6 Mr. WAFERS Ttefcription 



Pifl ; but made here and there at Random in no 

 regular Figure or Order. Out of thefe they view 

 an approaching Enemy, and flioot their Arrows. 

 They have no way of flanking an Enemy. Thefe 

 Houfes are always feated on a Level, on the Nap 

 or Edge of a gentle Hill \ and they clear the Coait 

 of Woods and Shrubs, for a BowVfhoot quite 

 found it. There is a Door-way at each End ; and 

 to barricado it, a Sort of Door made of Macaw- 

 wood and Bamboes, both fplit and bound together 

 with Withs ; 'tis about a Foot thick : This they 

 have ready to fet up againft an Enemies Entrance, 

 and 2 or 3 Ports in the Ground to fupport it. 'Tis 

 a great inconvenience of thefe Forts that they are 

 eafily fet a Fire and the Spaniards fhoot into the 

 Thatch, Arrows with long Shanks made red hot, 

 for that Purpofe. There is ufually a Family of In* 

 dians living in the War-houfe, as a Guard to it, and 

 to keep it clean : And they are always kept pretty 

 neat, as their private Houfes alfo are. The War- 

 houfes ferve them alfo to hold their Councils, or o- 

 ther general Meetings, 

 itati- In the Plantations, among their Houfes, they fet 

 and fo much of Plantains, Maiz, or the like, as ferves 

 sban- their Occafions. The Country being all a Foreft, 

 the firft Thing of their Husbandry is ufually to cut 

 down the Trees and clear a piece of Ground. They 

 often let the Trees lie along the Place 3 or 4 Years 

 after they are cut down ; and then fet fire to them 

 and the Underwood or Stumps, burning all toge- 

 ther. Yet in the mean time they plant Maiz a- 

 mong the Trees as they lie. So much of the 

 Roots of the Trees as are under Ground, they fuf- 

 fer to lie there and rot, having no way to grub them 

 up. When the Ground is pretty clear, they hough 

 it up into little Ridges and Hillocks; but in no very 

 good Form nor regular Diftance. In each of thefe 

 Hillocks they make a Hole with their Fingers, and 



throw 



