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the overflowing of the water, in which they are 

 riot able to continue for any length of time. 

 In case they cannot pitch upon so commodious 

 a situation, they drive piles into the earth, in 

 order to fence and fortify their habitation against 

 the wind as well as the water. They make 

 two apertures at the bottom, to the stream ; 

 one is a passage to their bagnio, which they 

 always keep neat and clean; the other leads to 

 that part of the building where every thing is 

 conveyed that will either soil or damage their 

 upper apartments. They have a third opening 

 or door-way, much higher, contrived for the 

 prevention of their being shut up and confined 

 when the frost and snow has closed ttfe aper- 

 tures of the lower floors. Sometimes they 

 build their houses altogether on dry land ; but 

 then they sink trenches five or six feet deep, in 

 order to descend into the water when they see 

 convenient, They make use of the same ma* 

 terials, and are equally industrious in the erec- 

 tion of their lodges as their dykes. Their walls 

 are perpendicular, and about two feet thick. 

 As their teeth are more serviceable than saws, 

 they cut off all the wood that projects beyond 

 the wall. After this, when they have mixed up 



