80 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



knives. Thus the house is finished but with- 

 out sides, — and through all this work a single 

 nail has not been used ; a tough pliant para- 

 site, " lianne," being used to fasten the larger 

 poles, and the inner bark of a tree for the 

 smaller ones and thatch : this bark being as 

 strong as rope, and as easily tied as bass. 



There only remains to complete the sides, 

 which are formed of strong sticks placed ver- 

 tically, strengthened by two or three strong 

 ones placed horizontally. A door is then 

 made of a sort of wicker-work, the hinges 

 and fastenings being of the same material, 

 and the mansion is complete. It is true that, 

 snakes and other reptiles have a very free 

 passage in and out, by night or day ; and 

 we must have killed some dozens of snakes 

 in both the ranchos ; for that reason some 

 Indians fill the interstices of the side-sticks 

 with mud, which, when dry, makes a wall ; 

 but they are then nearly in the dark and get 

 little fresh air, so I was content with the 

 rancho as it was; there was plenty of light, 

 air, and coolness, and when the north winds 

 were cold and violent during a few months 

 in the year, some of the skins of the beasts 

 we killed made it more snug, by hang- 

 ing them up on the windward-side. The other 



