43 



of Porto Rico. The following iiocount is taken almost verbatim from 

 this description: 



The Indians of Haiti called their houses bi/Ji/'o.t, caneyea^ and rraertis, 

 and constructed them in two ways, according to the wish of the 

 builder. One kind (figure 1) was circular, the supporting posts being 

 set in the earth -i or o feet apart, forming a circle. The roof was sup- 

 ported b}' poles which converged at the apex and rested on the upright 

 beams, being tied to the tops of the uprights. They formed rafters, 

 connected bv cane stalks, upon which were placed a covering of leaves. 



Certain Indian houses, called caney, were thatched with the leaves 

 of the h!ha<m or with cane stalks; others with palm leaves or other 

 materials. The walls of this type were made of canes fastened above 

 to the connecting beams and buried 

 in the earth below, all bound togethei 

 with flexible fibers. A caney was cir 

 cular, with pointed roof, and desti 

 tute of windows, the light being ad 

 mitted through the door. It is said 

 to have had greater strength than the 

 rectangular tvpe, resisting better thi 

 terrific winds which sometimes blow 

 over the island. 



The second type (figure 2) had a 

 square or a rectangular shape, but 

 was built of the same kind of material 

 as the former. Descriptions and fig- 

 ures of houses of this kind indicate 

 that they had windows, doors, an 

 A-shaped roof, and a small porch. In the figures given m Ovledo of 

 both kinds of houses, balls are represented along the ridge pole or at 

 the point of the roof. These may have been weights, and it is interest- 

 ing to compare them with the spherical stones found near village sites. 



Modem cabins in Porto Rico resemble the second rather than the 

 first type of ancient dwellings, l)ut difl'er from both in this detail of 

 architecture. These modern structures are often raised on posts above 

 ground, although examples are common where there are no side walls, 

 the roof extending to the ground. The author has seen at different 

 points on the island a few circular cabins resembling somewhat the 

 caney as it is described. Of modern cabins there are several types, of 

 which the followiiio- niav be mentioned: 



CircuUr hue Tit 



Thatched with Grasses 



On plate ii («) is represented a building at Luquillo in process of 

 construction, showing the framework without covering, before the 

 thatch has been tied to the roof or upright beams. All the rafters 



