SIR JOHN HAWKINS ad. 



1564. 

 crosse wayes : their houses are built in a ranke very 

 orderly in the face of the street, and they are made 

 round, like a dovecote, with stakes set full of Palmito 

 leaves, in stead of a wall : they are not much more 

 then a fathome large, and two of heigth, & thatched 

 with Palmito leaves very close, other some with reede, 

 and over the roofe thereof, for the better garnishing 

 of the same, there is a round bundle of reede, pretily 

 contrived like a louer : in the inner part they make 

 a loft of stickes, whereupon they lay all their provision 

 of victuals : a place they reserve at their enterance for 

 the kitchin, and the place they lie in is devided with 

 certaine mattes artificially made with the rine of Palmito 

 trees : their bedsteades are of small staves layd along, 

 and raysed a foote from the ground, upon which is layde 

 a matte, and another upon them when they list : for 

 other covering they have none. In the middle of 

 the towne there is a house larger and higher then the 

 other, but in forme alike, adjoyning unto the which there 

 is a place made of foure good stancions of woode, and 

 a round roofe over it, the grounde also raised round with 

 claye a foote high, upon the which floore were strawed 

 many fine mats : this is the Consultation-house, the like The Consulta- 

 whereof is in all Townes, as the Portu2:als affirme : in ^^^^ ^°^J^ ^^ 



• • • totvtis-fiozuss 



which place, when they sitte in Counsell the King or 

 Captaine sitteth in the midst, and the Elders upon the [III. 505.] 

 floore by him : (for they give reverence to their Elders) 

 and the common sorte sitte round about them. There 

 they sitte to examine matters of theft, which if a man be 

 taken with, to steale but a Portugal cloth from another, 

 hee is sold to the Portugals for a slave. They consult 

 also, and take order what time they shall goe to warres : 

 and as it is certainely reported by the Portugals, they take 

 order in gathering of the fruites in the season of the 

 yeere, and also of Palmito wine, which is gathered by a Palmito is a 

 hole cut in the top of a tree, and a gourde set for the "^^^^^ ^^^^^ 

 receiving thereof, which falleth in by droppes, and 

 yeeldeth fresh wine againe within a moneth, and this 



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