of the Ifthmus of America. 121 



nd Bamboes, both fplit and bound toge- 

 ther 'with Withs ^ 'tis about a Foot thick : 

 This they have ready to fet up againft an 

 Enemies entrance , and two or three Ports 

 in the Ground to fupport it 'Jis a great 

 Inconvenience of thefe Forts that they are 

 eafily fet a Fire 5 and the Spaniards fhoot 

 into the Thatch Arrows with long Shanks 

 made red hot, for that purpofe. There is 

 ufually a Family of Indians living in the 

 Y^af-houfe, as a Guard to it, and to keep 

 ifSclean ; And they are al ways kept> pretty 

 iieat, as their private Houfesalfo are. The 

 War-houfes ferve them alfo to hold their 

 Councils, or other general Meetings. 



In the Plantations, among their Houfes, Plantation 

 they fet fo much of Plantains, Maiz, or the * nd Hus - 

 iike, as ferves their Occafiqns. The Coun- andry? 

 try being all a Forreft, the firft thing ofrtheir 

 Husbandry is ufually to cut down the Trees 

 and clear a piece of Ground. They often 

 let the Trees lie along on the Place three or 

 four Years after they are cut down $ and 

 tjjen fet lire to them and the Under-? wood 

 or Stumps, burning all together. Yet in the 

 mean tim£ they plant Maiz among the Trees 

 as they lie. So much of the Roots of the 

 Trees as are under Ground-, they fuffer to 

 lie there and rot, having no way to Grub 

 them up. When the Ground is pretty clear, 



they how it up into little Ridges and Hil- 

 locks 5 but in nq very good Form nor re- 

 gular 



