46 TIMEHRI. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE DWELLINGS, MANNERS, OCCUPA- 
TIONS, AND HOUSEKEEPING OF THE INDIANS. 
Little can be said regarding their places of residence ; 
they like nearly all other savages of South America dwell 
in a lot of villages, or hamlets, consisting of a few huts 1 
placed near each other, along the rivers and creeks, often 
changing them without any arrangement or order. These 
huts or cardets, are miserable square dwellings from 
fifty to sixty feet long, not so wide, round above, 18 or 
20 feet high, and built of two posts, on which they place 
a long lath, which supports the entire building ; around 
it they plait branches of trees, which they understand to 
tie so close, that the interior of the huts are skreened 
from wind and rain. 
They cover these with Palmiste or Ahouay leaves ; the 
door is the only entrance, and so low, that you are 
obliged to enter it in a stooping position; the fire-place 
is in the centre of the hut, so that the smoke must pass 
through the opening of the door. Many of these natives 
live together in families; the size of their hut being 
tegulated according to the number of its inhabitants, 
sometimes 20 Or 30 families reside in one carbet, 
They generally have in their villages a large hut, 
called Tabouy, serving for an Armory, surrounded by 
palissades, or for a meeting place for the whole nation, 
where all meet, celebrate their feasts, and receive stran- 
gers. Sometimes such a building is 130 or 140 feet 
long, and 30 or 40 feet wide, at other times again but 50 
or 60 feet long, and from ro to 12 feet wide. In the 
centre and at both ends of it, are two large props 
shaped forkwise, which at the top receive a long piece 
of wood, this is for the use of the chief, on this lie 
