The Htflorj of 



BookIL 



fuch ftrong and fumptuous Edifices, as if they would have 

 their duration to be equal with that of the world : The Chi*-. 



China, c 4. ty : For their parts they meafure the continuance of their 



Houfes by that of their lhort lives : But our Savages of the €a- 

 ribbies are willing to abate much of that term, and order their 

 ftru&ures fo as that they are oblige! to build often in their 

 lives : Their little Huts are made in an oval form, of pieces of 

 wood planted in the ground, over which they put a Roof of 

 Plantane- leaves or Sugar-canes, or fome herbs which they can 

 fo difpofe and intermix one among another, that under that 

 covering which reaches to the ground, they are fecured againft 

 rain and all injuries of the weather .* And this Roof, as weak as 

 it feems to be, makes a fhift to laft three or four years, without 

 being much the worfe,unIe(s there happens to be a Hurricane: 



L. 16.C.38. Tliny affirms, that fome Northerly people made ufe of Reeds 



for the covering of their houfes and they are ufed to this 

 day in the Low- Countries, Fr4»ce,and other parts : The Cari- 

 hians do alfo make ufe of fmall Reeds faften'd acrofs for the Pa- 

 lifadoeS) which are inftead of walls to their Habitations 5 under 

 every covering they have as many partitions made as they 

 would have Rooms .* A fimple piece of Mat does among them 

 the office of our doors, bolts, and 4ocks : There's nothing 

 above their heads but the roof it felf, and under their feet on- 

 ly the bare earthy butthey are fo careful in keeping of it clean, 

 that they fweep it as often as they fee the leaft filth upon it: 

 This they obfer ve in their private houfes 5 for commonly their 

 Carbet, or publick houfe, where they meet upon fome rejoicing 

 account, is not kept over-clean, infomucb that many times the 

 place is full of Chegoes. 



Befides the little room where they take their reft, and enter- 

 tain their friends, every confiderable family hath two other 

 little rooms : One ferves for a Kitchin, and the other for a 

 kind of Store-houfe, where they put up their Bows, their Ar- 

 rows, and their Bdutous^ which are Clubs of a heavy and finooth 

 wood, which they ufe in their wars inftead of fwords, when 

 they haVe fpent all their Arrows : There they alfo put up 

 their Baskets, their fupernumerary beds, with all the toys and 

 ornaments they make ufe of at publick meetings and upon 

 days of Triumph.- All; that trumpery they call by the name 

 of Caconnes. 



As to furniture, our Savages have only a kind of hanging 

 beds, which they call Amah, which areas it were great Co- 

 verlets made of Cotton, very neatly woven, and folded toge- 

 ther at both ends, that they may join the two corners of the 

 bredth : Then they faften the Amais by the two folded ends, 

 to the principal pillars of their Edifice : Thofe who have no 



Cotton- 



