1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 265 



ed lengthwise into three equal parts ; the middle 

 part, or centre, is inclosed by a partition of four 

 sides, reaching about six feet above the floor, and 

 one or two small rooms are also sometimes taken off 

 from the sides, the rest of the space under the roof 

 is open, so as freely to admit the air and the light : 

 the particular uses of these different apartments, our 

 short stay w r ould not permit us to learn, except that 

 the close room in the center was appropriated to the 

 women. 



The food of these people consists of every tame 

 animal in the country, of which the hog holds the 

 first place in their estimation, and the horse the 

 second ; next to the horse is the buffalo, next to the 

 buffalo their poultry, and they prefer dogs and cats 

 to sheep and goats. They are not fond of fish, and, 

 I believe, it is never eaten but by the poor people, 

 nor by them, except when their duty or business 

 requires them to be upon the beach, and then every 

 man is furnished with a light casting net, which is 

 girt round him, and makes part of his dress ; and 

 with this he takes any small fish which happen to 

 come in his way. 



The esculent vegetables and fruits have been 



mentioned already, but the fan-palm requires more 



particular notice, for at certain times it is a succeda- 



neum for all other food both to man and beast. A 



kind of wine, called toddy, is procured from this 



tree, by cutting the buds which are to produce 



flowers, soon after their appearance, and tying under 



them small baskets, made of the leaves, which are 



so close as to hold liquids without leaking. The 



juice which trickles into these vessels, is collected 



by persons who climb the trees for that purpose, 



morning and evening, and is the common drink of 



every individual upon the island; yet a much greater 



quantity is drawn off than is consumed in this use, 



and of the surplus they make both a syrup and 



coarse sugar. The liquor is called duct, or duac, and 



