Cuartrer XVII 
HUTS AND HOUSES 
Conditions affecting site (290). 
Protection and defenses, palisades (291). 
Change of residence (292). 
Banabs or temporary shelters: Rectangular (293); triangular (294); lean-to 
(295). 
Portable rain shelters (296). 
Outhouses (297). 
Permanent houses, Classification of : 
Lean-to (298). 
Arched (299). 
Cireular: Distribution (800); construction of framework (301); walls 
(302) ; door (308); variations with two main posts (804); with three 
(305) ; with none (306). ‘ 
Elliptical (307). 
Nomenclature (308). 
Rectangular: With one semicircular end (309); with both ends vertical 
(310). In the Pomeroon district (311); in Cayenne (312) ; nomencla- 
ture (318). 
Pile and other dwellings (314-317). 
Thatch and how used (318-324). 
House decoration (325). 
Furniture (326). 
Houses in the islands (327). 
290. The evidence appears to be far from satisfactory as to the 
conditions limiting the choice of site upon which an Indian will 
build his house. On the one hand, selection may depend upon pur- 
poses of concealment, and on the other upon suitability of observa- 
tion for the approach of enemies. Thus it is said of the Demerara 
Indians that they very seldom erected their houses upon the immedi- 
ate banks of the river, and whenever they happened to fix upon a 
situation near to it, they were careful to leave some of the bush stand- 
ing for the purpose of concealing the building. More frequently 
they established their dwellings upon the borders of the creeks, or 
within the woods at some distance from the river (Pnk, m, 227). 
The situation of a settlement on the top of an exposed hill may rea- 
sonably be deemed, inter alia, an advantage for the inmates in 
keeping watch over the surrounding country through which their 
enemies may be lurking. An open terrain offered much less chance 
to the approach of an enemy not being noticed ; likewise, the setting up 
of the provision grounds at a great distance from the residence rested 
248 
