122 A V O Y A G E T O 



FeWr- campment. This they left us in quiet pofTefTion of; hut 

 they came and took away the ruins of fonie old huts thac 

 were there, as materials for their new eredlions. 



It is curious to obferve with what facility they build thefe 

 occafional places of abode. I have feen above twenty of 

 them eredted on a fpot of ground, that, not an hour before, 

 •was covered with flirubs and plants. They generally bring 

 fome part of the materials with them ; the reft they find 

 upon the premifes. I was prefent when a number of people 

 landed, and built one of thefe villages. The -moment the 

 canoes reached the fliore, the inen leaped out, and at once 

 took polTeffion of a piece of ground, by tearing up the plants 

 and flirubs, or fticking up fome part of the framing of a 

 hut. They then returned to their canoes, and fecured their 

 weapons, by fetting them up againft a tree, or placing them 

 in fuch a pofition, that they could be laid hold of in an in- 

 ftant. I took particular notice that no one neglected this 

 precaution. While the men were employed in raifing tlic 

 huts, the women were not idle. Some were flationed to 

 take care of the canoes ; others to fecure the provifions, and 

 the few utenfils in their pofTeflion ; and the reft went to ga- 

 ther dry fticks, that a fire might be prepared for dreffing 

 their vidtuals. As to the children, I kept them, as alfa 

 fome of the more aged, fufliciently occupied in fcrambling 

 for beads, till I had emptied my pockets, and then I left 

 them. 



Thefe temporary habitations are abundantly fufiicient to 

 afford flicker from the wind and rain, which is the only 

 purpofe tliey are meant to anfwer. I obferved that, gene- 

 rally, if not always, the fame tribe or family, though it were 

 ever fo large, afTociated and built together ; fo that we fre- 

 7 quently 



