Covering everything from Acadians to Yellow
Fever, Bernard Romans exhaustively addressed daily life in Florida and minutely
described its natural features-but he also did much more. He was copious in
conveying the manners and customs of the native Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek
Indians, including, despite their bad traits, one common outstanding virtue:
hospitality. Romans also notes the habits and character of the colonists and
comments on the prevalence of drinking. By focusing his attention on even the
most minute detail, Romans has given us a...