NARRATIVE OF AN 



faid, is found in all the other palm-trees, 8cc. The hut 

 that I now lay under was not built in the convenient man- 

 ner above defcribed ; it was not requifite, for the fhort 

 time we generally continued in one place : my habitation 

 confifted only of a roof or cover without any walls. The 

 manner of ere6ting thefe little Iheds, which every private 

 foldier builds for himfelf, is limply by planting four forked 

 poles in the ground, at fuch a diftance that a hammock 

 can conveniently hang between them ; next, to reft two 

 Ihort poles, ftrong enough to fupport the weight of the 

 body in the above forks, the one at the head and the 

 other at the feet, to which are fattened the clews of the 

 hammock. On the other extremities of thefe are laid 

 two long fticks, and on them again two fhort ones, and 

 thus alternately two long and two fhort, all which dimi- 

 nilh by degrees. When the whole is finifhed, the top muft 

 be covered with branches from the manicole, exactly as 

 they grow, without either fplitting or tying them, and as 

 thick as the feafon may require. 



When this temporary fabric is completely finifhed, it • 

 will not only keep dry both the inhabitants and their 

 boxes, but (by the help of the nebees) fuzees, fwords, pif- 

 tols, 8cc. may be fufpended from the rafters. As I have 

 been defcribing the manicole, I am induced alfo to men- 

 tion the cocoa-nut tree, as 1 think it refembles that more 

 than any of the palm fpecies. This tree, which is fo 

 much celebrated, as affording to man food, clothing, 

 ftielter, Sec. poffeffesnot,,in my opinion, ail thofe qualities, 



but 



