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THE INDIANS OF GUIANA. 4] 
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laths slantwise from top to bottom of the building, resting 
on posts of 4 or 5 feet; they afterwards introduce cross 
beams which they fasten with pieces of Liane, to which 
the hammocks of the men are slung, for the women. 
possess no such privilege, these remain in a sitting 
posture on their heels, or lie in a large benab ; this build- 
ing is open at all sides, and covered with leaves. 
Some Indians, like the Guaranos, or Warouws, who 
mostly live near the rivers and marshes, place their 
huts on Mangle or Mangrove trees, to escape the floods; 
these, as we shall hereafter describe, grow in fresh as 
well as salt water, and their hanging branches take 
root again and grow up, so that the bushes of Mangrove 
trees become so thick and dense, that you may walk on 
theic branches and build huts. 
They otherwise fix a few posts on the ground, of 8 or 10 
feet in height, whereon they place a floor made of laths, 7 
or 8 feet long, two or three inches broad, made up a 
sort of manicole, which easily splits; these laths are 
flattened at the other side, joined together and two across, 
when they form a pretty safe floor. The roof, like the 
other huts, is covered with leaves. One gets into it 
by means of trunks or stems of trees, hanging a 
little on one side, in which some notches are cut, to 
serve for ladders, but they are so shaky, that it is 
difficult to mount them, and more so to come down by 
them. Their roads, until they reach higher land, are 
formed of similar thick posts, standing upright, to 
defend themselves against high water and their enemies, 
for whoever makes a false step on them, falls into sharp- 
pointed thorns, with which the forest abounds; the 
Warouws however, by day or night, walk over them 
