( *»1 ) 



Their villages are generally of no regular form : 

 mod of our ancient accounts have reprefented them 

 of a round figure, and perhaps the authors of them 

 faw none but fuch as were fo. In a word, imagine 

 to yourfelf, Madam, a confufed heap of cabbins 

 placed without any order or defign : fome of them 

 like cart houfes, others like fo many tubs, built of 

 bark, fupported by a few polls, and fometimes 

 coarfely piaiftered on the outfide with clay *, and, 

 in facT, built with much lefs art, neatnefs, and fo* 

 lidity than thofe of the beavers. Thefe cabbins are 

 from fifteen to twenty foot broad, and fome- 

 times a hundred in length. In this cafe they have 

 feveral fires, each fire ferving for a fpace of thirty- 

 feet. 



When the floor happens not to be large enough 

 for bedding for all the perfons in the family, the 

 young folks have their beds on a kind of loft five or 

 fix feet from the ground, and which runs the whole 

 length of the cabbin ; the houfhold furniture and 

 provifions are placed above that on flielfs laid crofs- 

 ways next the roof. There is commonly before 

 the entry, a fort of veftible or lobby where the 

 youth deep in the fummer-time, and which ferves 

 as a repofitory for wood in the winter. . The doors 

 are only fo many pieces of bark, fufpended from 

 the top like the ports of a fhip. Thefe cabbins 

 have neither chimnies nor windows, only there is 

 left in the middle of the roof an aperture by which 

 part of the fmoke gets out, and which they are o« 

 bhged to flop up, when it rains or fnows, as alio 

 to put out the fire if they would not be blinded 

 with fmoke. 



The Indians are more flrilful in erecting their 

 fortifications than in building their houfes 5 here 



you 



