TOWNS 8? VILLAGES.—BOOK II. 
119 
CHAPTER V, 
TOWNS AND VILLAGES. 
AMONGST the Americans, every assemblage of houses, 
no matter of how small a number, is denominated a town; in 
this country every place except New Orleans, however consid¬ 
erable, or extensive, is called a village. This is right in both 
cases; the occupation of villages, is principally, the cultivation 
of the soil, in the states, those who follow the plough, are scat¬ 
tered over the country; while the mechanics, and retailers of 
merchandise, gather in a cluster. Hence the difference in the 
appearance of the towns or villages of this country, from those 
of the states. Although there is something like regularity of 
streets, and the houses are built in front of them, they do not 
adjoin, while the gardens, orchards, and stables, occupy a con¬ 
siderable extent of ground. Each house with its appurtenances, 
has the appearance of one of our farm-yards. All kinds of cat¬ 
tle, cows, hogs, sheep, mingle with the passengers, in the 
streets. These tenements are generally enclosed with cedar 
pickets, placed in the manner of stockades, and .sometimes with 
stone walls. The houses are built in a very singular form, 
and it is said, copied after the fashion of the West Indies. They 
do not exceed one story in height, and those of the more weal¬ 
thy are surrounded with spacious galleries; some only on one 
or two sides, while the poorer class are obliged to put up with 
naked walls, and a poor habitation. These galleries are ex¬ 
tremely useful; they render the house cool and agreeable in 
summer, and afford a pleasant promenade in the heat of the 
day- ... . \ 
In building their houses, the logs, instead of being laid hori¬ 
zontally, as ours, are placed in a perpendicular position, the in¬ 
terstices closed with earth or stone, as with us. This consti¬ 
tutes a more durable dwelling, and it retains its shape much 
longer. The roof is extremely broad, extending out with a 
gradual slope, for the purpose of affording a covering to the 
gallery. Within these two years, some alteration is perceptible 
in the general appearance of the villages, from the introduction 
