enters the houfe, but by this opening; and though fuch 
clofe habitations may afford a comfortable retreat in bad 
weather, they feem but ill-adapted to the warmth of the 
climate. They are, however, kept remarkably clean ; and 
their floors are covered with a large quantity of dried grafs, 
over which they fpread mats to fit and fleep upon. At one 
end Hands a kind of bench, about three feet high, on 
which their houfehold utenfils are placed. The catalogue 
is not long. It confifls of gourd-fhells, which they convert 
into veffels that ferve as bottles to hold water, and as baf- 
kets to contain their victuals, and other things, with covers 
of the fame ; and of a few wooden bowls and trenchers, of 
different fizes. Judging from what we law growing, and 
from what was brought to market, there can be no doubt, 
that the greatefl part of their vegetable food confifls of fweet 
potatoes, taro, and plantains ; and that bread-fruit and yams 
are rather to be efleemed rarities. Of animal food, they 
can be in no want; as they have abundance of hogs, which 
run, without reftraint, about the houfes; and if they eat 
dogs, which is not improbable, their flock of thefe feemed 
to be very confiderable. The great number of fifhing- 
hooks found amongfl them, fhewed, that they derive no 
inconfiderable fupply of animal food from the fea. But it 
lhould feem, from their practice of falting filh, that the 
opennefs of their coaft often interrupts the bufinefs of 
catching them ; as it may be naturally fuppofed, that no fet 
of people would ever think of preferving quantities of food 
artificially, if they could depend upon a daily, regular fup¬ 
ply of it, in its frefh Hate. This fort of reafoning, however, 
will not account for their cuflom of falting their pork, as 
well as their fifh, which are preferved in gourd-fhells. The 
fait, of which they ufe a great quantity for this purpofe, is 
i of 
