
The Indians of North America. 77 
Many tribes formed a conical structure of poles, which was cov- 
ered with skins, and were easily transported from place to place, 
according to the scarcity of game, or to seek the forests in winter to 
obtain better shelter and fuel. Some lived in caves in the rocks 
or earth, while the Esquimaux built their huts of frozen snow. 
Columbus describes certain Indians on the coast of Viragua who 
lived high up in trees. Huts have been found in Florida, and 
ruins of huts in the swamps that margin Delaware Bay, which were 
built similar to those of the Lake Dwellers of Switzerland. Lewis 
and Clark found on the river banks of the Pacific Slope dwellings 
two hundred and sixty feet long by thirty wide, in which several 
families resided; and, on the northwest coast they had skill 
enough to make planks which were ten feet long, two and a-half 
broad, and two inches thick ; their tools were of bone or stone. 
Captain Cook speaks of houses in Nortka Sound built of long, 
broad plank ; and Marchand met with houses -two stories high, fifty 
feet long, thirty-five feet broad, and fifteen feet in height, one story 
being under ground. 
They generally lived on the spontaneous vegetable products of 
the country: fruits, berries, grass, seed, nuts, roots; also on moss 
from the rocks, and, in the south, on cocoanuts, plantains and 
bananas. 
The plant most cultivated was the Indian corn, ‘‘ zea mays;” 
and toward the south, the root of the yucca and pulque plant. 
The Indians also planted beans, peas, several varieties of the 
gourd family, as pumpkins, squashes, cimblins, watermelons, sun- 
flower seed, and the sweet potato was raised as far north as Mary- 
land. In the south, and West India Islands, they cultivated yams; 
in Mexico, mezquite beans, tomatoes, peppers, chocolate. The 
Indians of New Mexico made drink and sugar of the cactus pears, 
and ate the fruit. Sugar was made of the sap of the sugar maple, 
box-elder, and from the stalks of the Indian corn. Tobacco was 
raised wherever the climate was suitable. 
Of animal food they partook most freely, eating every kind, 
even insects, rats, ground-squirrels, snakes, lizards. The meat of 
buffalo, bear, deer, beaver, etc., was preserved by kindling fires 
under scaffolds of poles, to be dried and partially smoked. On 
the northwest coast they ate sea-dogs, cuttle-fish, sea-weeds, train- 
oil, etc. 
Their garments were made of furs, skins, fibrous bark of plants 
