Page:Joutel's journal of La Salle's last voyage, 1684-7 (IA joutelsjournalof00jout).pdf/158

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but only serving for publick Assemblies, either upon Occasion of Rejoycings, or to consult about Peace and War.

The Cottages that are inhabited, are not each of them for a private Family, for in some of them there are fifteen or twenty, each of which has its Nook or Corner, Bed and other Utensils to its self; but without any Partition to separate it from the rest: However, they have Nothing in Common besides the Fire, which is in the Midst of the Hut, and never goes out. It is made of great Trees, the Ends whereof are laid together, so that when once lighted, it lasts a long Time, and the first Comer takes Care to keep it up.

The Cottages are round at the Top, after the Manner of a Bee-Hive, or a Reek of Hay. Some of them are sixty Foot Diameter. In Order to build them, they plant Trees as thick as a Man's Thigh, tall and strait, and placing them in a Circle, and joyning the Tops together, form the Dome, or round Top, then they lath and cover them with Weeds. When they remove their Dwellings, they generally burn the Cottages they leave, and build new on the Ground they design to inhabit.

Their Movables are some Bullocks Hides and Goats Skins well cur'd, some Mats close wove, wherewith they adorn their Huts, and some Earthen Vessels, which they are very skilful at making, and wherein they boil their Flesh or Roots, or Sagamite, which, as has been said, is their Pottage. They have also some small Baskets made of Canes, serving to put in their Fruit and other Provisions. Their Beds are made of Canes, rais'd two or three Foot above the Ground, handsomely fitted with Mats and Bullocks Hides, or Goats Skins well cur'd, which serve them for Feather Beds, or Quilts and Blankets cured with the hair on, to serve as mattresses and bedclothes; and those Beds are parted one from another by Mats hung up.

When they design to Till the Ground, they give one another Notice, and very often above an Hundred of each Sex meet together. When they have till'd that Piece of