LOGWOOD. 343 



lose this convenience. Though they build their huts 

 but slightly, yet they take care to thatch them very 

 well with palm or palrnet leaves, to prevent the rains, 

 which are there very violent, from soaking in. 



"For their bedding they raise a barbecue, or 

 wooden frame, three foot and a half above ground, 

 on one side of the house, and stick up four stakes, at 

 each corner one, to fasten their curtains ; out of which 

 there is no sleeping for moskitoes. Another frame 

 they raise covered with earth for a hearth to dress 

 their victuals ; and a third to sit at when they eat it. 

 During the wet season, the land where the logwood 

 grows is so overflowed that they step from their beds 

 into the water, perhaps two foot deep, and continue 

 standing in the wet all day till they go to bed again ; 

 but nevertheless account it the best season for doing 

 a good day's labour in. 



" Some fell the trees, others saw and cut them into 

 convenient logs, and one chips off the sap, and he is 

 commonly the principal man ; and when a tree is so 

 thick that after it is logged it remains still too great 

 a burden for one man, we blow it up with gun- 

 powder. The logwood- cutters are generally sturdy 

 strong fellows, and will carry burthens of three or 

 four hundred weight; but every man is left to his 

 choice to carry what he pleaseth, and commonly 

 they agree very well about it : for they are contented 

 to labour very hard. * * * In some places, 

 especially in the west creek of west lagurie, they go 

 a hunting wild cattle every Saturday to provide them- 

 selves with beef for the week following. * 

 When they have killed a beef they cut it into quar- 

 ters, and taking out the bones, each man makes 

 a hole in the middle of his quarter, just big enough 

 for his head to go through, then puts it on like a 

 frock and trudgeth home; and if he chanceth to tire, 

 he cuts off some of it and throws it away." 

 The hides of these wild cattle, and many which 



