29 
about four feet square, raised from the ground upon 
sand, with three stones for the cooking utensils; they 
have no chimneys, and, as they keep up a fire all the 
year round, their houses are scarcely habitable by 
Europeans, on account of the continual smoke. 
Some of their buildings, however, are constructed of 
more fragile materials; but it is only in cases where 
their civil dissentions render it probable that a sacking 
will take place, or after such an event has occured, 
and driven them to seek a temporary residence in 
some distant and unfrequented spot, On such occa¬ 
sions, they run up a hut of the boughs of trees, 
thatch it with any thing that is at hand, and make 
the sides close with moss or grass. These huts are 
built in a conical form, like hay-cocks, and the 
doors are so low, that the inmates are obliged to 
stoop almost on their knees in entering. 
The dwelling of the chief is called a Donac; it 
consists of several buildings well constructed, and 
surrounded by a strong pallisade, the entrance of 
which is usually guarded by two or three armed men. 
The principal house is for the chief himself, and the 
others for his wife and concubines, though the former 
has generally better accommodations than the latter. 
Many of the houses belonging to the Rhoandrians, 
are built with considerable taste and elegance. No 
one is permitted to enter the donac but those 
who are invited, or are known to be friends of the 
chief; and if a slave were to presume to do it, he 
would be punished with death. 
