. Generally speaking, the ball was grasped or held between the ends of the two sticks, and carried along over the head by the fortunate player who had got hold of it. The ball was pretty much like that used in tennis-courts, only not so hard, being formed out of raw hide stuffed with deer's hair.

6. After the parties had stood for some minutes in silence, in two rows facing one another, they stepped forward till they came within the distance of a few feet. Upon some word of command being given by one of the chiefs, every one laid down his sticks before him on the ground. A deputation of the chiefs highest in rank now proceeded to examine and count the parties, in order to make sure of there being an equal number on both sides. All these ceremonies, and various others which I forget, being ended, an old man stood forward and made a speech, or talk, as it is called, which, being interpreted to us, appeared to be formed of injunctions to the combatants to observe fair play, and to do honour to their country upon this important occasion. As soon as he ceased, the Indians scattered themselves over the ground, according to some rules not unlike those of cricket, by which the players might intercept the ball, and send it back again in the right direction. I observed that each of the goals, or wickets, formed by

the two boughs at the ends, was guarded by a couple of the most expert players, whose duty it was to prevent the ball passing through the opening-the especial object of the opposite party.

7. When these long ceremonials and preparations were over, one of the chiefs, having advanced to the centre of the space, cast the ball high in the air. As it fell, between twenty and thirty of the players rushed forward, and, leaping several feet off the ground, tried to strike it. The multiplicity of blows, acting in different directions, had the effect of bringing the ball to the ground, where a fine scramble took place, and a glorious clatter of sticks mingled with the cries of the savages. At length an Indian, more expert than the others, contrived to nip the ball between the ends of his two sticks, and having managed to fork it out, ran off with it like a deer, with his arms raised over his head, pursued by the whole party engaged in the first struggle.

8. The fortunate youth was, of course, intercepted in his progress twenty different times by his antagonists, who shot like hawks across his flight from all parts of the field, to knock the prize out of his grasp, or to trip him up-in short, by any means to prevent his throwing it through the opening between the boughs at the end of the play-ground. Whenever this grand purpose of the game was accomplished, the successful party announced their right to count one by a fierce yell of triumph, which seemed to pierce the very depths of the wilderness.

9. It was sometimes highly amusing to see the way in which the Indian who had got hold of the ball contrived to elude his pursuers. It is not to be